Top Law Schools

3.46 LSAC GPA (UC Berkeley UG), going straight out of UG
1.57 & 158 LSAT
Softs are in good order
Have good letters of recommendation
Non URM and male

Shots at UC hastings? Perhaps UC Davis?

I want to stay in North Cal most likely. Maybe do Public interest. Please help!

PS. I have been a long time lurker on these forums, so I anticipate many people recommending retaking LSAT to boost score, and I will probably be doing that soon. But, for now I just want to know what want to know what my shots are in the meantime.

Check out www.mylsn.info for chances

BigZuck wrote:Check out http://www.mylsn.info for chances

Thanks, I will.

I was more interested in other peoples opinions or whether or not anyone who has already applied could speak about personal experiences.

Retake

Judge-a-saurus wrote:

BigZuck wrote:Check out http://www.mylsn.info for chances

Thanks, I will.

I was more interested in other peoples opinions or whether or not anyone who has already applied could speak about personal experiences.

No one here is really going to give you any better insight on what your chances are better than that site will.

What kinds of personal experiences are you looking for people to share?

retake if you want Norcal, or any law job for that matter.

Retake or don't go

UCB is a good undergrad degree I'd try to get a job from that

I'll echo everyone else and say you should retake. I followed the advice and it panned out better than I could have imagined.

Good luck!

Good Guy Gaud wrote:I'll echo everyone else and say you should retake. I followed the advice and it panned out better than I could have imagined.

Good luck!

Yes, like I said, I am planning a retake (99% likely). Could you elaborate on how retaking helped you?

Pneumonia wrote:retake if you want Norcal, or any law job for that matter.

But UC Davis and UC Hastings have good employment prospects in north Cal from the research I have done. Obviously I would like a higher ranked school than those 2. However, I don't think that it is likely with my current score (precluding a retake that is).

Judge-a-saurus wrote:

Good Guy Gaud wrote:I'll echo everyone else and say you should retake. I followed the advice and it panned out better than I could have imagined.

Good luck!

Yes, like I said, I am planning a retake (99% likely). Could you elaborate on how retaking helped you?

Elaborate on how it helped me or what I did?

It helped me (1) get into better schools (2) with a boat load of scholarship $$$. It also gave me some time between UG and law school to enjoy my life and get some clarity.

You want personal stories? Alright, this is why I think maxing out LSAT retakes is TCR for 90% of people:

I took the LSAT 3 times and it was by far the most difficult year of my life. I hated that test and it consumed me, but it has paid off more than I could ever imagine and I am so glad I retook it.

If I had stayed with my first and second scores, I maybe would have gotten into USC/UCLA (I'm from CA) but it would have been at sticker price. That would have been almost a quarter of a million dollars in debt at time of repayment. After taking the LSAT a 3rd time, I was accepted into UChicago and down with $$. Not only am I going to a school with vastly better employment prospects, but it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for me now that I have a scholarship.

Even if you score lower on a retake (I did on my second one somehow) it won't matter (except for Yale I think). Schools only care about your highest score so for the vast majority of people, retaking to max out your score and reach your potential is super important.

Don't even think about the schools you could get into now with a 158; it shouldn't matter. Dedicate your life to retaking and crush it. It'll change your future

hairbear7 wrote:You want personal stories? Alright, this is why I think maxing out LSAT retakes is TCR for 90% of people:

I took the LSAT 3 times and it was by far the most difficult year of my life. I hated that test and it consumed me, but it has paid off more than I could ever imagine and I am so glad I retook it.

If I had stayed with my first and second scores, I maybe would have gotten into USC/UCLA (I'm from CA) but it would have been at sticker price. That would have been almost a quarter of a million dollars in debt at time of repayment. After taking the LSAT a 3rd time, I was accepted into UChicago and down with $$. Not only am I going to a school with vastly better employment prospects, but it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for me now that I have a scholarship.

Even if you score lower on a retake (I did on my second one somehow) it won't matter (except for Yale I think). Schools only care about your highest score so for the vast majority of people, retaking to max out your score and reach your potential is super important.

Don't even think about the schools you could get into now with a 158; it shouldn't matter. Dedicate your life to retaking and crush it. It'll change your future

Alright! That's great motivation, Hairbear7! Thanks so much!

Do schools really only consider your highest score? I have heard that many schools average it out or might even take the lower scores into consideration when you apply.

Yep! I mean the schools can see all your scores and may "take it into account" but the highest LSAT score is the only one they have to report when you matriculate (and thus is the only score that affects their rankings).

Definitely retake. I had a very similar experience to hairbear -- 3 takes over the course of a year. I jumped 13 points on my third take, and my options and outcomes couldn't be more different than if I had succumbed to the desire to be "done" with the LSAT. Retaking is tedious and mentally draining, but it will save you tens of thousands of dollars.

If you break 170, you are looking at options in the lower T14 with money. Retake and profit!

Alright guys, I'm fucking retaking! Thanks for the pep talk. Much appreciated.