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I was pretty depressed during undergrad, first gen college student. Just not really ready for school but I powered through and graduated. Grades hit an upward trend last two years. I am now 2 years out of school and looking at law school as my main option and looking to apply next cycle. If I could get a 170+ do I still have alright chances at decent schools? Feel free to be brutally honest, I understand the implications of a bad gpa.

First things first, what are you hoping to do with your degree? The "T50" is technically a tier cutoff, but it's not really a useful one, in that schools outside the T13 get increasingly regional.

A low 2.x GPA is bad, and it's going to take you out of the running for a lot of schools. Could a 170+ LSAT offset that enough for you to get into a strong law school? Sure, depending on your goals. And URM status can help with that. But first, you need to get the 170+, which is far easier said than done.

cavalier1138 wrote:First things first, what are you hoping to do with your degree? The "T50" is technically a tier cutoff, but it's not really a useful one, in that schools outside the T13 get increasingly regional.

A low 2.x GPA is bad, and it's going to take you out of the running for a lot of schools. Could a 170+ LSAT offset that enough for you to get into a strong law school? Sure, depending on your goals. And URM status can help with that. But first, you need to get the 170+, which is far easier said than done.

+100. I'd also add that it's not even clear to me whether OP would actually be considered a URM for law school admissions purposes. OP mentions being a "first gen college student", but first gen status, by itself, does not make one a URM for law school admissions purposes. (Sure, it'll help around the edges, and OP would likely be well-served by writing a strong Diversity Statement, but OP would still be looking at acceptances and scholarship offers generally in line with their LSAC GPA and LSAT score.)

Anyway, even as a non-URM, a 170+ would likely put OP in the running for a T20 admission, but again, all this is pretty meaningless absent an actual LSAT score. Getting a 170+ is hard!

I am Puerto Rican and black as well, I didnt make that as clear as I should have.

ClowdyRowdy wrote:I am Puerto Rican and black as well, I didnt make that as clear as I should have.

OK, then yes, definitely URM for law school admissions purposes.

Anyway, all this is (very) premature. Get an actual LSAT score first and then we can look at chances. "What if I get a 170+" is a pretty meaningless hypothetical. Best wishes studying!

I agree, what are you really getting on practice LSATs? The gpa is really dismal so even if you somehow got a 170+, the admissions people will still give a thumbs down wih that gpa. I think you'll have a better chance with lower ranked schools, but that may not be worth the cost.