Admissions Potential? Forum

[kmj12]

Hey all,

I went to a great UC in California, graduated with about 19 A+s with a 3.99GPA, but got a 161 on the LSAT. I have a great story to tell on my personal statement. Do you think it's possible to still get into the top 10?

Thanks!

[Hand]

Just retake already you lazy bum

[cavalier1138]

Some schools favor reverse splitters, but a 161 is gong to take you out of the running for almost the entire T14. You certainly wouldn't get money offers.

You have a stellar GPA. Don't waste it.

[Dcc617]

Yep. Retake. Trust me, I know how much it sucks to do it, but you have to.

What was your score breakdown?

[kmj12]

I missed 16 on LR, 5 on LG and 5 on RC. Really, re-take? I studied for the test for the entire year after graduation college - didn't work, just played soccer and studied. I just don't see value in wasting more time on this test.

[pancakes3]

I missed 16 on LR, 5 on LG and 5 on RC. Really, re-take? I studied for the test for the entire year after graduation college - didn't work, just played soccer and studied. I just don't see value in wasting more time on this test.

oh, not much... just hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship, the fate of your legal career, and as much prestige as you care to masturbate to...

[grades??]

You missed 16 on LR????? If you cut that number in half alone, you now have a 168/169. That might get you in the top 10. Literally if you do anything but retake you are wasting that gpa and your time.

Listen, I know retaking sucks. I did it 3 times. My first lsat score was a 158/159. After spending a full year and taking every lsat from 1-74 3 times in full testing conditions, I finally was able to break into the mid 170s club. It was a struggle, a year of pain and lsat. BUT YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Just grow a pair and get to really studying. That might mean taking every lsat ever given in full testing conditions. three times. Its what I needed. You can do it.

[mukol]

Hey all,

I went to a great UC in California, graduated with about 19 A+s with a 3.99GPA, but got a 161 on the LSAT. I have a great story to tell on my personal statement. Do you think it's possible to still get into the top 10?

Thanks!

Retake or don't bother going.

I didn't retake, but I should have. I'll always regret it. Don't be me.

[kmj12]

Grades?? you definitely have a point. And you're right. But that's the thing - I started with a 135. I came up 26 points. 3 months before the LSAT I went to harvard law where my sister is and secluded myself for 3 straight months studying. It's certainly easy to say I've done enough. And i think I have. If i re take in Sept it'll be my third retake. Gonna think long and hard about it. But thanks for your insight grades??

Also, I just wanted to make it clear where I'm coming from. I failed the SAT but performed incredibly at college. Berkeley Law even says: "When evaluating LSAT scores we may consider whether similar tests have under-predicted your academic performance in the past. For example, if you can document that you have earned exceptionally high undergraduate grades but performed badly on the SAT, then this may be taken into account in evaluating your potential to succeed in law school. Be sure to document your test-taking history by including a copy of your SAT or ACT scores with your application."

I think schools want numbers, but it's not STRICTLY a numbers game.

[grades??]

Grades?? you definitely have a point. And you're right. But that's the thing - I started with a 135. I came up 26 points. 3 months before the LSAT I went to harvard law where my sister is and secluded myself for 3 straight months studying. It's certainly easy to say I've done enough. And i think I have. If i re take in Sept it'll be my third retake. Gonna think long and hard about it. But thanks for your insight grades??

Also, I just wanted to make it clear where I'm coming from. I failed the SAT but performed incredibly at college. Berkeley Law even says: "When evaluating LSAT scores we may consider whether similar tests have under-predicted your academic performance in the past. For example, if you can document that you have earned exceptionally high undergraduate grades but performed badly on the SAT, then this may be taken into account in evaluating your potential to succeed in law school. Be sure to document your test-taking history by including a copy of your SAT or ACT scores with your application."

I think schools want numbers, but it's not STRICTLY a numbers game.

Actually it pretty much is. It is 99.5% grades, lsat, and URM status. the .5% being for olympic athletes, rhodes scholars, etc. Listen I feel you. I started at 142. Not much different from you. I went to grad school full time. Went home, made dinner, then went back to the library and worked from 7-10ish every night and then at least 1 full day on the weekends. Listen to yourself. "It's certainly easy to say I've done enough." Says who? You are acting like a child. Man up and work harder if you want a top 10 school. Because you aren't getting in to a top ten school with your current score and combo. I appreciate you have had trouble taking tests previously, but no school is actually going to care about that story. Go download every lsat. Take each one. Then do it again. If you want something bad enough, you will work hard for it. Dont cop out like you are now.

[Dcc617]

Grades?? you definitely have a point. And you're right. But that's the thing - I started with a 135. I came up 26 points. 3 months before the LSAT I went to harvard law where my sister is and secluded myself for 3 straight months studying. It's certainly easy to say I've done enough. And i think I have. If i re take in Sept it'll be my third retake. Gonna think long and hard about it. But thanks for your insight grades??

Also, I just wanted to make it clear where I'm coming from. I failed the SAT but performed incredibly at college. Berkeley Law even says: "When evaluating LSAT scores we may consider whether similar tests have under-predicted your academic performance in the past. For example, if you can document that you have earned exceptionally high undergraduate grades but performed badly on the SAT, then this may be taken into account in evaluating your potential to succeed in law school. Be sure to document your test-taking history by including a copy of your SAT or ACT scores with your application."

I think schools want numbers, but it's not STRICTLY a numbers game.

Please report back after your cycle. But even a couple points could be a super big deal for you.

Good luck.

[cavalier1138]

I think schools want numbers, but it's not STRICTLY a numbers game.

I think that's a delightfully naive point of view.

As you spotted, Berkeley is the least likely to weight your LSAT score higher than your GPA. And you still fall below their 25th percentile for LSAT score. That said, they are literally the only school in the T14 that would even be plausible for you. Every other T14 (except Yale, and you aren't even in the ballpark for the LSAT) places far more weight on your LSAT score.

There are always other factors that make admissions less of a strict numbers game, but the fact is that you need to have adequate numbers for those factors to even come into play.

[kmj12]

gradess?? you're right you're right. few months of pain, lifetime of gain. thank you for your insight. i really appreciate it

[kmj12]

thanks everyone, i'm gonna get back to studying

[HonestAdvice]

A -5 on RC and -8 on LR means you weren't prepared for some question types. My guess is there's one or two question types you could learn in a day that sunk your score by 5 points so even without any other progress you should get a 166, which get you a full ride at any school with a <166 median. .

[grades??]

gradess?? you're right you're right. few months of pain, lifetime of gain. thank you for your insight. i really appreciate it

No problem. Ive been there. Studied for a year to get a 158/159. The effort, feeling like it was enough. But I wanted to go to a top 14 school like yourself with some of it being paid for. Someone on this site advised me to take every lsat. So I did. It took me 3 times of doing that before I was able to feel comfortable enough to register for that final 3rd try. I crushed it having experienced every question ever asked over and over again. Now my story is a more extreme one but its a truthful one. Now I'm at UVA/DUKE on a huge scholarship and don't regret a second of the pain. Dont settle.

[pittsburghpirates]

thanks everyone, i'm gonna get back to studying

Good choice OP, best of luck in your continued studying!