LSAT and Law School Admissions Forum

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General questions relating to law school or law school admissions.
 CammeronJ
  • Posts: 7
  • Joined: May 23, 2023
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#103512
I've done very well on the LSAT and I think I should get in pretty much anywhere (178, 3.67 GPA), but I am locked into the DC area for family reasons.

What is my best strategy? Apply everywhere and see what the scholarship situation is? Early decision Georgetown?

Are there any good schools that do entirely online instruction that would be worth attending over Georgetown?

Obviously these are first world problems, but I'd appreciate any words of wisdom!
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 Jeff Wren
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 451
  • Joined: Oct 19, 2022
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#103549
Hi Cammeron,

First, congratulations on the great LSAT score and the GPA!

Second, we have a great article about this general decision that many top students face, namely whether to attend a top ranked law school (without a scholarship) or to attend a lower ranked law school (with a large/possibly even full scholarship).

https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/schola ... ey-and-run

As for your specific questions, this is a personal choice that you should make based on several factors. Personally, I would apply "everywhere" (or at least to a handful of law schools in the DC area that you would consider attending).

If you absolutely know that you want to attend Georgetown Law regardless of financial aid, then early decision makes sense. Otherwise, you should not apply early decision. While I can't make any promises, based on your LSAT score/GPA, you should have a high degree of confidence of getting in even without early decision (barring something extraordinary).

As discussed in the article, regarding the scholarship vs. prestige question, a lot depends on what you plan/hope to do after law school. If you hope to be a law professor, clerk for a Federal judge, or work at a Biglaw firm, then going to a high ranked school will likely be your best option. Also, if you ever plan to move outside of the DC area and practice law in different part of the country, the national reputation of the law school may be important.

Also, if you do plan to work in public interest, be aware that many top law schools have loan forgiveness programs so that their students can pursue these careers without the extreme financial burden of huge student loans.

On the other hand, if you later decide that you don't even like practicing law and want to change careers, not having hundreds of thousands of student loans to pay off can be helpful in keeping your options open.

Finally, I am not aware of any highly ranked online law schools, although I haven't researched this topic. Personally, I would not consider attending an online law school unless it was significantly less expensive. One of the most important experiences of in-person law school (like college) is that you meet people and make friends. While you can also make friends online, I just don't think that it's quite the same as going to a bar with some of your classmates, drinking together and commiserating after that brutal torts exam.

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