<p>What's good advice for an individual who has a mediocre GPA (3.4-3.7), but a high LSAT score, who wants to apply and have a good chance at being accepted at a top law school, such as Harvard, Yale, Standford, UChicago, Columbia, etc?</p>
<p>Should this individual delay law school for a number of years to focus on career accomplishments to be a more competitive applicant? How long should this period of career advancement occur before applying to law school?</p>
<p>What other factors, qualitative or quantitatively would be compelling over the individuals mediocre GPA?</p>
<p>First, I do think HYS (along with Boalt) are out unless you do something like win a Nobel Prize or something like that.</p>
<p>Second, the first step is to get an actual, real LSAT score in hand. Nothing is possible without that. A 3.4/180 is probably in already at Chicago and Columbia. A 167 is probably out at those two programs no matter what. Hypotheticals, practice scores, none of these sufice. You need to know what your actual LSAT score is.</p>
<p>Third, we’d need to know more about your application as it currently stands. Race, extracurriculars, etc.</p>
<p>Fourth, this is the one situation in which I’ve seen undergrad name come into play.</p>
<p>I apologize for not stating earlier that this is mostly a hypothetical situation. I am still completing my undergraduate studies, classified as a sophmore in college.</p>
<p>I started this thread because I’m concerned with the final results of being involved in a difficult curriculum as a computer science major.</p>
<p>HYS (along with Boalt) are out because of the GPA? So we’re talking about at least a 3.8?</p>
<p>More about me: African American male, small business owner, computer scientist/engineer, substantial involvement in local economic development (Dallas, Texas).</p>
<p>Undergraduate name probably won’t help, but won’t hurt either: Southern Methodist University - Dallas, Texas</p>
<p>I would have said 3.75, but race complicates matters considerably. In that situation, I’m not totally qualified to answer, but my intuition is to say that actually a 3.5 might be just fine at any school.</p>
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With a high LSAT score you’d be golden at every school. Well except at UC and Michigan ;)</p>