Top Law Schools

trying to figure out if you are below 25% for one stat and at or above the median for the other - which would you prefer? a higher gpa or higher lsat score?

LSAT

LSAT

LSAT

Writing sample on LSAT.

nathangimpel wrote:Writing sample on LSAT.

haha no.

LSAT hands down. Not even close.

gpa - can always retake the lsat

Photo on application.


(bikini recommended)

I wish they'd consider GPA more, or at least weigh the two equally. LSAT is the outcome of how you perform on one day (though does indicate preparation and skill level as well to an extent). GPA is something determined by the work you put in over 3-4 years of college. I think that work should account for more than most schools make it. GPA does vary by school, but I feel like this is unavoidable.

Oh well, that's how it goes I guess, when I had a lower GPA than I would have liked in HS with a high SAT that was all undergrad schools cared about, and I told myself I would make it up to myself by working hard in college. Turns out law schools care significantly less about the difference between a 3.6 and a 3.9 from what I can tell.

hokie09 wrote:I wish they'd consider GPA more, or at least weigh the two equally. LSAT is the outcome of how you perform on one day (though does indicate preparation and skill level as well to an extent). GPA is something determined by the work you put in over 3-4 years of college. I think that work should account for more than most schools make it. GPA does vary by school, but I feel like this is unavoidable.

Yes, but weighting GPA more heavily just wouldn't work in the current system. Top schools need a criterion to differentiate among the top applicants, and there are, I believe, a lot more people with high GPAs than there are with high LSAT scores. On top of that, the LSAT is standardized whereas the GPA of any particular applicant has a lot to do with the rigor of their UG, their area of study, etc.

I agree: it's weird to imagine that 4-5 hours on one morning weighs more heavily than an academic record reflecting 3-4 years worth of work, but that seems to be the case, and there are substantial reasons for it being the case.

hayman wrote:gpa - can always retake the lsat

True that, but once you get your final LSAT score it's still weighed more heavily than your GPA (which is what the OP asked).

hokie09 wrote:I wish they'd consider GPA more, or at least weigh the two equally. LSAT is the outcome of how you perform on one day (though does indicate preparation and skill level as well to an extent). GPA is something determined by the work you put in over 3-4 years of college. I think that work should account for more than most schools make it. GPA does vary by school, but I feel like this is unavoidable.

I wish law schools counted in class participation/preparation more. Your course grade is based on the outcome of how you perform on one day. I mean, you could be totally prepared for every class with two page briefs of every case, hornbook law memorized, etc but then all it takes is one bad day to end up below the curve.

see where I am going with this?

hokie09 wrote:I wish they'd consider GPA more, or at least weigh the two equally. LSAT is the outcome of how you perform on one day (though does indicate preparation and skill level as well to an extent). GPA is something determined by the work you put in over 3-4 years of college. I think that work should account for more than most schools make it. GPA does vary by school, but I feel like this is unavoidable.

Oh well, that's how it goes I guess, when I had a lower GPA than I would have liked in HS with a high SAT that was all undergrad schools cared about, and I told myself I would make it up to myself by working hard in college. Turns out law schools care significantly less about the difference between a 3.6 and a 3.9 from what I can tell.

Law schools need to weight the LSAT more than GPA. Grade inflation has greatly reduced the comparability of applicants' undergrad performance. I mean when small liberal arts colleges hand out A's to say, drama majors, at numbers rivaling the national debt at the same time chemical engineering students work there ass off for B's, some equalizing standard needs to be used.

(and Yes, I am dis-ing the difficulty of a liberal arts education! LOL)

penguinfiasco wrote:
Yes, but weighting GPA more heavily just wouldn't work in the current system. Top schools need a criterion to differentiate among the top applicants, and there are, I believe, a lot more people with high GPAs than there are with high LSAT scores. On top of that, the LSAT is standardized whereas the GPA of any particular applicant has a lot to do with the rigor of their UG, their area of study, etc.

The same could be said for getting into undergrad, and some of the top schools are moving the other way and getting rid of SAT score requirements.

Boalt weighs them both about the same.