T14 Q's - retake LSAT, softs, work experience

MayTheForceBeWithYou

Disclaimer: This is fairly long. However, its length may be good practice for you as an RC passage. I can write practice questions if you would like.

Hi all, I first want to say thanks to 7sage for the awesome prep course. I hadn't really used the Discussion section of 7sage until just recently but I wish I had sooner as it seems to be a great community with a lot of knowledge. I sat June 2017 and am looking to apply this cycle. My goal is to attend a T14 school, particularly one of the higher-ranked T14 schools. I have a few questions regarding retaking the LSAT, softs, and work experience.

About me: 4.0 GPA, 170 LSAT, mechanical engineering major at a top 10 engineering school, looking to probably go into intellectual property law.

As for retaking the LSAT, I figure I have good enough numbers to get into a majority of the T14 school as is, but I think an extra couple points could go a long way for chances at HYS CCN, as well as grant money everywhere. I only started to score in the 170s during the last two weeks of prep leading up to the test and had a slow upward trend all the way which I felt I could have continued and scored higher had the test been a month later. All said and done, I hit my target score that I set when I started studying seven months ago and am thrilled with it, but I do think that I can do a little better with more work. I am thinking about sitting again in September. If I am not consistently scoring above 170 on PTs leading up to September I will withdraw, and if I do not feel like I scored above 170 on the test I will cancel my score (don't want to risk getting a lower score). My question is: do schools even see that you have taken a test and cancelled? Or that you have registered and withdrawn? If so, does this hurt your application in any way? How badly would taking and getting a lower (say 168, 169) or same score hurt my application?

My softs: internships with three different companies: one of the "Big Three" auto manufacturers (2 summers), a well-known engine and machinery manufacturer (2 semesters), and a smaller engineering company (1 summer); Formula SAE team member; study abroad semester; tutor; course grader; scholarship D-1 student-athlete (2 years, at previous school before transferring to my current school)

The majority of my softs are internships, and I have heard different things as to how internships are viewed as work experience by law schools. I know a lot of schools and law firms want to see a good amount of full-time work experience, especially in industry for IP law. Do you think this combination of internships (totaling 9 months of full-time and 10 months of part-time engineering work) would be seen as a significant amount of "work experience," however that is defined by law schools, rather than merely a set of internships? Also, I graduate in December and will then be working full-time for around 7-8 months at either the auto manufacturer I have interned at or an engineering consulting firm before starting law school. I would just really rather not put off law school a whole year just to build up more work experience if it is not necessary.

If you are still reading this, you the real MVP. Thank you for any help, insight, suggestions, funny comments, whatever.

Alex

I think taking a year or two to work in a professional setting will help you a lot. Your internships and credentials seem very impressive. However, something that is commonly overlooked is lack of work experience when it actually comes time to apply to legal jobs. It may very well be worth it to do just that.

I work at an iBank and some ex-lawyers work there as well. All have told me, it's better to start law school at 30 with a few years of WE under your belt. You will have a massive advantage over those with short-term work experience and internships at OCI.

10000019

I hope when you said IP you meant Patent. It would be a shame to let that engineering degree go to waste. Any "bum" can practice IP.

You're in a great position. You have a strong chance of being accepted to most T14, and according to hourumd a 42% chance of Harvard!

Yes law schools will see that you cancelled, they won't see the score. If you withdraw and don't take the test, they won't see anything. I don't know how much it would impact your application if you got a lower score; I doubt much since I've read that most schools are interested in your highest score.

A lot of people will tell you to take it again and try to get as much scholarship money as you can, but if I were in your shoes... I'd take the debt and get started on the USPTO registration examination.

If you do decide to take some time off and work, USPTO may have a program where you work for them for a couple years and they cover your law school. I say that without certainly, because I never said the contract. I'm going off my discussion with someone that use to work for USPTO.

ajcrowel

I can't comment about the work expirence aspect as I'm not qualified to say, but as for another score, it won't matter what you score. You have a 170, minimum. You can thank U.S. News ranking for that. No, you're probably not really any better or worse than someone with a 169 or 171, respectively, but Law Schools just care about the points. The people behind them are secondary considerations.

Right now you're sittin' pretty and you have nothing to loose by retaking. I'd say 3+ more points you're very cometitive for HS and Y might look at you strongly too. Best of luck to you!

Alex

@ajcrowel said:
I can't comment about the work expirence aspect as I'm not qualified to say, but as for another score, it won't matter what you score. You have a 170, minimum. You can thank U.S. News ranking for that. No, you're probably not really any better or worse than someone with a 169 or 171, respectively, but Law Schools just care about the points. The people behind them are secondary considerations.

Right now you're sittin' pretty and you have nothing to loose by retaking. I'd say 3+ more points you're very cometitive for HS and Y might look at you strongly too. Best of luck to you!

Wholly agree with this!