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Hello everyone i have a question regarding school selection. I received a 170 on the LSAT, but my GPA is a 2.3 after Junior year. It is possible to reach a 3.0 by the end of senior year.However realistically i'll end up with a 2.85 or 2.9. I would like to attend USC but i heard that they are sticklers for GPA. Should i just retake and shoot for higher score or forgo an application to USC all together?


Thanks for any input.

Definitely don't skip the application - make them tell you "no". Also, with the decline in applicants over the past cycle or two, the admissions game has really turned into a crap shoot, even more so for URM applicants. Even as a non-URM, I got into UT this cycle with a 170/2.6, and up until recently, UT also had the reputation for being very picky when it comes to uGPA.

What kind of urm are you?

I know sub3 167+ urms who have gotten money from usc. Good money from umn/wustl is almost a slam dunk.

Higher score would increase your odds, but I'm guessing only incrementally at this point

Thanks for the feedback, I am an AA Male

Nova wrote:What kind of urm are you?

I know sub3 167+ urms who have gotten money from usc. Good money from umn/wustl is almost a slam dunk.

Higher score would increase your odds, but I'm guessing only incrementally at this point

This, and also what Scott said. The LSAT and making your app otherwise flawless can really make up for that. While USC seemed, at least to me, to care more about GPA this cycle (I'm 2.85, 168) and I got waitlisted, I had great options from UMN, WUSTL, UT and other schools in that general range. But, as a URM, you should be better off than I was and have a bit of a boost from that which would also definitely help.

In Good Faith wrote:Thanks for the feedback, I am an AA Male

Dude if you get close to a 3.0 with that LSAT your in at Harvard probably. even below 3.0 I would still blanket the T14.

Lacepiece23 wrote:

In Good Faith wrote:Thanks for the feedback, I am an AA Male

Dude if you get close to a 3.0 with that LSAT your in at Harvard probably. even below 3.0 I would still blanket the T14.

Doubtful.




Do you think you've maxed out your LSAT score? Something around a 175 improves outcomes dramatically.

Lacepiece23 wrote:

In Good Faith wrote:Thanks for the feedback, I am an AA Male

Dude if you get close to a 3.0 with that LSAT your in at Harvard probably. even below 3.0 I would still blanket the T14.

Tso wrong...

OP don't waste your time/money applying to HYS, or even CCN realistically.

Get that GPA up as close to 3.0 as possible and blanket apply to like #7-20.

USC is definitely possible with 170, sub 3.0 GPA. Retaking could get you higher though if you feel like you got room to improve.

Fiero85 wrote:

Lacepiece23 wrote:

In Good Faith wrote:Thanks for the feedback, I am an AA Male

Dude if you get close to a 3.0 with that LSAT your in at Harvard probably. even below 3.0 I would still blanket the T14.

Tso wrong...

OP don't waste your time/money applying to HYS, or even CCN realistically.

Get that GPA up as close to 3.0 as possible and blanket apply to like #7-20.

USC is definitely possible with 170, sub 3.0 GPA. Retaking could get you higher though if you feel like you got room to improve.

Are you serious? Did you read the part where he said he was a black male? I've definitely heard of black males getting into H with a 3.0 170 and definitely CCN with those stats. You must be a 0L.

Lacepiece23 wrote:

Fiero85 wrote:

Lacepiece23 wrote:

In Good Faith wrote:Thanks for the feedback, I am an AA Male

Dude if you get close to a 3.0 with that LSAT your in at Harvard probably. even below 3.0 I would still blanket the T14.

Tso wrong...

OP don't waste your time/money applying to HYS, or even CCN realistically.

Get that GPA up as close to 3.0 as possible and blanket apply to like #7-20.

USC is definitely possible with 170, sub 3.0 GPA. Retaking could get you higher though if you feel like you got room to improve.

Are you serious? Did you read the part where he said he was a black male? I've definitely heard of black males getting into H with a 3.0 170 and definitely CCN with those stats. You must be a 0L.

First of all, OP said "realistically i'll end up with a 2.85 or 2.9". So even he thinks 3.0 is a stretch.

Besides that, there are no data points supporting HYS or even CCN acceptances online. There's one Columbia waitlist. That's all I can really go by.

I am in fact a 0L, so I apologize for not having as much of an ear to the ground about the stories not posted in the database (seriously). I suppose I shouldn't have been so bold, but mylsn just does not look encouraging at all:

Fiero85 wrote:

Lacepiece23 wrote:

Fiero85 wrote: Tso wrong...

OP don't waste your time/money applying to HYS, or even CCN realistically.

Get that GPA up as close to 3.0 as possible and blanket apply to like #7-20.

USC is definitely possible with 170, sub 3.0 GPA. Retaking could get you higher though if you feel like you got room to improve.

Are you serious? Did you read the part where he said he was a black male? I've definitely heard of black males getting into H with a 3.0 170 and definitely CCN with those stats. You must be a 0L.

First of all, OP said "realistically i'll end up with a 2.85 or 2.9". So even he thinks 3.0 is a stretch.

Besides that, there are no data points supporting HYS or even CCN acceptances online. There's one Columbia waitlist. That's all I can really go by.

I am in fact a 0L, so I apologize for not having as much of an ear to the ground about the stories not posted in the database (seriously). I suppose I shouldn't have been so bold, but mylsn just does not look encouraging at all:

you're not wrong.

I didn't mean that OP would def get into H I just strongly think that he should apply. And as a black male in law school I can tell you that LSN is not great for us. We are the most underrepresented group and from my understanding LSN takes into account all Underrepresented groups such as black females, and both Mexican males and females. So I wouldn't really judge his chances according to LSN. If I did I would not be at a T14.

And if he does break a 3.0 he would be absolutely crazy not to apply from H down with a 170. Shit most his waivers will probably be free.

With a 170 he should apply everywhere from CCN down, but H (which doesn't give fee waivers based on LSAT) just won't be in the cards with a 3.0.

ETA: if he had a 175-180, I'd say apply.

August Wilson wrote:With a 170 he should apply everywhere from CCN down, but H (which doesn't give fee waivers based on LSAT) just won't be in the cards with a 3.0.

ETA: if he had a 175-180, I'd say apply.

Well we went from me being "so wrong" to applying everywhere, but one school I suggested. My OP wasn't clear, but when I said blanket the T14 I meant everywhere but YS because I said he was probably in at H. Shit your probably right about him not getting in, but I still think he should apply. Who wouldn't want to apply if the had a small shot.

Lacepiece23 wrote:I didn't mean that OP would def get into H I just strongly think that he should apply. And as a black male in law school I can tell you that LSN is not great for us. We are the most underrepresented group and from my understanding LSN takes into account all Underrepresented groups such as black females, and both Mexican males and females. So I wouldn't really judge his chances according to LSN. If I did I would not be at a T14.

And if he does break a 3.0 he would be absolutely crazy not to apply from H down with a 170. Shit most his waivers will probably be free.

Yeah you're right, it's more of a lack of data than anything. Using "AA only" hardly got any results at all. There's no gender filter either. So really "URM only" isn't completely on point for an AA male.

Since you're a URM actually in the T14 I'll defer to you. Especially since I think you're addressing my post of "don't waste your time" rather than his chances being low, which you admit they are.

OP: Blanket T14 plus UCLA and USC if you're looking for Cali. Especially if you get mad fee waivers, which you likely will from your high LSAT alone. I should have said, "don't get your hopes up" rather than "don't waste your time" with applying to #1-6. Especially if you can earn a 3.0 overall that'd be great for your cycle.

Good luck!

Fiero85 wrote:

Lacepiece23 wrote:I didn't mean that OP would def get into H I just strongly think that he should apply. And as a black male in law school I can tell you that LSN is not great for us. We are the most underrepresented group and from my understanding LSN takes into account all Underrepresented groups such as black females, and both Mexican males and females. So I wouldn't really judge his chances according to LSN. If I did I would not be at a T14.

And if he does break a 3.0 he would be absolutely crazy not to apply from H down with a 170. Shit most his waivers will probably be free.

Yeah you're right, it's more of a lack of data than anything. Using "AA only" hardly got any results at all. There's no gender filter either. So really "URM only" isn't completely on point for an AA male.

Since you're a URM actually in the T14 I'll defer to you. Especially since I think you're addressing my post of "don't waste your time" rather than his chances being low, which you admit they are.

OP: Blanket T14 plus UCLA and USC if you're looking for Cali. Especially if you get mad fee waivers, which you likely will from your high LSAT alone. I should have said, "don't get your hopes up" rather than "don't waste your time" with applying to #1-6. Especially if you can earn a 3.0 overall that'd be great for your cycle.

Good luck!

I still really think OP gets in somewhere 3-6 and probably not Berkley. But alls well that ends well. Good luck OP