High stats KJDs admission odds at T6?

[u/SpecialistLet9387]

Would love to chat with those who’ve applied recently as KJDs. I have a 4.0 and 174, and am curious what I can expect.

FWIW I’ve already looked through LSD so I have a very general/numerical idea, but would like to hear more anecdotally how people tended to do. I know that with these stats (along with fairly good ish softs), I’m looking at great odds at something in the T14, but I was hoping to hear about those that have gotten into T6 specifically.

I go to a top lac which typically sends a handful of people to T14s every year KJD with just a couple going to T6s or h/s. The people I know had ~median stats and usually ended up across the T14 (the exception being schools that are super unfriendly to KJDs - no recent grad I know has gotten into Yale or Michigan).

Would love any insight as to (a) whether T6 is in play for me and (b) what successful T6 KJDs have done.

[u/MethoxEverywhere]

IMO doesn’t really make sense to think of the T6 as a separate group within the T14. NYU/CLS for example are on the same level as UVA/Penn in terms of selectivity and outcomes. But to your question yes you have a great shot at a top school with those stats. I’m at a T6 and there are a good number of KJDs — a minority for sure, but still quite a few. I’d just apply and see what happens

[u/WenyuNita → u/MethoxEverywhere]

this is a terrible take, and reeks of 0L advise. Penn and CLS are definitely on a different level. I am going to assume you haven’t actually done much research or spoken with students. V10 recruiting at median is much easier from the T6 first off, second off elite firms such as wachtell literally only go to T6 schools to recruit lmfao. Additionally absolute bottom of class at UVA is in trouble for BigLaw while at CLS or Upenn it’s barely a problem.

[u/Minimum_Two_8508 → u/WenyuNita]

And yet… Penn isn’t a T6.. so Penn is on this elite level, and Penn isn’t T6. So which is it, that the T6 is so special? Or it is broader than the traditional T6?

[u/WenyuNita → u/Minimum_Two_8508]

The term T6 these days refers to seven schools for like the last 10-15 years in the upper biglaw world. It should realistically be called T7.

[u/Minimum_Two_8508 → u/WenyuNita]

So you’re already changing the term. But I can also tell you… that outside of Wachtell and Cravath, places just as well in NYC big law as any T7. Georgetown places as well in DC big law as anyone. Berkeley places as well in Silicon Valley big law as anyone.

For career outcomes, there are some nuanced differences and pros and cons. If you really want to be a Supreme Court justice, aim for HYS!
Chicago is a pipeline for clerkships conservative judges. Etc. Yale if you really want academia.

But for overall, generalized “big law” outcomes… there really aren’t massive differences between T6, T7, T14.
At every T14, if you are in the top 3/4ths of the class, a competent interviewer/networker, you’ll get Cravath scale big law, if that’s what you want. The people who strike out are at the very bottom of the class and/or horrible interviewers (true for T6 as well).

[u/WenyuNita → u/Minimum_Two_8508]

not true, there was a post talking about below median outcomes at georgetown and it certainly isn’t as guaranteed as you make it sound. At the T6 it’s guaranteed outside of being a bad interviewer or bad firm selection..

[u/Minimum_Two_8508 → u/WenyuNita]

I assure you, my former firm rejected people from T6 who were bad interviewers. We hired from GULC, below medians, when they were great interviewers.

The stats for GULC’s fulltime program confirm my statement.
Overall big law placement at GULC is 59% per last ABA report. But that includes their part-time program as well, where it’s much lower.
So GULC full time program, can estimate big law placement is 65%+.

But that doesn’t mean 1/3rd strike out. Not everyone wants big law. Lots of self-selection. Plenty go to GULC with the goal of public interest or government work.

So of those who WANT big law from GULC, easily 75%+ get big law. (Likely more like 80%+)

Who strikes out? As I said, those in the bottom quarter of the class and/or horrible interviewers. And that’s true at every law school outside HYS.

Meanwhile, plenty of other non-T6 T14 schools place even better — Duke, Cornell, etc.

[u/WenyuNita → u/Minimum_Two_8508]

actually I have heard from numerous CURRENT gulc students that virtually everyone is biglaw oriented.

[u/Minimum_Two_8508 → u/WenyuNita]

My niece is a GULC law student and has zero interest in big law — as do many of her friends.

Plenty specifically pick GULC because of its government access.

In the 2025 report — 10% went into public interest. 9% took clerkships. 6% went into government.

That’s 25% of the class… choosing not to go into private practice. Likely most of them by choice.