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I have recently decided that I want to go to law school. The problem is, I decided too late, as I am graduating this May and have not taken the LSATs yet. I have a cumulative 3.5 GPA, with a double major in Public Relations and Advertising, and French. I have been involved in my sorority, holding 5 or 6 positions in my 4 years, and I have also been involved in the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, French club, and am currently Vice President of the Public Relations Student Society of America. I have done a lot of community service, and in my year off, I plan to try and get an internship/job in a legal office in my home town. I really would like to attend IU-Bloomington, as it is close to home and I would get in-state tuition. I know I would have very good LORs and I have been trained in writing for years, so I'm thinking my personal statement will be good. My question is, what do I need to be shooting for on my LSAT? I'm taking it in June and have already started studying, but I'm afraid my mediocre GPA and taking a year off is going to kill my chances. Do you have any advice? Should I try retaking some classes over this year to try and raise my GPA? Any help you have would be great!

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kmreed1 wrote:I have recently decided that I want to go to law school. The problem is, I decided too late, as I am graduating this May and have not taken the LSATs yet. I have a cumulative 3.5 GPA, with a double major in Public Relations and Advertising, and French. I have been involved in my sorority, holding 5 or 6 positions in my 4 years, and I have also been involved in the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, French club, and am currently Vice President of the Public Relations Student Society of America. I have done a lot of community service, and in my year off, I plan to try and get an internship/job in a legal office in my home town. I really would like to attend IU-Bloomington, as it is close to home and I would get in-state tuition. I know I would have very good LORs and I have been trained in writing for years, so I'm thinking my personal statement will be good. My question is, what do I need to be shooting for on my LSAT? I'm taking it in June and have already started studying, but I'm afraid my mediocre GPA and taking a year off is going to kill my chances. Do you have any advice? Should I try retaking some classes over this year to try and raise my GPA? Any help you have would be great!

Try different combinations on http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com. Also note that your GPA may change when calculated by LSAC. If your GPA holds though, looks like a 165 or so would give you a good shot at IU.

If you have already graduated, you can no longer boost your gpa. If you hit 170, I would say that you will definitely be admited. You need at least a 166 to have a good shot. If you did something in your year off, it will actually be a benifit. You should try and get your practice average in the low 170s, because a lot of people lose points when it comes to test day.

This cycle, 164 seems to be the magic number at IUB:
http://indiana.lawschoolnumbers.com/sta ... Cycle=0910

Obviously that score won't guarantee anything, but it seems to be the inflection point.

Who can say for next year, though? Don't shoot for a specific number, shoot for getting as good a score as you can.

Thanks, this is really helping! Also, what about UW? I was thinking about it too, and it is ranked a bit lower than IU.

kmreed1 wrote:Thanks, this is really helping! Also, what about UW? I was thinking about it too, and it is ranked a bit lower than IU.

toolshed wrote:

kmreed1 wrote:I have recently decided that I want to go to law school. The problem is, I decided too late, as I am graduating this May and have not taken the LSATs yet. I have a cumulative 3.5 GPA, with a double major in Public Relations and Advertising, and French. I have been involved in my sorority, holding 5 or 6 positions in my 4 years, and I have also been involved in the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, French club, and am currently Vice President of the Public Relations Student Society of America. I have done a lot of community service, and in my year off, I plan to try and get an internship/job in a legal office in my home town. I really would like to attend IU-Bloomington, as it is close to home and I would get in-state tuition. I know I would have very good LORs and I have been trained in writing for years, so I'm thinking my personal statement will be good. My question is, what do I need to be shooting for on my LSAT? I'm taking it in June and have already started studying, but I'm afraid my mediocre GPA and taking a year off is going to kill my chances. Do you have any advice? Should I try retaking some classes over this year to try and raise my GPA? Any help you have would be great!

Try different combinations on http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com. Also note that your GPA may change when calculated by LSAC. If your GPA holds though, looks like a 165 or so would give you a good shot at IU.

Without a definitive GPA and LSAT score, no one will be able to tell you anything for sure. Try the site above to see what range you should aiming for.

There's not a lot of benefit in retaking classes, as LSAC uses your original grade as part of its calculation. Fortunately, your current GPA is good enough for your target schools, assuming you get a high enough LSAT.

kmreed1 wrote:I have recently decided that I want to go to law school. The problem is, I decided too late, as I am graduating this May and have not taken the LSATs yet. I have a cumulative 3.5 GPA, with a double major in Public Relations and Advertising, and French. I have been involved in my sorority, holding 5 or 6 positions in my 4 years, and I have also been involved in the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, French club, and am currently Vice President of the Public Relations Student Society of America. I have done a lot of community service, and in my year off, I plan to try and get an internship/job in a legal office in my home town. I really would like to attend IU-Bloomington, as it is close to home and I would get in-state tuition. I know I would have very good LORs and I have been trained in writing for years, so I'm thinking my personal statement will be good. My question is, what do I need to be shooting for on my LSAT? I'm taking it in June and have already started studying, but I'm afraid my mediocre GPA and taking a year off is going to kill my chances. Do you have any advice? Should I try retaking some classes over this year to try and raise my GPA? Any help you have would be great!

165, maybe 164 but I think IUB is going to try to move up their lsat median.

But you should try for as high as you can get.

Because 1) Unless you want to defend Gary murderers, IUB doesn't have great job prospects.

2)Even if you do want IUB after knowing that, doing better on the LSAT will mean scholarship money.

Hmm I didn't know that about IUB--that they didnt have good job prospects, I mean. Are there any other schools you can suggest I should look at that are in the midwest? I have been searching many different schools, but it is good to get advice from people who know things like that-things they don't advertise on the websites.

Also, I didn't know if IU Indy would be shooting too low for what I am capable of.

kmreed1 wrote:Also, I didn't know if IU Indy would be shooting too low for what I am capable of.

All you can do is try your damndest on the LSAT, and see what you get. You could kill the thing and have a shot at Northwestern.

Ethan Edwards wrote:

kmreed1 wrote:Also, I didn't know if IU Indy would be shooting too low for what I am capable of.

All you can do is try your damndest on the LSAT, and see what you get. You could kill the thing and have a shot at Northwestern.

Or even University of Chicago, if the LSAT score were high enough.

Ethan Edwards wrote:

kmreed1 wrote:Also, I didn't know if IU Indy would be shooting too low for what I am capable of.

All you can do is try your damndest on the LSAT, and see what you get. You could kill the thing and have a shot at Northwestern.

The guy has a shot at CCN on down.

I got into IU-B with a 164 3.4 this year. I'm instate and received about half tuition scholly. I would say considering you'd be instate as well, if you hit 164 you would stand a great chance. Instate will give you a little boost, but who knows how comptetitive next year might be.

Just rock the LSAT and aim higher than IU-B!

Thats very good advice, thanks! I've been buying books to try and study for the LSAT but I'm still not sure if I'm doing everything I should to get a killer score.

I'd love to go to Northwestern, I'm still above their 25th percentile for GPA, but again, I'd need a killer score on the LSAT. How many months before the LSAT did you all start studying, and how many hours a week usually?

kmreed1 wrote:Thats very good advice, thanks! I've been buying books to try and study for the LSAT but I'm still not sure if I'm doing everything I should to get a killer score.

I'd love to go to Northwestern, I'm still above their 25th percentile for GPA, but again, I'd need a killer score on the LSAT. How many months before the LSAT did you all start studying, and how many hours a week usually?

Start yesterday for June. Start in April for Sept.

kmreed1 wrote:Thats very good advice, thanks! I've been buying books to try and study for the LSAT but I'm still not sure if I'm doing everything I should to get a killer score.

I'd love to go to Northwestern, I'm still above their 25th percentile for GPA, but again, I'd need a killer score on the LSAT. How many months before the LSAT did you all start studying, and how many hours a week usually?

Check out the LSAT prep threads on this site, especially pithypikes guide. You'll find a ton of information in there on how to do well and properly prep for the test.

Desert Fox wrote:

Ethan Edwards wrote:

kmreed1 wrote:Also, I didn't know if IU Indy would be shooting too low for what I am capable of.

All you can do is try your damndest on the LSAT, and see what you get. You could kill the thing and have a shot at Northwestern.

The guy has a shot at CCN on down.

Am I missing something?

toolshed wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

Ethan Edwards wrote:

kmreed1 wrote:Also, I didn't know if IU Indy would be shooting too low for what I am capable of.

All you can do is try your damndest on the LSAT, and see what you get. You could kill the thing and have a shot at Northwestern.

The guy has a shot at CCN on down.

Am I missing something?

yeah...the hypothetical LSAT score that could range anywhere from 120 to 180 lol

3.5 GPA 180 LSAT definitely has a shot at CCN on down

DoubleChecks wrote:

toolshed wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

Ethan Edwards wrote:[

All you can do is try your damndest on the LSAT, and see what you get. You could kill the thing and have a shot at Northwestern.

The guy has a shot at CCN on down.

Am I missing something?

yeah...the hypothetical LSAT score that could range anywhere from 120 to 180 lol

3.5 GPA 180 LSAT definitely has a shot at CCN on down

3.5 175 has a decent shot too.

wait are you a URM?

No im not.

Also do you think its smart to apply for early admission to IUB