Top Law Schools

I have a feeling I already know the answer to this, but I'm asking anyway!

Do these schools even care about these statements?

Stats, Long story short: solid GPA (3.75+), abysmal LSAT score (<150), and strong LORs, community/undergrad involvement, honors, scholarship recipient, student government. Central theme of helping under-served populations, senior honors thesis on disadvantaged populations, non-URM.

Longer story: I scored significantly lower than my PTs in October so I'm definitely retaking, but another $160 for the LSAT is the same price as several application fees. I work three jobs to support myself and I'm also helping my sister apply to undergrads this semester, so needless to say, I have to be very careful with money these next couple months.

With an LSAT score slightly below average (Low 160s would be a miracle in Dec at this point) should I just not apply to HYS? I would ultimately be depending on my personal/diversity statement to get in, not only because it explains my test scores/abilities, but also because it reflects who I am as an individual. Which is the whole point of these essays. (PS: passion for my major, helped me grow, gave me direction; DS: Untraditional family life, instability/socioeconomic struggles, homelessness, drugs/alcohol/sexual abuse, my life is basically a combination of every Lifetime movie ever made.)

HYS is what I want (surprise, surprise!), and I know if given the opportunity to attend, I would undoubtedly thrive; but if my LSAT automatically rules me out, I can't justify spending upwards of $400 on the applications. Weak consider, worth the risk. Automatic ding/deny, not so much.

Recap of my questions (sorry I get rambly)- Would my personal/diversity statements make a difference? Would it be a waste of money to apply? Does HYS actually take these essays into consideration, and to your knowledge, to what extent?

I'm glad I joined this site because I've learned a lot about the admissions process (LSAT > everything), and I'm hoping for some honest (but not insulting) feedback. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

* I don't qualify for any LSAC fee waivers, and have zero family financial help.

(And not having money for applications is different than not having money to attend law school. So the "if you can't afford the applications, you can't afford HYS" argument is irrelevant. Especially because HYS and Columbia only give need-based financial aid. ) Another reason why getting into these schools would be amazing.

https://officialguide.lsac.org/Release/ ... px?sid=177
(scroll to the bottom of the page)

Last year, 13 people with a 155-164 got into Yale. No one got in with less than that. It's likely that at least some of those 13 people have served in the military, created successful businesses, written popular novels, or had some other uncommon life experience that was not duplicated in the applicant pool.

It's your decision, but you should also weigh the benefits of knowing that you tried. Sometimes that can be worth eating Ramen for a month. Sometimes it's not.

jabberwocky_phlegm wrote:https://officialguide.lsac.org/Release/ ... px?sid=177
(scroll to the bottom of the page)

Last year, 13 people with a 155-164 got into Yale. No one got in with less than that. It's likely that at least some of those 13 people have served in the military, created successful businesses, written popular novels, or had some other uncommon life experience that was not duplicated in the applicant pool.

It's your decision, but you should also weigh the benefits of knowing that you tried. Sometimes that can be worth eating Ramen for a month. Sometimes it's not.

This. Sorry, your softs are nothing amazing at all, if you had URM it wont even rescue you. You sound a like typical UG applying for a t-14, the exception is that for you, 60% of your profile is crap, i.e., your LSAT score. Retake, dont bother HYS unless you can at least score in their 25th percentile, assuming your GPA is at least over their 75th.

You absolutely need to retake. An LSAT score below 150 is too low to get into ANY law school worth going to, even with a 3.75+. Your softs/background/PS/DS aren't special enough. I'm not discounting that you had to struggle but its not nearly enough to save that abysmal LSAT score.

You're below median at over over 160 of the ranked law schools let alone HYS and the top 14.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... XZnc#gid=0

If you think spending $160 is too much, i promise you it's better than being $250k in debt with no job prospects.