Top Law Schools

So I'm a rising senior and applications and the October LSAT are on my mind. Long story short, I had abysmal grades in my freshman and sophomore years as a BME major, until I switched to Poly Sci this year. I got 3.15 this year and pulled my cumulative up to 2.33. Now I know neither of these numbers inspire much confidence, but I'm trying to understand what I need to do to make it into T2 or even sneak into a T1, (Rutgers is in-state so I also have that in mind).

How much are grade trends really going to matter to these schools? I know grabbing a 4.0 this fall wouldn't hurt, but would it really put me on the same platform as applicants with 3.0's at the very least?

That said, give me a minimum LSAT score to get into a decent school. Also, if I should take a year off to get my senior grades in, what kind of WE should I be grabbing? Is it just anything that shows I'm supporting myself?

Thanks in advance

"upward trends" are one of the many, many soft factors that people think matter that really don't. Your Undergraduate GPA, as maeasured by LSAC, is the only thing that law schools really care about regarding GPA because that it was what they have to report for their USNews ranking.

To try to figure out what LSAT score you need to be competitive at school X, play around with http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com

If you want to inflate your GPA, you can always delay graduating and take another year of courses, maybe add a second major or something.

If you decide to take a year off, there's nothing you can really do in that one year that will make a difference to AdComms. If you want to take more than a year off, you could try for Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or TFA. Honestly, though, you won't be competitive for any of those programs with your GPA. You could take a few years off and get some substantive work experience, or you could join the military, which anecdotally, is a soft that makes a difference.

Your GPA is way too low and, even if you get a 4.0 your last year, your overall GPA would still hardly break 3.0, right? [.75(2.33)+.25(4)=2.75]. With that in mind, and for Rutgers, you probably will need a 165+ to get in under decent terms.

Check law school numbers and confirm:

http://rutgers-camden.lawschoolnumbers.com/

I'm actually pretty confident in my standardized test taking abilities so this calculator has made me feel a little more comfortable about my future (emphasis on little). It doesn't hurt/help to apply 2 years in a row correct?

aat30 wrote:I'm actually pretty confident in my standardized test taking abilities so this calculator has made me feel a little more comfortable about my future (emphasis on little). It doesn't hurt/help to apply 2 years in a row correct?

The LSAT is a whole different beast than the SAT and GRE. I'd take a pt before letting that confidence settle in and potentially scew you.

aat30 wrote:It doesn't hurt/help to apply 2 years in a row correct?

If you apply to the same school two years in a row without a significant change in your application, it will hurt you.

krasivaya wrote:

aat30 wrote:I'm actually pretty confident in my standardized test taking abilities so this calculator has made me feel a little more comfortable about my future (emphasis on little). It doesn't hurt/help to apply 2 years in a row correct?

The LSAT is a whole different beast than the SAT and GRE. I'd take a pt before letting that confidence settle in and potentially scew you.

I scored in 99th percentile for SATs and bombed LSAT. Your GPA is too low that 4 solid A's will make a difference. Maybe raise it .2 at best depending on how many hours you already have. Study your nuts off for the LSAT. Having good standardized test taking abilities won't hurt, of course.

I've taken the Kaplan course and I've fared pretty well so far, but I also know I have room for improvement. I've got 2 months of straight studying after an internship, so yeah, I figured I was banking on being a splitter. Thanks guys

scammedhard wrote:Your GPA is way too low and, even if you get a 4.0 your last year, your overall GPA would still hardly break 3.0, right? [.75(2.33)+.25(4)=2.75]. With that in mind, and for Rutgers, you probably will need a 165+ to get in under decent terms.

Check law school numbers and confirm:

http://rutgers-camden.lawschoolnumbers.com/

Dude, I had a 2.1 GPA from my degree granting school (Transferred Freshman year with a 3.6, hence the higher cum GPA of 2.4) and got into Rutgers with money. And my major was Psychology, not Biomedical Engineering for 2 years (Though, I did dabble in ever hard science available). It's possible to get into higher ranked schools with WE and a 165+ LSAT, but everything about like T40 is off limits short of a 180.

Splitters are always difficult to guess. Honestly try the best you can on your LSAT, then look for schools where your LSAT score is there 75th Percentile.