LOW GPA / HIGH LSAT Forum

[aigsrone]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

[MrOrange]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

Yeah, it's possible. But you'd better be able to explain your grades, and a 170+ is absolutely essential.

[Aeroplane]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

Depends what you mean by top law school. I normally try to boost splitter hopes, but I am fairly sure that T14 is out for you, even with a 175. Do you have any extreme mitigating circumstances for that GPA? Like a foreign grade scale where the median converts to a 2.1 or something?

Edit: Oops, RC fail. Anyway, any other extreme mitigators? Abducted by aliens soph year? Etc.

[aigsrone]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

Yeah, it's possible. But you'd better be able to explain your grades, and a 170+ is absolutely essential.

I plan to take my LSATs on September 26, 2009. I hopefully plan on attending law school in Fall 2010. During that time should I enroll in 2 non-degree graduate courses at University of Maryland per semester and get A's in them to prove to law schools that I am capable to working hard. The non-degree graduate courses for some departments don't require GRE as I won't be able to study them and I would need to focus on my LSATs.

[Aeroplane]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

Yeah, it's possible. But you'd better be able to explain your grades, and a 170+ is absolutely essential.

I plan to take my LSATs on September 26, 2009. I hopefully plan on attending law school in Fall 2010. During that time should I enroll in 2 non-degree graduate courses at University of Maryland per semester and get A's in them to prove to law schools that I am capable to working hard. The non-degree graduate courses for some departments don't require GRE as I won't be able to study them and I would need to focus on my LSATs.

Courses taken after you have received your UG diploma will not factor into your LSAC gpa. Getting A's in them will be a tiny insignificant soft factor, esp since they'll be non-degree. Also, check out http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com

[aigsrone]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

Depends what you mean by top law school. I normally try to boost splitter hopes, but I am fairly sure that T14 is out for you, even with a 175. Do you have any extreme mitigating circumstances for that GPA? Like a foreign grade scale where the median converts to a 2.1 or something?

Edit: Oops, RC fail. Anyway, any other extreme mitigators? Abducted by aliens soph year? Etc.

T-14 means Top 14?

What about University of Maryland School of Law? Its ranked #44 by U.S. news.

[kyle]

there are some good schools that will take you if you score very well, but your gpa puts you out for most "top" law schools.

look at the gpa / lsat matrices on the lsac website

[leobowski]

It's very unlikely you'll be admitted to any school in which your LSAT isn't above their 75th percentile.

[lawlover829]

Go to CC and boost that GPA up.

[RVP11]

Go to CC and boost that GPA up.

Does "graduated from University of Maryland" mean nothing to you?

[James Bond]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

How can your GPA be that low? Don't a lot of schools have like a 2.5 minimum? Or is that just in-major?

[passersaura]

How long have you been out of undergrad? If there has been some time in between your UG and now, combined with a really good LSAT score, you'll have a shot at good schools. I say this speaking from experience. I had a UGPA not much better than yours, and have gotten acceptance from multiple T30 schools, and have been waitlisted at a few even higher.

Knocking the LSAT out of the park will be absolutely essential, so start working your ass off, yesterday.

[donzoli]

How long have you been out of undergrad? If there has been some time in between your UG and now, combined with a really good LSAT score, you'll have a shot at good schools. I say this speaking from experience. I had a UGPA not much better than yours, and have gotten acceptance from multiple T30 schools, and have been waitlisted at a few even higher.

Knocking the LSAT out of the park will be absolutely essential, so start working your ass off, yesterday.

Do you mind sharing your LSAT and years removed from undergrad? Did you have significant work experience or graduate degree as well?

[simensays]

This is my first post, i know. However I've been researching law schools for about two years now. I am graduating next year, so I have started studying for the test. Since its reaching the time for me to start apply, I decided to finally make an account here.
Anyway to answer your question, if you look at who is accepted at the t-6 schools, those people generally have both High GPA/LSAT. Nevertheless, those schools have a very strong emphasis on LSAT. A 4.0 isn't getting you in if your LSAT is below 165 (for the most part). However a 175 LSAT with a low GPA, depending on your LOR and other softs, chances are you can get into atleast 1 of the t-6.

My friends got into Harvard, however they were both non-white. They had decent GPAs but killer LSAT. My brother got into Harvard coming from Duke with a 3.5/169.
However it shows that people with 2.5/177 get into HYS P, Columbia, NYU

Nevertheless, a 177 is not easy to come by.

[superflush]

T-14 means Top 14?

Yes

What about University of Maryland School of Law? Its ranked #44 by U.S. news.

That means its not a top law school. Better aim for 170. The amount of people who apply to law school with such bad gpas (and decent LSAT scores) is so small thats its going to be difficult to find similar people on LSN.

[RVP11]

My friends got into Harvard, however they were both non-white. They had decent GPAs but killer LSAT. My brother got into Harvard coming from Duke with a 3.5/169.
However it shows that people with 2.5/177 get into HYS P, Columbia, NYU

Nevertheless, a 177 is not easy to come by.

When did this all happen? Even ~10 years ago, the GPA/LSAT standards at most schools were much, much lower.

[Aeroplane]

My friends got into Harvard, however they were both non-white. They had decent GPAs but killer LSAT. My brother got into Harvard coming from Duke with a 3.5/169.
However it shows that people with 2.5/177 get into HYS P, Columbia, NYU

Nevertheless, a 177 is not easy to come by.

When did this all happen? Even ~10 years ago, the GPA/LSAT standards at most schools were much, much lower.

Even 5 years ago I think. Anecdotally at least.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

This is my first post, i know. However I've been researching law schools for about two years now. I am graduating next year, so I have started studying for the test. Since its reaching the time for me to start apply, I decided to finally make an account here.
Anyway to answer your question, if you look at who is accepted at the t-6 schools, those people generally have both High GPA/LSAT. Nevertheless, those schools have a very strong emphasis on LSAT. A 4.0 isn't getting you in if your LSAT is below 165 (for the most part). However a 175 LSAT with a low GPA, depending on your LOR and other softs, chances are you can get into atleast 1 of the t-6.

My friends got into Harvard, however they were both non-white. They had decent GPAs but killer LSAT. My brother got into Harvard coming from Duke with a 3.5/169.
However it shows that people with 2.5/177 get into HYS P, Columbia, NYU

Nevertheless, a 177 is not easy to come by.

Unless OP is an URM, this is completely non-applicable. A non-urm will not get into HYSCCN with a GPA below 2.5. It does not matter if he/she has a 180. Hell, a black African American male would be highly doubtful for T-6 with the same LSAT score with a GPA below 2.5

[RVP11]

My friends got into Harvard, however they were both non-white. They had decent GPAs but killer LSAT. My brother got into Harvard coming from Duke with a 3.5/169.
However it shows that people with 2.5/177 get into HYS P, Columbia, NYU

Nevertheless, a 177 is not easy to come by.

When did this all happen? Even ~10 years ago, the GPA/LSAT standards at most schools were much, much lower.

Even 5 years ago I think. Anecdotally at least.

Also true. I just know my cousin got HLS 10 years ago with numbers that probably wouldn't get you T14 today.

[superflush]

My friends..

When did this all happen? Even ~10 years ago, the GPA/LSAT standards at most schools were much, much lower.

Even 5 years ago I think. Anecdotally at least.

Oh, yea definitely. If you run chiashu chances, you can see they are higher in previous years for must schools.

[superflush]

My friends got into Harvard, however they were both non-white.

Unless OP is an URM, this is completely non-applicable. A non-urm will not get into HYSCCN with a GPA below 2.5. It does not matter if he/she has a 180. Hell, a black African American male would be highly doubtful for T-6 with the same LSAT score with a GPA below 2.5

Also true. You can be a non-white and non-urm. But you shouldn't make any conconslutions about admissions based on a couple of URM admits, unless you, yourself, are URM.

[aigsrone]

My GPA is 2.309 and I graduated from University of Maryland. If i scored 170-180 on my LSAT can i get into a top law school or perhaps I would like to go to University of Maryland School of Law? What are my chances?

How can your GPA be that low? Don't a lot of schools have like a 2.5 minimum? Or is that just in-major?

That is my cumulative GPA. My major GPA is 3.3.

[aigsrone]

I ordered Powerscore Logic Review, Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension and 2004 LSATs Deconstructed. I ordered them from the Powerscore website for $163.00

[NayBoer]

Have some good work experience and decent LORs, because it's something you can do. Get high LSAT, because you need the numbers. Get thick skin, because you're automatically way below the 25th percentile GPA everywhere.

You may have a chance at Maryland; maybe try applying PT. I can't speak much to chances there. If you need to stay in the region, GMU is a good shot with a high LSAT. GW is probably too far gone for anything but a hail mary.

If region is flexible, definitely apply to WUSTL, UIUC, UIB, among others. These are likely your best targets for T25.

If the cycle is not to your satisfaction, then years of work experience is probably your best shot at improving your chances. You need the highest possible LSAT in any scenario. Take plenty of prep tests.

[aigsrone]

Have some good work experience and decent LORs, because it's something you can do. Get high LSAT, because you need the numbers. Get thick skin, because you're automatically way below the 25th percentile GPA everywhere.

You may have a chance at Maryland; maybe try applying PT. I can't speak much to chances there. If you need to stay in the region, GMU is a good shot with a high LSAT. GW is probably too far gone for anything but a hail mary.

If region is flexible, definitely apply to WUSTL, UIUC, UIB, among others. These are likely your best targets for T25.

If the cycle is not to your satisfaction, then years of work experience is probably your best shot at improving your chances. You need the highest possible LSAT in any scenario. Take plenty of prep tests.

What are LORs?

What school do these stand for- WUSTL, UIUC, UIB?


Thanks.