Hi guys! I’m going I could get some advice on the best schools for my scores. I have an idea of which ones to consider, but I’m open to suggestions and opinions.
My LSAT is a 161
LSAT UGPA is a 3.49 (double major in public health & PoliSci)
Mainly focusing on schools on the coasts.
Areas of law that interest me most include: appellate law, civil rights/liberties, humanitarian law (human rights, NGOs, refugees, asylees, etc.), and public health/health law.
The schools I’m thinking about applying to are:
UW
UC Davis
William & Mary
George Mason
Washington & Lee
Oregon
GW
Are there any others I should consider? I know my chances at some of these are slim, though law school numbers shows it’s not impossible. I’m looking for places I’m between 40-60% likely to get into.
My advice is offered with the caveat that I know very little about all this… that being said, I think the best advice I can offer is to retake the LSAT. It seems the higher a score you can get, the better your opportunities are in terms of school ranking, merit aid, job opportunities after graduation, etc.
That being said, looking at your question, have you considered Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount?
Are you considering applying right now? Or next year? If next year you will have plenty of time to consider retaking.
I will be interested to hear what other advice you receive. Good luck!
Hi there! You’re right that LSAT and UGPA are super important and dramatically impact everything from scholarships and overall likelihood of admission into a high ranking school.
I’ve taken the test 3 times and my score hasn’t really fluctuated much. The most frustrating thing is that all my practice tests are consistently 165-170 but when it comes to the actual test, I’ve never made it past 161.
Also, I’m planning on enrolling for Fall 2019, so I’m almost out of time for a retake and dropping another $190 for an extra month of studying isn’t justifiable.
I’ve looked at Loyola Marymount and I’m not really impressed with their barely 70% bar passage rate. Most of the schools I’m looking at have a minimum of around 80% with the lowest on the list being 79%. I’m also concerned that it’s been dropping over the last few years. It’s also a little too close to home (I’m in San Diego).
Pepperdine was even worse at 65%.
I realize it might seem petty to write off a school based on such a small difference, but bar passage rate is essentially how sure I can be that I’ll be able to do something with my JD. 70% isn’t bad, but if I’m betting so much money and so much time on a school, I want as high a possibility of passing the bar as possible.
to have a decent chance of acceptance, it really helps if you have one number above the Law School’s median. William & Mary is 3.75/163, so your numbers are below both medians. Thus, W&M is a big reach. GW is probably not worth the app fee as their median is 165.
Also, having two numbers above their medians can result in some serious merit money. Don’t focus on bar pass rates, since those generally reflect the quality of the students, not the school. For example, UC Hastings has been in a downward spiral wrt to pass rates over the last decade; Hastings’ LSAT scores have been dropping like a rock as well.
Go to the best law school that you can afford. Sure, if you may get lucky and get into W&M, but it would be at sticker. Do not pay sticker, unless you have a wealthy family.
Are you going to take the LSAT again? Your score isn’t bad, but if you’re able to boost it up a few more points your pool of schools would be a lot larger.
I’ve heard of some people transferring into law school; this one girl I know went to an unranked law school, got her GPA up easily, and then transferred to the #15 ranked school. If you want to do that, I recommend going to the law school that gives you the most money and then switching to a Tier one law school after your second year. (Just a suggestion if you’re trying to go to a Tier One school)