Disappointing LSAT Score - Questions on Applying

Graduate School Law School
1

Hi CC - looking for some tips after receiving a lower LSAT score than I’d hoped.

I’d really like to be at a school where there’s no curve (e.g. Harvard, Yale, Stanford, NYU). Money is a consideration so if it’s not a top school I would probably go to my state school (ranked 30-40).

LSAT: 166
GPA: 3.98 (at a top 7 school)
Recs: 2 great ones, 2 which are probably good but I have no idea
ECs: solid w/leadership
Awards: some university ones, nothing larger
Hook: Yes

I’m signed up for the February test, but I’m working 60 hour weeks so the study time I have isn’t huge. On practice tests I average 168-172. It looks like most law schools wont consider the February test and the ones that do have higher LSAT averages…

  1. Should I re-take the LSAT in February?
  2. Do I have a chance at the top schools with a 166 considering the rest of my application? Should I postpone a year and re-apply instead (taking a later LSAT so I can prep more)? Would a rejection this year hurt my chances next year?
  3. Would applying ED II to a top-10 school be my best bet on getting into a top 10?
  4. Any other advise

Realistically I think I could score a few points higher next month.

Thanks!

2

Hate doing chances

What is your hook? Unless your hook is that you are an African American Aale, which is the most underrepresented group in law school,which you will hit some of the T-14 (bottom half with a 166 & 3.98 but it won’t be NYU, Columbia, HYS. More like Northwestern, Duke, perhaps Cornell. If not, then all of it will be a reach, with you probably hitting Northwestern because of work experience.

If you can, I would recommend that you take a prep course (my D did well with testmasters) and definitely retake. If you are doing a Feb retake, I would also recommend that you apply the next cycle in the fall.

Only go to your state school if there are strong ties to working in your state and you can attend for free. Otherwise, 90% of the students will fail to graduate in the top 10% of the class. If your scholarship is based on anything other than satisfactory progress (not a gpa requirement), you will stand a great risk of losing it in a game where everything rest on one exam. Many sections also tend to put all of the scholarships students together knowing that they will have to knock each other out of the box.

3
  1. Yes, retake. Law schools only care about your highest score, so there's no penalty to retaking. Or retaking a second time (that's the limit though, per LSAC rules). It is more than worth retaking to get into the 170s, if you can.
  2. You can plug your numbers in [url=http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/wp-content/uploads/Law-School-Predictor-Full-Time-Programs.htm]here[/url] to see for yourself. The baselines are starting to be out of date, so expect to do a bit better than the site shows (generally LSAT medians have gone down but GPA medians stayed the same). Your numbers are good enough to blanket the top 14 and see what happens. They'll of course do better with a better LSAT score.
  3. Applying ED does seem to help. Don't do it unless you can afford it. Schools know you can't go anywhere else on an ED and therefore don't need to pay out any tuition cuts. You're better off skipping ED and seeing what happens, and applying ED next cycle if this one doesn't work out. You're already working, which is great.
  4. All law schools curve, some just use different grading scales. HLS, YLS, etc. use the HH/H/P/F system but it's still a curve as to who gets what (UChi still uses their weird 186 scale I believe). Curves are mandated by employers and aren't going anywhere.
4

Yes retake. It’s worth waiting a year if you need to in order to get a better score. Placing yourself into a higher-ranked law school can make all the difference, as other people have already noted.

5

Sure, ED could work, but why pay sticker?

Retake is the only answer. It will be worth thousands of tax-free merit aid dollars to you (or admission to one of the top 3). Easiest money you will ever make.

Forget February. Too close. Aim for next October.

fwiw: I’m a fan of Manhattan’s program, which tends to target the higher end.

6

Thanks for the input all.

If I do re-take and postpone another year would it be worth still applying to some schools this year? Would a rejection this year hurt me if I re-apply next year?

Most the apps ask if you’ve applied previously which makes me concerned about applying twice…

7

If you apply and get rejected this year and reapply next year, what new information will you have to add that will be compelling enough for an acceptance?

Even if you should get accepted, this cycle you would most likely pay full freight because the monies will have been disbursed.

Law school is not going anywhere. Apply with the mindset that You are applying once, and graduating from the school that you are admitted to.

8

I had at least one classmate at HLS who was rejected, took a year off and then was accepted; I don’t if one rejection harms future chances, and that was 20 years ago, though.

9

Just a quick update incase anyone’s curious or in a similar situation -

I almost opted to not apply this year and postpone for a better LSAT, but ended up applying just incase with the expectation that I would reapply with a higher score. Considering my low LSAT, I wasn’t expecting a great application season.

Applied to a little over half of the T14 - accepted to 6, WL to 1, and awaiting responses from the remaining. A few of the bottom half of the T14 offered significant scholarships and multiple acceptances (but no $) in the T6.

Now all that’s left is deciding!

10

If you retake in June, and score 17x, I’d sit out, reapply, and wait for the money to roll in from T6.

11

@bluebayou waiting until June would mean turning down all offers this year…and the T3 won’t be changing financial aid regardless. I’m not sure I want to take the chance of not doing well enough in June and passing up on some great offers.

I’ve heard that negotiation can sometimes increase aid. With significant aid at schools slightly under T6 and acceptance to some of the upper T6, would that be compelling enough to possibly push for aid at a lower T6?

12

Nope, you can deposit at a school by May 1 and then retake in June. If you ace the June test, just withdraw from the school at which you deposited. Sure, you will lose the deposit, but the bigger money next year will more than make up for the loss.

Correct.

Depends on how badly they need your GPA to make thier medians. But generally, schools negotiate against their direct competition. In other words, Columbia probably won’t care if you tell them that Cornell is offering big merit money.

13

Interesting - that’s good to know, thank you!

14

Thanks for updating @Trucherat. Good luck

15

Very good score and great results. Congrats!