Where do I stand? Forum

[Hoosier574]

Hello everyone. I've been browsing the forum for a while now but decided to finally create an account. I've seen a few posts regarding odds of admission given their GPA, area of study, and LSAT scores. However my situation is... unique. I'll give you a brief history of my academic career. I graduated from high school in 2007 and needless to say I didn't have high expectations for myself as far as college went due to my circle of friends. I was in AP courses throughout high school but never really gave any effort to my studies, because I was preoccupied with my social life. I ended up going to a satellite branch of our state university. My first few years were much like high school and I still didn't have my priorities in order. With the minimum GPA needed (2.0) to apply I transferred to the main campus to finish out my degree. Basically I spent my 1st four years working nearly full time and had my academic life on the back burner. Last year I decided this isn't what I wanted for myself and decided to get my life in order. I finally gave in and started taking medication for my ADD. Basically I've completely turned my life around. I'm now a double major in Economics and Sociology and expecting to graduate in May. Here's where I stand, my cumulative GPA is at 2.7 but my major GPAs are 2.8 (econ) 3.5 (soc). Over the past year I've averaged a 3.3 out of 34 credit hours including summer school and nearly all core classes. I have a very strong work history (working my way through college) and great references. Not to sound over confident but if I'm offered the opportunity, I should do very well in a potential interview. Due to working in hospitality and customer service for the last 7 years I can talk to anyone about anything, and I'm regarded as being the best at what I do by both management and our customer base. Sorry for the drawn out "brief" history, I just wanted to make sure I could provided a vivid description of my situation before getting advice. In your honest opinion, do you think I have a chance of being admitted to a mid to lower ranked law school assuming I do well on both my LSAT and interview? Thanks!

[Nova]

With very few exceptions, schools do not interview.

You will have to score median or above at your target school to have a reasonable shot at admission.

[Hoosier574]

With very few exceptions, schools do not interview.

You will have to score median or above at your target school to have a reasonable shot at admission.

Thanks for the input! I'll make sure to be as prepared as possible for it. Although they're just practice exams, I scored well on the ones I've taken. I forgot to add this, but would it be best to apply for admission directly after graduation or take time off to work a professional job then apply? The regional manager of the company I work at has offered me a position after I graduate and I wasn't really sure what the best strategy would be...

[collegebum1989]

Your situation isn't really that unique besides the ADD part. I would write an addendum for that, either a DS to explain adversity or a GPA addendum to explain your undergraduate performance prior to medicating. I would focus on your experiences in hospitality in your PS.

That being said, there are no interviews in the law school application process which makes admissions purely a numbers game. With your GPA, you don't qualify to T6 schools. With a really high LSAT (172+) you will be considered a splitter to some T14 schools which are "splitter-friendly" (UVA, Penn, NW) but still disqualified from other schools which historically prefer high GPAs (Berkeley, Duke, etc). Best option is to look at previous years' trends to figure out which schools favor low GPA/high LSAT combos using LSN.

The first step is to stop thinking yourself and your situation as unique and understand the motivations for law schools to adopt a numbers-priority process (because they have the highest influence on rankings). Perform your best on the LSAT, be realistic about your choices using resources like LSN, LSP, and focus on writing good essays to maximize your chances at reach schools. Good luck!

[JamMasterJ]

With very few exceptions, schools do not interview.

You will have to score median or above at your target school to have a reasonable shot at admission.

Thanks for the input! I'll make sure to be as prepared as possible for it. Although they're just practice exams, I scored well on the ones I've taken. I forgot to add this, but would it be best to apply for admission directly after graduation or take time off to work a professional job then apply? The regional manager of the company I work at has offered me a position after I graduate and I wasn't really sure what the best strategy would be...

work a few years. It distances you from the gpa, provides a soft factor, and is necessary for Northwestern, which should be your primary T14 target.

[Rock4321]

How good have your LSAT practice tests been? And are they true LSATs that have been administered in previous years, or made-up ones created by a test prep company? Also, you said you want to know your chances at mid to lower ranked law schools. Do you have any examples of some you're interested in, just so we have a ball park estimate of what you are shooting for?