JD/MBA Applicants

whats your gpa? i would imagine you are good to go for UNC law school as an in-stater. can't say anything about your mba chances, as its a more complex process.

the other 4 law schools are major reaches, but with a solid gpa you have a chance at northwestern.

Not a solid GPA, but it's a 3.3 in engineering school, working a full-time job throughout undergrad. Are my B-school prospects considerably better than those for law school? I'm just wondering if I should forget about joint applications to the top schools on my list or go through with them and consider enrolling in B-school if the law school doesn't accept me.

I don't know if your b-school chances are better or not, but they probably aren't worse. I'm guessing your numbers fall below the 25th percentile for students at each of the top law schools you've listed (most schools show a 25th-75th range of LSAT and GPA). For more reference, in case you haven't done a lot of research yet, check out the following sites to get a feel for your chances at various schools:

https://lawschoolnumbers.com/ - website where people create profiles with stats and list results from schools they've applied. Helpful because you can search on LSAT score and GPA at particular schools, and it will list everyone who has those stats and what their results have been.

https://lawschoolcalculator.com/ - Pulls data from LSN above and gives you a probability of acceptance (along with a confidence interval) at most schools.

Others:
https://www.hourumd.com/
https://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/
https://officialguide.lsac.org/UGPASearc ... SidString=

with a 3.3 i would think you would only get into UNC from that list for law school. as pbateman said try using the various calculators to assess your chances, they are fairly accurate.

This is helpful, even if it is verifying most of what I already believed. My father is a Duke law alum. I would be thrilled to have a shot there. I would be even more thrilled to get in at NYU, Penn, or Northwestern (I prefer urban locations). I realize that they are all long shots or no shots. I would really like to attend an elite school.

I think what I am wondering is if I should proceed with applying to these top law schools if I am also applying to their MBA programs or if it is waste of my time. Does it hurt my chances at a B-school to apply to the joint program if I have little shot at getting in at the law school? The admissions officers saw no, but I wonder. And some schools, like NYU, use only your LSAT score if you apply to the joint degree program. That hurts me, since my GMAT score is much better.

So, I may just apply to Stern and some other top B-schools and joint programs at some lower-ranked schools. It just makes the whole process more complicated.

Some thoughts:

I guess the first thing I'd consider is whether b-school or law school is more important. Make the school choice based on that.

As far as wasting time/money on law school apps, they're much less time consuming and less expensive than b-school apps, so I probably wouldn't let that prevent you from applying anywhere.

Have you considered retaking the LSAT? If I'm rejected at HLS/CHI, which is likely, I'll start in b-school and reapply my first year after retaking LSAT to try to bump my score into the 170s. However, this would not be an option with the 3-year programs like Penn and Northwestern (though I believe Penn has a 4-yr program if you start in law school and then get into Wharton as a 1L).

Wasn't aware of places only using LSAT scores as NYU does. Can you submit your GMAT score as an additional piece of information? Is NYU an all-or-nothing deal like Northwestern?

NYU is not an all-or-nothing deal, but the B-school uses the LSAC credential service if applying to the joint program. It may require an app supplement, but the app specificaly states that they use LSAT and not GMAT score. I am hoping that I can reference my GMAT score in the app, though.

Here are some further thoughts: I have a double-major engineering undergrad. I think I am better suited for B-school than Law school, but I feel that law school may be more important and beneficial to me. An MBA may simply make me an "engineer with an MBA" (one of many now). A JD can help me become an "attorney with an enginering background". A JD/MBA can make me an "attorney with an engineering background and an MBA".

UNC is a pretty darn good school for both, but not as good as Duke in either, certainly not as good as Penn, NYU, etc. I may need to select a more reasonable law school than UNC for a safety school.

With engineering, I am set up pretty well for patent law, but I would be more keen on IP, digital copyright, etc. The MBA would be especially beneficial if I pursue a consulting career, or just target the corporate world. Perhaps I could still find an interesting career with an MBA alone. I can say that I am not "in love" with law, but I do want to differentiate myself from the hundreds of unemployed engineers who are now getting MBAs.

Posted from my mobile device

Guys,

I just found this thread. The whole time I've been checking on the school-specific threads not thinking that there may be other JD/MBA applicants out there looking for mutual encouragement (and maybe a shoulder to cry on).

I'm happy to report that I'm in to the Penn Law/Wharton 3-year JD/MBA, having been accepted to the MBA program in round 1 and the law school as part of their early decision process.

I can’t really speak for other schools, but I’m nearly positive that at Penn Wharton was driving the bus and had significant sway over Penn Law, despite the schools’ assurances that the admissions decisions are independent.

I’m about 90% done with the HBS application, and have the Harvard Law application teed up through LSAC, but in the end may not apply. After all, because of the three years and some significant fellowship money a Penn, even though HBS/HLS are marginally more prestigious, I don’t think Harvard at this point can match Penn’s value.

Congrats on the acceptances! Must feel great.

What makes you think Wharton gave the boost? You have pretty good GPA from top school, so did you have a marginal LSAT?

ETA: I'm not sure how much money you're getting from Wharton or Penn Law, but if you're almost done with the HBS app, send it all in. I think saying that the HBS/HLS combo is "marginally more presitigious" is being marginally generous.

I’m sure that Wharton was calling the shots because I was accepted to Penn Law on December 11, one week before I heard from Wharton, and only three-and-a-half weeks after I submitted my application. That’s an absurd turnaround for Penn Law to decide on its own. Also, I found out a full two weeks before most early decision applicants, making me think that they moved quality joint program applicants to the top of the list.

Also, my fellowship with Wharton (a very significant amount), referenced the joint program. It looks as though Wharton, Penn Law, and the fellowship committee all huddled up to make the decision. Given the relative size, strength, and prestige of the two schools, I’d guess that Wharton would push around little Penn Law and force its will upon them.

Also, issue of three vs. four years really tips the decision toward Penn and away from Harvard et al. Combining the fat fellowship money plus one year's direct cost and opportunity cost savings means that Harvard has a high hurdle to clear to meet Penn's value.

Plus, I'm a Yale guy, so the whole HAHVAHD thing doesn't impress me much.

bump

Any updates from JD/MBA applicants?

I'm on the waitlist at the law school...don't think there are many spots left available.

As an undergrad in an Ivy League school, would I have a chance at a top JD/MBA program straight after graduation? Also, which schools at top institutions have more importance with regard to scores/personal statements in the application process? Even though most decisions are made separately, can one school influence the other?

Don't waste money on JD/MBA. Try to determine what you want to do. If you want to be a lawyer, just go get a JD for now. If you want to work in finance, go work for several years and then decide on the MBA. The pitfall of JD/MBA is that you have to make a quick decision what you want to right after the program, i.e. if you choose business and then later want to switch to law, you won't be able to do that, since law firms only take current students or laterals from another law firm. Let's say, you want to practice law after JD/MBA but then realize how awful it is to be a lawyer, which is very likely to happen , then you are sort of stuck as well, because IB's and consulting firms usually hire people fresh out of b-school. So the advice from someone who has a T10 JD and wants to switch to finance is that do one at a time and use the other as an ace in the hole or what they call get-out-of-jail free card.

Thank you for the insight. Nonetheless, there must be a great interest in the JD/MBA program due to its versatility and practicality. It would be interesting to see who applies, and what their career goals are.

First of all, JD/MBA is not versatile, for the reasons I just presented in the previous post. Second of all, it is not practical, because there is no job which will require you to perform both as a business manager and a lawyer. JD and MBA acquire two mutually exclusive spheres. It's totally for people who are are more risk-averse than lawyers!

One doesn't necessarily want to acquire a JD and an MBA in order to become a lawyer or specifically a business manager. The programs do offer a diverse skill set that can be applied to many professions. I feel that an MBA especially can be a great benefit, and it is limiting to think of the degree as only a practical pathway to that kind of career. I also disagree about the 'risk-averse' nature of the dual degree program. I don't think anyone would have a problem with entering a career and switching later on if they attend a JD/MBA program unless there were certain circumstances in their background. Please, prove me wrong .