The Post-Grad Journey: Slapped by the LSAT

January 11, 2011 2:00 pm     Posted in Reality  Charlsie Niemiec g+ page


By Charlsie Niemiec

After months of studying and working my post-grad ass off for the LSAT, I finally got my score. After weeks of waiting and anxious e-mail checking (I had to remove email messages from my Blackberry because every time my phone lit up or beeped, my heart would stop), the message letting me know whether or not I’d be able to apply to the schools I’m interested in or not appeared. As the message sat in my inbox, I took a deep breath to see the reality of what I’ve worked so hard for.

And instantly, I felt disappointed.  See, because I have student loans from undergrad, I am very cautious about paying for law school. In order to combat massive amounts of student loans, my goal was to go to law school with the bulk of my expenses paid for or a full-scholarship. Depending on what law school you want to go to, the option of a scholarship could be determined by one to two points. And unfortunately, where I want to be and the amount of money I want is not a reality right now. Talk about a cold hard slap in the face!

With months of dedicated LSAT studying behind me, I feel discouraged. If money wasn’t an issue, I would just dust myself off, suck it up, take the test again and not worry about the outcome or the prospective costs. However, money to pay for school is the end-all-be-all for me right now (you know, unless I win the lottery or the Publisher’s Clearing House comes to my place with a big check and balloons). It sucks, but hey, a girl has to look at the big picture and consider everything.

A lot of people feel the liberty to say “told you so” to me right now. However, feeling a setback from the score doesn’t surprise me like some may think. My goals and scholarship options were set very high. I went into this knowing the very specific set scores for different schools and what it would take to get the money I need. Trust me, it’s been on my mind for months.

To be honest, the LSAT is a beast of a test. It’s something you have to work at, and I feel confident in my ability to score where I want. But right now, I can’t help but pause. Is the universe trying to tell me something? First, the score from my December exam and now, the most recent New York Times article entitled “Is Law School A Losing Game?” Call me crazy, but I believe that things happen for a reason. Sometimes the reason doesn’t make sense initially, and well, that completely sucks at the moment, but I like to believe in the long-run it makes sense. Right now, I feel like analyzing everything before I decide my next move is key.

But just like a lot of post-grad decisions, the answers to what to do next don’t come easy. Do I want to go to law school? Yes. Do I want to add $160,000 of debt on top of my undergrad loans? Hell no. Do I want to take the LSAT again in hopes of getting what I want? Yes. But should I even have those expectations? I don’t know.

Regardless, I’ll let you guys know. With so much to look forward to in the coming months and the longer I am out of college, I know things have to look up.

Where is Charlsie going next? Where is she coming from? Get all your answers here.

14 Comments on "The Post-Grad Journey: Slapped by the LSAT"

  1. Ashley says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20112:03 pm 

    wow, that really sucks! I can't wait to hear what you're going to do next though!

  2. AJK says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20112:10 pm 

    Best of luck with what your choice will be! This post grad life and trying to answer the question "What do I want to be when I grow up" is not that easy!

  3. Emily says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20114:00 pm 

    I felt like the LSAT slapped me in the face, too. I saw my score and instantly started crying. I know the feeling of one or two more points would have made a huge difference and I am also trying to think if it's worth it to take out more loans. I hope you figure it out and things work out for you. It was a hard journey for both of us, I'm sure, and we both have some difficult decisions ahead of us. I wish you the best of luck, though.

  4. Lily says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20114:36 pm 

    Hi Charlsie – I saw this and just had to comment. I went straight to law school after I finished my undergrad. Law school is a huge financial, personal and intellectual commitment . I'm in my third year and know wholeheartedly it was the right decision for me but I don't think I needed to go when I did – I could have taken a couple years off and actually made some money first. I'm terrified for when I start work – I don't know how I'll afford rent in the big city + my expenses + my debt.

    I think it's great to have high expectations for your score but I also think it's really smart to think really carefully about the costs and the type of school you want to go to. I think that NY Times article was scary but also a good reality check – the law is not necessarily the same field it was 10 years ago and there is no guarantee that you'll get a job afterwards.

    This is a little long-winded but I guess I'm basically saying don't take this decision lightly (and it doesn't seem like you are!) I strongly believe things have a way of working out and maybe some time and distance away from law school will help you hone in exactly on what you want to do.

  5. Charlsie - Hollins University says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20115:59 pm 

    Thank you, AJK. I think it's interesting how when people ask themselves "What do I want to be when I grow up?" they have to consider so many options, whereas I feel like the concept of being what you want to become is to not let those options outweigh becoming that. A lot of complicated stuff.

  6. Charlsie - Hollins University says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20116:00 pm 

    So far, Ashley, 2011 has been throwing curve balls at me and I'm still standing. So trust me, whatever I end up doing next … you guys will know because this year is already too crazy!

  7. Charlsie - Hollins University says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20116:03 pm 

    Hi Lily – Thank you for the message. I think you are so right when you talk about it being the right decision, but if you could go back, that maybe you would have held off on that decision. It sounds like you are kind of in my situation right now. I have my debt, my expenses, and the next step in my life to think about. So, even for you when you graduate, you will have a lot to think about as far as expenses — and it can take its toll and determine a lot

    You couldn't have said it any better about the NY Times article being a reality check — a really good one. And this is why I've decided to take pause and just consider my options the best that I can. Although law school is important to me, I don't know if it is the right direction for me at this point in my life. But who knows what can happen!?

    Good luck during your 3rd year and finding a job!

  8. Charlsie - Hollins University says:
    Tue, 11th Jan 20116:08 pm 

    Emily, thank you so much for the message. We had to wait so long to get our scores back and then it was like BAM, surprise! And it's given me a lot to think about, and it sounds like you have been doing a lot of the same thinking. Isn't it amazing how a test can determine money, the type of school you get in, and kinda sorta the rest of your life? Yikes. Things have to work out though, ya know? So, I wish you all the best because I wouldn't want anyone else to be in the same boat as I am.

  9. Lucina says:
    Wed, 12th Jan 20114:19 am 

    Reading this article really opened my eyes to how much I'm investing in considering law school (or any sort of grad school for that matter!) I'm still a sophomore in college but I feel like grad school is the only way to go in these times because people do say a Bachelor's Degree is the equivalent of a high school diploma. Regardless, I wish you the best of luck figuring out what you want and I can't wait to hear what's in store for you! :)

  10. Claire says:
    Wed, 12th Jan 20114:43 am 

    Have you thought about studying law abroad? Because in the UK you can get your law degree either after one year (full time student) or two years (part time student) and the tuition is generally cheaper. The funding might be an issue though. Perhaps it's worth looking into anyway, in case you can get scholarships.
    I can't wait to hear the rest of your adventures!

  11. Charlsie - Hollins University says:
    Thu, 13th Jan 20111:47 am 

    I have looked into graduate programs abroad (this was before I was set on law school), but I haven't looked into law school programs. I think it's amazing how tuition is cheaper abroad, especially considering the program time requirements are drastically different. 1 year instead of 3 is kind of amazing, even though it's an incredible amount of material. Definitely something to consider.

  12. Charlsie - Hollins University says:
    Thu, 13th Jan 20111:50 am 

    You are so right about the Bachelor's Degree being the new high school degree. However, it's creating this huge problem in our nation — too many educated people, but no one can get jobs. I see it on MSNBC, CNN, the Huffington Post, and pretty much every other online journal. We are told to become 'educated,' and people go to any means necessary to do so (hello student loans), but now we can't even get jobs. It's something society is going to have to figure out, hopefully sooner than later.

    Thank you for all the support, it really means a lot. xD

  13. Shell says:
    Fri, 14th Jan 20113:03 am 

    Good for you for being realistic about your expectations! Way too many people these days are assuming that they did okay on the SAT, so they can rock the LSAT or be fine going to a second tier school.

  14. Charlsie - Hollins University says:
    Mon, 17th Jan 20116:11 pm 

    I don't want to use a second-tier school as a fall back — unless I am going completely for free. I think a lot of people don't consider this.

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