Anybody heard back from SMU? Forum

[chadwick218]

New SMU Promotional Video:

http://www.vimeo.com/4202868

JD2008, I am guessing that the creators are film students and not current SMU law students. Any word as to how this has gone over with the staff? All in all, it was very well done. It almost has a "watching the Office" vibe to it.

[InnoSource]

Hi everyone,

I graduated a year ago with a 2.5 GPA from a top 40 school. I know my chances are slim to none to get into a decent school unless I pull off a killer LSAT score. I havent taken the LSATs yet, but ideally, I would like to go to SMU. There, I think I may stand a chance and still enjoy a well-rounded education and graduate with some job prospects.

Can anybody give me a range that i have to hit to expect to be considered a competitive candidate at SMU?

Also, if I do a post-bacc to boost up my gpa, will this help me if I get good grades? Thank you for your help. I really do love and enjoy this forum - everyone is always so supportive but honest.

[BigAristotle]

Hi everyone,

I graduated a year ago with a 2.5 GPA from a top 40 school. I know my chances are slim to none to get into a decent school unless I pull off a killer LSAT score. I havent taken the LSATs yet, but ideally, I would like to go to SMU. There, I think I may stand a chance and still enjoy a well-rounded education and graduate with some job prospects.

Can anybody give me a range that i have to hit to expect to be considered a competitive candidate at SMU?

Also, if I do a post-bacc to boost up my gpa, will this help me if I get good grades? Thank you for your help. I really do love and enjoy this forum - everyone is always so supportive but honest.

Graduate work or classes taken after you've gotten a Bachelors won't affect the LSAC GPA. You are stuck with the 2.5.

[penni_rose]

For whoever it was that asked, my status checker changed the day I was admitted to SMU. Also, if it means anything to any of you my index thing was 3.5 and I got in with a scholarship. I'm not attending, but I thought I still might be of help.

[BigAristotle]

3.1 Index here, by the way.

[smubound]

Thanks. There seems to be a big difference between 3.5 and 3.1.

If you have a 2.5 GPA you better nail the LSAT. My guess would be that you need in the 170's.

[Machiavellian]

Hi everyone,

I graduated a year ago with a 2.5 GPA from a top 40 school. I know my chances are slim to none to get into a decent school unless I pull off a killer LSAT score. I havent taken the LSATs yet, but ideally, I would like to go to SMU. There, I think I may stand a chance and still enjoy a well-rounded education and graduate with some job prospects.

Can anybody give me a range that i have to hit to expect to be considered a competitive candidate at SMU?

Also, if I do a post-bacc to boost up my gpa, will this help me if I get good grades? Thank you for your help. I really do love and enjoy this forum - everyone is always so supportive but honest.

Well, if there are extenuating circumstances, perhaps they could be used to augment your GPA.

[BigAristotle]

Thanks. There seems to be a big difference between 3.5 and 3.1.

If you have a 2.5 GPA you better nail the LSAT. My guess would be that you need in the 170's.

Penni is a 167, 4.0; which is auto-admit at SMU, so her 3.5 is substantially more impressive. Looking over LSN, you'll need a 169-170ish to reach a 3.0 index score (roughly the minimum you'll need, for FT at least), and many of those low GPA, High LSAT acceptances were URMs/Non Trads.

Part time would have better odds, of course.

[Machiavellian]

Thanks. There seems to be a big difference between 3.5 and 3.1.

If you have a 2.5 GPA you better nail the LSAT. My guess would be that you need in the 170's.

Penni is a 167, 4.0; which is auto-admit at SMU, so her 3.5 is substantially more impressive. Looking over LSN, you'll need a 169-170ish to reach a 3.0 index score (roughly the minimum you'll need, for FT at least), and many of those low GPA, High LSAT acceptances were URMs/Non Trads.

Part time would have better odds, of course.

This may seem like a silly question, but what is an "index score" and where do you find information regarding it?

[BigAristotle]

Thanks. There seems to be a big difference between 3.5 and 3.1.

If you have a 2.5 GPA you better nail the LSAT. My guess would be that you need in the 170's.

Penni is a 167, 4.0; which is auto-admit at SMU, so her 3.5 is substantially more impressive. Looking over LSN, you'll need a 169-170ish to reach a 3.0 index score (roughly the minimum you'll need, for FT at least), and many of those low GPA, High LSAT acceptances were URMs/Non Trads.

Part time would have better odds, of course.

This may seem like a silly question, but what is an "index score" and where do you find information regarding it?

Index Score is a school by school calculation of your GPA(multiplied by a constant) + LSAT Score(multiplied by a constant). There's a document on LSAC that shows each schools formula (that uses it). It is easier to find it on Lawschoolnumbers.com. It doesn't show up on the School's Applicant page, you have to go to each applicant's profile, and it will show their Index Score for each school.

[JD2008]

New SMU Promotional Video:

http://www.vimeo.com/4202868

JD2008, I am guessing that the creators are film students and not current SMU law students. Any word as to how this has gone over with the staff? All in all, it was very well done. It almost has a "watching the Office" vibe to it.

The staff is probably laughing at the video. Relative to past Follies, this video is much better (other than "Brokeback Basement" of course). All the folks in the video are law school students and Mukhul is actually the President of the SBA. The guy in the tie at the very end of the video is Dean Camp (who is the Dean of Student Affairs). If you are an actual law student, it is much funnier as you will "get" the inside jokes and the jabs at particular people in the law school.

[Machiavellian]

Thanks. There seems to be a big difference between 3.5 and 3.1.

If you have a 2.5 GPA you better nail the LSAT. My guess would be that you need in the 170's.

Penni is a 167, 4.0; which is auto-admit at SMU, so her 3.5 is substantially more impressive. Looking over LSN, you'll need a 169-170ish to reach a 3.0 index score (roughly the minimum you'll need, for FT at least), and many of those low GPA, High LSAT acceptances were URMs/Non Trads.

Part time would have better odds, of course.

This may seem like a silly question, but what is an "index score" and where do you find information regarding it?

Index Score is a school by school calculation of your GPA(multiplied by a constant) + LSAT Score(multiplied by a constant). There's a document on LSAC that shows each schools formula (that uses it). It is easier to find it on Lawschoolnumbers.com. It doesn't show up on the School's Applicant page, you have to go to each applicant's profile, and it will show their Index Score for each school.

Thank you, I am going to go and try to figure out my index score... lol.

[Machiavellian]

New SMU Promotional Video:

http://www.vimeo.com/4202868

JD2008, I am guessing that the creators are film students and not current SMU law students. Any word as to how this has gone over with the staff? All in all, it was very well done. It almost has a "watching the Office" vibe to it.

The staff is probably laughing at the video. Relative to past Follies, this video is much better (other than "Brokeback Basement" of course). All the folks in the video are law school students and Mukhul is actually the President of the SBA. The guy in the tie at the very end of the video is Dean Camp (who is the Dean of Student Affairs). If you are an actual law student, it is much funnier as you will "get" the inside jokes and the jabs at particular people in the law school.

That is pretty funny... even if you do not go there... yet.. lol.

[pammons]

Soo... whats a 3 index score mean?

[paraducks]

just saw this stuff about index scores. don't know if it is helpful to anyone, but my index was 3.4 and i ended up with a scholarship.

[Machiavellian]

just saw this stuff about index scores. don't know if it is helpful to anyone, but my index was 3.4 and i ended up with a scholarship.

I am not sure how to read an index score either... can anyone explain?

[smubound]

If you want to know what your index is for each school, go to your applications at LSAC and you will see each one. Each school is different and some schools don't have one. I am a 3.1 at SMU and I have a 160/3.5. Other examples are 170/3.69 - 3.5 and 161/3.0 - 2.9.

[dt15]

Soo... whats a 3 index score mean?

I am not too sure if you guys should be relying on the "index scores" as a chief indicator in how your application will fare in the admissions process at SMU: LSN says I'm a 3.0 index (165/3.08) but I got accepted with scholarship, and I'm a non-URM. (I did send my application in pretty darn early so maybe that was a positive effect for me.)

New SMU Promotional Video:

http://www.vimeo.com/4202868

This was funny! It also scares me...just a little bit...

[smubound]

I agree with dt15. I also think that SMU likes the higher LSAT score.

[tcwhat]

I agree with dt15. I also think that SMU likes the higher LSAT score.

If that was the case, why haven't I been accepted with my 170?

[BigAristotle]

I agree with dt15. I also think that SMU likes the higher LSAT score.

If that was the case, why haven't I been accepted with my 170?

No idea on that one. You shoulda been pretty auto-admit.

TC has self admitted 'unusual aspects about his application', as do I with a very strange Criminal Addendum. I don't think you should look at our stats (166, 3.2 strong softs 4 yrs WE and 170/3.18) as indications. We're outliers .

[OasisFan]

I agree with dt15. I also think that SMU likes the higher LSAT score.

If that was the case, why haven't I been accepted with my 170?

No idea on that one. You shoulda been pretty auto-admit.

You will be don't stress that. Just call and talk to them and show them you're really interested. They might be YP'ing

[BigAristotle]

Just watched the 'promo video', hilarious. Reminds me a lot of my first UG school.

[JD2008]

I agree with dt15. I also think that SMU likes the higher LSAT score.

If that was the case, why haven't I been accepted with my 170?

tcwhat,

Do you actually want to go to SMU? It looks like you have been accepted to similar schools (Tulane) and have some decent waitlist schools.

[soccerchick47]

3pm (central time) on Thursday....getting so close, and updates from anyone? I agree that tomorrow will probably be the big boom day for any acceptances~