Top Law Schools

Long time lurker, first time poster. AA male, 1-2 yrs removed from UG, 3.97 gpa, 171 lsat, average softs, was wondering what my chances were at Yale and Stanford. I don't want to go to Harvard so i'm not going to apply, but i'm also applying to columbia, nyu and a few other t-14 schools, however my top choices are yls and sls. I plugged in my stats on lsn, but the sample size for AA's with my numbers is so infinitesimally small that the data didn't really enable me to deduce what my chances are. Should I retake ? Any feedback appreciated.

Very good chances at one or the other or both. It's worth it to apply to H even if you don't want to go. Trust me on this one.

Don't bother retaking, in my opinion, unless you apply and don't get in to the school you want most between Y and S. Unless you were regularly PTing at 178. Maybe even then.

flawedargument wrote:Don't bother retaking, in my opinion, unless you apply and don't get in to the school you want most between Y and S. Unless you were regularly PTing at 178. Maybe even then.

Thanks for the feedback, i'll throw an app to H, but even if I get in, it's extremely doubtful that i'd attend. Thanks again.

drumpf wrote:Thanks for the feedback, i'll throw an app to H, but even if I get in, it's extremely doubtful that i'd attend. Thanks again.

My magic 8-ball says, "He cannot fail!"

Watch this video on "African-Americans, Law Schools and the LSAT, with Professor Alex Johnson." Let former chair of the Law School Admissions Council, Prof. Johnson, explain laboriously why you have a golden ticket and the rest of your life will be a dream. Congratulations on your hard work!

(Per Prof. Johnson, as an AA your subgroup score scale differential is one sigma or standard deviation below the mean applicant. Consequently, your individual 98%ile score which makes you an elite is only compounded by subgroup membership. If the LSAT were ball, scouts would be camped in front of your house, you would have a trading card, and Allen Edmonds would release a custom shoe named in your honor. Because it isn't, the opportunities open to you are merely mind boggling. I suspect you will cope.)

6σ

I'd be shocked if you did not get in everywhere. You'd have a shot at YS even if you were a white male (albeit not a lock), e.g., you are at or above both medians for SLS. But you're an AA male, and your numbers are probably put you in the top 10 to 20 AA applicants in the country.

Congrats on Yale!!

Very curious; why don't you want to go to Harvard?

somedeadman wrote:Very curious; why don't you want to go to Harvard?

Numerous reasons but, the principle one is that it's too big, I want to go to a small school like Yale or Stanford. My parents however are obsessed with lay prestige and are pressuring me to apply to H so in the end I probably will.

Even if you don't want to go to Harvard, it might be helpful to see what their financial aid offer is. In theory, HYS all offer only need-based aid. But there's some subjectivity in the calculation of need, so if H offers more than S or Y, you might be able to use that for some leverage to squeeze a bit more out of them. (This is assuming that you might be eligible for some aid, which might not be the case.) Plus, while you seem like a lock everywhere, it doesn't hurt to throw out another application just to maximize your chances at getting into a top 3 school.