Thoughts on My Timeline/Chances? Forum

[Ardor]

Hello,

I’m male, AA, LGBT and currently a rising junior at an HYP. I’d like to go to law school after college and I’m aiming for HYSC. My GPA is currently a 3.1, and I know I’ll really need these next two years to raise that—for the sake of this post, let’s assume I’ll end up graduating with a 3.3. Because I only want to focus on school work during the academic year, I’ll be studying for the LSAT next summer and will it take September of my senior year (probably again in Dec, too). I would then start applying the fall after graduation, because I’d rather not apply late in the cycle.

My questions for you all are:

1) How does this timeline sound?
2) Assuming my GPA turns out to be a 3.3, what kind of LSAT score, at minimum, would I need to complement that for a shot at HYSC?
3) How about t14 schools more generally?

Thank you!
.

[mt2165]

Hello,

I’m male, AA, LGBT and currently a rising junior at an HYP. I’d like to go to law school after college and I’m aiming for HYSC. My GPA is currently a 3.1, and I know I’ll really need these next two years to raise that—for the sake of this post, let’s assume I’ll end up graduating with a 3.3. Because I only want to focus on school work during the academic year, I’ll be studying for the LSAT next summer and will it take September of my senior year (probably again in Dec, too). I would then start applying the fall after graduation, because I’d rather not apply late in the cycle.

My questions for you all are:

1) How does this timeline sound?
2) Assuming my GPA turns out to be a 3.3, what kind of LSAT score, at minimum, would I need to complement that for a shot at HYSC?
3) How about t14 schools more generally?

Thank you!

1. You're not going to want to split your prep time between two summers. You'd be surprised by how much you can forget, and three months really isn't enough time in my opinion. If you can lighten your courseload spring of your senior year and prep then that'd be ideal.
2. Depends on your softs and the cohesiveness of your app, but I'd say you want to have at least a 167-168 to have a shot, and an outside one at that. You're effectively shut out of Y and possibly S, but with a great LSAT you have a solid chance at C and an ok chance at H.
3. If you get a 168+ I think you can expect six figure schollys in the lower t14, maybe not G but who cares. Some people with ok'ish stats but good hustling skills and strong soft have gotten great schollys at the mid t14's (70-100k)

[teampeeta]

I think you need at least 168 to have a chance at Harvard. Stanford and Yale are probably out due to GPA (even if you hit 3.3, that's on the low side for those schools), but 173+ might put S in play. I just don't think Yale will dip to a 3.3, even with a 176+ LSAT. They'd rather have the 3.8/168 or 3.9/165 person instead in the vast majority of cases.

The rest of the T14 should be in play with 165+. The higher your LSAT the better. You could get big money from T14 schools with a 3.3/170+.

Try to get your GPA up as far as possible. Also, if you have an opportunity to write a thesis, do that. And put a lot of work into it. If you do really well on written work (and also grade-wise) later in your college career, it will make you seem more valuable to law schools.

[August Wilson]

All of the above advice about what LSAT score to shoot for is credited. Take the LSAT in June right after graduation and then retake in September if you have to. Write your senior essay/thesis in the fall of you senior year so that you can use your senior spring semester to prep for the lsat. Use the summer before your senior year to take easy classes that will boost your GPA. HYP (well not sure about P) generally have classes that you can take abroad over the summer that are easy A classes that count toward your gpa. Sometimes you can get multiple credits for one class. Look into whatever programs your school has for summer school even if it isn't abroad. During junior year and fall of senior year, load up on classes that you know you can do well in and take the maximum classes your school allows in a semsester. Take nothing that you're not sure you can get an A in unless it's a required course for graduation.

So if you can graduate with a 3.3 and then get 168+ on the lsat, you'll have a pretty good shot. Taking two years after graduation instead of one may also help.

You can PM me if you have any other or more specific questions.

[Ardor]

Thank you for your responses! I see what kind of LSAT score I have to aim for, but I'm still trying to figure out this timeline. I also plan to take a prep course, btw, which I can't do during the school year.

[mt2165]

Thank you for your responses! I see what kind of LSAT score I have to aim for, but I'm still trying to figure out this timeline. I also plan to take a prep course, btw, which I can't do during the school year.

Oh but you can (unless it's like not offered). I did, and it would've been fine had I not had so much else going on. A lot of people study for the lsat during the school year. Three months just gives you like no wiggle room.

[teampeeta]

Thank you for your responses! I see what kind of LSAT score I have to aim for, but I'm still trying to figure out this timeline. I also plan to take a prep course, btw, which I can't do during the school year.

You could do it during the school year, I bet. You'd just have to give yourself more than 3 months. Maybe try to do some studying on your own with Manhattan LSAT books (or whichever you prefer) during the year and then take the prep class during the summer after graduation? Or, if you want to be a K-JD, you could do the self-studying junior year and the prep class between junior and senior year. Although, honestly, if you think that doing either is going to compromise your GPA, it's not worth it. Best to get that GPA up as high as possible and then worry about the LSAT once you have your grades locked in.