<p>I recently (within the last few months) made the decision to apply to law school for the Fall of '09. However, I have been having a very difficult time creating a list of schools to consider applying to. I was hopeful that someone here might be able to provide me with some insight.</p>
<p>I recently graduated from a lower-third Tier 1 undergrad school with a GPA of 3.82 (although my transcript shows a strong upward trend in grades--calculating my GPA in all coursework taken after my first semester of college yields a 3.92). I majored in Finance.</p>
<p>I am taking the LSAT in December, but based on (several) practice tests I have taken, I am projecting myself for a score in the range of 168-170.</p>
<p>I have no outstanding ECs or notable work experience that I feel would be enough to set me apart. I am a minority (Asian-American), but I have read that this is not a group that is generally considered to be "traditionally underrepresented."</p>
<p>In plugging my raw GPA and projected LSAT into what may have been several thousand "calculators," as well as comparing these numbers with the 25th and 75th percentiles at several schools, I have come to the conclusion that I have no idea to which schools I have a reasonable chance of admission.</p>
<p>My biggest concern is figuring out how these various index numbers, percentiles, etc. factor in the "difficulty" of undergrad coursework. That is to say, the fact that I went to a university that lacks the national recognition of any of the top schools in the country, coupled with the fact that I have a business degree (which, fairly or unfairly, may be seen as "less rigorous" than other majors), will undoubtedly weigh me down in the admissions process.</p>
<p>My question is: how much? How can I "discount" my GPA to the point that I can safely apply different formulas and percentiles to realistically gauge my chances of admission at various schools? How much can a strong performance on the LSAT overcome some of the less positive factors in my profile? Do I have a shot at any of the "top 25" law schools?</p>