3.41 GPA/149 LSAT Forum

[saraxmarie94]

I have a 3.4 GPA at Binghamton University with a 149 LSAT score. I am retaking the December LSAT and hoping to get around a 152/153 at least. I am applying to Cardozo, Brooklyn, St. Johns, Syracuse, Albany, New York Law School, and Hofstra. Chances?

[oil]

Please retake and shoot for much higher than 153. Very large chance of ruining your life if you attend a school that will accept you with a 149 (or even a 153).

[silenttimer]

not sure if serious.

[Traynor Brah]

You would be making a colossal mistake by attending law school with these numbers (or your anticipated numbers). There simply will not be a justifiable option. You will get in at several poor schools, but at effectively any of the options you'll have, you'll be setting yourself up to completely ruin your 20s and your foreseeable financial future. Start by doing some reading at e.g. lawschooltransparency.com and insidethelawschoolscam.blogspot.com. If you can't break even the 160 threshold--a score which would still only provide options that are objectively pretty poor for most people's goals and circumstances--you need to choose another career path.

[CanadianWolf]

You should be admitted to Albany. Albany is fine if you want to work in state government since it places well there. The primary concern is cost ( COA = cost of attendance). You need to retake for a 154 or above to get major scholarship money from Albany. For Syracuse, you need to get a 157 or higher for significant scholarship money.

[pancakes3]

You should be admitted to Albany. Albany is fine if you want to work in state government since it places well there. The primary concern is cost ( COA = cost of attendance). You need to retake for a 154 or above to get major scholarship money from Albany. For Syracuse, you need to get a 157 or higher for significant scholarship money.

You don't think that the primary concern is employment outcome?

[CanadianWolf]

Yes, I do, but Albany or Syracuse on scholarship should enable one to start the practice of law in state government or in a small firm without crippling debt.

[Traynor Brah]

You should be admitted to Albany. Albany is fine if you want to work in state government since it places well there. The primary concern is cost ( COA = cost of attendance). You need to retake for a 154 or above to get major scholarship money from Albany. For Syracuse, you need to get a 157 or higher for significant scholarship money.

OP: note that two-fifths of all Albany graduates are unable to find any full-time employment as a lawyer within 10 months of graduation. http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/albany/. Syracuse is even worse in overall placement, though things are marginally better for top students. http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/syracuse/. If you consider such numbers "fine" (you shouldn't), it is crucial that you get ~a full ride. That is going to require a much better lsat.

If your current lsat was legitimately a serious effort, too, even if you secure employment, you're someone who statistically is at risk of failing the bar (which is not a joke in New York).

[03152016]

You should be admitted to Albany. Albany is fine if you want to work in state government since it places well there. The primary concern is cost ( COA = cost of attendance). You need to retake for a 154 or above to get major scholarship money from Albany. For Syracuse, you need to get a 157 or higher for significant scholarship money.

according to albany's most recent aba disclosures, more albany grads are listed as "non-employed" than working in "government"

[CanadianWolf]

I think that we agree. But do not be afraid of the New York state bar exam as it is the 33rd hardest among the state bar exams. Albany law grads exceed the overall pass rate for the New York state bar.

[CanadianWolf]

Sure, but Albany on scholarship is fine for one looking at state government, small firm or solo practice.

[03152016]

damn traynor, those are some grim stats. 59.2% employment score when you subtract out school-funded positions
and for that privilege they charge $217,855 debt-at-repayment: http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... osts/2014/

it turns out the ny state legislature isn't the most corrupt thing in albany

[CanadianWolf]

You made me LOL & cry at the same time. That's why I stress "on scholarship".

[03152016]

ya scholarship to a school with 59.2% employment what a deal

[pancakes3]

A bit off topic but a 149 is a raw score of around 50, or getting about half of the answers wrong. Not only that, it's amazingly the 40th-ish percentile.

OP, there is so much room for improvement on the LSAT - don't be satisfied with a 153. You can hit 160+ but you'll have to work for it.

[CanadianWolf]

Best advice yet.

[Troianii]

I have a 3.4 GPA at Binghamton University with a 149 LSAT score. I am retaking the December LSAT and hoping to get around a 152/153 at least. I am applying to Cardozo, Brooklyn, St. Johns, Syracuse, Albany, New York Law School, and Hofstra. Chances?

eh... yeah, I hate to say that the guys sounding like jerks are right, but they are. You should retake in December, and in February if need be. You can do a ten point bump - for a short time, make LSAT prep your life. The simple reality is that you won't get into Cardozo, which is the best of those options, and the other options offer you mediocre job prospects and probably won't give you much scholarship if any with your LSAT. Coming out of a school like St. Johns or Syracuse isn't horrible - if you get an all expenses paid trip there.

I gather that you want to live in NY - try to bump up your score, and try for Fordham at least. But without bumping up your score, you're going to be stuck HOPING to get into the bottom rung of the 2nd tier schools in the NY area. You don't want that. Study your butt off, get a private tutor if you have to, and bump up your score at bare minimum six points, but you're really, really going to want more than that.