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I finally have a legit diagnostic score
I scored a 164 w/o studying
AA Male
2.7 GPA

Taking the Oct LSAT and possibly Nov LSAT
Using the LSAT Trainer

Can you chance me based on this profile + the potential trajectory of scoring

Also, do I have a shot at Georgetown, USC, & UCLA

Your 2.7 is a problem. UCLA/Berkeley, for instance, have institutional reasons why anything below 3.0 is hard to admit (although this may have changed over the years). You can still get into some great schools in the Georgetown/USC band and above, but splitter cycles are very hard to predict and we don't even know yet what your actual LSAT score is.

A stone-cold diagnostic of 164 is great and suggests you can probably break 170. That should be your main focus for now, because that is what will make you an in-demand applicant. AA men are scarce in that LSAT band and there are a number of T14/T20 schools who will happily overlook the GPA if you can get there and put together an otherwise-strong application. Again, it's almost impossible to say which ones (except that the UCs are probably out).

The Lsat Airbender wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:21 pm

Your 2.7 is a problem. UCLA/Berkeley, for instance, have institutional reasons why anything below 3.0 is hard to admit (although this may have changed over the years). You can still get into some great schools in the Georgetown/USC band and above, but splitter cycles are very hard to predict and we don't even know yet what your actual LSAT score is.

A stone-cold diagnostic of 164 is great and suggests you can probably break 170. That should be your main focus for now, because that is what will make you an in-demand applicant. AA men are scarce in that LSAT band and there are a number of T14/T20 schools who will happily overlook the GPA if you can get there and put together an otherwise-strong application. Again, it's almost impossible to say which ones (except that the UCs are probably out).

What range of schools would I have a decent shot at if my diagnostic score was my real one?

What LSAT score would give me a shot at the lower end of T6?

Per mylsn, you're pretty much boxed out of the T20 with a 164 and a sub-3.0. With your GPA, you need to hit a given school's LSAT median or you're just not bringing anything to the table. That's why getting to 168-170ish or better will open things up for you.

As for the T6, it's conceivable that a blistering LSAT (174+) could make something happen at Columbia or NYU. Historically they're willing to dip down a bit on GPA, although very rarely below the 3.0 barrier. But we don't have data on that and I wouldn't count on it. Again, I'd just focus on the LSAT for now. You should be shooting for 180.

The Lsat Airbender wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 11, 2020 7:19 pm

Per mylsn, you're pretty much boxed out of the T20 with a 164 and a sub-3.0. With your GPA, you need to hit a given school's LSAT median or you're just not bringing anything to the table. That's why getting to 168-170ish or better will open things up for you.

As for the T6, it's conceivable that a blistering LSAT (174+) could make something happen at Columbia or NYU. Historically they're willing to dip down a bit on GPA, although very rarely below the 3.0 barrier. But we don't have data on that and I wouldn't count on it. Again, I'd just focus on the LSAT for now. You should be shooting for 180.

With a diagnostic of 164, I should be able to reach high 160s minimum on the Oct or Nov LSAT

Would that net me some money at USC, UCLA, Vandy terrirtory?

TLSMM99 wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 11, 2020 10:53 pm

With a diagnostic of 164, I should be able to reach high 160s minimum on the Oct or Nov LSAT

Would that net me some money at USC, UCLA, Vandy terrirtory?

As I've said above, it's really hard to say, to the point where hypotheticals like this are probably more misleading than helpful.

I've commented on your prior posts, as LSAT Airbender has, and I think you're making the same mistake as before. You don't have a reportable LSAT score, and you're extrapolating from a diagnostic (a good one, fwiw) to outcomes that perhaps no real score would guarantee. Your best shot, even with truly top-band LSAT performance, is an extreme splitter cycle with less-than-50/50 chances at each school and possible money at the ones that do let you in.

If you hypothetically had a reportable 164, you'd maybe get admitted to a T20 or lower T14, but you're a long shot everywhere. Upper 160s and you might get into a couple schools in your range, but not the ones picky about GPAs. No score will guarantee or even give you a realistic expectation of significant scholarship money at any T20 school or range of schools.