Hi I am wondering about my chances of getting into a T-14 school.
GPA 3.56+
LSAT 169-171 (Consistently on practice tests)
My GPA is low partly because I started having dibiltating migraines my freshman year of college. I thought I just was stressed but I have a brain tumor that can’t be operated on.
With my GPA on the rebound from my health problems, do I have at least a shot at a T14?
Yes, you’ll get into a T14, I am very confident.
Thank you, I am just worried after reading that a 175 is about the only chance someone with my GPA would have for the T6s and even the T14s. So if I am a contender for a T14, what about the very top?
You can plug your numbers in [url=<a href=“http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/wp-content/uploads/Law-School-Predictor-Full-Time-Programs.htm%5Dhere%5B/url”>http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/wp-content/uploads/Law-School-Predictor-Full-Time-Programs.htm]here[/url] and see for yourself, but the short answer is that you will probably be admitted to at least one T14. That said, if you are suffering from debilitating headaches, I don’t know if law school is a good choice. I’d weigh that carefully before committing to go.
Thanks for the advice and the link. I have reviewed the calculators, but still would like to know more from people’s experiences.
WyoGirl, you’re in a range where a “hook” will make the difference between getting into multiple top-10 schools or 1. If you have a compelling story to your life, and can say how a JD will fit into your narrative, or some other soft factor, then you’ll get into multiple. GPA and LSAT scores aren’t the sole factors that a law school will consider, particularly when your GPA/LSAT combination is good and within a range of successful applicants.
Awesome. Okay, so I know this is probably the most whiny thing to ask, but what would be considered a suitable “hook”. I have a few options of extra things to talk about in admissions and I don’t know what would grab them.
My dad died when I was in highschool and had went to law school, but never had the opportunity to follow through with it because he was drafted into Vietnam. He is a major reason for my interest.
On the other hand…
I am currently battling a disease that threatens to take away my eye sight and my life and I am winning. I think that fighting and still managing my life with a job, student government, debate team, volunteer work, etc. could speak towards my willpower?
Or would it be better to talk about my extra curriculars and be done with it?
Also, what is a soft factor?
WyoGirl, very happy that you are winning your battle! I’d stick with that. One of my law school friends actually was visually impaired, and he got in with lower test scores and grades than others did.
@WyoGirlQuestions: Law schools do not care about your “hooks.” 20 years ago they did (and the people saying they still do all went 20 years ago), but nowadays it’s all about GPA/LSAT. That said, your numbers are solid and if you can score in the 170s on a real LSAT, it shouldn’t be too hard to get in. I appreciate the difficulty of your situation, and you should feel proud to have accomplished so much, but law school admissions just doesn’t factor that kind of thing in anymore.
I recommend you take a real LSAT and come back. I also highly recommend you get some first-hand experience by interning at a firm/PDs office/DAs office. The practice of law is usually unlike what people expected. A little experience goes a long way. If you like what you see, and come back with a real LSAT score, we can help you properly strategize your admissions cycle.
if you can clear 169, you have a great shot at Michigan. Dean Z will love to read your app.
Good luck to you.
Agree generally with Demosthenes about the primary importance of the LSAT and GPA (I attended less than 20 years ago). It does help quite a bit if you are URM though (I’d say that it can be a huge factor depending on which URM), and I think schools look to a more minor degree on other stuff (like if you are a veteran).
I also dropped 5 points from my average practice LSAT to my real one. I only took it once - maybe if I had taken it again, it would have been at my practice LSAT score. And I also agree that you should get experience in the workplace first before deciding whether to go. It’s a pretty big investment and you don’t want to be unhappy.
I appreciate all of your help, it really gives me perspective. I am glad that there is a forum/network like this that helps clueless folks like me navigate the road ahead.
@WyoGirlQuestions: I would certainly take my posts with a grain of salt due to the time that I’ve been out of law school. However, I would definitely take Demosthenes’ posts, stating that GPA/LSAT alone are what matters, and “hooks” do not, balanced against the views of posters such as Spayurpets, who says that “hooks” matter", and the results of the link in post #3. (Spayurpets graduated from Duke Law School; we do not know Demosthenes’ career or law school, if any.)
As the link in post #3 shows, your GPA and LSAT scores put you within a “maybe” admissions category at many top-10 schools. You’re not an automatic admit, and you’re not an automatic no; law schools don’t just plug all applicants’ GPAs and LSAT scores into a software program and have it generate lists of who’s in and who’s not based on numbers alone.
As I was told by plenty of top-10 law school alumni when I was applying, and as I’ve been told by a recent HLS grad who helped with admissions within the past 5 years, “soft” factors, such as life stories, matter, particularly when your numbers, like mine did, put you in a “maybe” admissions category. As I heard directly from HLS Dean Minow recently, things like work experience matter. Things like overcoming adversity matter. So those “soft” things, and not just your “hard” numbers, will make the difference between getting into one top-10 and many top-10 schools.
Try Cornell, Georgetown, UVA…
@HappyAlumnus thank you specifically for coming back and adding your thoughts. You gave me a lot to think about and a new direction to research. Plus, it keeps my hopes alive for the T14s even with my GPA. I have not formally studied yet for the LSAT (other than taking practice tests) and I think this forum gave me that extra push.
As a general question for anyone with insight, If I am getting 169-171 on my practice tests without sitting down to study, do you think I could still score higher? I am hoping to graduate in spring 2016 semester and (hopefully) will have brought my cumulative GPA up to 3.65.
Also, does it matter at all that I am double majored in my school’s Honors Program and Communication with (I am considering adding) a minor in Literature?
While you are getting a 169-171 on practice tests are you doing the practice test under timed test conditions?
Not on my first ones, but on my last five yes. I read an article about how important it is to simulate the actual exam and have been trying to do just that.
WyoGirlQuestions, yes you can probably improve your LSAT score (even though 169-171 is already very good).
For me, I took the LSAT in the fall of my senior year. I studied starting in the spring and spent the entire summer studying, and I also took a Kaplan prep class. The class probably helped, but what really helped was studying, based on the class materials. I recall studying full days for the LSAT, all summer. My score went up at least a few points.
You may not need to go to that extreme, but it just shows that if you study and focus on the LSAT, you can do even better.