low LSAT high GPA, chances at U of Wisconsin - Madison Forum

[MagicBus92]

I have a 3.6 GPA but a 152 LSAT. I'd like to go to U of Wisconsin - Madison

I wrote an addendum about my LSAT.

[McGruff]

The only thing anyone here is going to tell you to do is retake and they'll be right. Why throw away a 3.6? Study until the LSAT isn't just another standardized test that you're bad at.

[PepperJack]

I'll bite. The ACT/SAT is much harder to improve past a certain point on, because it's testing a lifetime of learning. It also doesn't have that much value because everyone gets into a college, you don't necessarily need math at all to perform exceptionally well in college and unless you go to a top school it doesn't really matter as they're mostly worthless. There are also a multitude of affordable colleges.

The LSAT is much easier to improve on, and has much more stock over your long term future. With the present score you have no shot at getting in, and while the LSAT is just a standardized test, law school tests largely are too. People will say they're really subjective, but the plain reality is it's high stress, and grading your entire semester on 3 hours. Although there's debate on the amount of control you have over law school grades (I actually think people have more control than most think except if you just can't spot issues), you certainly don't have the same 1:1 control. A lot of it is set in stone to the point that there are some people who will never be above median and some who will never be below median, and the hard work is mostly around the edges. You can literally improve your LSAT by 20 points.

Your addendum won't be taken seriously. This will hurt but the plain fact is if you're physically incapable of getting over a 152 on the LSAT, you are going to be in trouble if you attend any law school. You have proven that you can do poorly on standardized tests, and work really hard to get good but not great results. You've proven you're a worker, and not that naturally sharp. That is sufficient in many fields, but not in law. You need both.

[cotiger]

I have a 3.62 GPA from U of Michigan but a 152 LSAT. U of Wisconsin - Madison is where I want to go.

I've always had trouble with standardized tests; my ACT was horrible. I wrote an addendum saying that just as my ACT did not predict my undergraduate performance, the LSAT won't predict my law school performance. My adviser informed me that the average GPA of a student at U of M with my ACT is 2.5, a fact a really emphasized in my addendum.

I'm bilingual, have a great resume, great personal statement, 4 good letters of rec and I've taken a year off to get some solid practical experience working abroad for the federal government.

Thoughts? Be honest, I can take it.

The people who get accepted to Wisconsin with a super low LSAT and GPA around your number both have a higher LSAT score than that (usually 155) and a higher GPA (3.7's). Most people with even 160s or 161s at your GPA get waitlisted or denied. Nothing that you've mentioned would make you that one in a million candidate that would overcome that.

Also, wrong board. Try "What are my chances?" next time.

[JazzOne]

Agree with everything above. Retake.

[MagicBus92]

Thanks everyone, I'll start considering retaking the test much more seriously.

I'm going to repost in 'what are my chances' ....just started using this site.

[cotiger]

Thanks everyone, I'll start considering retaking the test much more seriously.

I'm going to repost in 'what are my chances' ....just started using this site.

If you want to go to Wisconsin, you'll need to do more than consider. You need to retake and get a 162.

[hephaestus]

Agree with everything above. Retake.

[jordan15]

Is it too late to delete this addendum from all of your apps? Along with everything else the LSAC sends each school with your app is the average GPA and LSAT from your UG, so they already have that information. You "really emphasizing" this information in an addendum seems really whiny.

3.5 is not bad and it is easier to retake. Wait a cycle and retake if it doesn't work out now.