4.0/172 Forum

[TrajanofHispania]

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[vanwinkle]

Keep practicing and studying the LSAT to make sure you can score that high consistently. With a 172+ you can get into one of HYS. Good luck.

[DoubleChecks]

you're pretty good to go if you can consistently score a LSAT number in that range.

a 174 and i think you'll be happy at HS (depending on your softs for SLS) and 176 would be pretty for yale (but you need a lot more than just numbers for yale)

i dont know if a course is necessary for someone already scoring 172...id just practice more and self-study, assuming you have the basic strategies down.

maybe just a few sessions w/ a private tutor

best of luck

[GeePee]

Aside from nailing the LSAT, Stanford and Yale put a premium on quality of undergraduate institution. Coming from a school ranked around 100 or so, definitely get involved in something unique this summer and during your fall semester to boost the resume. You'll need it to stand out from the other high GPA, high LSAT straight-from-near-TTT-undergrad candidates (I'm currently one of them).

[TrajanofHispania]

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[vanwinkle]

Very little that you can do in the course of a year can set you apart. If you really want to set yourself apart, go do Teach for America for a couple years and then apply to law school.

[Zara]

I have a 4.0 and a 172. I also went to a school with a ranking comparable to yours. I was accepted to Harvard on Monday. It's definitely doable. If you want to know some of my softs feel free to pm me.

[englawyer]

Thanks for the quick responses everybody.

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this question in, but I'm here already and you've already been helpful, so what the heck:

Anyone have any advice in what kind of activities I should get into to separate myself from the pack? I've talked to the Prelaw advisor here and she pretty much just told me to worry about my LSAT and GPA. In addition (at the risk of sounding like a bad Lifetime movie special), I've had to work through high school and college to help pay for my grandmother's nursing care, so I really haven't had time to get a fancy internship or anything like that. I'll probably have some time this summer, but I really don't know what to try to do.

Any thoughts?

that can be a good PS story and whatnot. Stanford/Yale demand "something special" which unless they buy the PS story, you might not have the time to do. Unfortunately, that type of evaluation tends to favor folks from top undergrads and privledged backgrounds.

Thankfully, Harvard has a more equitable and transparent numbers-based admissions process, so your chances are looking good there. Enjoy at least Harvard, as long as you hit the 172 on test day

[DoubleChecks]

I have a 4.0 and a 172. I also went to a school with a ranking comparable to yours. I was accepted to Harvard on Monday. It's definitely doable. If you want to know some of my softs feel free to pm me.

to be fair, HLS is a lot more numbers-gamey than Y/S that OP seems so interested in. For that, his softs and ugrad hold a higher place of prominence in the app process lol.

but get at least a 172 OP, puts you more of a lock at HLS.

[FlightoftheEarls]

If you hit a 172-173+, enjoy a HLS acceptance next year.

Or you can take two years to do Peace Corps, TFA, or apply for a Fulbright and enjoy a decent-to-good shot at SLS and YLS (no guarantees at either school, but any of these activities will certainly help your chances).

[BioEBear2010]

OP, it will honestly depend on your softs. Obviously the 4.0 will carry a lot of weight, and a 172+ would put you in a strong position. Yale and Stanford, though, value soft factors and essays more than any other school. Both schools have the luxury of being extremely selective with regard to admissions, and they want to admit interesting applicants in order to create a diverse class. Make sure that your essays (PS, DS, 250 for Yale) emphasize your uniqueness.