What considered a good LSAT score?

Graduate School Law School
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<p>I know, I know, good is relative. But one that will likely get top law schools to consider you. I've only just finished my freshman year (with a 3.8 GPA) and I took a practice LSAT (One of those free ones online that you can print out and take) and got a 152. I know this is not even close to acceptable for top schools but this was freshman year and without any studying whatsoever (it was the first time I've ever looked at an LSAT). If my grades stay similar to what they are (probably won't drop down to below a 3.75), what score should I be aiming for? </p>

<p>Thanks for your help.</p>

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<p>You answered your own question. Do you want to attend on a full tuition scholarship, or just get admitted. Do you want to attend your instate public? </p>

<p>Do you want to attend Tulane Law, or Harvard Law, or somewhere in between? The short answer is to look under Harvard’s or Tulane’s or In-State Public Law school’s website for their lsat ranges.</p>

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<p>Does having a higher GPA mean I can have a lower LSAT score? Like if my GPA is above the school’s average, can my LSAT score be a bit lower and still give me a good chance of admittance?</p>

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<p>Your best bet would be to go to the career services office at your school and look at the law school grids. Of you have turned you official transcripts in to the LSDAS, then you see your LSDAS transcript, you will see your gpa, the avg LSAT score and the average gpa for your school and the percentage of students who have lsat scores in different ranges from your school. </p>

<p>For example the mean LSAT score at Harvard is 166</p>

<p>mean LSAT at Tulane is 157 the mean LSAT at Arizona state is 152</p>

<p>If you score a 167, you are way above avg coming out of Tulane or Arizona state and not so much at Harvard.</p>

<p>a good rule of thumb is the avg Lsat at a school is 1/2 of the avg gpa. If the avg LSAT at Arizona state is 152 and the avg GPA is 3.5, then there is a lot of grade inflation.</p>

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<p>Great info, thanks.</p>

<p>Could you please explain what you mean by 1/2 the avg gpa? I’m not familiar with how that’s calculated. Thanks.</p>

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</p>

<p>Higher is always better than the alternative. </p>

<p>In general, LSAT is ~50% of admissions, with gpa being the other 50%. (Some law schools put more importance on one or the other, so you have to search.)</p>

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<p>Take the average gpa for your school, removing the decimal points and divide by 2. </p>

<p>For example if the average graduating gpa for students at your school is a 3.20, then take 320/2 = 160 (should be the avg gpa). </p>

<p>Check this against the avg gpa info that is in your career services offices, as they would have the avg LSAT scores for your school.</p>

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<p>Sybbie, great, thank you. That’s really helpful.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone. I’m only a freshman so I have plenty of time but this is all really helpful and good to think about. Now I just have to maintain my GPA and work on that LSAT score.</p>

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<p>

Pretty sure it’s higher than that. According to 2012 stats, the 25th and 75th percentile LSAT scores at Harvard are 171 and 176 respectively.</p>

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<p>

She was referring to the average LSAT score of a Harvard undergraduate.</p>

<p>See [schools</a>’ mean LSAT](<a href=“schools' mean LSAT Forum - Top Law Schools”>schools' mean LSAT Forum - Top Law Schools)</p>

<p>That is a bit outdated, though.</p>

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<p>168 = ~95th percentile = Fair
171 = ~98th percentile = Good
173 = ~99th percentile = Very Good
178 = 99th+ percentile = Excellent</p>