Law School or pre-Law Masters

[ingo]

Поступала в Law School:
взяли в: Golden Gate, Santa Clara
waitlisted at: UC, Hastings
rejected: UC. Berkeley

Теперь думаю что делать дальше, чтоб улучшить свои шансы и поступить в top-10.

есть такие варианты/идеи:
1. позаниматься ешё LSAT и с новыми силами поступать.
2. пойти на MBA, then No.1 и с новыми силами поступать
3. Ivy League Masters in: Public Policy, Finance, Statistics, Economics, (I already took GRE Verbal 90th Quant. 80th) и с новыми силами поступать.
4. forget about law school and do something else

Comments are welcome.

[DanielMa]

The problem with #1 is that law schools average your LSAT score. So you will have to have a huge improvement for it to make a difference.

Option Number #3 in Public Policy or Finance or maybe Accounting is not a bad option. If you decide later not то do law school, then at least you will have some profession to fall back.

MBA я бы советовал только если в одной из Топ 20 школ.

[Carina]

from what I understand U.C. Hastings is pretty good and Santa Clara is not bad either. You may want to check out their rankings and employment stats and then decide. If you do exceptionally well your first year, you may be able to transfer to an even better school.

[ingo]

I agree that UC, Hastings is a good school,
but, unfortunately, I was waitlisted and later rejected..

Santa Clara--is not a bad school, but their career service sucks big time.

So, that's why I'm facing a dilemma now...
to waste this year or to pursue a Masters (at Ivy League, let's say Stanford) in order to reapply to Law School...
I'm so tired of thinking about that.

if the answer is --to go for a Masters, then which program would give me an edge in practicing Law, admission process, and/or to fall back on in a tough times???
Public Policy
Public Administration
Finance
etc.?

[nazar]

Financing - 100%

[ingo]

Спасибо за ответы,

отошлю во все top Финансовые программы,
(I need a GMAT for MBA, plus it's a 2-year program, whereas MS in Finance is --1-year, so MBA is out)

кстати ещё в Гарварде есть вот такая программа: Master in Public Administration/International Development (MPA/ID)
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/programs/mpaid/
а что это не ясно.
кто-нибудь знает?

by the way, anybody knows what is the MA in International Public Policy or just MA in Public Policy?
How people utilize this degree/s??
Can it be of any use in practicing/applying to Law?

P.S The attorney I work for is really upset that I'm taking this year off to study something I might never use...
She was pushing me towards the Golden Gate...
while she graduated from the top-20 law school...

[Irina_23]

Инго, а ваш лоер поможет вам с трудоустройством? если такой вариант возможен, то почему бы и нет, может на парт тайм пойти учиться и работать? Если место будет обещано, то какая разница какой диплом у вас будет, главное, что будет и работа тоже. Может я неправильно рассуждаю, наши форумские юристы меня поправят

[Carina]

ingo,

if you can get into Harvard or Stanford for M.A. in public administration, M.S. in finance, etc., go for it!!! once you have a diploma from an ivy or other top 10 school, it should help you get into a good law school.
at the same time, i would not recommend Golden Gate, from what I understand it is extremely hard to find a job after graduation from a 4th tier school and even if your employer offers you a job afterwards, you may not want to put all your eggs in one basket so to speak. Santa Clara seems to be a better choice, if you want to go straigh away. Of course, if your employer is willing to pay for your tuition in Santa Clara, you should seize the opportunity. (I know that when you apply to schools, repayment of student loans is the last thing on your mind, as it was on mine, but not, 5 years after graduation from Boston University, I still have 60K in student loand left to repay despite working at a well-paying job for five years and recently switching t private practice.

[ingo]

Carina,

that's exactly what I had in mind..
to go to an Ivy League school for MS/MA and then go for the gold..

unfortunately, my attorney didn't offer any help (except for emotional ) in covering my tuition..and I don't want to invest 75-85K in something that offers very obscure future prospects (I mean Golden gate, of course)

so, my biggest challenge at this point is to figure out which Ivy League program best fits my future goals, offers some security in case my plans change, and gets me in the door...

I spoke with some advisors and they told me that I have a good chance of getting into these programs with my background and etc., but I have no idea what these programs mean: MA in Public Administration, Public Policy, International Policy Studies???
Any idea?
or do you think any program is fine as long as it's from Ivy?

[madam Liza]

but I have no idea what these programs mean: MA in Public Administration,

May this will help:
Public Administration degree is a professional degree designed to prepare people for administrative careers in government, non-profit organizations and business and to provide opportunities for those already in publi c service to improve their administrative skills. For those already employed in the public sector, this program will provide excellent opportunities for career mobility.

The degree is designed to prepare public administrators who can make decisions on the basis of analytic ability, within the constraints of public reality, by offering instruction in the following curriculum areas; Administration, Personnel Management, Budgeting and Financial Management; Organization and Management, State and Local Administration, and Public Law.

Graduates will be capable of assuming such positions as town or small city managers, or of performing tasks as junior executives in functional or planning agencies of state, county or federal units of government.

[Carina]

Carina,

that's exactly what I had in mind..
to go to an Ivy League school for MS/MA and then go for the gold..

unfortunately, my attorney didn't offer any help (except for emotional ) in covering my tuition..and I don't want to invest 75-85K in something that offers very obscure future prospects (I mean Golden gate, of course)

so, my biggest challenge at this point is to figure out which Ivy League program best fits my future goals, offers some security in case my plans change, and gets me in the door...

I spoke with some advisors and they told me that I have a good chance of getting into these programs with my background and etc., but I have no idea what these programs mean: MA in Public Administration, Public Policy, International Policy Studies???
Any idea?
or do you think any program is fine as long as it's from Ivy?

Ingo,

I majoered in political sceince and economics as an undergrad so, if you ask me , Public Policy and International Policy degrees are pretty cool (plus you'll probably have a blast studying them if you are interested in the issues.

Anyway, it is obviously up to you to decide but here are my two cents: if you can get into an ivy for one of these M.A. programs, go for it and don't g hrough with Golden Gate (to be entirely honest, it's not considered a very good school and may be a waste of your time id you could be attending an ivy in the meantime.) After you get your M.A., and re-take the LSATS narrow down the law schools you are interested in (typically, I'd recommend a few "top choices" ...Berkley, Stanford, etc., a few good top tier school (Hasting, UCLA, etc.) and a few safety choice (Santa Clara, etc., --I would not even re-apply again but rather deferr you r admission to Santa Clara and Golden Gate , etc.)

Good luck!!!

[DanielMa]

If you are willing to apply to Ivy Leage M.A. programs, then why did you limit yourself to applying only to California law schools? Maybe you should cast your net wider and apply to Top 20 lawschool throughout the country?

[ingo]

thanks for your advices and info.

at the Ivy-s that I'm considering they have several programs that could be a good fit, but I can apply to only one/per academic year..
what a bummer...oh, well..
considering my GRE (Quant. 80th, Verbal 90th) where would I have the best shot? (I think my quant. percentile is quite low)
Berkeley:
MS Statistics
MS Finance
MA Public Policy

Stanford:
MS Statistics
MA International Polcy Studies
MA International Relations

Harvard:
MA Public Policy
MA Public Administration

DanielMa,
I didn't want to leave my husband for 3 years.

[DanielMa]

DanielMa,
I didn't want to leave my husband for 3 years.

You can become a visiting student at another school after 2 years, and get the diploma from the first school. Go to Vanderbuilt, for example, after two years go visit Golden Gate for your last year. And you can come back to your husband both of your summers. You only have to be away, basically 4 semesters of 4 months each. Your husband will not see you much during that time even if you are attending a local law school.

[ingo]

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