How do you evaluate your LSAT upper limit?

Litian.Chen

A bunch of ppl on toplawschool just started to talk about keeping your mind LSAT-sharp just in case October score goes bad. But i know the gist is not to retake unless you actually see a solid improvement, right? But how do you gauge yourself? Based on PT? I've taken the LSAT twice already so I guess scores of most of my PTs for the second (October) LSAT doesn't count. I did have three fresh PTs including PT 69 done during September/October and scored 165-161-167(PT 69) so I'm kinda clueless about what kind score is my "normal“ range...

any thoughts?

msdaisy16

I don't think there is a such thing as a "normal range", but if you've taken the LSAT twice already maybe you could switch up your studying technique. 165, 161, 167 isn't bad. Not everyone scores 170+. You could study for the LSAT for a year and never reach 170.

Litian.Chen

Yeah I think you are right..I've been spending too much time on TLS Forum and started to think there are only T14 students- who get job and Non-T14 - who sleep on street...

Also I think you can never control your mindset on the test day, you may be able to stay calm as you take multiple LSATs but again someone retaking it can still bomb an entire LG..

msdaisy16

Exactly. I've pretty much stayed away from TLS. Although it has tons of useful information, you can start to over analyze and become coocoo.

J.Y. Ping

I wrote about "LSAT Potential" a long time ago in an obscure post:
http://7sage.com/have-i-reached-my-lsat-potential/

Litian.Chen

Thank you msdaisy16 and JY!! You guys are absolutely right...TSL is bad for life.....I think the people here are much more amicable..

all they write on TSL is score 175 or go get a job at Starbucks..oh wait if you got into law school even Starbucks won't hire you...

Nilesh S

Plus Litian...you don't need a 170 to break into a T14...score 163 + and you will be in the competitive range at some of the T14, especially after the first 6...and especially in the current climate...just don't stress out too much...also...some of the top 6 might be possible too...not everybody who gets into Harvard or Chicago gets a 170...and you are doing just fine!!!

Litian.Chen

Thanks Nilesh for the comment and encouragement! Actually I think I'm more concerned about job opportunities for non T14s. Although I know those TSL who claims "make T14 or live on the street" are just trolling (I sincerely think so), I can't be immune to what they said..but if they are true, why the rest 200 law schools are still open anyway? ha

J.Y. Ping

Well, there you gotta be careful. If you're looking at below T14 schools, really look hard into their employment numbers.

Lots of bottom tier law schools are able to exist because of a financial subsidy from the government. Here's what I mean. The US Dept. of Education (DoE) will lend you (US Citizen/Green Card holder) money no questions asked to go to law school. They don't care what law school or what your prospects are of paying back the loans (in other words your post graduation employment prospects). Insane, I know. What lender in their right mind would do that?

So anyway, these bottom tier law schools bill out "fulfill your dreams" "be a lawyer" "be rich" where in reality our legal economy has far fewer demand for new lawyers than supply. But hey, they don't give a shit. The DoE gives you money, you hand it over to the law school, they give you back a worthless diploma (after torturing you for 3 years), and they're done. Good bye. What about the $170k debt? Well, that's between you and Uncle Sam, who will NEVER let you declare bankruptcy on it. Because fuck you.

It's a shitty system that subsidies shit law schools and burns people. Well, some people, it makes others rich.

So understand that's how it works. When considering law schools, this principle operates on a sliding scale. As you move closer to #1, you don't have to worry about it as much. As you move closer to #200, you have to worry about it a lot.

T14 is a made up, arbitrary cutoff. It's convenient to talk about T14 because it's generally safe employment wise if you're in a T14 school. That does NOT mean if you're not in T14, you're screwed. Who really thinks the #15 ranked school is in any non-arbitrary non-US-News-and-Wolrd-Report sense different from the #14 ranked school?

Litian.Chen

Great comments JY. Yes I do realize that when selecting a school, LST and Abovethelaw carry more weight than US News ranking that includes even peer review and evaluation..

and yes, the system is fucked up. that's part of the reason US government ends up borrowing trillions of dollars from China, Japan etc. They are not acting responsibly.

I guess non being able to get into T14 = try your best to final a regional school that places well in a certain state. I do know that beside T14 US News Ranking basically doesn't really mean much because schools are much more limited on a regional scale. Univ of Kentucky has a way much better employment prospect overall than W&L, despite being ranked like 60 positions lower.

I also wonder when they will release employment numbers for the class of 2013? I went to ABA they only have 2012 numbers. I guess schools don't report until 9 months after graduation?

emmajoru1

I'm concerned about my decision to attend a lower ranked school and I'm hoping someone can give me some guidance. Going to a good school (T14 or whatever) is not even an option for me . . . I'm 30 years old and married with stepchildren, and so I'm stuck in Duluth, MN where there IS no law school. My only option is to attend the weekend program at Hamline University, a lowly ranked school in St. Paul, which is commuting distance away. So, instead of shooting for a good school, I hope to get a good *scholarship* at a lesser ranked school so that I don't have a mountain of debt when I'm finished. But is this still considered crazy? I hear a lot of ragging on Hamline especially since it's located next to the U of MN which is a fantastic law school and so prospects for Hamline students all the more suck. What should I do? Are all my dreams of becoming a successful lawyer doomed because I am unable to live in a large city that has a decent school? Furthermore, I do hate cities and would rather practice law in a small city (like less than 50,000 peeps) or I'd rather work for a non-profit, so then I'm all the more inclined to attend lowly Hamline because I think the debt-free prospect will be worth more to me than the prestige. But does anyone have some advice for me? Should I ditch the hubby and kids and move to the east coast? KIDDING. But seriously. Anyone?

Nilesh S

Depends on what your priorities are...you have a plan you should stick to it...my take is that education is always good - in that it is an investment in yourself - and if it comes without the kind of debt usually involved with Law schools then why not...what is the worst that can happen...you spend 3 years learning some really cool stuff that broadens your horizons and does not leave you with a monthly subscription to 'Debt Collectors 4 U'...other than that I guess everyone has to take their own call on that particular question.