Can't Get In!

[Revenant]

A 3.8 and 165 will get you into T1 schools.  What I'm worrying about (for the OP), is that he has a 152 LSAT on record.  Some schools disregard the lower one if the higher one is high enough but still, it would have been simply better to have a simple 165 on record.  And I've done checking up on matrices and stuff as well (unfortunately no matrices available for the top top schools), and 3.8/165 is still an extremely good pair.  3.8/152/165, on the other hand, isn't, but can probably still get you into the lower T1s.

[blizzard of ozz]

Revenant: I didn't say a 165/3.8 wouldn't get one into T1, I said it would be difficult to get into the top14 and problematic to get into some of the top 25. Refer to my previous post.

OP: Normally I think retaking the LSAT is silly, but I think if you can put aside the time to study and retake, it would probably benefit you.

I don't think a 165/152 which averages out to 159 would be out of the question, provided you'd be willing to study for a few months.  A 159 will put you in a much better situation. You'll probably have a good shot at most of T2 (excluding major urban schools ie: Temple, Loyola (CA), 'Dozo, Brooklyn) and possibly some of T1. I think low 160s is more realistic but a even a few points will help out your case regardless.

The other thing is apply to realistic schools and apply to a safety, so you know even if you don't get into the school of your choice, you're still going to LS. With your #'s the schools you applied to weren't. If you can bump your #'s up a little though, Catholic and Northeastern shouldn't be a problem, and if you get them up a bit higher Baylor shouldn't be horrible. UT will probably be a reach, but not completely out of the realm of likelihood if you crack a 160+ average.

UVA is a waste of money though. Their median LSAT for the admitted class is a 169. That's 17 points higher than your current score. It's impossible for you to score at their LSAT median, or within 3 points of it.

http://www.law.virginia.edu/home2002/html/prospectives/faqs.htm

Since it's highly unlikely you will score at their 25%, since that would require a 180/152, I'd save your money.

Best of luck.

Btw, OP sorry if it sounds harsh, I just think people need to be realistic to have options. I knew I had a mediocre chance of getting into my target schools and that's why I applied to some safeties too. I'm attending one of them in the fall, and glad I had a backup plan.

[CJLaw]

I agree with blizzard of oz. Being positive is one thing, lying to someone is completley different. This year has been a very competitive cycle for ALL law schools. Christ, even the median at Widener (where I was accepted) rose a bit. I was worried that my 154 wouldn't cut it. I have seen many low to mid 160 LSAT scores get dinged at tier 1's all cycle long. The bar has been raised, folks.

To the OP: You did apply to schools way out of your league. It's good to have 1 or two reaches to fullfill a dream and hope for a miracle. But, all the school you listed have medians 15 points or high above your score. My advice is aim lower to some schools within your range. Check out the LSAC website and check out your probability for admission with the ABA guidebook. Oh, one more thing. It is aboslutley tacky for someone of your age and experience to list all the pre-law associations and moot court awards you have received. Every damn person applying to law school has done moot court and are an officer in a pre-law club. Listing them as you did just makes you look obnoxious. You should highlight your military service, work history, and expand more on your time at the ICC. You have some rock solid experiences that would make your PS very entertaining to read and might ever put you over the top at some tier 3's, even with the 152.

[kidcanuck]

I believe some top schools (Cornell comes to mind) only look at your top LSAT score.  I certainly don't think retaking the LSAT is silly, especially considering that many of the prep courses have a median improvement that equals a jump of between 10-20 places in the percentile scheme.  The rest of your stats should match up favourably if you can get at least a 165 (which I don't think is too far fetched if you really give it an honest effort).  It will require a year off, which is another question, but I personally think that this is a better option than attending a lower tiered school.

[S.J.]

OP:  If you get up over 160, which is certainly possible, they may disregard your prior score, especially with all the other stuff.  (The fact you got WL at Gtown is in itself impressive.) I wouldn't drop all the good pre-law stuff -- just add in more recent stuff as well.

Let me know if you're still in the game and need any advice.

[linquest]

I agree with SJ.  You should be proud of being WLed at GULC!  Not only was it the top ranked school you applied to, it was also a T14.  Don't dismiss that.

Definitely re-take the LSAT.  If you get a 160+, I think most schools will take the higher score.

[geni]

I'm sure it's been posted here before... but check out http://chiashu.com/lsat.html to see what your chances for admission are based on just your numbers.  Obviously it doesn't take anything else into account, but it may give you an idea of where you actually have a shot!

[foxnewssucks]

do you guys realize that this post was from March 2004? 

[twarga]

I'm just amazed at the number of people who take the LSAT cold.  I think if people knew the importance of that score, they wouldn't have to scramble later.  It might be helpful if LSAC had an information page about how for many law schools the LSAT score is more heavily weighted, and can mean the difference between acceptance, rejection, and scholarship $$$ (it could be a pop up page when you register for the test- like a WARNING BEFORE YOU TEST).  I'm thankful I worked in a firm full of young lawyers who impressed the importance of a good score on me.  I studied my butt off and did pretty well.

[linquest]

I'm just amazed at the number of people who take the LSAT cold. I think if people knew the importance of that score, they wouldn't have to scramble later. It might be helpful if LSAC had an information page about how for many law schools the LSAT score is more heavily weighted, and can mean the difference between acceptance, rejection, and scholarship $$$ (it could be a pop up page when you register for the test- like a WARNING BEFORE YOU TEST). I'm thankful I worked in a firm full of young lawyers who impressed the importance of a good score on me. I studied my butt off and did pretty well.

Not sure if I agree.  If someone can't figure out how important the LSAT is to admissions, would you want them as a lawyer?

As far as which schools weigh the LSAT heavily, they just need to look up the schools Index # formula.