Comparison to other people from your undergraduate school Forum

[lemonlimeade]

Could not find similar question (perhaps used wrong keywords), but wanted to know:

Looking at the top 6 of the T14, applying this autumn, LSAT this September, interesting/different but nonetheless average softs, since I am applying after/near graduation I will have a couple of months of work experience at most. LSAC GPA: 3.7 range, however, I do have a couple of excruciating low marks, a non-punitive W, and several A+s to lift the damage. Rest A-s to As.

My undergraduate school sends students to HYS every year, and I have noticed that their GPAs are all at least 3.85-4.00. Don't know about LSAT specifics, but all range in the 170s. I think we all studied similar majors as well.

Should I even bother with the top schools? Do admissions cross check with other recent alumni from your school? Should seniors from my school apply the same cycle with me with higher GPAs, am I at a total disadvantage? Would my inconsistent 3.7 be more of a detriment? Is the highest possible LSAT score the only option?

I'm not sure how long I can continue delaying law school with work experience as again, people annually apply with amazing stats.

Appreciate any insight on this. Thank you in advance.

[PrideandGlory1776]

Yes they do have graphs based on where you placed but don't worry about that - do the best you can on the LSAT and apply too as many t20s as you can and go from there.

[Cicero76]

I don't understand your question. You didn't provide your LSAT score, so it's hard to answer you anyway

[lemonlimeade]

I still have a long way to go for September so I can't give specifics but hypothetically:

My stats: 3.7, 170+, average softs, non-KJD
Person from same undergrad with similar major applying in the same cycle: 3.8+, 170+, average softs

Both of us apply for top 6.

Is a 0.1 to 0.15 lower GPA going to be even a bigger disadvantage for me in the cycle because we are from the same undergrad with the same major? If I had a relatively better LSAT score in the 170s and relatively better softs, can they save my GPA?

[UnicornHunter]

I still have a long way to go for September so I can't give specifics but hypothetically:

My stats: 3.7, 170+, average softs, non-KJD
Person from same undergrad with similar major applying in the same cycle: 3.8+, 170+, average softs

Both of us apply for top 6.

Is a 0.1 to 0.15 lower GPA going to be even a bigger disadvantage for me in the cycle because we are from the same undergrad with the same major? If I had a relatively better LSAT score in the 170s and relatively better softs, can they save my GPA?

Don't worry about other people from your undergrad. You're not competing with them any more than you're competing with everybody else. Focus on your LSAT, you want to have at least one of your core numbers over your target school's median.

[malleus discentium]

What are you looking for us to tell you? Don't apply to the T6 because other people with better stats are getting in there? Your GPA and LSAT are numbers that matter almost completely in isolation. Study for the LSAT and apply where your numbers suggest make sense. Your classmates' applications are irrelevant.

[aboutmydaylight]

A quick note on this. I know for a fact some UGs report medians for admitted students from their university, while every law school reports medians for matriculated students. These are not the same thing and you would expect admitted medians to be significantly higher than attending medians at every school except HYS (maybe just HY). So if you see the average admitted student to Penn from your UG has a 171, this does not necessarily mean your school is more competitive and/or adcomms are being more selective there.

This may not apply specifically to your case OP but I've seen it get ignored even though its an important distinction.

[Clearly]

First, beat 97% of them on the LSAT. THEN worry about this...

[a.sleepyhead]

FWIW, my university's average accepted GPA for the T6 school I'm matriculating at is like a 3.98, and mine was a 3.70. Other T6/T14 schools had the same thing, and I was able to get really good results by just having a good LSAT score to balance out my lower GPA - don't worry so much about competing with kids from your own university, it's not like they have a quota of only taking X many people per year from each school. Just worry about getting that score for now.

[lemonlimeade]

Thank you all!