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Hello TLS. I've been lurking this site for the past year and really love everything about it, especially the sincere help you offer each other. So here's what I got.

GPA: 3.78
LSAT: 156 (I was projecting around 160 so this score kinda hurt)
URM: EDIT GUESS I'M NOT A URM

I'm currently a Junior at Cal State Fullerton, VP of the award winning Model UN club, double major in Econ/Poli Sci, dual citizen with Lebanon, fluent in English and Arabic with working knowledge of French, interned 7 months for congressional candidate, currently work as a legal assistant for a local civil rights attorney, child of immigrants who fled a wore torn country, and at the risk of sounding like i'm exploiting something terrible, my mother was recently diagnosed with early stages of breast cancer and I would prefer something in CA so I can remain in close contact with her.

My top 5 preferred schools: Berkeley, USC, George Washington, American, Loyola

Do you guys think the addendum would be taken seriously even though my LSAT score is so far below their 25th percentiles?

What are your views on retaking?

Blessedassurance wrote:What are your views on retaking?

I'd really rather not, but I'm not entirely against the idea. My logic is that I've got a pretty solid personal statement already and great LORs lined up, so if I don't retake I can get my app in extremely early.... I still have a few weeks to grapple with the idea though.

MrRashad wrote:

Blessedassurance wrote:What are your views on retaking?

I'd really rather not, but I'm not entirely against the idea. My logic is that I've got a pretty solid personal statement already and great LORs lined up, so if I don't retake I can get my app in extremely early.... I still have a few weeks to grapple with the idea though.

A higher score helps you more than the softs but that is just my opinion. The softs are excellent but with something like Berkeley, your softs may not overcome the LSAT score. How confident are you of increasing your score by a few points, to say 160 or above?

The URM boost operates to varying degrees depending on the kind of URM you are.

Good luck on whatever you decide but if I was in your position, I would retake in a heart-beat.

Might want to double check on your URM status, not 100% sure but I don't think any Arabic groups are considered URMs. I think it is just african americans, hispanics, & native americans.

Search for users within your numbers range on http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com if you haven't already done so and see how they fared.

Of course no two candidates are alike but the examples could be useful. If you can spare the money, I will definitely apply to those schools (afterall, what's the worse that could happen)?

Think seriously about retaking though (again, what's the worst that could happen right?).

Sorry to say but you are not a URM.

Arabs are not URMs.

I'm going to have to second what many people have already said. I don't believe that you are technically considered a URM and I would definitely retake the LSAT.

You should retake. Berkeley, GW, & USC are obviously out. If you somehow do manage to squeeze into American or Loyola (still not likely), you will be paying sticker, which is not a good idea.