Top Law Schools

I'm new to the forum so I apologize if there's a thread I'm missing that might be able to help me.

I don't want to reveal too much information about me, but basically I have on okay GPA (3.7) from a top school and really solid extracurricular activities/work experience/awards. I've got an internationally recognized scholarship, have worked in the federal government full-time in social policy, and have been in The New York Times and a Sundance Film Festival documentary about the advocacy work I've done for ending gender discrimination in education. I've heard that nobody cares about my extracurricular activities even if they're exceptional.

I'm trying to figure out what I need to do to get into a top law school (or get big merit aid at a slightly lower ranking school). I took a cold LSAT diagnostic test and scored 165. Do I need like 175 to make up for my GPA? What else can I do to make up for my GPA or convince law schools to look at my soft factors? Does my strong commitment to public interest do anything?

For the record, I'm willing to do whatever I need to do now to get into the best school. If I need to wait a year to boost my LSAT, get a master's, or get more work experience, I'll do it. I just want advice on how, given the unchangeable factors like my GPA, I can create the best application for myself.

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Flame?

On the off chance that it's not, you should get an MPA.

A flame is a troll, I presume, but I swear I'm not one.

I want to get into a tippy top school (HYS) or a big merit scholarship at a school like NYU. I've been told by a number of peers that my GPA is just too low for HYS. If that's not actually the case then I'll be very relieved.

I'd love to hear why an MPA might be a good choice.

You probably have more experience working with MPA graduates so ask them about it. I think the above poster was just saying, if you want to continue in the kind of work you already do but at a higher level, the JD is not necessary. Don't waste your time or money getting a JD if you don't want to be an attorney. A top MPA or MPP might make more sense for you. In any case good luck!

Thanks for all the help! To clarify I definitely want to be a litigator primarily focused on civil rights litigation (employment discrimination, discrimination in K-12 and higher education). I'm also interested in personal injury specifically as it relates to sexual assault and sexual harassment.