Submitted Question:

Jane:

Wow. You DO have great soft-factors. Unfortunately, to be the bearer of bad news, your LSAT will probably keep you out of the top 14 law schools. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t apply though, if a miracle acceptance is going to happen to anyone, it’s going to happen to you. If money is no object, apply to the entire t14, but if you are concerned about costs, your t14 list should look something like: Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, Virginia, Cornell, and Georgetown (Full and Part-time). It’s crucial that you put together a flawless application package – spend weeks crafting your personal statement(s) and essays, select your recommenders carefully, etc. Good luck and remember, you’ll never know unless you try.

Corey:

Jane’s answer is perfect … as long as you are sure you can’t improve your LSAT score. If a top-14 law school is your goal, you should really consider retaking the test. A 165, for example, dramatically increases your odds of acceptance to Cornell or Georgetown.

Submitted Question:

Corey:

As I’m sure you are aware, Chicago places better than Cornell in every legal field and, costs being the same, would be the better choice if you had an acceptance in hand. That said, your odds of getting off this waitlist are slim. I couldn’t find one non-URM acceptance off the waitlist with an LSAT below 169 on LSN. This, coupled with the fact that you will have already signed a lease, purchased books, and attended class before you might hear back, suggests that it might be a good idea to withdraw now and spend the next month focused on getting ready for law school. So yeah, withdraw and never look back.

Submitted Question:

Corey:

You should begin working on your “default” personal statement, one that will fit into the normal two-to-three pages, double spaced requirement that most law schools utilize. You should also ask your potential recommenders if they would be willing to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Mostly though, you should focus on succeeding on the LSAT. Researching potential schools and reading up on law school, while a great time-killer, is best left until you have an LSAT score in hand.

Submitted Question:

Corey:

Schedule a retake for September and start prepping again. Right now you are looking at attending a school ranked 25-50 but a few LSAT points will make a big difference. Prepare three lists of target schools as though your LSAT score was 162, 165, and 170. Select five schools from each list (with no overlap) and prepare applications for these schools so that each is ready for submission the day you receive your new test results. If your score doesn’t go up, you will still be in position to attend law school next year – and if it goes up as planned, your applications will be in early enough to give you the best shot at every top school. Good luck.

Submitted Question:

Jane:

Sorry, I don’t really see why you should transfer in this situation. The shrinking availability of big-firm jobs has caused a number of law students (including you!) to consider transferring when it probably isn’t in their best interest. Look, you are still in position to land one of the coveted big-firm jobs – probably in a better position than if you transferred to Georgetown. Every big-firm coming to Tulane’s OCI program will be looking to recruit students just like you. Why pay full price at Georgetown when you can get the same jobs at discount? Transferring would be a mistake.

* Note: We were contacted by a reader who felt that this answer was too broad and made too many assumptions. We contacted the original questioner for clarification and added the last two sentences of the question according to his wishes.

Submitted Question:

Corey:

Business casual. No jeans, no suit – whatever works best for you in-between. You want to look professional but not dressy. As for what you should do, talk to as many different people as possible. You aren’t going to make or break your application at the event so be sure to use it as your opportunity to get to know the school. Visit with professors, students, and admissions counselors; take a tour (scheduled or impromptu); and have fun. If a speaker offers to answer questions, don’t be “that guy” who asks an inappropriate question. Examples of this type of question include: anything that would only be applicable to you (“my application was sent in August but I have yet to hear back”), or an attempt to be funny (“will it be easier to pick-up ladies at the bar if I attend your school”).