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What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:24 pm
by Shrimps
I have quite a gap between my LSAT scores (166, 174), and obviously, 174 would look better than 170. My GPA is very low. Sadly, the pipe dream of NYU seems to be dead (they say they take the average). I can't find the info on UVa. Northwestern seems to take the highest score.
God, I don't even know what my chances are with UCLA.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:32 pm
by neonx
I was under the impression that HYSCCN average, Berkeley and beyond do not.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:47 pm
by 2014
Harvard and NYU? explicitly average I think. Yale and Stanford have enough well qualified applicants that they can probably afford to take someone who only needed one shot to get 17x+. I don't think Chicago or Columbia average, but I could be mistaken and would not be offended if someone pointed out my ignorance.
Berkeley down take the highest.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:49 pm
by neonx
Actually, I pulled this from an old thread:
From Ken:
For students who have to or are considering taking the LSAT more than once, the following list includes law schools that take the higher of your LSAT scores, as opposed to averaging multiple LSAT scores as most law schools do.
Boalt
Cornell
Penn
Northwestern
Georgetown
UCLA
University of North Carolina
University of Illinois
University of Oregon
Pittsburgh
Santa Clara
Syracuse
Seattle
Indiana University-Indianapolis
St. Louis University
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
John Marshall Law School
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:50 pm
by Shrimps
neonx - thanks. That's what I was looking for.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:52 pm
by TheTallOne0602
Really? I thought most schools took the highest and averaging was the exception... Hmm, not so much good for me and my 169/178...
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 11:20 pm
by Shrimps
TheTallOne0602 wrote:Really? I thought most schools took the highest and averaging was the exception... Hmm, not so much good for me and my 169/178...
You have a good explanation? Death in the family, that sort of thing?
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 11:48 pm
by TheTallOne0602
Meh. My test was cancelled due to a freakishly fast moving and powerful snowstorm, rescheduled, and then I was not told when the rescheduled date was until... two days beforehand. And then it started snowing again the night before, though eventually it slowed down enough that they conducted the test anyway. I mean I never PT'ed lower than a 176, so *I* know it was a fluke, but alas...
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 11:57 pm
by Shrimps
Constant rescheduling is not the best excuse, but it's better than mine: "I got too nervous and misdiagrammed two games and got -10 on the section without being aware of screwing it so badly or I would've canceled"
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 11:58 pm
by padthai
My opinion is that schools generally take the highest LSAT score, even those that claim they average. Why? Because these schools only have to report the highest scores of admitted applicants to USNWR, which is what they care most about. Of course, this is assuming that your highest LSAT score is above their median (unless you're a URM or just plain special).
The only case in which schools care about multiple retakes is in a scenario like the following:
Person 1: 174, mediocre softs, mediocre LoR
Person 2: 165, 166, 174, mediocre softs, mediocre LoR
When a top tiered school has to decide between these 2 people, the school will go with person 1.
However, if the scenario changes to this:
Person 1: 174, mediocre softs, mediocre LoR
Person 2: 165, 166, 174, great softs, great LoR
I believe the school will go with person 2. The 165 and 166 won't make much of a difference.
This is all assuming that you have a valid excuse, e.g. sickness, for the jump from 165/166 to 174.
Just my 2c!
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:02 am
by JJDancer
I think you are safe from averaging outside the T6
Even NYU/Columbia, they are only reporting your 174 so I doubt you would be treated much differently than say, a 172 or something.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:05 am
by luckyme
I think the old thread post no longer applies...I believe the ABA recently recommended schools evaluate the top score
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:05 am
by Shrimps
padthai: that's a reasonable assumption and that's good news for TheTallOne0602 - with his 178, he may have gotten screwed by his 169 with Harvard/Yale, but yeah, I'd guess any school below that may try to ignore his 169.
With my 166-174, any top ranked school is out of the question and I have grave doubts about my chances at any T14. Sigh.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:06 am
by Shrimps
luckyme wrote:I think the old thread post no longer applies...I believe the ABA recently recommended schools evaluate the top score
NYU very specifically says on their current website that they look at all the scores.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:08 am
by trudat15
I believe Chicago only takes the highest
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:11 am
by 2014
Ken's post is obsolete, the current trend is to take the highest unless it says otherwise. Which again is why I said in my first post, NYU and Harvard explicitly say they do, and the other T6's probably would rather have someone with 1 score all other things equal. Everywhere else is blatantly top score only.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:13 am
by mst
After my discussions with NYU, my best guess is that NYU is not going to explicitly find the middle of the 2 scores and consider that. They're going to look at them both, yes, and it will weigh you down to the point you won't be considered a straight-out 174, but it doesn't necessarily mean they will treat you like you got a 170. They will simply look at your 174 with a large grain of salt.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:14 am
by Nom Sawyer
mst wrote:NYU is not going to explicitly find the middle of the 2 scores and consider that, if I were to guess. They're going to look at them both, yes, and it will weigh you down to the point you won't be considered a straight-out 174, but it doesn't necessarily mean they will treat you like you got a 170. They will simply look at your 174 with a large grain of salt.
Basically this is about how it works now, based on a completely unscientific but very accurate
maybe guess from last cycle:
Quick Summary
Below T6- Just take your high score
CCN- Will glance at your other scores, then just take your high score
HYS- Will consider your other scores slightly, but greater emphasis is on the highest score
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:30 am
by luckyme
Shrimps wrote:luckyme wrote:I think the old thread post no longer applies...I believe the ABA recently recommended schools evaluate the top score
NYU very specifically says on their current website that they look at all the scores.
True, but the ratio of schools that look at highest to schools that average is much higher now than before and, as previously mentioned, below berkeley (with a few exceptions) most schools look at the top score.
I wish I could find the article that listed policies...it was on here a few days ago
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:35 am
by Ragged
Nom Sawyer wrote:mst wrote:NYU is not going to explicitly find the middle of the 2 scores and consider that, if I were to guess. They're going to look at them both, yes, and it will weigh you down to the point you won't be considered a straight-out 174, but it doesn't necessarily mean they will treat you like you got a 170. They will simply look at your 174 with a large grain of salt.
Basically this is about how it works now, based on a completely unscientific but very accurate
maybe guess from last cycle:
Quick Summary
Below T6- Just take your high score
CCN- Will glance at your other scores, then just take your high score
HYS- Will consider your other scores slightly, but greater emphasis is on the highest score
I hope you are right, but have a feeling you aren't.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:38 am
by whymeohgodno
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:42 am
by bk1
Ragged wrote:I hope you are right, but have a feeling you aren't.
I think he's generally right though in some cases CCN will actually consider your other scores (more of a case by case basis).
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:47 am
by Nom Sawyer
Ragged wrote:Nom Sawyer wrote:mst wrote:NYU is not going to explicitly find the middle of the 2 scores and consider that, if I were to guess. They're going to look at them both, yes, and it will weigh you down to the point you won't be considered a straight-out 174, but it doesn't necessarily mean they will treat you like you got a 170. They will simply look at your 174 with a large grain of salt.
Basically this is about how it works now, based on a completely unscientific but very accurate
maybe guess from last cycle:
Quick Summary
Below T6- Just take your high score
CCN- Will glance at your other scores, then just take your high score
HYS- Will consider your other scores slightly, but greater emphasis is on the highest score
I hope you are right, but have a feeling you aren't.
If you examine LSN this is basically the current trend... I was being kind of funny in the post but basically with the switch in rankings that only considers top LSAT scores schools no longer have any incentive to consider multiple scores.
So, for example, if NYU still weighs other scores heavily they will be at a disadvantage in comparison to Columbia in Chicago... so its going to be more of a "small grain of salt" than a large one. Also, just from anecdotal/ other trends I saw when applying last year it basically seems to be break down into this:
Small gaps between scores- schools will take your highest unless you're matched up with an almost identical applicant with only one score
Large Gap between scores- addendum for whatever reason (sickness, etc.) and schools will put almost all weight on highest.
Basically only HYS have the leeway to accept whoever they want with less consideration of straight numbers (although it seems like heavy weight is still put on #s anyways).
BK is right too, the phrase about CCN was more of a joke... they'll still look at other scores, but its like a 80-20 focus on the higher
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:49 am
by padthai
Nom Sawyer wrote:Ragged wrote:Nom Sawyer wrote:mst wrote:NYU is not going to explicitly find the middle of the 2 scores and consider that, if I were to guess. They're going to look at them both, yes, and it will weigh you down to the point you won't be considered a straight-out 174, but it doesn't necessarily mean they will treat you like you got a 170. They will simply look at your 174 with a large grain of salt.
Basically this is about how it works now, based on a completely unscientific but very accurate
maybe guess from last cycle:
Quick Summary
Below T6- Just take your high score
CCN- Will glance at your other scores, then just take your high score
HYS- Will consider your other scores slightly, but greater emphasis is on the highest score
I hope you are right, but have a feeling you aren't.
If you examine LSN this is basically the current trend... I was being kind of funny in the post but basically with the switch in rankings that only considers top LSAT scores schools no longer have any incentive to consider multiple scores.
So, for example, if NYU still weighs other scores heavily they will be at a disadvantage in comparison to Columbia in Chicago... so its going to be more of a "small grain of salt" than a large one. Also, just from anecdotal/ other trends I saw when applying last year it basically seems to be break down into this:
Small gaps between scores- schools will take your highest unless you're matched up with an almost identical applicant with only one score
Large Gap between scores- addendum for whatever reason (sickness, etc.) and schools will put almost all weight on highest.
Basically only HYS have the leeway to accept whoever they want with less consideration of straight numbers (although it seems like heavy weight is still put on #s anyways).
BK is right too, the phrase about CCN was more of a joke... they'll still look at other scores, but its like a 80-20 focus on the higher
I'm a retaker too so YES! YES! I'm all for your argument.
Re: What top 14 schools have the highest or average LSAT policy?
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:49 am
by Ragged
Nom Sawyer wrote:Ragged wrote:Nom Sawyer wrote:mst wrote:NYU is not going to explicitly find the middle of the 2 scores and consider that, if I were to guess. They're going to look at them both, yes, and it will weigh you down to the point you won't be considered a straight-out 174, but it doesn't necessarily mean they will treat you like you got a 170. They will simply look at your 174 with a large grain of salt.
Basically this is about how it works now, based on a completely unscientific but very accurate
maybe guess from last cycle:
Quick Summary
Below T6- Just take your high score
CCN- Will glance at your other scores, then just take your high score
HYS- Will consider your other scores slightly, but greater emphasis is on the highest score
I hope you are right, but have a feeling you aren't.
If you examine LSN this is basically the current trend... I was being kind of funny in the post but basically with the switch in rankings that only considers top LSAT scores schools no longer have any incentive to consider multiple scores.
So, for example, if NYU still weighs other scores heavily they will be at a disadvantage in comparison to Columbia in Chicago... so its going to be more of a "small grain of salt" than a large one. Also, just from anecdotal/ other trends I saw when applying last year it basically seems to be break down into this:
Small gaps between scores- schools will take your highest unless you're matched up with an almost identical applicant with only one score
Large Gap between scores- addendum for whatever reason (sickness, etc.) and schools will put almost all weight on highest.
Basically only HYS have the leeway to accept whoever they want with less consideration of straight numbers (although it seems like heavy weight is still put on #s anyways).
Interesting. I'm gonna test your hypothesis out this cycle and get back to you with a written report.