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Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:50 pm
by UCSD1984
I'm looking at Cal-Western's Admissions website and it specifically states "If more than one LSAT score is reported, the scores will be averaged." Just curious...is this actually true? If so, do all schools do it? I find it hard to believe that a Tier-4 would average out LSAT scores, but then again I have no idea.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:55 pm
by fatduck
some do some dont
if they say they do they do
/thread
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:55 pm
by Mickey Quicknumbers
Rarely do schools care about the average. It would be disadvantageous, as the only the highest LSAT is reported to US News to factor in school rankings.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:56 pm
by MrPapagiorgio
Some schools still do. Technically, the ABA requires schools to post only the highest in reporting admissions statistics. But, for application purposes, some schools do. Most do not explain how they treat multiple scores, with most giving the PC answer of "we consider all scores." Obviously, that is extremely vague. Nonetheless, its a good bet that if the school explicitly states that they average scores, they probably do.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:57 pm
by bk1
fatduck wrote:some do some dont
if they say they do they do
/thread
This isn't necessarily true. A lot of schools have policies that state they do when in practice they don't or they don't do it always. I would say it is pretty universal that almost every school outside of the T6 does not average.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:57 pm
by bk1
MrPapagiorgio wrote:Some schools still do. Technically, the ABA requires schools to post only the highest in reporting admissions statistics. But, for application purposes, some schools do. Most do not explain how they treat multiple scores, with most giving the PC answer of "we consider all scores." Obviously, that is extremely vague. Nonetheless, its a good bet that if the school explicitly states that they average scores, they probably do.
Again, I'm not so sure. I would bet that a lot of the statements regarding this from schools is dated and not necessarily accurate.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:57 pm
by UCSD1984
I see. Does it look bad to have a cancelled LSAT score on your application along with a good score, rather than one low score and one good score?
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:59 pm
by bk1
UCSD1984 wrote:I see. Does it look bad to have a cancelled LSAT score on your application along with a good score, rather than one low score and one good score?
Cancel/Good Score is generally better than Bad Score/Good Score.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:00 pm
by UCSD1984
Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:24 pm
by jtemp320
bk187 wrote:UCSD1984 wrote:I see. Does it look bad to have a cancelled LSAT score on your application along with a good score, rather than one low score and one good score?
Cancel/Good Score is generally better than Bad Score/Good Score.
I believe that is correct.
From what I've seen:
1 high score> 1 high score + a cancel or absence > 1 high score + a lower score > a middling score
How does this work practically? I believe a 175, 163 seems to be better then a 171 (even though the average is lower) even for NYU who say they average (I'm taking this from LSN and anecodtal evidence on here). Then again cancel, 175 is better then 163 and 175 and a single 175 is best of all.
But these are marginal differences except at HYS where they do seem to matter - even there a single cancel dosen't seem to hurt but a lower score can. In the end if you only took the LSAT twice and have at least one solid score, in most ways your cycle will look it would have if you only had that one high score.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:27 pm
by mrwarre85
My roommate is at T20 and was 157, 157, 167 and given a nice scholly for the 167. They didn't give a flip about his other two LSATS.
Only the top 2-3 schools are really going to average.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:37 pm
by UCSD1984
Great information, thank you again.
Re: Do Law Schools really average out your LSAT scores?
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:24 pm
by Sandro
only a select few average. Schools do not want to shoot themselves in the foot rankings wise.