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I have a 170 LSAT and a 3.667 GPA from a liberal arts school where I majored in Philosophy and minored in History and Classical Studies. Had an internship in a court and have worked for 2 years as a paralegal for a small litigation firm in NYC.

Applying to:
Columbia
NYU
Penn
UVA (in)
Michigan
Northwestern
Georgetown
Cornell
GW (in)
BC
Fordham

I am assuming that I will probably get in everywhere from Michigan down, but since there seem to be less applications this year I am wondering what they chances are that I get into/waitlisted at Columbia and Penn (and to a lesser degree NYU).

Also, my GPA had an upward trend (3.85 for the last 5 semesters and 3.92 for the last 3). Does something like that affect my chances at schools that my raw stats are too low for?

Thanks.

Odds are overwhelming that you'll be waitlisted at Columbia. http://myLSN.info/5yd24p

Columbia is out. I think you'll get waitlisted and eventually accepted at NYU. You should get Penn.

Virtually same stats as you (3.62, 170). I applied early September, no word back from Columbia, NYU, or Penn yet. I think they are all long shots personally, although Penn and NYU would be significantly more likely than Columbia. All other common schools we've applied to I've been admitted, so I would think your chances are very good at Michigan, GULC, and Cornell.

I've already been accepted at Penn with a 170 and a GPA just a smidgen higher than yours, so I'd say your chances are solid. My NYU ED app was deferred, but I'm thinking a WL followed by an acceptance is quite possible with numbers in this range. As for Columbia, I agree with the poster above that a WL that goes nowhere is most likely, sadly.

Probably in at Penn but be prepared to ride the waitlist at Columbia.

I got into CLS RD with a 170/3.88. I'm a vet, though. You have a chance if they really like your app.
I'd write a LOCI to Penn as soon as you think one is timely. They love 170 LSATs, and your GPA isn't that bad. Good luck.

bowser wrote:I got into CLS RD with a 170/3.88. I'm a vet, though. You have a chance if they really like your app.
I'd write a LOCI to Penn as soon as you think one is timely. They love 170 LSATs, and your GPA isn't that bad. Good luck.

I think the threshold for acceptance at NYU with a 170 is around 3.8 (though lower off the WL) and for Columbia it's around 3.85+. Unless Columbia is significantly affected by the down cycle, I don't think OP should expect much more than a waitlist with a 170/3.67. At least, that's what I'm thinking for my own app.

Columbia - WL
NYU - Accepted, or WL then Accepted
Penn - Accepted or WL
Michigan - Accepted, 20% chance of WL
Northwestern - Accepted
Georgetown - Accepted
Cornell - Accepted

CLS and NYU are likely rejections (possibly after riding the WL), as you're below both medians at both schools: http://myLSN.info/psx1vn. Still worth the apps, though, since this is the most favorable cycle in a long time.

You have the numbers for Penn and Michigan, but both play the yield protection game to an absurd degree, so you should write convincing "Why X?" essays for both.

Your odds are good to very good everywhere else. Why aren't you applying to Duke? You have a very strong shot there, and you might even get some scholarship money to use for leverage in negotiations with other schools. It also places a hell of a lot better than GULC.

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Thanks to everyone for your thoughts on my situation. I agree with most of you that Columbia and NYU are out of the question and that I have a small chance to get into Penn based on past cycles. I got fee waivers at all three schools so I figured I might as well apply. I am hoping that the relatively low number of 170+ LSAT scores and lower numbers of applicants will work in my favor and that I can sneak into Penn.

I wrote a one page addendum basically addressing how my GPA rose dramatically over the course of my undergraduate studies and how my concentrations make me ideally suited for law school; however, I didn't write Why School X? essays for any of my top schools. Would people suggest writing those and adding them onto my pending applications or maybe doing so if I make it onto the waitlists?

Also, does anyone know whether or not law schools actually take drastic GPA changes like mine into account? From what I have seen below my GPA for the last 5 semesters would make the cutoff for a 170 at Penn and NYU and I have a good reason for why I didn't do as well the first three semesters.

Any additional thoughts would be much appreciated.

Wanted to post an update for future applicants since many people seem to never get around to doing it. I ended up getting waitlisted at Penn and NYU, rejected at Harvard, and got in everywhere else. I am going to attend Columbia after first being held in early February.

Best of luck to any future TLSers with numbers similar to mine!

angross wrote:Wanted to post an update for future applicants since many people seem to never get around to doing it. I ended up getting waitlisted at Penn and NYU, rejected at Harvard, and got in everywhere else. I am going to attend Columbia after first being held in early February.

Best of luck to any future TLSers with numbers similar to mine!

Congrats on CLS! I'm happy things worked out for you. Best of luck.

angross wrote:Wanted to post an update for future applicants since many people seem to never get around to doing it. I ended up getting waitlisted at Penn and NYU, rejected at Harvard, and got in everywhere else. I am going to attend Columbia after first being held in early February.

Best of luck to any future TLSers with numbers similar to mine!

Hell of an outcome! Congrats!