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In undergrad, non-URM, currently a finalist for well-known scholarships that would take me to Britain for 1-2 years, philosophy major, student government representative, editor-in-chief of a campus journal, strong and relevant internships/fellowships.

My LSAT score is from this October and is by far the worst I have done since I took my 1st practice test cold last summer. I had been averaging around a 170 on PTs before the exam, highest (2x) at 174. I had been hoping for Stanford, and I have strong recommendations and what I think is a well-crafted personal statement.

In other words, I had been told I was close to a "shoe-in" if I could land even a decent LSAT by SLS standards. Clearly I didn't. Anyways this is horribly frustrating and I'm going to take it again in December.

Two questions:
(1) What score will I need to hit to redeem my candidacy at Stanford?
(2) Should I apply now with this score and indicate that I am retaking in December, or hold off altogether until I receive my 2nd score?

Thanks.

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Congratulations on your good GPA and I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed with your LSAT score.
I think it would be much better if you waited until the second score before applying to Stanford.
I don't have an answer for target LSAT score to redeem your candidacy.

MaxWeber wrote:Hopeless. Not at Stanford. Not even, I would say, at Berkeley Law, if that was your safety.

No one cares about you, or what you've done in school. It's your LSAT that determines your range, and of schools that regularly take applicants with 165s, you're at the top.

Let's reword that without the heavy dose of douchebaggery.

You have a decent shot at Berkeley. FWIW, my LSAT score is only one point higher, and my GPA 0.04 point lower, and I'm applying with similar expectations. Berkeley is 1/3 LSAT, 1/3 academic record, 1/3 PS + LORs. That will come to your advantage. Keep in mind, Berkeley's range is 163-170 with a 167 median.

Stanford will be tough.

If your dream is Stanford, you'll need to retake. If you're satisfied with attending a T20-30 (possibly with some $$) as well as a chance at the lower end of the T14, there's no need to retake.

Mmm encouraging...

I'm not used to settling and don't plan to start now. I talked to some folks who said my PT range would be good enough (170-172) with my "softs"/GPA so I'm going to retake and, without the nerves or w/e screwed me, ideally score in that range.

Only question left is whether I should wait until I get December score to apply, or send off apps now and let them know a real test is coming.

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