In Need of Serious Help! 2.7 gpa Forum

[DesperatePreLaw]

This will be my first post, so hello.  I'm here because I'm in desperate need of quality advice.  Long story short, I have a somewhat messy academic record.  My lsac gpa is a 2.71 which puts me at a huge disadvantage, I also have 2 absences  from the LSAT because I missed the cancellation deadlines.  When I started college my transcript sucked!!  I racked up 12 w's, 2 F's, and 3 D's  .  During the spring semester of my junior I was caught with beer in my dorm room by an RA and I was put on disciplinary probation.  This was my only offense.  I graduated in December with my BA, and my last few semesters were around 3.0's.  My final semester I racked up 19 hours of credit and 6 hours of CLEP with a 3.05 gpa.  SO I know my record sucks so please don't feel the need to rub it in too much.  I'm writing this because I need some good, genuine advice from fellow pre laws and law students.  I'm would like to sign up for the June LSAT, but I don't know if it would even be worth it with my record.  I've spent the last 3 months since graduation trying to figure things out and the conclusion that I've reached is that I want to be an attorney.  I would like to try to avoid T4's mainly because of the employment prospects and ROI.  Would it be possible to gain acceptance anywhere decent, and possibly receive some scholarship money?  Is an LSAT attempt worth it?  I welcome all advice, thanks in advance 

BTW, I have no idea what to put in an addendum, other than that I was an unmotivated lazy a**, who had a hard time adapting to a city larger than 2000 people.

[3ThrowAway99]

Yeah, I think if you want to be a lawyer it is worth taking the LSAT. With that GPA to have a shot at breaking T14 (maybe NU?) I imagine you would need 175+; to have shot at breaking T25 I think you would need 170+; T50 I think you would need 165-167+; T100 160-164+; T3 158-162. This is assuming you choose the most splitter-friendly schools to apply to. Just my guesses.

[rinkrat19]

Yeah, I think if you want to be a lawyer it is worth taking the LSAT. With that GPA to have a shot at breaking T14 (maybe NU?) I imagine you would need 175+; to have shot at breaking T25 I think you would need 170+; T50 I think you would need 165-167+; T100 160-164+; T3 158-162. This is assuming you choose the most splitter-friendly schools to apply to. Just my guesses.

+1

You can play with http://www.hourumd.com/ and enter different LSAT scores to see what you might need to get into decent schools. (As well as how many students with those numbers got scholarships and for how much.) 175 gives you a chance at UVA, NU and Cornell. 170, maybe some lower T25.

[FuManChusco]

I have a 2.5. Just go bang out a 170+ and enjoy the midwest.

[crumpetsandtea]

Have you taken a PT? And what are you doing right now? (ie, employed, unemployed, etc)

Sit down and take a cold diagnostic. If you're scoring low (like 130s 140s) be aware that it will be VERY hard to break 170 without a lot of work, and you're probably better off waiting until October to give yourself more prep time. If you're scoring higher, bust your balls and get that 170+. As a fellow splitter (2.8, retaking a 168) I hope that we both get over a 170 and end up at a T14 (: <3

ETA: actually I should probably clarify, if you're starting out from 130/140 chances of increasing by 30-40 points into the 170s are very, very slim...pretty much almost 0 ):

[dpk711]

Get a 170+ and enjoy WUSTL or maybe just maybe NU ED if you have good WE.

[SouthFLA88]

Hello and I don't mean to bother,
I have a similar situation. I started out at a university that was very large and unwelcoming of new opinions. It was a good school, but just not for me. I later transfered to anothe local university because of this. Long story short, my grades in the first university were mediocre at best. I have lots of things on that transcript I am ashamed of. However my past 45 credits or so have been much better (all A's and B's). I took a practice exam and I'm already scoring in the mid 160's. I also have extracuricular activities and community service under my belt. However, my past grades always make me nervous. Will my past come out to haunt me or will schools recognize a big improvement and decent LSAT scores?

[BrianGriffintheDog]

LSAT is the only way you can get into a respectable law school. Actually, you should see it this way--> LSAT is the only way you can get into law school. Spend about a good 6+ months studying while working part time and that LSAT shit apart. I can't stress how much LSAT is important for someone with GPAs lower than 3.7. Start changing your lifestyle around and devoted to LSAT. See studying for LSAT as a form of full-time job or school. Like a 9-5 kind of thing, but with breaks of course.

If you don't get the score you need (170), it means your desire to become an attorney isn't great enough. Start hitting the books! Like now!

[SouthFLA88]

Thanks I am aiming at that 170 and I think I could get there being that my starting point without prior practice was 165. Also since I am a minority student I am looking to schools where there isnt many people like me. ( Hoping that helps me just a little). I'm not aiming at top 14 because that is not realistic, but more like top 30 ish..... in that range. Thank you for your honesty.
Have a nice day

[paulinaporizkova]

Thanks I am aiming at that 170 and I think I could get there being that my starting point without prior practice was 165. Also since I am a minority student I am looking to schools where there isnt many people like me. ( Hoping that helps me just a little). I'm not aiming at top 14 because that is not realistic, but more like top 30 ish..... in that range. Thank you for your honesty.
Have a nice day

something tells me you scored your diagnostic LSAT wrong

[SouthFLA88]

No actually I went with a very reputable company.
Thank you.

[DesperatePreLaw]

Thanks for the replies! I guess LSAT studying just became my full time job lol. I was thinking of ordering the Powerscore bibles, has anyone had success with these?

[TheFactor]

Thanks I am aiming at that 170 and I think I could get there being that my starting point without prior practice was 165. Also since I am a minority student I am looking to schools where there isnt many people like me. ( Hoping that helps me just a little). I'm not aiming at top 14 because that is not realistic, but more like top 30 ish..... in that range. Thank you for your honesty.
Have a nice day

something tells me you scored your diagnostic LSAT wrong

this

[alexonfyre]

Thanks I am aiming at that 170 and I think I could get there being that my starting point without prior practice was 165. Also since I am a minority student I am looking to schools where there isnt many people like me. ( Hoping that helps me just a little). I'm not aiming at top 14 because that is not realistic, but more like top 30 ish..... in that range. Thank you for your honesty.
Have a nice day

something tells me you scored your diagnostic LSAT wrong

this

Coming from someone who misspelled most words before spell check was invented and placed top 10 in a statewide spelling bee in grade school:

Some of us perform better on game day...

[bk1]

Thanks I am aiming at that 170 and I think I could get there being that my starting point without prior practice was 165. Also since I am a minority student I am looking to schools where there isnt many people like me. ( Hoping that helps me just a little). I'm not aiming at top 14 because that is not realistic, but more like top 30 ish..... in that range. Thank you for your honesty.
Have a nice day

something tells me you scored your diagnostic LSAT wrong

this

I had a similar GPA and a similar diagnostic.

If that is what you guys are basing this on you guys are smoking crack.

[alexonfyre]

Thanks I am aiming at that 170 and I think I could get there being that my starting point without prior practice was 165. Also since I am a minority student I am looking to schools where there isnt many people like me. ( Hoping that helps me just a little). I'm not aiming at top 14 because that is not realistic, but more like top 30 ish..... in that range. Thank you for your honesty.
Have a nice day

something tells me you scored your diagnostic LSAT wrong

this

I had a similar GPA and a similar diagnostic.

If that is what you guys are basing this on you guys are smoking crack.

I think they are basing it off of SouthFLA's unfortunate grammar in the bolded area.

[bk1]

I think they are basing it off of SouthFLA's unfortunate grammar in the bolded area.

Oh.

A typo on the internet? Must be someone with a mental handicap.

[Holly Golightly]

Get a 170+ and enjoy WUSTL or maybe just maybe NU ED if you have good any WE.

172+ and you have a shot at NU or UVA ED.

[bk1]

Get a 170+ and enjoy WUSTL or maybe just maybe NU ED if you have good any WE.

172+ and you have a shot at NU or UVA ED.

NU with w/e. UVa has been more stringent with their GPA floor so having a sub-3.0 will likely sink him there.

[JamMasterJ]

Thanks for the replies! I guess LSAT studying just became my full time job lol. I was thinking of ordering the Powerscore bibles, has anyone had success with these?

YES. Especially LRB and LGB. RCB wasn't quite as helpful, but still ok.
Everyone should read Pithypike's LSAT prep in the LSAT section of this site

Yeah, I think if you want to be a lawyer it is worth taking the LSAT. With that GPA to have a shot at breaking T14 (maybe NU?) I imagine you would need 175+; to have shot at breaking T25 I think you would need 170+; T50 I think you would need 165-167+; T100 160-164+; T3 158-162. This is assuming you choose the most splitter-friendly schools to apply to. Just my guesses.

This, but honestly these ranges should all go down by 3pts each. IUB gave full scholarships to some 2.5 GPA's with 167 LSATs.
Look at LSN to find schools where you get to a certain LSAT score on the graph and every icon turns green such as:

http://washu.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/0910/
http://minnesota.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1011/
http://northwestern.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1011/
http://indiana.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1011/

[ThomasMN]

With that GPA you need to put in serious time practicing the LSAT. That being said, there is a reason most people do not get a 170+. Once you get the official score you can start taking a real look at what schools you might get into.