pls help : i dont know what to do : 151&152/3.99 GPA Forum

[Komaliie]

i took the lsat in feb got a 151, decided to take the damn thing again, studied my ass off, was getting a score in 160s, took it in june, thought i did good til i saw the score today and got a 152. i think its the nerves, when i walked out i thought i did pretty well, atleast high 150s but i don't know... i don't know what the hell im doing wrong but i really dont want to take the lsat again.
i know my chances are very slim but at this point i dont think i can improve anymore
i am currently a junior UG, so far my gpa is 2.89 but b/c of a few a+ it bumped up my gpa
i have interned at the department of justice, worked with attorney general ken cuccinelli, currently working with a law firm, president of honor society, was chosen as an undergrad research assistant (only 10 students were chosen from the whole university: GMU) and in the spring i will be internship with the prosecutor's office.

what do you guys think are my chances? i have been playing with the lsat & gpa calculators all day and there seems to some hope but i don't know
i am just very frustrated!
please help
i really want to go to some law school in the dc area

[Danteshek]

What is your GPA?

[005618502]

title says 3.99 GPA and post says 2.89 before boost? im confused

[Ragged]

Do not go to LS unless you can muster up atleast a 160 (read 170), this is the case both for 3.99 and 2.89.

[Komaliie]

My undergrad GPA is 3.89 at george mason but im sure it will go up by the time i graduate in the spring, sorry for the typo.
I forgot to add as an undergrad research assistant I worked with the office of administrative hearing in dc to help them develop a pro Bono panel for defendants.
Also for the next two semesters I will be in the honors seminar, about 8 students get selected per major and work with a professor on a research top. Our topic will investigate terrorists and legal proceedings.
I don't know if this helps or not but I'm a female and a minority

[clintonius]

What kind of minority? (Regardless, you'll still need to retake and hit that PT average to maximize your options, but it's a relevant question)

[Luis Gomez]

My undergrad GPA is 3.89 at george mason but im sure it will go up by the time i graduate in the spring, sorry for the typo.
I forgot to add as an undergrad research assistant I worked with the office of administrative hearing in dc to help them develop a pro Bono panel for defendants.
Also for the next two semesters I will be in the honors seminar, about 8 students get selected per major and work with a professor on a research top. Our topic will investigate terrorists and legal proceedings.
I don't know if this helps or not but I'm a female and a minority

What type of female minority?

What are your expectations, are u set on a T1?

[yinz]

My undergrad GPA is 3.89 at george mason but im sure it will go up by the time i graduate in the spring, sorry for the typo.
I forgot to add as an undergrad research assistant I worked with the office of administrative hearing in dc to help them develop a pro Bono panel for defendants.
Also for the next two semesters I will be in the honors seminar, about 8 students get selected per major and work with a professor on a research top. Our topic will investigate terrorists and legal proceedings.
I don't know if this helps or not but I'm a female and a minority

Underlined and your other softs are trivial to your chances; Bolded and LSAT score are of the utmost importance.

Questions:
(a) Are you AA?
(b) Define "studied my ass off"; did you "study your ass smart" or did you just bulldozer your way through questions without any thought and reflection of why you may have gotten that one correct/incorrect?
(c) How many and which type of questions are you missing? What is your section breakdown?
(d) Are you willing to forgo one of your internships/summer jobs to study for the LSAT?

Analysis:
Depending on how you answer (a) and given your LSAT, you may have a shot at lower-T1/T2 schools in DC (American?). Your entire application rests on your LSAT score. If you can get it above 162, all but GULC should be an acceptance or serious consider.

[DaveBear07]

How have you been studying for the LSAT? Have you used the Powerscore Bibles? If you really want it, a good re-take would do you wonders.

[Komaliie]

What kind of minority? (Regardless, you'll still need to retake and hit that PT average to maximize your options, but it's a relevant question)

I am pakistani so south asian

[Komaliie]

My undergrad GPA is 3.89 at george mason but im sure it will go up by the time i graduate in the spring, sorry for the typo.
I forgot to add as an undergrad research assistant I worked with the office of administrative hearing in dc to help them develop a pro Bono panel for defendants.
Also for the next two semesters I will be in the honors seminar, about 8 students get selected per major and work with a professor on a research top. Our topic will investigate terrorists and legal proceedings.
I don't know if this helps or not but I'm a female and a minority

What type of female minority?

What are your expectations, are u set on a T1?

- pakistani (south asian)

- i would really really like to get into mason or american or even catholic, really at this point i can do anywhere!

[Komaliie]

My undergrad GPA is 3.89 at george mason but im sure it will go up by the time i graduate in the spring, sorry for the typo.
I forgot to add as an undergrad research assistant I worked with the office of administrative hearing in dc to help them develop a pro Bono panel for defendants.
Also for the next two semesters I will be in the honors seminar, about 8 students get selected per major and work with a professor on a research top. Our topic will investigate terrorists and legal proceedings.
I don't know if this helps or not but I'm a female and a minority

Underlined and your other softs are trivial to your chances; Bolded and LSAT score are of the utmost importance.

Questions:
(a) Are you AA?
(b) Define "studied my ass off"; did you "study your ass smart" or did you just bulldozer your way through questions without any thought and reflection of why you may have gotten that one correct/incorrect?
(c) How many and which type of questions are you missing? What is your section breakdown?
(d) Are you willing to forgo one of your internships/summer jobs to study for the LSAT?

Analysis:
Depending on how you answer (a) and given your LSAT, you may have a shot at lower-T1/T2 schools in DC (American?). Your entire application rests on your LSAT score. If you can get it above 162, all but GULC should be an acceptance or serious consider.

- no, i'm pakistani
- i took a class for the feb one, so i basically looked over everything, i also got the powerscore book and looked at their techniques: see why your answers are wrong, i did all the that! i took a practice test the saturday before the test and got a 161 but i feel like that was a just good test
- i am doing the internship at the prosecutor's office for credit so i can't skip on that

at this point i really feel like taking the test again won't increase my score
i have studied as much as i can

[Komaliie]

How have you been studying for the LSAT? Have you used the Powerscore Bibles? If you really want it, a good re-take would do you wonders.

i used the powerscore books, at this point i really dont think studying again and taking the test again will increase my score

[anthropologieaddict]

Just FYI, it is my understanding that being Asian does not count you as a minority for law school acceptance purposes, so that factor won't really help you.

[obsquared]

i think ur GPA might help you if you are able to explain to the admissions officers why your score was so low. i mean in a positive way. i totally understand how u feel cos i have been studying since feb and my score has not improved much above the 150s.i'm still working real hard this summer and i believe i can improve my score. i'll say give it one more shot but if u feel like this is it, then go ahead and prepare a really strong application

[Komaliie]

i think ur GPA might help you if you are able to explain to the admissions officers why your score was so low. i mean in a positive way. i totally understand how u feel cos i have been studying since feb and my score has not improved much above the 150s.i'm still working real hard this summer and i believe i can improve my score. i'll say give it one more shot but if u feel like this is it, then go ahead and prepare a really strong application

i seriously dont know why my score is this low
its not that i am not trying, i tried, i took classes, i studied during my own time

i read somewhere online if you had a low SAT score and still did well in college then you should write about that
I did average on my SATs, i dont remember my exact score but i know it wasn't amazing but i have a 3.89 so far so i'm doing something right!

btw i'm a criminology, law & society major and a psych minor

[Komaliie]

Just FYI, it is my understanding that being Asian does not count you as a minority for law school acceptance purposes, so that factor won't really help you.

yah i just found that out.. i'm considered caucasian b/c of my arab background...

[hax123]

There is no point in applying to law schools with your stats (unless you're black). You should retake the LSAT in October. I'm not sure how much prep you've done in the past, but you should try to do as many preptests as possible during the summer as well as read the Powerscore Logic Games Bible. If you ever need help with studying for the LSAT, just post on the LSAT prep forum -- you'll find that many others are in your shoes and are willing to help.

[yinz]

i read somewhere online if you had a low SAT score and still did well in college then you should write about that

The admission boost this gives you is negligible. While your test numbers may belie your potential, adcoms have three solid pieces of information on which they base most of their decisions: LSAT, GPA, Y URM/N URM. And in order to break into the T1, you have to have at least two of three.

Now, since you aren't an URM, you are going to find the admissions cycle brutal. A low 150s will get you in the bottom of the T2 (think South Carolina), but not much higher.

So your choices are: attend a T2/T3 at full tuition, retake the LSAT and bump up to 160+ to give you a shot at mid-range T2/low-range T1, or seriously reconsider if law school is right for you.

[hiromoto45]

There is no point in applying to law schools with your stats (unless even if you're black). You should retake the LSAT in October. I'm not sure how much prep you've done in the past, but you should try to do as many preptests as possible during the summer as well as read the Powerscore Logic Games Bible. If you ever need help with studying for the LSAT, just post on the LSAT prep forum -- you'll find that many others are in your shoes and are willing to help.

ftfy

[aPosseAdEsse]

In your situation, I suggest you strongly consider going to a T3/T4 in a city where you want to live the rest of your life/your hometown and with as much scholarship money as possible. From my experpience that means the schools that law school predictor says you are "ADMIT:"

Franklin Pierce
Loyola—New Orleans
North Dakota
Syracuse
Wyoming
Appalachian
Ave Maria
Barry

Etc.

[hax123]

There is no point in applying to law schools with your stats (unless even if you're black). You should retake the LSAT in October. I'm not sure how much prep you've done in the past, but you should try to do as many preptests as possible during the summer as well as read the Powerscore Logic Games Bible. If you ever need help with studying for the LSAT, just post on the LSAT prep forum -- you'll find that many others are in your shoes and are willing to help.

ftfy

A black student with her stats would get into Howard, where she would have a very good chance of getting a biglaw job. Moreover, a black student with a 4.0/152 has a pretty good chance of getting into a lower T14.

[yinz]

A black student with her stats would get into Howard, where she would have a very good chance of getting a biglaw job. Moreover, a black student with a 4.0/152 has a pretty good chance of getting into a lower T14.

Enough. You've made your point, no need to belabor it and encite a debate not related to OP's issue.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

There is no point in applying to law schools with your stats (unless even if you're black). You should retake the LSAT in October. I'm not sure how much prep you've done in the past, but you should try to do as many preptests as possible during the summer as well as read the Powerscore Logic Games Bible. If you ever need help with studying for the LSAT, just post on the LSAT prep forum -- you'll find that many others are in your shoes and are willing to help.

ftfy

A black student with her stats would get into Howard, where she would have a very good chance of getting a biglaw job. Moreover, a black student with a 4.0/152 has a pretty good chance of getting into a lower T14.

Meh, not really:

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[starlight007]

Enjoy UDC?