As a 0L, do you know people who scored above 170 in reallife Forum

[paglababa]

lol topic says it all. I don't know anyone who attends a t14 law school.

I read TLS all the time for motivation and study tips and it seems like everyone is getting 170s and going to dream schools. Don't get my wrong - those are my very aspirations as well. I just realized though, i don't know ANYONE with a 170+ in real life, and I live in a major NE city. This thread isn't really a question since the numbers are clear of how many people score in the 99th percentile each year ect.

But does anyone else feel like an asshole when they speak to their current law school friends (who are not at a t14) and say things like "yea i'm going for 170 or bust..."

[Otunga]

I'm fairly sure a 170+ is widely accessible, and that most people, given enough work and investment, can achieve it. So I don't think one should feel like an elitist asshole for going for a 170+, and accordingly, t14 or bust.

In any case, anybody I've talked to about the LSAT has said that I have a respectable aspiration for wanting to score so high. Then again, it's not like many people have an accurate picture of what the LSAT really is. They just have a hunch that it's a difficult test and that it merits lots of preparation.

As for talking with other law students/0Ls, if they're insulted by your aspirations, it seems silly to me. Most people study so hard because they want to work as a lawyer and they understand how the market is nowadays, and the higher you score, the more likely that is.

[politics89]

Where I work everyone went to very local schools that are ranked below 120 or not even ranked so I kinda feel like an ass talking about how I got a 180 when a kid who works in my office got a 149 on his retake and other people didn't score that much higher. I try not to talk about applying all that much because I feel like it makes everyone uncomfortable which is why I like tls so much because it feels less braggerty when I'm looking for advice.

[ScottRiqui]

Well, a 170 is about the 97th percentile, so if you just ask a random taker, there's only a three-in-a-hundred chance they did 170 or better.

Calculating the odds, you'd have to ask 23 random LSAT takers their score before you would have even a 50% chance of getting someone with a 170+

I don't know that many LSAT takers in "real life". I probably know fewer than a half-dozen, actually. One of them did make a 178 or 179 and used it to go to FSU, so the world is just weird sometimes.

[kaiser]

I had never met anyone who hit 170 nor did I know of anyone I'm that range. Of the few people I knew considering law school, the standard wasn't quite so high. Every one in awhile, I'd have someone say they are considering Harvard, and I would think he/she must be at 170+ but then I would find out the kid scored 155.

[NYstate]

Yes I know people who got 178 plus ( not a typo.). There is some degre of luck involved in getting a score that high.

The problem is that most 0 Ls get terrible advice. I don't think it is an elitist thing as much as a being informed about the LSAT thing. If the need to get great scores and the study methods to get it were well known, we might see higher scores and fewer should I retake threads.

Not everyone has the ability to get above 170, but my feeling is that few test takers study hard enough or aim for that score.

Edit- not an 0L by a long shot so i guess this didn't apply to me. But as an 0L, yes I knew people that scored that high.

[paglababa]

Yes I know people who got 178 plus ( not a typo.). There is some degre of luck involved in getting a score that high.

The problem is that most 0 Ls get terrible advice. I don't think it is an elitist thing as much as a being informed about the LSAT thing. If the need to get great scores and the study methods to get it were well known, we might see higher scores and fewer should I retake threads.

Not everyone has the ability to get above 170, but my feeling is that few test takers study hard enough or aim for that score.

Edit- not an 0L by a long shot so i guess this didn't apply to me. But as an 0L, yes I knew people that scored that high.

The reason I posted this thread is because I guess a part in the back of my head thinks that I might not be able to do it despite all of the legwork I'm putting in before the exam. But you're right, that is essentially why I feel so lucky to have discovered TLS and why this place is so useful. It really makes people believe that striving for a score in the 99th percentile is not impossible with the proper amount of desire, discipline, and determination.

[09042014]

Don't talk about aiming for 170 among real people it's douchey.

[mvonh001]

Don't talk about aiming for 170 among real people it's douchey.

Bu what do you tell people who say congrats on your 163, when all you wanna do is slit your wrists everytime you think about those damn dodo birds??

I put on a fake smile and say "thanks, but ill be taking it again in October"

to which i usually get, "but why a 163 is only 17 points away from perfect. you should be happy"

[09042014]

Don't talk about aiming for 170 among real people it's douchey.

Bu what do you tell people who say congrats on your 163, when all you wanna do is slit your wrists everytime you think about those damn dodo birds??

I put on a fake smile and say "thanks, but ill be taking it again in October"

to which i usually get, "but why a 163 is only 17 points away from perfect. you should be happy"

Thanks! They don't gotta know you are retaking.

Plus, when you fail to get a 170 again, it won't be as shameful.

[mvonh001]

Don't talk about aiming for 170 among real people it's douchey.

Bu what do you tell people who say congrats on your 163, when all you wanna do is slit your wrists everytime you think about those damn dodo birds??

I put on a fake smile and say "thanks, but ill be taking it again in October"

to which i usually get, "but why a 163 is only 17 points away from perfect. you should be happy"

Thanks! They don't gotta know you are retaking.

Plus, when you fail to get a 170 again, it won't be as shameful.

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise. but then that implies i got like a 148 in their mind.

[magickware]

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise.

I had a chat with a lady who went to UVA on a full scholarship, or something close it, then came out and did a bunch of impressive things throughout her career. IIRC, she currently runs a legal firm somewhere in San Diego.

Told her about my 163 LSAT, and the first words (not verbatim, but close enough) out of her mouth was "Well, you have a shitty LSAT score. What do you plan on doing from here?" Later in the conversation, she said "Are you certain you can raise your score to the 170+ that is necessary?"

I'll be honest- It hurt. Knowing that 163 is not a good score, esp. when your GPA is not great, is one thing. Being told that straight-out by someone who also demands that you face reality is another matter entirely.

[09042014]

Don't talk about aiming for 170 among real people it's douchey.

Bu what do you tell people who say congrats on your 163, when all you wanna do is slit your wrists everytime you think about those damn dodo birds??

I put on a fake smile and say "thanks, but ill be taking it again in October"

to which i usually get, "but why a 163 is only 17 points away from perfect. you should be happy"

Thanks! They don't gotta know you are retaking.

Plus, when you fail to get a 170 again, it won't be as shameful.

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise. but then that implies i got like a 148 in their mind.

If you prepped full on for that 163, your chances on a retake are slim.

[mvonh001]

Bu what do you tell people who say congrats on your 163, when all you wanna do is slit your wrists everytime you think about those damn dodo birds??

I put on a fake smile and say "thanks, but ill be taking it again in October"

to which i usually get, "but why a 163 is only 17 points away from perfect. you should be happy"

Thanks! They don't gotta know you are retaking.

Plus, when you fail to get a 170 again, it won't be as shameful.

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise. but then that implies i got like a 148 in their mind.

If you prepped full on for that 163, your chances on a retake are slim.

Luckily, for me at least, I didnt prep full on - i only took around 10-11 PT's, didnt review any of my LR drilling that I did, and Didnt focus on RC at all... So back to the books for me.

[dstars823]

being from the south i think the 170+ is even rarer. I am not sure whether it is lack of preparation (though my friends who were studying with me at the same time didnt take it as seriously) or just the south being so insular that if you could get into a top regional thats all that really mattered

[MyNameIsFlynn!]

Varies depending on the crowd you roll with. I studied alongside two very different groups of friends. One was shooting for state flagships like UF or Bama and praying they'd score high enough to get into Emory. The other would've been dissapointed to attend UVA or Duke (not that there's anything wrong with that, just different strokes for different folks). Of the latter group, 3 are at or will be attending HY so I'm guessing they all scored 17X. A little surprising to know so many folks who scored that high, but even more surprising that I know so many friends' LSATs. :shocked:

[paglababa]

Varies depending on the crowd you roll with. I studied alongside two very different groups of friends. One was shooting for state flagships like UF or Bama and praying they'd score high enough to get into Emory. The other would've been dissapointed to attend UVA or Duke (not that there's anything wrong with that, just different strokes for different folks). Of the latter group, 3 are at or will be attending HY so I'm guessing they all scored 17X. A little surprising to know so many folks who scored that high, but even more surprising that I know so many friends' LSATs. :shocked:

That's pretty sweet. I would love to have a group of LSAT ambitious friends in real life to study/keep up with. I'm out of college, and have been for a few years, so the only people I know who've taken the LSAT are all attending law school already. I don't know their scores, but the prevailing assumption, based on their enrollment, is that it was not 17X

[paglababa]

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise.

I had a chat with a lady who went to UVA on a full scholarship, or something close it, then came out and did a bunch of impressive things throughout her career. IIRC, she currently runs a legal firm somewhere in San Diego.

Told her about my 163 LSAT, and the first words (not verbatim, but close enough) out of her mouth was "Well, you have a shitty LSAT score. What do you plan on doing from here?" Later in the conversation, she said "Are you certain you can raise your score to the 170+ that is necessary?"

I'll be honest- It hurt. Knowing that 163 is not a good score, esp. when your GPA is not great, is one thing. Being told that straight-out by someone who also demands that you face reality is another matter entirely.

Atleast she was honest. I met someone at a party last week who is taking out 60k in loans (per year?) for cooley. And I mean TTTTT. I couldn't fathom why he would not retake his 140/150. I didn't want to be a douche and urge him not to.

[politics89]

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise.

I had a chat with a lady who went to UVA on a full scholarship, or something close it, then came out and did a bunch of impressive things throughout her career. IIRC, she currently runs a legal firm somewhere in San Diego.

Told her about my 163 LSAT, and the first words (not verbatim, but close enough) out of her mouth was "Well, you have a shitty LSAT score. What do you plan on doing from here?" Later in the conversation, she said "Are you certain you can raise your score to the 170+ that is necessary?"

I'll be honest- It hurt. Knowing that 163 is not a good score, esp. when your GPA is not great, is one thing. Being told that straight-out by someone who also demands that you face reality is another matter entirely.

Atleast she was honest. I met someone at a party last week who is taking out 60k in loans (per year?) for cooley. And I mean TTTTT. I couldn't fathom why he would not retake his 140/150. I didn't want to be a douche and urge him not to.

This is exactly how I feel about my friends going to New England, I want to be like dont do it! but also none of my business I guess.

[dstars823]

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise.

I had a chat with a lady who went to UVA on a full scholarship, or something close it, then came out and did a bunch of impressive things throughout her career. IIRC, she currently runs a legal firm somewhere in San Diego.

Told her about my 163 LSAT, and the first words (not verbatim, but close enough) out of her mouth was "Well, you have a shitty LSAT score. What do you plan on doing from here?" Later in the conversation, she said "Are you certain you can raise your score to the 170+ that is necessary?"

I'll be honest- It hurt. Knowing that 163 is not a good score, esp. when your GPA is not great, is one thing. Being told that straight-out by someone who also demands that you face reality is another matter entirely.

Atleast she was honest. I met someone at a party last week who is taking out 60k in loans (per year?) for cooley. And I mean TTTTT. I couldn't fathom why he would not retake his 140/150. I didn't want to be a douche and urge him not to.

my former roommate was taking out full tuition at a TTTT its a tough subject to talk about honestly... And honestly I dont really think you can, you just come off as a douche. It's their decision and i mean at this point hes probably made peace with it.

[Clearly]

Bu what do you tell people who say congrats on your 163, when all you wanna do is slit your wrists everytime you think about those damn dodo birds??

I put on a fake smile and say "thanks, but ill be taking it again in October"

to which i usually get, "but why a 163 is only 17 points away from perfect. you should be happy"

Thanks! They don't gotta know you are retaking.

Plus, when you fail to get a 170 again, it won't be as shameful.

IF you fail to get that 170...

But then there are people who thrive off of the fear of being shamed, and put that much more effort into it... I'm not one of those people, so if someone is, and would like to chime in, then go right ahead...


But I do agree with you DF, I should just say Thanks, but it eats at my insides to say thanks for somethin I'm not proud of. I would rather tell them... "Not well enough, I'm retaking in October" then say a 163 and garner unworthy praise. but then that implies i got like a 148 in their mind.

If you prepped full on for that 163, your chances on a retake are slim.

Glad I didn't talk to you when I was studying to retake my 164!

[lalalany]

.

[lalalany]

.

[mvonh001]

Don't talk about aiming for 170 among real people it's douchey.

Bu what do you tell people who say congrats on your 163, when all you wanna do is slit your wrists everytime you think about those damn dodo birds??

Story of my life.

"Sorry I haven't called you back, I'm really depressed, got a 165..."

"Bro, that's fucking amazing! My sister got a 165, she's like a rich lawyer now!"

This thread is very amusing.

"With a 163 you could get into Miami, and then work at Greenberg Traurig..."

"I would need to be in the top 2% of my class at UM to even be looked at seriously..."

"That's ridiculous. I know people... They will get you a job.

[heythatslife]

Somehow, among my circle of acquaintances, the proportion of 170+ is higher than below 170.

Months ago, I went to a high school reunion and said to friends I was PTing in the high 160s. Several people had already taken the test, and none of them had anything below 170; they furrowed their brows and said to me, "Well, which section are you struggling with? There's got to be something you can do to improve that score, because you should really be PTing consistently in the 170s." I felt like the dumbass of the group.