Top Law Schools

Hi guys!

This is only my second post on the forums, so apologies if anything is out of place.

I signed up to retake the LSAT after getting a 170 (I think I can do better - was consistently getting 176s on my PTs), but after reading a lot of TLS school profiles, it seems that applying early (just to be clear, not ED - just early) can help since a lot of schools have some sort of rolling admissions. I worry that retaking would force me to postpone applying, and perhaps hurt my chances.

For demographics, I'm female, not URM. As for my GPA, I graduated as valedictorian of my class from a small liberal arts college consistently rated in the top-50 liberal arts schools nationwide by USNWR. Valedictorians from previous years did not have 4.0s, if that helps with context. I feel confident in my grades, less sure about my LSAT. I'm a decent writer and think I can write a reasonably compelling personal statement.

I'm aiming for T14 schools, but my first choice is Yale - obviously, a reach, but one I hope to have a shot at getting. Thoughts? I would appreciate advice/suggestions.

Thanks!

Apply early. Wait for results. If unhappy, then retake LSAT & apply next application cycle. Scoring a 170 with a 4.0 GPA makes you an almost sure bet to get multiple top 14 acceptances, but a 170 LSAT combined with another LSAT score in the same range (167-173) makes Yale unlikely.

After reading the profiles, I was leaning towards this. Thank you! Your advice was helpful, and I appreciate the quick reply.

Apply now retake in december. some will hold. stanford will hold.

applying early doesn't matter as much for Yale if that's what you want.

If you want HYS, you should retake for a 172+. Otherwise, you're good for every other school.

ailenroc wrote:Hi guys!

This is only my second post on the forums, so apologies if anything is out of place.

I signed up to retake the LSAT after getting a 170 (I think I can do better - was consistently getting 176s on my PTs), but after reading a lot of TLS school profiles, it seems that applying early (just to be clear, not ED - just early) can help since a lot of schools have some sort of rolling admissions. I worry that retaking would force me to postpone applying, and perhaps hurt my chances.

For demographics, I'm female, not URM. As for my GPA, I graduated as valedictorian of my class from a small liberal arts college consistently rated in the top-50 liberal arts schools nationwide by USNWR. Valedictorians from previous years did not have 4.0s, if that helps with context. I feel confident in my grades, less sure about my LSAT. I'm a decent writer and think I can write a reasonably compelling personal statement.

I'm aiming for T14 schools, but my first choice is Yale - obviously, a reach, but one I hope to have a shot at getting. Thoughts? I would appreciate advice/suggestions.

Thanks!

If Yale is your first choice and you know you're capable of getting that 176, go for it!

First - thank you again for the advice everyone!

s0ph1e2007 wrote:Apply now retake in december. some will hold. stanford will hold.

The only thing I worry about with this option is that, since I'll be busy applying, I won't have as much time for the LSAT (and I worry if I don't study, I'll lose some of the prep work I did for the last test). I might make the applications my priority, then see how much time I've had to study/how good I feel about retaking by the 21st, since I think that's the latest you can cancel the Dec. test.