Low LSAT addendum advice Forum

[livelovelaugh49]

Can anyone give me some pointers/advice on what they have written for a low lsat addendum or if I should even write one? I have a strong GPA I feel (3.65, 3.7 cumulative), but I my LSAT score isn't the strongest. Any advice would be great. And I am not here to start any controversy, just want honest advice, so please don't write any smartass comments back! Thanks

[KibblesAndVick]

What you could write in an addendum depends on why you scored poorly on the LSAT. Can you cite specific reasons why your LSAT score isn't reflective of your actual ability? Have you always underperformed on standardized tests? Was there a death in your family right before you took the LSAT?

[Jack Smirks]

What K and V said. Also, if you want to trade LSAT addenda to look over I'd be happy to.

[taxguy]

I can only share with you what happened to my son. He had a decent GPA and graduated from a masters program with highest distinction. In fact, he was top of the graduate program. He wrote what I thought was a compelling personal statement about why standardized tests never predicted his actual results since he was an outlyer all of his academic career. It was very well written.

The result was that he got only into Florida Coastal and was rejected by twelve schools. He did get into another school based on an alternate admission process but this was not due to his personal statement. It was solely due to his performance in law school as part of the alternative admission process.

Bottom line: Explaining away sub standard LSAT scores didn't seem to matter one bit. I am sorry to relay this bit of bad news to you,but I thought you should know about this.

[AffordablePrep]

Even if schools buy it why would they accept you over someone who can help their ranking?

[sparty99]

I can only share with you what happened to my son. He had a decent GPA and graduated from a masters program with highest distinction. In fact, he was top of the graduate program. He wrote what I thought was a compelling personal statement about why standardized tests never predicted his actual results since he was an outlyer all of his academic career. It was very well written.

The result was that he got only into Florida Coastal and was rejected by twelve schools. He did get into another school based on an alternate admission process but this was not due to his personal statement. It was solely due to his performance in law school as part of the alternative admission process.

Bottom line: Explaining away sub standard LSAT scores didn't seem to matter one bit. I am sorry to relay this bit of bad news to you,but I thought you should know about this.

This is not completely true, but it is very difficult for admissions to overlook a score below a 150. I scored below a 150 and was able to get a full-ride scholarship at a Top 35 law school. I wrote a LSAT addendum explaining my history of low standardized test scores and attached my SAT results. Most schools give you the option to write a LSAT addendum, however, there are schools that specifically mention in their application to provide documentation of low SAT/ACT scores. I would pursue those schools FIRST. Even if you have a low LSAT, schools CAN accept 20 or so students without that effecting their median/75% percentile numbers. HOWEVER, most Admissions Directors can't do math and won't accept these students with a low LSAT. OR they are afraid to accept someone with a 146 because they are afraid they won't be able to compete with students who had a 165 median.

[taxguy]

I can only share with you what happened to my son. He had a decent GPA and graduated from a masters program with highest distinction. In fact, he was top of the graduate program. He wrote what I thought was a compelling personal statement about why standardized tests never predicted his actual results since he was an outlyer all of his academic career. It was very well written.

The result was that he got only into Florida Coastal and was rejected by twelve schools. He did get into another school based on an alternate admission process but this was not due to his personal statement. It was solely due to his performance in law school as part of the alternative admission process.

Bottom line: Explaining away sub standard LSAT scores didn't seem to matter one bit. I am sorry to relay this bit of bad news to you,but I thought you should know about this.

This is not completely true, but it is very difficult for admissions to overlook a score below a 150. I scored below a 150 and was able to get a full-ride scholarship at a Top 35 law school. I wrote a LSAT addendum explaining my history of low standardized test scores and attached my SAT results. Most schools give you the option to write a LSAT addendum, however, there are schools that specifically mention in their application to provide documentation of low SAT/ACT scores. I would pursue those schools FIRST. Even if you have a low LSAT, schools CAN accept 20 or so students without that effecting their median/75% percentile numbers. HOWEVER, most Admissions Directors can't do math and won't accept these students with a low LSAT. OR they are afraid to accept someone with a 146 because they are afraid they won't be able to compete with students who had a 165 median.

I'd like to know what law schools you applied that not only admitted you but gave you money. My son applied to over a dozen schools,all of which had median LSAT within 6-7 points of his. NOT ONE admitted him except for Florida Coastal.Moreover, he didn't apply to any top schools. He was rejected by Elon, Western New England, New England law, Ohio Northern, University of Baltimore, despite my having a friend in admission, Widener, NOVA ( although he got in through their AAMPLE program after doing very well), Quinnipiac , John Marshall in Chicago, West Virginia, Hamline, and Stetson et. al. Thus,where did you apply that accepted you with low LSATs? Maybe his mistake was not applying to a top school that takes chances with some applicants.

[sparty99]

I can only share with you what happened to my son. He had a decent GPA and graduated from a masters program with highest distinction. In fact, he was top of the graduate program. He wrote what I thought was a compelling personal statement about why standardized tests never predicted his actual results since he was an outlyer all of his academic career. It was very well written.

The result was that he got only into Florida Coastal and was rejected by twelve schools. He did get into another school based on an alternate admission process but this was not due to his personal statement. It was solely due to his performance in law school as part of the alternative admission process.

Bottom line: Explaining away sub standard LSAT scores didn't seem to matter one bit. I am sorry to relay this bit of bad news to you,but I thought you should know about this.

This is not completely true, but it is very difficult for admissions to overlook a score below a 150. I scored below a 150 and was able to get a full-ride scholarship at a Top 35 law school. I wrote a LSAT addendum explaining my history of low standardized test scores and attached my SAT results. Most schools give you the option to write a LSAT addendum, however, there are schools that specifically mention in their application to provide documentation of low SAT/ACT scores. I would pursue those schools FIRST. Even if you have a low LSAT, schools CAN accept 20 or so students without that effecting their median/75% percentile numbers. HOWEVER, most Admissions Directors can't do math and won't accept these students with a low LSAT. OR they are afraid to accept someone with a 146 because they are afraid they won't be able to compete with students who had a 165 median.

I'd like to know what law schools you applied that not only admitted you but gave you money. My son applied to over a dozen schools,all of which had median LSAT within 6-7 points of his. NOT ONE admitted him except for Florida Coastal. He was rejected by Elon, Western New England, New England law, Ohio Northern, University of Baltimore, despite my having a friend in admission, Widener, NOVA ( although he got in through their AAMPLE program after doing very well), Quinnipiac , John Marshall in Chicago, West Virginia, Hamline, and Stetson et. al. Thus,where did you apply that accepted you with low LSATs?

I won't list what schools accepted me. However, you can go to law school numbers and see what gpa/lsat gained admissions at specific law schools. There are a number of profiles where a LSAT score below 150 got into a top 50 program.

My LSAT was low, but I had a high gpa and was in a demanding program at a well known, major university. Additionally, I had work experience in a very demanding industry. I applied to twenty-eight schools with two of them being Tier III and the rest Top 100. Applying to the Top 25 was a waste of time - rejected by everyone that I applied to. However, I focused on schools that are part-time and that accepted someone with my LSAT, previously. Additionally, I read the Law School profiles on this website and if it sounded as if this school MIGHT look at things beyond the LSAT, then I APPLIED. I also visited some of the schools, talked with the admissions team, wrote LOCI's, and asked for money even if they didn't provide any at first.

[livelovelaugh49]

What you could write in an addendum depends on why you scored poorly on the LSAT. Can you cite specific reasons why your LSAT score isn't reflective of your actual ability? Have you always underperformed on standardized tests? Was there a death in your family right before you took the LSAT?

Yes, I have always underperformed on standardized tests, which I can prove through my SAT scores & my states required tests to graduate high school as well as other standardized tests if necessary (I would assume any tests earlier than high school would be irrelevant). Along with that my grandfather did pass away a week before I took the LSAT. So, both were going against me, but even if my grandfather hadn't passed away at the end of the day I am just not a good standardized test taker. My grades in all my classes for my whole life can prove that I am able to succeed in the classroom and in life. I have always gotten A's and B's, been on honor rolls, dean-lists and graduated with above a 3.64 in high school and college. With all that in mind, do you think I should approach writing my addendum by presenting my evidence that I have never been good at standardized tests, prove that they aren't a good indicator of my abilities based on my academic track record and talk about my work experience that I have had throughout college and a year and a half out of college and how it has been demanding (which will help prove that I am capable of handling law school?) Any advice will help. As I have yet to write it I am just trying to brainstorm before I tackle it.

[livelovelaugh49]

What K and V said. Also, if you want to trade LSAT addenda to look over I'd be happy to.

I replied to K and V... check out what I wrote to them and you can respond with advice to that if you have any after reading what I wrote. I have yet to write my addendum, so I have nothing to trade yet, but maybe once I have I would be willing to trade. Anything will help!!