URM AA -- UGPA 3.0 , 170+ , read inside for more info Forum

[MyNameIsntJames]

Hello everyone, I'm relatively new to these forums as a member but I've been following posts on here for well over a year.

Basically I want to ask you what my chances are at law school right now.

To give you some background information:

I am an AA male, 22 years old and I graduated last May (Class of 2015).

My UGPA was 3.18, but after adjusting for LSAC calculations (retaken classes and my University grants diff Quality Points for +/- letter grades) my GPA stands at a 3.0. I finished on an upward trend, however, of 3.7 my last two years at the University of Maryland (Big 10 school). My first semester of Senior year, I received straight A's.

I have already taken the LSAT and I received a score of 161 the first time I took it during my senior year. I'm going to retake it again in September and I am aiming for a 170+. I believe it is more than possible and am currently scoring in the upper 160s on practice exams right now. I think if I continue to diligently study this summer a 170+ should be a very plausible result.

I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and have experienced conquering financial and familial adversity to persevere. I am an extraordinarily diverse individual and have seen and experienced the lives of those with great financial adversity and wealth, giving me a unique perspective on life. I've grown up around both poor and rich people of all nationalities.

I have a strong background in philanthropy. I've worked, interned and volunteered at numerous non-profits and even received recognition in my school's newspaper for my work between a non-profit and a student organization (which I created and remained president of from Junior year to graduation) to create a concert that raised over $2,500 for cancer support. I also spent some time traveling to different schools within inner city Baltimore and giving speeches to youth to encourage them to deal with adversity etc.

Extracurricular wise, I've always excelled musically. I won my high school's John Philip Sousa Award for instrumentation and was selected as the 2nd best trumpet player in the State of Maryland through the MMEA (All State Association) and have verifiable documentation for both things happening.

I hope this post doesn't sound too pretentious. I'm a regular person with flaws just like everyone else and I'm surely no genius as you probably gathered from my GPA. It wasn't until later in my college career that I gained the necessary experience and maturity to take school seriously and make a concerted effort at being very successful.

My ultimate goal is to go to HLS. That's been my dream for the last two and a half years. I'm not sure how plausible this is or what my chances are, but I'm hoping one of you knowledgeable individuals here can evaluate my situation and let me know. Feel free to offer any advice, suggestions, criticisms or questions! My mind is completely open.

[HYPSM]

I'm not sure what the point of this thread is -- you currently do not have an LSAT score (that is over 170).

Are you looking for assurance that if you get 170+, you will get into HLS? With your GPA, you will need to get well over 170 to get into Harvard. I know of one URM that got into HLS with a 3.3 and he had 175+; check on LSN and see for yourself.

Your softs/extra-curricular activities will make essentially no difference; law schools admission is a numbers-based game (with a few exceptions).

Come back after you get a real score. These threads are kind of pointless without an LSAT score.

[jnwa]

I have slightly better stats than you 3.29 173 as an AA male and got dinged from Harvard with no JS1. I also didn't have your work experience and softs but in all honesty those play a limited role. From my observations this cycle, Harvard strongly prefers high GPA URM's to high LSAT URM's so I don't think your chances are great there. The good news is that with a 170+ you'll have a decent shot at anywhere outside Harvard Yale Stanford. You have a small chance at Berkeley and Chicago(I didn't get either but they might just have hated my lack of non-sports softs). The rest of the t14 should be attainable.

[njkga]

Right now you don't have a 170+

Good luck, certainly, but don't count your chickens etc.

If all you're interested in is hypothetical situations, just go play around on mylsn

[t-14orbust]

as of now you're only a hypothetical panty-dropper

[Hennessy]

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