Lowest possible LSAT to get into UVA and others with a 3.9? Forum

[jaydizzle]

So, I am struggling to break 160 with all the prep I have been doing. I am hoping to get at least a 163 in October, but who knows what will happen. I already got a 153 and breaking this 160 barrier is tough for me. I have heard of people with a 3.88-3.9 getting into UVA ED with an LSAT of around 160 or higher. How feasible is this? What is the bare minimum? At this point, I am hoping to break 160 and go to a school like UCONN. Assuming I break 160, I doubt I have many T1 options let alone UVA. I have heard of it happening though. Getting in this range is brutal seeing as many people here get better than a 160 as a diagnostic. With a 3.9, what would I need for UVA ED, Georgetown PT ED, ND, BC, BU, UCLA, USC, Emory, UCONN, Fordham, GW, and other schools in this range? I have checked the law school predictor website, but it seems to be less accurate for splitters. Perhaps come October I will be pleasantly surprised with a 170. I wish there was an ACT equivalent of the LSAT. The SAT kicked my ass, but then I took the ACT. I did much better on that exam.

[vanwinkle]

I started with a 157 and after four months of intense prep went up to a 170. You can make huge gains if you keep working at it. 166+ is probably what you need to be considered seriously for schools like UVA or GULC, and even then only if you ED. Those schools are getting much more competitive as the economy has increased applications dramatically and that may continue into next cycle. Just keep working at it and don't give up, you can make big gains if you keep working at it. You've got plenty of time before October.

[Sauer Grapes]

If you look at LSN, there are a few acceptances above a 3.9 with a 165 or less that aren't URM. That being said, you need to get above 165 to have much of a shot, and the higher you go above that the better your chance becomes.

[Cavalier]

Even with a 3.9, you need a 170 for admission to be likely, judging from the graph at http://uva.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats. Unless you're a URM, you'd probably need at least a 165 for likely admission via ED.

[OneKnight]

Thing is, while there are examples of 3.9/160s getting into UVa ED, these are extremely rare.
160 is pretty much the "bare minimum", as you say. You have a great GPA, you should dedicate your entire summer (more than 200 hours) to upping that LSAT, because, the further up 160 you go, the likelier your ED hail mary will be accepted. I would say around a 165 would bring your ED chance to around 50/50, and a 170 would make it more like 90%...hth

[vandy2012]

Echoing the statements above, it appears that a 165+ is necessary to be competitive at UVA even with a 3.9-4.0 GPA. Personally, it seems as if a 3.5 will be my 'max' GPA, so considering I am at a score of 150 (diagnostic) I will definitely have to study hard for the LSAT if I want to get into a Top 20. Granted I am a college sophomore who does not plan on taking the LSAT for atleast 2 years, but the TLS stats seem to indicate that to be competitive at any Top 20 school, a 165+ is key.

[T14Hopeful09]

Are you an URM? If so, I'm positive you will get into UVA with a 160 and your GPA.

[of Benito Cereno]

Even with a 3.9, you need a 170 for admission to be likely, judging from the graph at http://uva.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats. Unless you're a URM, you'd probably need at least a 165 for likely admission via ED.

that's just wrong. with a 170 you'll likely get into uva with a 3.5 if you apply ED. If you have 3.9 and a 170 you stand a pretty damn good shot at Harvard or Stanford. If you can get a 166 and have a 3.9 from a decent school UVA ED seems pretty good.

[jaydizzle]

No, URM here. Just a kid that grew up in Poland and had to learn English in the US. 143 diagnostic to 153 on the real thing. I am seeing decent gains on PTs jumping to 160. I am awful at LR and the logic games aren't bad other than timing. RC is all over the place for me. It can be -10 and on good days -1. It really depends on the passages. I have a lot of work, and it pisses me off that I can't take it in June to have a nice retake buffer in October. Retaking in December would be just awful. I really need to knock this out of the park in October. How about for schools like UCONN? I know they have a PT program as well. Would a 158-160 be enough with a 3.9 for FT? These standardized tests are death for me. I guess law school is bad for time pressure with exams too, but in my academic life timing was not a big issue unless it was a standardized tests. I'm kicking ass GPA wise with kids who scored much higher on the SAT. I am leaning toward the whole laziness factor there though. I would be extremely happy to get into UCONN, BC, BU, or ND. Chances are sour right now pretty much at any T1 until I can get to around a 165. Someone I know got a 164, but they have a lower GPA. They laughed at me when I told them I was jealous hah.

[Cavalier]

Even with a 3.9, you need a 170 for admission to be likely, judging from the graph at http://uva.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats. Unless you're a URM, you'd probably need at least a 165 for likely admission via ED.

that's just wrong. with a 170 you'll likely get into uva with a 3.5 if you apply ED. If you have 3.9 and a 170 you stand a pretty damn good shot at Harvard or Stanford. If you can get a 166 and have a 3.9 from a decent school UVA ED seems pretty good.

The first part of my post was referring to admission through RD, which is clearly supported by this cycle's LSN graph (posted above), and last cycle's LSN graph (http://uva.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/0809/). For ED, a 165 would probably do the job.

[im_blue]

With a 3.9, what would I need for UVA ED, Georgetown PT ED, ND, BC, BU, UCLA, USC, Emory, UCONN, Fordham, GW, and other schools in this range?

If it were me, I would aim for a 166+ for those schools.

[jaydizzle]

I'm trying to explain to my parents that it would not be worth it for me to go to law school right away if I don't pull a 160+ on test day for a school like UCONN (pretty sure I could get in there in state if I pull a 160). This is a school I would go to if all else fails. If things don't pan out, I really won't go. They just don't understand all of this. I have crippling undergrad debt as it is, I don't need to play the lotto with schools. I really wish I had some smarts when I was 17. I signed a good portion of my life away to debt. I can't believe I had no common sense. Sometimes, education is not the best investment.

[cavebat2000]

Even with a 3.9, you need a 170 for admission to be likely, judging from the graph at http://uva.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats. Unless you're a URM, you'd probably need at least a 165 for likely admission via ED.

LOL 171 LSAT 3.9 GPA strong softs and I got waitlisted today. Look at their LSN curve. OP'd be better getting a 3.9 and a 169. Virginia = YP whores.

[im_blue]

I'm trying to explain to my parents that it would not be worth it for me to go to law school right away if I don't pull a 160+ on test day for a school like UCONN (pretty sure I could get in there in state if I pull a 160). This is a school I would go to if all else fails. If things don't pan out, I really won't go. They just don't understand all of this. I have crippling undergrad debt as it is, I don't need to play the lotto with schools. I really wish I had some smarts when I was 17. I signed a good portion of my life away to debt. I can't believe I had no common sense. Sometimes, education is not the best investment.

Yeah, undergrad major matters far more than undergrad institution for job prospects. And families in the Northeast are especially prestige-conscious enough to drop over $100k for a private undergrad, that's really not worth the investment.