Top Law Schools

So I just got my June score and am now wondering what to do..

This cycle with a 3.7/169:

Harvard, NYU, Penn-rejected
Northwestern, G'town, Columbia, Duke-Wait list
Accepted-Temple with 30k/year

I also applied (relatively) late, just before Christmas, to all of these schools. I am truly not happy with the idea of going to Temple, even with the scholarship offer.

In an attempt to get myself off of the wait lists I took the June LSAT with basically no preparation whatsoever (I took Testmasters prior to the October 2008 test) and got 166.

I feel confident that I can score significantly higher than my 169 score with proper preparation.

So ultimately, how are 3 scores going to be viewed in reality? Even if I were to score, say, a 174 (hypothetically) am I seriously behind other candidates? More generally...any suggestions?

I really wish that I had know about TLS prior to applying...would have saved me a lot of time/energy...so thanks in advanced for the advice!

They really will just look at your highest score. The only ones that might care are Harvard and NYU but I really think even they are moving away from that as people with 3-4 LSATs have gotten into H and gotten scholarship to NYU.

With a 3.7/169 the only T14's you are realistically looking at are Cornell/UMich, all the others are unlikely. Good luck with the retake and I feel you on finding TLS earlier (I wasted an entire cycle of applying because I didn't know any better).

bk187 wrote:They really will just look at your highest score. The only ones that might care are Harvard and NYU but I really think even they are moving away from that as people with 3-4 LSATs have gotten into H and gotten scholarship to NYU.

With a 3.7/169 the only T14's you are realistically looking at are Cornell/UMich, all the others are unlikely. Good luck with the retake and I feel you on finding TLS earlier (I wasted an entire cycle of applying because I didn't know any better).

I can't say I feel like this was a completely waste, since I will definitely NOT be making the same mistakes the second go around.

Is it juvenile that I'm dreading trying to explain the re-apply choice to friends/family?

Just tell them that you realized that these schools placed poorly and that retaking/reapplying you could get into better schools.