How low is too low for an LSAT & what was your PT vs your real score? Forum

[Innocent13]

Hey all- I know I am not the first person to ask this question and I know there are already 10,000 answers all over the web regarding, but most of them are from several years ago, so I am going to be THAT person that asks it again.

Check out my previous question for a full understanding of my circumstances and well as my "soft" qualifications: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... #p10064805.

But if you don't want to read that, here is the short and sweet version: I took the June LSAT, had a panic attack and cancelled the score. I later that week to the psychiatrist (because my mom was very concerned) and was diagnosed with severe ADHD. I am taking the September LSAT but practice exams are not going too hot. I am scoring all over the place (160-170) mostly because I am extremely inconsistent with RC, missing anywhere from 3-15.

I am taking the PT's extremely seriously so they should represent real exams. I am just extremely concerned that since I took a practice exam and scored a 160 that I may be looking at around 154 in reality.

Additionally, I am looking to go to my state school that is ranked in the top 50 (and by top 50, I mean high 40's). I want to go here due to family reasons and networking connections I already have (know the Dean, know may Partners At Law firms in the larger city close by who have all recommended I attend said law school). Even if I didn't do well on the LSAT I would be around their median score and I have "decent" "soft" qualifications (I know this is subjective and truly doesn't matter).


So basically, I am wondering how low is too low for an LSAT score and how close were your PT's to your real score? Would you be concerned about your success in law school with a high 150's score/low 160's score? Other advice?

I am asking all these questions now as I want to have a plan of attack ready incase the score is low. I need to start looking at other options such as applying for graduate school, applying for real jobs or basically starting completely over...

[gargleblaster]

pts 170 - 180 with most coming 173-179

acutal 173

[rachelac]

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[cavalier1138]

"Too low" is entirely based on the school you want to attend. If that school's entering class had a 25th percentile score of 169, then 168 is probably too low. But if the 25th was 159, then 168 isn't too low.

That said, this...

I want to go here due to family reasons and networking connections I already have (know the Dean, know may partners at law firms in the larger city close by who have all recommended I attend said law school).

...is a bad way to decide on a school. If you have to stay in the area for family, that's one thing. But if you're staking your chances at getting biglaw on knowing the dean and some boomer attorney's advice, you're going to be very disappointed once OCI rolls around.

[Innocent13]

is a bad way to decide on a school. If you have to stay in the area for family, that's one thing. But if you're staking your chances at getting biglaw on knowing the dean and some boomer attorney's advice, you're going to be very disappointed once OCI rolls around.

Haha, my hopes aren't that high! I went to a small state school of only 25,000 people, and sure I got to do some pretty school stuff there, but I haven't done anything impressive enough, nor are my scores high enough to complete with the type of people who are apply to top law schools that would allow you a place in "biglaw". At most I will probably have a low 160's LSAT, my GPA is a 4.0 but not majors that will impress law school admission councils (accounting and economics) and while I have had the opportunity to be involved in some pretty cool things while at undergraduate, I doubt any admission councils care if I was president of the "Honors Program", am an author on a research paper or on the chancellor's senior honorary. I am concerned about my LSAT score because the frankly, I didn't do anything super impressive durning undergraduate and was hoping a stellar LSAT score could make up for it. So I guess this question is really a last second panic attack realizing that I may not have what it takes to be a good LSAT application to ANY school let alone a top school.

Additionally, I am trying to be realistic with what I have in front of me. I want a job, that I like, that pays reasonably and is close to my family. By city near me, I guess I mean a small town with about 2 million people. By know the Dean and some attorney's in the area I was 1) referencing the fact that maybe getting to know the Dean or other individual's on the Admissions council might help me still be able to get into law school despite lack anything overly impressive on my resume/scores and 2) I actually have been offered a job at the largest law firm in my town after clerking there throughout all of college (obviously some contingency conditions apply to the offer). So I guess I was planning on attending the law school close by because I thought I may have a praying chance of getting in there and then hopefully I would be able to accept a job that I really want?

Idk. Maybe all the above is dumb. I just feel so ill-prepared for law school and now I have completely "word-vomitted" all over this forum. The closer I get to graduating the more I realize that I am just SO not prepared for the real world. I have literally no prospects and haven't worked anywhere near hard enough to be able to complain about that lol. I realize how prepared everyone on here is and begin to second guess if I even deserve to go to law school. Everyone here is SO FREAKING impressive, with amazing scores, GPAs and probably additional resume boosters. Lol I just can't compete.

[abujabal]

my GPA is a 4.0

This is waaaay bigger of a deal than you think it is

[Platopus]

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[cavalier1138]

Just to reiterate what's already been said: with a 4.0, you are competitive for Yale once you raise your LSAT.