***HELP!!! MELTDOWN!***

[hopeful1985]

Okay guys, my first post. Im writing to seek opinions and not sympathy. Ive been reading the forums a while now and I can tell this would be a really nice place for me to gain the truth so here goes.

Im horrible at standardized testing. TRUST ME, some people are good at it, some can learn to be good at it, and some are so bad there's really no hope and I fall in the latter. I had a 1050 on my SAT but I somehow managed a 3.92 cumulative gpa, Deans List Honors each semester, study abroad experience in which I had a 4.0 over there, nominated to give the commencement speech for graduation, top student in the department of my major for graduation so I was the banner bearer, etc.

HOWEVER, my LSAT score is lacking. SEVERELY. My initial diag was a 148 and Im not getting much higher than that right now.

ASSUMING, I get a 150 this October how good are my chances getting in here:
http://officialguide.lsac.org/SearchResults/SchoolPage_PDFs/LSAC_LawSchoolDescription/LSAC6870.pdf

I dont have any real work experience in the legal field- just tutored in college (employed by my university) AND was employed as a tutor in Madrid (where I studied abroad). Other than that just little side jobs here and there of no significance to my application.

My PS I'll work on to be pretty solid.

Im really looking for some advice here!

[MauveAvenger]

Is there a question here...?

[hopeful1985]

sorry!

yes there is.

how does it look for me to get into the school assuming the above lsat score, and other information?

[MauveAvenger]

Ok first website, the GPA/LSAT calculator from LSAC:

http://officialguide.lsac.org/UGPASearch/Search3.aspx?SidString=

Second, the LawSchoolNumbers.com results for accepted Houston apps:

http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com/search_schools.php?action=search&school_code=6870&lsat1=&lsat2=&fee_waiver=0&status=3&gpa_lsdas1=&gpa_lsdas2=&attending=0&cycle=5&gpa_degree1=&gpa_degree2=&withdrawn=0&program=1&index1=&index2=&state=0&application_type=0&scholarship1=&scholarship2=&sex=0&multiple_lsat=0&urm=0&x=18&y=6&international=0

[hopeful1985]

My LSAC gpa is a 3.93

Ive seen the  numbers already but how accurate those are with people making things up worries me. I just wanted to get someone else's 'written' insight on my chances.

[LittleRussianPrincess, Esq.]

My LSAC gpa is a 3.93

Ive seen the  numbers already but how accurate those are with people making things up worries me. I just wanted to get someone else's 'written' insight on my chances.

How are the LSAC numbers "made up"? The spreadsheet there plainly tells you your chances.  It provides you with a range, based on LSAT and GPA. Where in that range you actually end up depends on your soft factors. What more are you looking for?

[treefity350]

well, i don't think your chances are really good. 24 out of 91 accepted in the 150-154 range, and the hypothetical 150 you gave is obviously at the low end of that score range.

That said, I don't think that you're right about you inability to learn how to take the LSAT. I've seen many, many students dramatically increase their scores. I know that you didn't pull a 3.92 GPA without doing well on some multiple choice tests, and the LSAT is basically just a multiple choice test on applied logic.  I really think that what most people lack for the LSAT is effort.

[meggo]

I agree with the last poster that you are probably freaking yourself out about the score, and there's no way you can improve if you tell yourself over and over how bad you are at standardized testing. That is something you need to overcome psychologically. That said, I believe it's Deloggio, who talks about doing an LSAT addendum, in particular for people who traditionally test poorly on standardized testing. Since you did so poorly on the SAT and then achieved just under a 4.0 in university, you've already shown that standardized testing for you is not an indicator of your academic potential. You might want to poke around on that site for more info about that type of LSAT addendum, but if I were you, that's what I'd do.