Do Law schools use your ACT score against you? Forum

[chalhou1]

I didnt do well on it and wondering if it will harm me on the application

[taxguy]

What you get on your ACT, SAT, GMAT , GRE are irrelevant. It is the LSAT that is all important and your GPA...period.

[whymeohgodno]

no

[FishOil]

[JazzOne]

They'll use it to publicly mock you during orientation.

[djjf39]

They'll use it to publicly mock you during orientation.

I thought this was only done at Duke...ya know before they blind-fold all the 1Ls and bring out the goat.

OP, I call flame.

[WhiteCochran]

On at least one school's application (University of Houston I think?), there is a question that approximately asks "Do you have a history of outperforming your standardized test results?", which is followed by a section to report your SAT/ACT score (translation: did you bomb the SAT/ACT in high school but manage to do exceedingly well in college?). It comes off as a built-in opportunity to justify why the school shouldn't automatically ding you if you happen to have a low LSAT, so it might actually be better if you scored low on the ACT back in the day. Using my not-even-a-real-law-student logic, the only way I see it being relevant is if 1) you're borderline at a given school and 2) you're borderline specifically because of your LSAT.


Disclaimer: This is my first post so feel free to flame/correct me if I'm way off

[JazzOne]

On at least one school's application (University of Houston I think?), there is a question that approximately asks "Do you have a history of outperforming your standardized test results?", which is followed by a section to report your SAT/ACT score (translation: did you bomb the SAT/ACT in high school but manage to do exceedingly well in college?). It comes off as a built-in opportunity to justify why the school shouldn't automatically ding you if you happen to have a low LSAT, so it might actually be better if you scored low on the ACT back in the day. Using my not-even-a-real-law-student logic, the only way I see it being relevant is if 1) you're borderline at a given school and 2) you're borderline specifically because of your LSAT.


Disclaimer: This is my first post so feel free to flame/correct me if I'm way off

As far as first posts go, there have been far worse.

[The Gentleman]

Disclaimer: This is my first post so feel free to flame/correct me if I'm way off

Not bad for a first post. lol

But seriously, outside of a "I have a history of bombing standardized tests" addendum, do any law schools even ask for this?

[HBK]

I have never been asked for my ACT score after undergrad. And honestly, I don't even remember what it was.

[WhiteCochran]

As far as first posts go, there have been far worse.

Not bad for a first post. lol

Is it wrong that I'm uncontrollably fist pumping in celebration right now?

But seriously, outside of a "I have a history of bombing standardized tests" addendum, do any law schools even ask for this?

I noticed more than a few applications (at least 6 out of roughly 20) that have space to report SAT/ACT scores, but a response was optional every time it appeared. So while it doesn't seem totally unusual for a school to ask for the scores, there doesn't appear to be an obligation to report them and their impact seems negligible except possibly for the aforementioned test bombing situation.

[northwood]

i just realized.. my sat score has decereased since i took it.. didnt they overhaul the test and raise the number for a perfect score from 1600 to something higher??

[094320]

..

[northwood]

well doesnt the older numbers look worse because of this? Or am i just being old and paranoid?

[094320]

..

[JazzOne]

well doesnt the older numbers look worse because of this? Or am i just being old and paranoid?

You just look old, that's all.

[JazzOne]

Is it wrong that I'm uncontrollably fist pumping in celebration right now?

lol

Don't get too carried away, Tiger.

[JG Hall]

was the SAT on the SEO app, or am I making shit up?

I'm pretty sure it was.

[ahduth]

Lol. I can't stop myself from laughing every time I see this topic. My 35 ACT should get me into Yale, amirite?

[4for44]

Lol. I can't stop myself from laughing every time I see this topic. My 35 ACT should get me into Yale, amirite?

Definitely!!! Oh gosh you should totally put all those supercool high school extracurriculars in your app too!!

[runningzigzag]

The OP must be a FLAME...LSAT is all they care about. SAT and ACT do not matter anymore...whether you scored perfect or scored terribly.

[ResolutePear]

Guys, I have to say...

This is just horrible.

This whole thread.

Everybody.

Just,

stop.

[ahduth]

Guys, I have to say...

This is just horrible.

This whole thread.

Everybody.

Just,

stop.

Apparently Madame Ivey tells people with low LSAT scores to write addenda... explaining how they also did poorly on the SAT.

An additional addendum saying, "I did poorly on the ACT too, so there's another reason you should admit me," might help further reinforce the point, no?

[ResolutePear]

Guys, I have to say...

This is just horrible.

This whole thread.

Everybody.

Just,

stop.

Apparently Madame Ivey tells people with low LSAT scores to write addenda... explaining how they also did poorly on the SAT.

An additional addendum saying, "I did poorly on the ACT too, so there's another reason you should admit me," might help further reinforce the point, no?

Yes, because chronic failure in standardized tests is really going to help the school's numbers with bar passage.

[JazzOne]

Guys, I have to say...

This is just horrible.

This whole thread.

Everybody.

Just,

stop.

Apparently Madame Ivey tells people with low LSAT scores to write addenda... explaining how they also did poorly on the SAT.

An additional addendum saying, "I did poorly on the ACT too, so there's another reason you should admit me," might help further reinforce the point, no?

Yes, because chronic failure in standardized tests is really going to help the school's numbers with bar passage.

Maybe they'll feel better if you follow up with a third addendum to explain the horrible GPA.