Top Law Schools

Hi TLSers,
It was a breaking new that HLS would accept GRE for their admission. For international student applicant like me, I want to share some thoughts and ask for the advice. Honestly, it is not egregious for those students who are smart but our language is unfortunately not English. My background :

uGPA : mechanical engineer major - 3.87 GPA
MBA (top 10 business school) - 3.91 GPA
GRE : 99% - only took me 2 weeks to get 99%
LSAT : 155-162 - took me 7 months

I have been accepted a few T-20 law schools but my dream is getting into Harvard. It is obvious that GRE is never comparable to the LSAT's difficulty.
GRE: It only took me almost 2 weeks to get 99%. Most of the time I focused on the vocabulary and writing. Math is a joke for Asian students like me. It looks like Math in GRE is equivalent to our high school's level in our country. I did not spend a considerable amount of time as well as rigorous studying to prepare GRE. It is understandable that students who have background in science, math, business will definitely get very high grades or even 99% in short period of time !

LSAT: 155-162 : It took me months to master the LSAT material. LSAT logic games was completely different from the Math. Have strong foundation of Math does not suffice to get a impeccable in LSAT logic games. The games requires our brain have to work and understand the questions/concept/hypothetical deeply. Logical Reasoning is a tough part for non native student. If we compare vocabulary in GRE to logical reasoning, it is totally a joke. I had taken both tests and admitted that LSAT is the significantly more difficult.

Back to my circumstance, I understand that I will never get into Harvard Law School with this score of LSAT. However, it is not difficult for non native student like me get perfect score in GRE. Should I wait until next year to apply to Harvard ? Any thoughts that how HLS will evaluate GRE applicants?

It's hard to to give concrete advice without knowing more about just how Harvard is going to consider the GRE. They could look at it as a comparable test, and peg a 99th percentile GRE student as equivalent of a 99th percentle LSAT student. They could view it as a much easier test (which there is ample cause to believe is the case), and require better GPA/Softs for people trying to get in off of a GRE. It's really hard to speculate at this point.

Gotta admit, though, that if they'd done it this cycle, I'd sure as hell have hammered out an application and attached my 170/170 GRE score just to see how it went over.

Scurvy Cur wrote:It's hard to to give concrete advice without knowing more about just how Harvard is going to consider the GRE. They could look at it as a comparable test, and peg a 99th percentile GRE student as equivalent of a 99th percentle LSAT student. They could view it as a much easier test (which there is ample cause to believe is the case), and require better GPA/Softs for people trying to get in off of a GRE. It's really hard to speculate at this point.

Gotta admit, though, that if they'd done it this cycle, I'd sure as hell have hammered out an application and attached my 170/170 GRE score just to see how it went over.

Im pretty confident that Harvard as an institution has a good handle on interpreting and using GRE scores. I am sure they will figure it out.

Also my gut feeling tells me that they will still ask for your LSAT score if you took it already. if that's the case, the perfect GRE score probably wont even matter, cause they have to report LSAT for US NEWS RANKING

I think the bigger question you have to address is why you are seeking a JD if you are already at (or graduated from) a top-10 business school.

Also how are you getting 99%? Do you mean you got perfect scores in both verbal and math? For the latter, even if you got a 170 in Quant, it's calculated as 97th percentile

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ImGonnaTakeGRE wrote:I think the bigger question you have to address is why you are seeking a JD if you are already at (or graduated from) a top-10 business school.

Also how are you getting 99%? Do you mean you got perfect scores in both verbal and math? For the latter, even if you got a 170 in Quant, it's calculated as 97th percentile

+1. I think a top 10 MBA is more prestigious and versatile....

Keep in mind you will likely still have to apply through LSAC. They will have your LSAT score stored already and there may be no way to hide it. You can always call the admissions office and see what their policy is going to be. Good luck!

Echoing what others are saying, I think if you have a reportable LSAT they'll be required to report it to the ABA and will thus judge you based on that.

Rigo wrote:Echoing what others are saying, I think if you have a reportable LSAT they'll be required to report it to the ABA and will thus judge you based on that.

Wait 4 years for it to expire and then reapply

goldenbear2020 wrote:

Rigo wrote:Echoing what others are saying, I think if you have a reportable LSAT they'll be required to report it to the ABA and will thus judge you based on that.

Wait 4 years for it to expire and then reapply

By then H will be merely Top 8.

Rigo wrote:

goldenbear2020 wrote:

Rigo wrote:Echoing what others are saying, I think if you have a reportable LSAT they'll be required to report it to the ABA and will thus judge you based on that.

Wait 4 years for it to expire and then reapply

By then H will be merely Top 8.

Not if it merges with Cooley and they corner the market on all top GRE SCORES.!!!!

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