159 where should i be looking

[verbal]

ok so perhaps only studying for the 4 days befor the lsat was a bad idea. i got stuck with a 159. so i have a 3.5 from a state u in economics and a 159. i am also a vet nco from oif II. what do u think my chances r at notre dame vanderbilt usc gw and washington and lee. if i apply to all of them will one prob let me in. 

[Fred Hits]

try GW part time- others are worth a shot but not likely unless you have something 'special' going

[adviseme]

ok so perhaps only studying for the 4 days befor the lsat was a bad idea. i got stuck with a 159. so i have a 3.5 from a state u in economics and a 159. i am also a vet nco from oif II. what do u think my chances r at notre dame vanderbilt usc gw and washington and lee. if i apply to all of them will one prob let me in. 

While anything is possible, you should retest and raise your score for the schools you listed.  159 will render not uncompetitive. 

[ELB25]

You don't have a chance at any of them unless you invented something, were in the Olympics, started a business, or are/related to someone rich or famous.

[Orion]

My studying for the LSAT involved taking a practice test. I got a 174 on that, so I didn't do anything else. I got a 160 on the real test and was not particularly happy. C'est la vie.

I applied to W&L mostly because of the fee waiver (and the fact that I like the area and the school size/demographic) and was waitlisted/rejected. On the other hand, my score was high enough to garner full-tuition scholarships at several T3/T4 schools and a partial scholarship at Case Western. The schools you're interested in might be hard to get into without other impressive information, but you're certainly not so poorly off with a 159. YMMV.

(For reference, my background is a B.S. in electrical & computer engineering + spanish major. 3.22 gpa)

[funny1x2]

definitely retake the test...you might have a shot at part time programs, but aside from that i don't imagine you have much of a chance at any of the schools

[philibusters]

159 isn't a bad score at all and you have a solid gpa.  That said, when the lowest rank target school is notre dame that probably won't cut it.  You can take the test again and do better and be considered for those or settle for slightly lower rank T1 school.  You named a couple schools in the dc area so you might want to consider University of Maryland or American with those numbers, also schools like Pittsburg and Case are def. within reach.  If you apply to all those you will probably get at least one. 

[waitingsucks]

You are not competitive at any of the schools you mentioned with that LSAT, unfortunately. Even GW PT would be a stretch. You should either lower your expectations or try retaking, adding 4 or more points (averaged out, meaning get something in the high 160s next time) would make you competitive at the schools you've mentioned.

[MichaelK]

159 isn't a bad score at all and you have a solid gpa.  That said, when the lowest rank target school is notre dame that probably won't cut it.  You can take the test again and do better and be considered for those or settle for slightly lower rank T1 school.  You named a couple schools in the dc area so you might want to consider University of Maryland or American with those numbers, also schools like Pittsburg and Case are def. within reach.  If you apply to all those you will probably get at least one. 

Looking at the OP's numbers, American F/T would be a stretch.  They have become much more competitive with the recent jump in the USNWR rankings.  I would advise the OP to take a look at LSN to get an idea on what it took to get into this year's class.  I would then bump up the GPA and LSAT a little bit for next year as those tend to rise a little each year

[MSUDuster]

First of all, it's great to have you back and safe. Thanks for serving our country.

As per your numbers, all the posters are pretty accurate. I don't know when you want to go (IE: you def. don't want to wait another year) then by all means apply, but throw in some t2 schools like Temple or something as well to pad your options. And of course, to optimize your chances, apply early (oct-nov). I waited until January when I could afford it and really screwed myself.