2011-2012 Cycle Applicants! Forum

[androidhu]

hi everybody! im gonna be joing this boat too.

LSDA GPA: 3.58 (from a small liberal arts college)
LSAT: 167, 171, and im waiting for the june score to come out *cross fingers*
Softs: mediocre extra-curricular activities in college, a master's degree in humanities
PS: no idea yet...

Favorite Reach: Penn, Columbia (if my june score makes some significant improvements, it might be doable?)
Favorite Target: Cornell, Georgetown
Favorite Safety: WUSTL

probably should start brainstorming for my PS..

Ahh a third time retaker?? I was 166 to a 170. My studying in the 3 weeks leading up to my first retake was majorly derailed due to work. I really think I could have squeezed a few more points out of this test if I could have had those 3 weeks back.

Taking a third time seems like a big risk given the possibility of your score dropping, the time lost during the three months of commitment to study, and the potentially negative reaction your application may get from an adcomm. Did you struggle with the decision to go for the three-peat or did you know right away when you got your 171?

Would love to get some perspective on your thought process, I'm still considering an October retake in the back of my mind and would love to finally put the issue to rest.

Hmmmm. To be honest, I didn’t know taking it for a third time might give a bad impression on an adcomm. I had a pretty good feeling about my performance this time, so I don’t think the score would drop from the last time but still, is it true?

Well, the thing is that when I first scored 167, it was mainly because I was completely destroyed by the notorious LG section in December’s test and my weakest area happened to be LG. I knew LG performance can significantly improve within a relatively short period of time, so I focused on honing my skills for LG for a month and retook it in Feb. I managed to break 170’s but again, I wasn’t able to finish up my LG section (I think I got at least 4-5 problems wrong on that section alone.) So, my decision to re-take for the third time came instantly as I concluded that if I perfect my LG skills, I might be able to even break 175’s haha. I took a break for two months afterwards and crammed on LG for the last month leading up to my third retake…and here I am. I feel so much better about my performance this time compared to my previous ones, so I’ll see how it plays out.
I will say if you are convinced that you can improve on your third retake, go for it. I think even a couple of points can make a big difference in admission process, and it is worth to take a risk for that.

[WannaGo]

.

[blehGPAgoodLSAT]

Reach/Dream School: Chicago
Target: Penn/UVA
Safety: Vanderbilt/WUSTL

LSAT: Tested consistently in the high 170s, took June, expecting that.
GPA: 3.3

Softs: Co-founded a student services company and won some startup grants, operating at 5 schools, fluent in Chinese and spending 2011 in China studying and working, lots of research experience for profs, etc. Two pretty distinguished profs are writing my recs too.

I need that high LSAT to have a shot at Chicago. But I came out knowing I missed two and feeling iffy about only 4, so I'm hoping the two I know I missed were the only ones. I'd be happy at Penn and UVA, and if god forbid, I score only a 170 I think being from Nashville will still make me a shoo-in at Vandy.

Am I the only person that thought this post was a little arrogant sounding? I don't know, maybe I'm being too sensitive but

if god forbid, I score only a 170

just sounds like such a pompous thing to say.

Also, I hope you realize that even with a 180 if you just do a straight average (since Chicago isn't listed on the admissions index) your lsat/gpa is still about 3.5% lower than Chicago's medians--~3.8% lower than Penn's median. Obviously you still have a shot but if I were you, I'd work extremely hard on my PS and a grade addendum even for Penn/UVA. You seem like you obviously know what you're doing on the lsat and to be at the level you're at, one must possess a certain level of intelligence so make sure you take time to explain your gpa.

I really do wish you the best but a word of advice, once you get to law school, don't be the kid who openly cries about an A- (or a 97 percentile in this case)... no one likes THAT kid.

[DaftAndDirect]

haha I agree that at first glance it seems pompous, but I'm going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and say that TLS can make anyone a bit weary to get too excited about "only a 170". There's always some douche who will come in to a thread and shit on your 170 because it's "only" at the 97th percentile - no matter how proud you are of that score. Dude just might be posturing.

That said, if dude actually talks/feels this way in real life...well...I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in his section.

[blehGPAgoodLSAT]

haha I agree that at first glance it seems pompous, but I'm going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and say that TLS can make anyone a bit weary to get too excited about "only a 170". There's always some douche who will come in to a thread and shit on your 170 because it's "only" at the 97th percentile - no matter how proud you are of that score. Dude just might be posturing.

That said, if dude actually talks/feels this way in real life...well...I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in his section.

Ahh, well said... luckily I haven't been around TLS long enough to encounter what you described.

I have been warned that some of what is on TLS might unnecessarily discourage me from applying to schools I want to go to so I'm definitely taking everything said on here with a grain of salt.

[Curry]

haha I agree that at first glance it seems pompous, but I'm going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and say that TLS can make anyone a bit weary to get too excited about "only a 170". There's always some douche who will come in to a thread and shit on your 170 because it's "only" at the 97th percentile - no matter how proud you are of that score. Dude just might be posturing.

That said, if dude actually talks/feels this way in real life...well...I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in his section.

Ahh, well said... luckily I haven't been around TLS long enough to encounter what you described.

I have been warned that some of what is on TLS might unnecessarily discourage me from applying to schools I want to go to so I'm definitely taking everything said on here with a grain of salt.

To be fair, amidst all the doom and gloom here is a strong sense of whats fiscally responsible. The only reason why TLS discourages people is because the numbers and statistics are there to support them. Trust me when I say I wish I could tell someone that going to [insert TTT here] is a good idea.

[DaftAndDirect]

Right, which is a major upside of the elitist tone that pervades this site. But I don't think we're talking about the same situations here. There are definitely people on TLS who rightfully discourage attendance at degree mills, but there are also people who - like I said in the previous post - will shit on your score/aspirations even when you have plenty of fiscally responsible options.

These are the same people who champion the T6 distinction and drop comments like "I personally wouldn't pay a dime for anything below HYS". Good for them, but their contributions don't add anything to the appreciation for fiscal responsibility that you cited.

[DaftAndDirect]

PS sick avatar...

"A jet pack! Operation! Send him the crazy hindu!"

[Curry]

Right, which is a major upside of the elitist tone that pervades this site. But I don't think we're talking about the same situations here. There are definitely people on TLS who rightfully discourage attendance at degree mills, but there are also people who - like I said in the previous post - will shit on your score/aspirations even when you have plenty of fiscally responsible options.

These are the same people who champion the T6 distinction and drop comments like "I personally wouldn't pay a dime for anything below HYS". Good for them, but their contributions don't add anything to the appreciation for fiscal responsibility that you cited.

I don't know. Depends on your goals. I wouldn't pay sticker at anything lower than MVPBN. Thats not because I'm elitist or a douchebag but rather because I don't think the job prospects out of those schools warrants a $200k risk. Different people are more debt adverse than others; its just the way life is.

As for shitting on your scores, I don't think people here intentionally think "LULZ PERSON X GOT A 160. THEY ARE SO DUMB" They just think that the opportunities that that score opens up don't warrant the price or the risk. I think its an important voice and one that should be heard.

PS sick avatar...

"A jet pack! Operation! Send him the crazy hindu!"

[cmckid]

I'm not shitting on other people getting a 170, I'm be pissed at myself if I choked come test day and got one. I spent over a month working 7 hours a day in the library prepping to go from my 167 diagnostic to the testing in the high 170s. And with my low GPA compared to many others, I need that high a LSAT to stand a shot at Chicago.

With a 170 I might even face some difficulty at Georgetown and Vandy, and I'd really prefer not to take the LSAT again while I'm in China. And yes, I'm aware that I need a great PS, DS, and addendum to overcome that. I'm hoping my letters of rec and softs play a larger role than average.

PS: And since I'm bearing the cost of law school by myself, a high LSAT gives me a shot at money from some of the lower T14, or the chance to go to a school which, if I work as hard as I did on the LSAT, will definitely have a career outcome worth 150k+ in loans.

[cmckid]

Oh, and to the guy who said even with a 180 I don't stand a good chance at Chicago, where are you getting your number btw? I check LSN and Law school predictor, and apparently I need a 178 to have a 50-50 shot with a 3.3 GPA. Is there another website I missed that does the regression analysis?

[skers]

Oh, and to the guy who said even with a 180 I don't stand a good chance at Chicago, where are you getting your number btw? I check LSN and Law school predictor, and apparently I need a 178 to have a 50-50 shot with a 3.3 GPA. Is there another website I missed that does the regression analysis?

If you do end up with 178+ and have an early ap, you stand a very good chance of being admitted. The person who said otherwise doesn't really understand how law schools handle median maintenance and admission.

ETA: This does depend upon UC's gpa floor.

[DaftAndDirect]

I'm not shitting on other people getting a 170, I'm be pissed at myself if I choked come test day and got one. I spent over a month working 7 hours a day in the library prepping to go from my 167 diagnostic to the testing in the high 170s. And with my low GPA compared to many others, I need that high a LSAT to stand a shot at Chicago.

With a 170 I might even face some difficulty at Georgetown and Vandy, and I'd really prefer not to take the LSAT again while I'm in China. And yes, I'm aware that I need a great PS, DS, and addendum to overcome that. I'm hoping my letters of rec and softs play a larger role than average.

PS: And since I'm bearing the cost of law school by myself, a high LSAT gives me a shot at money from some of the lower T14, or the chance to go to a school which, if I work as hard as I did on the LSAT, will definitely have a career outcome worth 150k+ in loans.

Dude, I never lumped you in to the category of shitter upon-ers. It's just that language like "god forbid I get a 170" in a thread inviting people with all range of numbers to share their dream, target, and safety schools is a bit much. It's like being that guy at your high school reunion who constantly reminds everyone that he went to Harvard. I think it's just in poor taste.

That said, you're totally right. It kinda is a "god forbid" situation given your goals and GPA setup, and it sounds like you've put in the work to make the score you need happen. I definitely respect the effort you've put in to your studies and I hope test day went well.

[boo-boo]

BLAH! How am I just now finding this site?

Reaches: Northwestern, Penn, Boalt…also Stanford/Harvard (a girl can dream right??)
Targets: BC/BU, William & Mary, GW
Safeties: Georgia, Maryland, Tulane

My PTs were all over the place (164-173), so I have absolutely NO idea what to expect after the June exam (RC can suck on some colored balls)
But my other stats - 3.2 LSDAS GPA, URM (Black Female) and currently a member of Teach for America

From what I’ve read on TLS so far, I know that my LSAT score is crucial to getting an idea of where I’ll end up, but I just wanted to say hello to you all!

[Curry]

BLAH! How am I just now finding this site?

Reaches: Northwestern, Penn, Boalt…also Stanford/Harvard (a girl can dream right??)
Targets: BC/BU, William & Mary, GW
Safeties: Georgia, Maryland, Tulane

My PTs were all over the place (164-173), so I have absolutely NO idea what to expect after the June exam (RC can suck on some colored balls)
But my other stats - 3.2 LSDAS GPA, URM (Black Female) and currently a member of Teach for America

From what I’ve read on TLS so far, I know that my LSAT score is crucial to getting an idea of where I’ll end up, but I just wanted to say hello to you all!

Hello and welcome. If you score in the upper region of your score band, you're going to be in for a fun fun year.

[skers]

BLAH! How am I just now finding this site?

Reaches: Northwestern, Penn, Boalt…also Stanford/Harvard (a girl can dream right??)
Targets: BC/BU, William & Mary, GW
Safeties: Georgia, Maryland, Tulane

My PTs were all over the place (164-173), so I have absolutely NO idea what to expect after the June exam (RC can suck on some colored balls)
But my other stats - 3.2 LSDAS GPA, URM (Black Female) and currently a member of Teach for America

From what I’ve read on TLS so far, I know that my LSAT score is crucial to getting an idea of where I’ll end up, but I just wanted to say hello to you all!

Hello and welcome. If you score in the upper region of your score band, you're going to be in for a fun fun year.

Yeah, 169+ and you've likely got t13 with $$

[boo-boo]

That’s what I’m hoping for! I really f’ed up my GPA with some engineering and accounting classes, so hopefully I’ll have an awesome LSAT score to make up for it.

@Temporary Saint – what is this gpa floor you were talking about earlier? Does that only apply to UC schools or do all law schools have something like that?

[skers]

That’s what I’m hoping for! I really f’ed up my GPA with some engineering and accounting classes, so hopefully I’ll have an awesome LSAT score to make up for it.

@Temporary Saint – what is this gpa floor you were talking about earlier? Does that only apply to UC schools or do all law schools have something like that?

Pretty much every school (at least the ones worth caring about) has a GPA floor of some kind. IIRC Columbia and NYU have a floor at 3.4. UVA, Mich, Penn have one at 3.0. The California schools seem to have a soft GPA floor at 3.5 for most candidates. Some schools have more fluid floors than others and I can't exactly say how URM status effects things.

[chem]

That’s what I’m hoping for! I really f’ed up my GPA with some engineering and accounting classes, so hopefully I’ll have an awesome LSAT score to make up for it.

@Temporary Saint – what is this gpa floor you were talking about earlier? Does that only apply to UC schools or do all law schools have something like that?

Pretty much every school (at least the ones worth caring about) has a GPA floor of some kind. IIRC Columbia and NYU have a floor at 3.4. UVA, Mich, Penn have one at 3.0. The California schools seem to have a soft GPA floor at 3.5 for most candidates. Some schools have more fluid floors than others and I can't exactly say how URM status effects things.

You can kind of see it on LSN, but from what I've read on these boards, T2 is 3.7, T6 is 3.5, and T14 is 3.0, with some schools being more GPA focused then others (UCLA, Boalt, Texas). For example, Texas has a pretty hard 3.5 floor.

[brownpride]

Undergrad from a public university.
4.18 GPA
Took the June LSAT, PTs between 168-175 but expecting high 160s/max 170 on the exam. Retaking in October.

Reach: Yale/Harvard
Goal: Yale/Harvard
Safety: Columbia/Stanford

The above is solely a GOAL. Judging by how I probably did on the LSAT, I'll be shooting in the T14.

[DaftAndDirect]

Quit messing with my template brah...Reaches and Targets are mutually exclusive. Even if you call them goals.

[brownpride]

Hahah okay.

Reach: HY
Goal: Stanford/Columbia
Safety: NYU, Michigan, Georgetown

Happy?

[anstone1988]

Safety: Columbia/Stanford

The above is solely a GOAL.

Interesting goal. Very inspirational.

[dasani13]

That’s what I’m hoping for! I really f’ed up my GPA with some engineering and accounting classes, so hopefully I’ll have an awesome LSAT score to make up for it.

@Temporary Saint – what is this gpa floor you were talking about earlier? Does that only apply to UC schools or do all law schools have something like that?

Pretty much every school (at least the ones worth caring about) has a GPA floor of some kind. IIRC Columbia and NYU have a floor at 3.4. UVA, Mich, Penn have one at 3.0. The California schools seem to have a soft GPA floor at 3.5 for most candidates. Some schools have more fluid floors than others and I can't exactly say how URM status effects things.

You can kind of see it on LSN, but from what I've read on these boards, T2 is 3.7, T6 is 3.5, and T14 is 3.0, with some schools being more GPA focused then others (UCLA, Boalt, Texas). For example, Texas has a pretty hard 3.5 floor.

LSN says there were 10+ people below a 3.7 accepted in the 2010-2011 cycle at Harvard.

[Curry]

That’s what I’m hoping for! I really f’ed up my GPA with some engineering and accounting classes, so hopefully I’ll have an awesome LSAT score to make up for it.

@Temporary Saint – what is this gpa floor you were talking about earlier? Does that only apply to UC schools or do all law schools have something like that?

Pretty much every school (at least the ones worth caring about) has a GPA floor of some kind. IIRC Columbia and NYU have a floor at 3.4. UVA, Mich, Penn have one at 3.0. The California schools seem to have a soft GPA floor at 3.5 for most candidates. Some schools have more fluid floors than others and I can't exactly say how URM status effects things.

You can kind of see it on LSN, but from what I've read on these boards, T2 is 3.7, T6 is 3.5, and T14 is 3.0, with some schools being more GPA focused then others (UCLA, Boalt, Texas). For example, Texas has a pretty hard 3.5 floor.

LSN says there were 10+ people below a 3.7 accepted in the 2010-2011 cycle at Harvard.

How many were URM?