help help help! Forum

[banjobob]

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[12262010]

i guess my real question is, is there ANY hope for the t14 for someone who's application is impressive and flawless in every other aspect aside from LSAT score?

No, unless you're a URM.

[Ginj]

I have a question and i would be very grateful for some knowledgable opinions. I have a very strong GPA, above a 3.9, from a very competitive and top-2 public university (im sure you can narrow it down from that). I am a triple major, have 4 excellent recommendations, a really great personal statement (i worked on it literally for weeks and weeks), 2 summers of work experience in law firms, a serious academic semester abroad.....but a low LSAT (in the 155-160 range)....i have used the law school predictor, I understand my projections....but I just cant imagine that someone with such a strong application minus LSAT can be automatically rejected from the t-14 because of LSAT alone. perhaps someone can explain this to me. i am considering retaking in december, which will make it essentially too late for this cycle...

i guess my real question is, is there ANY hope for the t14 for someone who's application is impressive and flawless in every other aspect aside from LSAT score?

thank you,

bb

Nope. Numbers are everything.

[kehoema2]

Don't take this offensively, BUT, at t14 schools there are people with your same flawless application PLUS a very high LSAT score.

That is why you have virtually zero chance without a good LSAT score.

[bdubs]

I have a question and i would be very grateful for some knowledgable opinions. I have a very strong GPA, above a 3.9, from a very competitive and top-2 public university (im sure you can narrow it down from that). I am a triple major, have 4 excellent recommendations, a really great personal statement (i worked on it literally for weeks and weeks), 2 summers of work experience in law firms, a serious academic semester abroad.....but a low LSAT (in the 155-160 range)....i have used the law school predictor, I understand my projections....but I just cant imagine that someone with such a strong application minus LSAT can be automatically rejected from the t-14 because of LSAT alone. perhaps someone can explain this to me. i am considering retaking in december, which will make it essentially too late for this cycle...

i guess my real question is, is there ANY hope for the t14 for someone who's application is impressive and flawless in every other aspect aside from LSAT score?

thank you,

bb

you will hear this a thousand times, retake the LSAT. If you are capable of getting a 3.9 with a triple major, you are (hopefully) capable of a 170+ LSAT score. Work for a while and study hard for the test and you will almost certainly be able to get a score that is competitive.

[Hattori Hanzo]

W/o retake there is no chance. You have a good GPA but your softs are not really outstanding. Retake and score 168+.

[banjobob]

i understand the general sentiment, but there are instances of admissions officers really seeing something special and making an exception. the odds of it might be below 5%, but i wouldnt classify it as "NO" (read: 0%) chance. also, i am speaking hypothetically here, since i took the october test and felt horribly afterwards. maybe i did better than i thought...who knows!

i appreciate the honest, blunt responses

[kehoema2]

So you are asking this question because you are hoping people will say yes there's hope?

[banjobob]

So you are asking this question because you are hoping people will say yes there's hope?

what about berkeley, where GPA matters much more than at other t-14 schools?

[12262010]

So you are asking this question because you are hoping people will say yes there's hope?

what about berkeley, where GPA matters much more than at other t-14 schools?

25th percentile LSAT is still 163.

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/37.htm

[Patriot1208]

i understand the general sentiment, but there are instances of admissions officers really seeing something special and making an exception. the odds of it might be below 5%, but i wouldnt classify it as "NO" (read: 0%) chance. also, i am speaking hypothetically here, since i took the october test and felt horribly afterwards. maybe i did better than i thought...who knows!

i appreciate the honest, blunt responses

Your application isn't nearly as impressive as you seem to think it is. And if you did THAT poorly on your LSAT there is absolutely no chance (0%) if you are white assuming there isn't something spectacular you left out of the OP. You'll need at least a 165-166 to have any chance (still pretty poor) and a 167-168 to have a good chance.

[bdubs]

So you are asking this question because you are hoping people will say yes there's hope?

what about berkeley, where GPA matters much more than at other t-14 schools?

Did you score terribly on your SAT/ACT and still do really well in undergrad? If you are dead set on applying this cycle and your LSAT comes back that low you should apply with an addendum noting your history of poor standardized testing.

Berkeley may give you a shot, but remember that the <25% LSAT admissions are traditionally very heavy on URMs and/or people with outstanding softs. It seems like you fit in neither of those categories.

Since you indicate you go to a top-public I am assuming you are CA resident, if not then I wouldn't even bother applying. If you are a CA resident and you decide to apply this cycle, you should also include UCLA since your prospects there are better but still bad.

[im_blue]

I just cant imagine that someone with such a strong application minus LSAT can be automatically rejected from the t-14 because of LSAT alone.

i guess my real question is, is there ANY hope for the t14 for someone who's application is impressive and flawless in every other aspect aside from LSAT score?

As others have mentioned, there's virtually zero chance for someone with a low LSAT, even with an otherwise impressive and flawless application (which you don't have).

[HeavenWood]

I have a question and i would be very grateful for some knowledgable opinions. I have a very strong GPA, above a 3.9, from a very competitive and top-2 public university (im sure you can narrow it down from that). I am a triple major, have 4 excellent recommendations, a really great personal statement (i worked on it literally for weeks and weeks), 2 summers of work experience in law firms, a serious academic semester abroad.....but a low LSAT (in the 155-160 range)....i have used the law school predictor, I understand my projections....but I just cant imagine that someone with such a strong application minus LSAT can be automatically rejected from the t-14 because of LSAT alone. perhaps someone can explain this to me. i am considering retaking in december, which will make it essentially too late for this cycle...

i guess my real question is, is there ANY hope for the t14 for someone who's application is impressive and flawless in every other aspect aside from LSAT score?

thank you,

bb

What is your LSAT score? A 160 opens up many more doors than a 155. Are you still waiting on our score?

Your softs, while decent, are not any better than your average T14 non-URM accepted student. If you get a 165, you'd have a modest shot at the lower T14. With a 170, you would have a chance at any school below HYS.

Retake, or readjust your goals accordingly.

[JazzOne]

Retake

[r6_philly]

Michigan has a program to allow their top UG students to get into the law school without LSAT. I guess you don't go there?

[mhernton]

Stop asking us, and call your target schools to see. Ask the deans or their staff very pointed questions about your application, like how much of the app is LSAT/GPA and how much is everything else for someone in your demographic. Make an investment in making your application pristine and roll the dice like the rest of us. Lastly get your application in as soon as possible, if you get things in early you give the adcom wiggle room to let you in without screwing up their LSAT average. Oh and take the test again in December, hire someone to teach you how to do better get Eye-Q so you can improve your reading speed. Good Luck

[tlsfa8]

i know a girl who had a 4.0, was incredibly smart, had a full ride to the school i was attending, and scored in the 150's and basically got denied everywhere. she was also active, and had many jobs/internships throughout, even working for one of the presidential candidates during the school year.

retake.