Reapply?

[deltap]

Hello!

I have been suffering from a bout of indecision as orientation gets closer. I was accepted with a good scholarship to a T20 law school that has great national reach/reputation. I would be happy to go there, but I scored a 171 on a retake and am afraid of selling myself short. My GPA makes me a splitter (just shy of 25th percentile at most schools) so I’m not fully confident that a reapplication would warrant me much better acceptances. However, I go back and forth on what the best course of action is— sit out a year or go for it! I have some decent job opportunities for the year off, but wouldn’t financially make up for the opportunity cost of one less year of legal work. Friends and family say go to school, but forums say I could do better.

My goals are Clerkship if possible or BigLaw, this school places close to T14 numbers in both.

At this late stage of the game, any advice would help!

Thank you

[Adam Tyson]

You neglected to mention the LSAT score that got you that acceptance with scholarship, deltap, so I can't be sure how much more of an impact your 171 retake might have. Have you considered speaking to the folks in admissions about increasing your scholarship offer? Less debt certainly gives you more opportunities later, but on the flip side, if you get Big Law or a Clerkship you probably won't have to worry too much about your debt in the long run, so that's not really the issue. It's the opportunities the right school will bring your way.

If you are a splitter, a 171 is still probably not going to get you much further into the T14. HYS give you the best chances of those career paths, but you are still below their medians for the LSAT. I wouldn't hold my breath for them.

Talk to the admissions folks and tell them what you are thinking and worried about. Ask about deferring for a year - will they still give you that seat, with the same money, if you choose to wait a year? Consider reaching out to some of the other schools you applied to, where you were not accepted, and let them know about your higher LSAT score on retake. Ask what they think about your chances were you to reapply for next year with that change. Get fully informed on how much of a risk you are taking by delaying, and how much potential upside there may be. Don't make this decision in a vacuum!

My gut says to go ahead and start school, because a bird in the hand and all that. You never know what might befall you over the course of the coming year. You have a good offer from a good school with solid prospects for the career path you want. Get started, work hard to be at the top of your class to get those opportunities, and don't worry about what could have been. But my gut isn't what you should follow, and your family doesn't get to decide for you either (although their input should be respected and valued). You should do your research and make an informed decision for yourself. Pick up the phone and ask questions. You have that seat waiting for you, and they won't pull it away just because you express some concerns.

Whatever you decide, be confident in that decision and do not look back!