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I'm waitlisted at Hastings. I'm talking to an admissions counselor and hopefully will know better where I stand in the next couple weeks. However, positive thinking aside, I'm assuming I do not get into Hastings (I'm hoping to but don't want to bank on it). I am in at a second tier school but don't think I would go even if they offered me a full ride because even though I am anxious to begin law school, its become ever so clear since perusing these boards that second tier doesn't really cut it. I'm 25 now, if I wait a year and reapply, am I getting "up there" in terms of age of 1L? I'd be 26 by the time I started school Fall 2002. This concerns me only because I've always been the youngest in my environment and the prospect of being in the middle or even among the oldest is somewhat discomforting, however irrational that feeling may be. Not enough to discourage me from wanting to go to law school but I just would like to know where I stand. I've got a 3.34 from BU and a B.S. in Communications Studies. My LSAT scores are a 156/163 and 160 average. I've given up taking the LSAT a third time because I don't think it will increase my chances to get into my dream schools anyways. So, can someone tell me if I reapply again next year, can I do better than my current prospects? Can I do better than Hastings? I love SF and would go to Hastings in a second if they took me off of that darned waitlist but if I had it do over again, I'd like more choices. Is USC a realistic hope? If I get my application in to them by October? If I get into Hastings, is that pretty much the best I can do and I should go with it or if I do things right next year with my apps (like get them in early), can I do better? Help! SOME people here think they have me figured out, that I'm just trying to solicit encouragement to soothe my fragile ego or something to that effect. I just have a hard time making a decision by myself and for better or worse, I need to hear the input of others. I'm reading One L right now and (perhaps naively) I really really am excited about law school and practicing law. But, at the same time, to believe that my future after graduation is just as rosy regardless of the rank of school is just stupid I think. For those of you who are tired of my "whining", forgive me for wanting to reach beyond my modest limitations. I would welcome any sincere advice, especially from someone who's been there done that. Thanks! |
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First, I wouldn't worry too much about your age. You'll be older than average but people probably won't notice. I was a little older than average and it didn't cause any problems. 26 is still pretty young.
Second, it's not that a 2nd tier won't 'cut it' but rather that it's harder to find a Biglaw position from a 2nd tier school than a top half of the 1st tier school. (bottom half of the 1st tier is the same as the 2nd tier despite what USNews says) USD (that's where you're in right?) is not a death trap. I know some people who went there who got good jobs in SD. But it's probably not a good choice for SF.
Third reapplying will probably help you with Hastings. But while applying late can really hurt you, applying early doesn't help that much. If you're avearge, they'll pend you until the end of the admissions period. Applying early only helps if your numbers would get you in for the prior year and the number of apps increases dramatically over the year (like this year). That's probably why you got waitlisted at Hastings. But you're not average for USC so I'm certain they would either pend you or put you on the waitlist.
Since you want to practice in SF, I'd reapply next year to Hastings and some other less selective top 25 schools (Washington, Illinois, Emory, etc).
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