167, 3.8, Central American Forum

[christinalsat]

Hey,

Just wondering if folks have any advice on whether I should apply with the lsat I have or re-take it and probably score higher. My thinking is -- if I apply now, I can get my applications in way earlier than if I focus on studying for the Oct lsat. However, I was scoring in the low/mid 170s. Test day I became obsessed with cracking the third game and never got to the 4th. I got -7 wrong when I usually only get 2-3 wrong on LG. So I feel my lower score was more a problem of strategy than the usual nerves/prep/aptitude and I could definitely raise it in Oct. In other words, I think it's a fatal mistake I can avoid in Oct.

Also I am Central American (Guatemala), went to an ivy, come from a poor, rural, background, and have four years of work experience in the policy field. I also need to go to a school with a solid loan forgiveness program for people who go into public interest law...or a school that gives me money, but I know my score won't get me very far with that. What are my chances at the schools below and should I retake or just apply early?

In order of preference:
NYU
Berkeley
UCLA
UPenn
Georgetown
Northwestern

Safety (are these even safety?)
GW
Hastings
Fordham

Also let me know if there are other places I should be considering!

Thanks.

[christinalsat]

Also forgot UTAustin.

[christinalsat]

Anyone?

[TheVoynichManuscript]

I think you will probably have to retake if you want to crack the T14. I had the same numbers as you last year and was waitlisted or rejected from all of the schools on your preferred list. With your current numbers, however, you should be pretty competitive everywhere from UT down.

Also, a 167/3.8 is around the median at GW, so I don't think you could consider it a true safety. You should be fine at Hastings and Fordham though.

Good luck with your cycle and feel free to PM me with any questions.

[christinalsat]

Thanks. That's a pretty harsh reality though! My lsat is within the median of Berkeley/UT/UCLA and within the range of at least a few t14. My GPA is above the range. And being Central American won't help me at all? I know nothing is guaranteed with a 167, but...really?

[colombiano123]

Thanks. That's a pretty harsh reality though! My lsat is within the median of Berkeley/UT/UCLA and within the range of at least a few t14. My GPA is above the range. And being Central American won't help me at all? I know nothing is guaranteed with a 167, but...really?

hey christinalsat, apparently the consensus on TLS is that non-Mexican/PR Hispanics do not receive any boosts. However, I do not know to what extent this is true. However, if you do get a boost, I think that you have a shot at the lower T-14. This guy with similar numbers got into Cornell http://lawschoolnumbers.com/JuneJones (he is Caucasian) .I think your best bet for T-14 is a retake. Good Luck.

[christinalsat]

Law school predictor put me at "consider" for about half of the t14 (including Berkeley, and my other top choice UCLA), "weak consider" for a couple of the top 5 (including NYU, sadly). "Denied" at Yale, Stanford, Columbia (fine with me). "Strong consider" on Cornell, UT, GW and "accept" pretty much from there down. Since they seem to say "consider" is 50/50 (http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/?page_id=173), seems their forecast is a little sunnier, no?

Yes, I know, I'm trying to talk myself into not taking the lsat again.

Do folks have any more recommendations?

[christinalsat]

I just calculated my GPA on lawschool predictor (I added in grades from music school my freshmen year that werent included in my final GPA) and it spit out a 3.9. Does that make any difference?