Hey, so I have a 3.1 at a top 20 undergrad university with known grade-deflation. I have taken a course for the LSAT but didn't put a lot of effort in (had a busy semester) and therefore got a 148 as my highest score from the course. I want to get around a 165 for my LSATs when I take them in October because I didn't feel ready for the June one. What tier or any recommendations for different law schools that I should be considering?

Any help is deeply appreciated!

Where do you want to practice?? What state are you currently in?? what sate are you from??

Dont get discouraged about the 148. Many have increased their score from 140s to high 160s. This forum will help!

okay elle woods

There are still undergrad institutions with grade-deflation? But anyway, people here can't really give you a good list of options until you have an LSAT score and some more information. Basically, the responses you're going to get are "the LSAT is a learnable exam, so take it seriously and aim for the 170's," "Be debt averse, especially outside of the T-14" and "adcomms won't care so much that your undergrad was a top-20, they'll still ding you for your 3.1." So basically, if you haven't graduated, get straight A's from here on out, devote as much time as needed to get your LSAT score as high as possible, and think about taking some time off for work experience and putting more distance between you and your UGPA.

I realize that many of the responses would probably be "keep up the work and improve your score and GPA" and realistically I know I will probably finish with around a 3.2-ish. I go to a private university in North Carolina and am a rising senior, I know I want to go to law school and have for a while now and just want to make sure that I have been looking at all my options for different law schools. I prefer to stay near the east coast for Law School but am open to other options. Two considerations that I am taking heavily into account will be cost (whether it be paying in full or scholarship) or going through a JAG program once accepted at a law school.
So far my list is roughly this:

Marquette Law
Maryland Law
Villanova Law
Miami Law
Denver Law
Richmond Law
Rutgers-Newark Law
Seton Hall Law

I know this is quite a long list but I'm still finalizing the searching process and preparing to study my ass off for the LSAT. My ultimate reach school would be Fordham Law school but I won't actually consider it unless I do amazing on the LSAT. I know that is my key determining factor to offset my lower GPA but have read it can go up so I'm trying to keep my hopes up.

Let me know if these schools are realistic or if there are others I should look at.

Thanks

That is a depressing list of schools. Work yourself to death to bring your LSAT up and you'll have substantially better options. Low GPA is by no means a death sentence; I had a 2.4 and have been successful at a regionally strong tier 1. Going to some of the schools you listed with your GPA (which will likely make scholarships substantially more difficult) is scary.

What law school have you been attending?

I don't know what school pballer is at, but there are sub 3.0 GPAs at T14 schools and tons in high Tier 1. Aim much higher, taking a year off if you need do. The schools on your list have employment numbers that range from merely bad to truly horrific.

UGA

No offense, pballer, but how in the world did you get in at UGA with a low GPA? My GPA is a bit higher than yours and I have resigned myself to applying at crap schools because I assumed there's no way I'd get in anywhere else. Your situation gives me some hope, but how did you do it? Are you URM?

The LSAT is worth more than GPA at most schools not in California.

There are non-URM sub 3.0 GPAs at low T14 schools. Seriously. lawschoolnumbers.com

0 offense taken. I'm a white male, so I'm the opposite of a URM. The post above mine is correct that a lot of tier 1 schools value LSAT highly enough to not really care what your gpa is (see, e.g., WUSTL, Indiana, UGA, Alabama). I also got into W&L off of the waitlist. My LSN from my cycle is still in my profile.

HTH