What LSAT should I aim for? Forum

[Wayne Shorter]

What LSAT should I aim for to get into HYS? My diagnostic was 164.

3.6
AA Male
Music-related softs including a performance in Carnegie Hall and performances with renown musicians.

[pleasepickme]

... 180. That's [b]always[/b] the target. Especially with a diagnostic like that, there's no reason not to just shoot for the stars and see what you can do.

Now, for some more practical advice (that leads to the same point):

- HLS didn't take anyone with a 3.6 last year (http://harvard.lawschoolnumbers.com/sta ... Cycle=1011), and the two years before that, it looked like you needed a 171 +, and even those were really really rare.

- SLS took a URM with a 3.63/164 and interesting background, and the next 3.6 admission had a 175 last year. (http://stanford.lawschoolnumbers.com/st ... Cycle=1011).

- YLS you're in trouble. Their last 3.6 admission was two years ago, and she had a 172 with 5-9 years work experience. (http://yale.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/ ... Cycle=1011). That's the only one I can find in the last three cycles.

Moral of the story: Unfortunately, your GPA will handicap you here, even with URM status. Get the best score you can if you really want a chance. I would say to have any serious prayer you should break 174 at the very least.

[LAWLAW09]

Disregard everything in the previous post except for shoot for a 180. study as if anything less than a 180 is unacceptable.

[tommynobody]

Disregard everything in the previous post except for shoot for a 180.

[r2b2ct]

There were at least two AA URMs last cycle who got into Harvard with significantly lower than 3.6 GPAs, but they had 172+ LSATs. Your GPA does not disqualify you from HYS. Check out this thread:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 4&t=107129

LSN is useful but I'm not sure that the sample size is large enough to draw strict cutoffs for top performing URMs.

[tourdeforcex]

180

[CryingMonkey]

... 180. That's [b]always[/b] the target. Especially with a diagnostic like that, there's no reason not to just shoot for the stars and see what you can do.

Now, for some more practical advice (that leads to the same point):

- HLS didn't take anyone with a 3.6 last year (http://harvard.lawschoolnumbers.com/sta ... Cycle=1011), and the two years before that, it looked like you needed a 171 +, and even those were really really rare.

- SLS took a URM with a 3.63/164 and interesting background, and the next 3.6 admission had a 175 last year. (http://stanford.lawschoolnumbers.com/st ... Cycle=1011).

- YLS you're in trouble. Their last 3.6 admission was two years ago, and she had a 172 with 5-9 years work experience. (http://yale.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/ ... Cycle=1011). That's the only one I can find in the last three cycles.

Moral of the story: Unfortunately, your GPA will handicap you here, even with URM status. Get the best score you can if you really want a chance. I would say to have any serious prayer you should break 174 at the very least.

I'd highly advise not using LSN as a definitive source. If the school says they didn't accept someone with those numbers, believe it. If there just isn't anyone on LSN? Eh, not so much. Yale at least makes their full range available; I think their low GPA this year was a 3.5 or thereabouts. Keep in mind w/ LSN that it's a very small, very self-selecting sample. HLS accepts 800ish people every year and that LSN chart has maybe what, 50 acceptances on it?