Bad scores..not enough extra curricular? Forum

[Pasontx88]

Ok guys. Sweet and simple:

152 LSAT, 2.8 gpa (first time I got a 148). Bad scores, but I divorced my husband a last month and times were emotional and rough the past years, so on an addendum for my apps I stated that was the reason I didn't get better grades/ lsat scores.

I've applied to a bunch of schools, but I'm most interested in U of Washington, Syracuse, Wake Forrest, Temple and Seton Hall. Do you guys think i'll get accepted?

Things working against me:
-Suspended license in VA due to unpaid ticket I forgot about (unpaid 6 years)
- I filed for divorce after two years of marriage (makes me look like a quitter?)
-I only have two extra curriculars ( 2 year church mission to texas), and teaching english in Mexico (lasted 6 mos but I put 1 yr on my apps)

Things working for me:
-involved in My department at school
-wrote a thesis in undergrad
-got a grant for studies

Do I have good enough stats and such to het in?

[Bikeflip]

Do not go to law school.

[Pasontx88]

Is there something specific that makes you day that? I really desire to be an attorney to be able to support those who need justice.

[03152016]

It is not likely that you'll be admitted to the schools you listed with a 2.8/152. Your chances would improve were you to retake the LSAT and score significantly higher.

What kind of law are you interested in? Have you ever worked in a firm? What are your long-term goals?

[Pasontx88]

I am interested in doing contract law. In the future I would like to open a firm with my brother who is due to graduate at the same time as me. I have never worked in a firm. I'm afraid if I took the LSAT again I would get a similar score, I took a Kaplin course and it didnt improve my score very much. I read so you could only take it 3 times in a 5 year span, and that schools consider all your scores.

[sublime]

..

[tiltedwindmill]

Without URM status you will need 165+ on the LSAT to make law school a rational decision.

[03152016]

I am interested in doing contract law. In the future I would like to open a firm with my brother who is due to graduate at the same time as me. I have never worked in a firm. I'm afraid if I took the LSAT again I would get a similar score, I took a Kaplin course and it didnt improve my score very much. I read so you could only take it 3 times in a 5 year span, and that schools consider all your scores.

I don't think this is going to work out for you this cycle. I think those numbers will get you dinged at all the listed schools, and if you do manage to get in you'll almost certainly be paying sticker (a risky proposition for anyone, but especially those attending lower-tier schools).

If you study hard for the next several months using the right materials, you can likely make significant gains in time for the October LSAT. I recommend doing that and reassessing after you get your score back.

[Lawst]

Ok guys. Sweet and simple:

152 LSAT, 2.8 gpa (first time I got a 148). Bad scores, but I divorced my husband a last month and times were emotional and rough the past years, so on an addendum for my apps I stated that was the reason I didn't get better grades/ lsat scores.

I've applied to a bunch of schools, but I'm most interested in U of Washington, Syracuse, Wake Forrest, Temple and Seton Hall. Do you guys think i'll get accepted?

Things working against me:
-Suspended license in VA due to unpaid ticket I forgot about (unpaid 6 years)
- I filed for divorce after two years of marriage (makes me look like a quitter?)
-I only have two extra curriculars ( 2 year church mission to texas), and teaching english in Mexico (lasted 6 mos but I put 1 yr on my apps)

Things working for me:
-involved in My department at school
-wrote a thesis in undergrad
-got a grant for studies

Do I have good enough stats and such to het in?

No one is going to see a divorce as indication of a quitter, and to be honest, I don't think your addendum on the subject is going to make a difference to them with those numbers - it might matter if your numbers were borderline.

Also, if/when you get to school, you'll want to amend your application to reflect the real amount of time you were in Mexico, because you'll find that when you apply for the bar you have to account for where you've worked/lived for X number of years, and you don't want discrepancies.

Sorry about the bad times you've been through, but you really should retake the LSAT when things are better. The numbers you have now aren't going to get you into a decent school.

[haus]

I am interested in doing contract law. In the future I would like to open a firm with my brother who is due to graduate at the same time as me. I have never worked in a firm. I'm afraid if I took the LSAT again I would get a similar score, I took a Kaplin course and it didnt improve my score very much. I read so you could only take it 3 times in a 5 year span, and that schools consider all your scores.

They won't consider all your scores. Only the highest.

+1

Also...

You may not take the LSAT more than three times in any two-year period.

source: http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/about-the-lsat/

[Iroh]

Ok guys. Sweet and simple:

152 LSAT, 2.8 gpa (first time I got a 148). Bad scores, but I divorced my husband a last month and times were emotional and rough the past years, so on an addendum for my apps I stated that was the reason I didn't get better grades/ lsat scores.

I've applied to a bunch of schools, but I'm most interested in U of Washington, Syracuse, Wake Forrest, Temple and Seton Hall. Do you guys think i'll get accepted?

Did you mean "year" instead of "years"? I think if your struggles have been going on for multiple years, it's going to be a difficult sell for any admissions committee (either way, I don't think your addendum is going to make a difference). The best way to prove that the past year was a fluke is to have a much higher LSAT score. Because right now, I don't see you getting into any of these schools. Your lowest ranked school, Syracuse, has 152/3.06 for their 25th percentiles. That isn't to say that they absolutely, positively won't accept you, but you are banking on being near the bottom of the incoming class stats-wise.

The best way to convince and admissions committee that they should admit you, despite your poor numbers, is to have really compelling softs. Your softs are fine, but they are not compelling. So you have two options

1) Get better softs
2) Get better numbers

Guess which one is easier to do? Take a year off to work and study for the LSAT. Ditch Kaplan, because they suck. I recommend Manhattan for logical reasoning and reading comprehension, and Velocity for logic games. Other people like Blueprint and LSAT Trainer. Drill all of the subjects and take many, many practice tests. Instead of telling adcomms that the last year was a fluke, SHOW them the last year was a fluke by scoring vastly higher on the LSAT. We are talking 160+, AT LEAST (although 170+ would be ideal).

[Pasontx88]

Thanks you guys for all the honest advice. I was thinking it might be better to re-take but i didn't really want to have to wait another year. I'll think about it some more and go from there. I know a few schools I've applied who are accepting the June LSAT as well, but I don't think that would give me enough time to study.

And thank you Iroh for those study suggestions!

[spleenworship]

Retake. Use study threads on TLS.

Seriously, not taking a year to retake and reapply will only make your life worse. Think it sucks to be divorced? Try being unemployed and $150,000 in non-dischargable debt.