Chances for UVA/ other VA schools? Forum

[themostwanted]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting (though I've been lurking hard for the past two weeks) so please go easy on me. I've searched the forums but haven't found much that fits my profile closely.

My dream school would be to go to UVA but currently my 152 LSAT may be prohibitive. However, I do have some other factors that may benefit me there. I went to UVA for undergrad and am an in state resident coming from southern Virginia. I'm not a URM but I know UVA excepts 40% in-state residents and southern Virginia was really underrepresented in undergrad. Would coming from rural southern Virginia and being a first generation college student give me any boost for UVA law school admissions? Also, UGPA from UVA is a 3.81, double majoring in Politics and History, and my letters of recommendation of course would be from UVA professors. If I ED'd on day 1 of applications to UVA with a good Personal Statement, Diversity Statement, and Why UVA essay do you think they could get over my low LSAT if it doesn't improve significantly in the coming retakes or am I stuck going to Liberty

(I am planning on retaking the LSAT in June but this test is very hard in my opinion. I struggle to finish the sections in time, and on my real December test I don't think I finished any section completely. Idk how greatly I can improve, I'd be happy with breaking the 160's)

[cavalier1138]

You will not get UVA, and you should not go to Liberty (unless you're really interested in the specific niche jobs that Liberty will offer you).

What are your career goals?

[albanach]

You will not get UVA, and you should not go to Liberty (unless you're really interested in the specific niche jobs that Liberty will offer you).

What are your career goals?

That needs a caveat. You won't get into UVA with a score in the low 160s.

You've only been on this board for two weeks. You need to spend serious time looking at the LSAT forum. Work out a study plan and score high 160s/low 170s.

The test is hard because you're unprepared. Forget about June unless you plan to study full time between now and then. Aim for the fall and, with your GPA and in-state status you could do it.

[themostwanted]

You will not get UVA, and you should not go to Liberty (unless you're really interested in the specific niche jobs that Liberty will offer you).

What are your career goals?

Well my career goals are fluid tbh, I'm most interested in public interest law but I realize these positions are competitive and may not pay the best. I'd take whatever I could get to pay for law school and make a living, with my ultimate goal to return home and open my own office in my community. The latter is my ULTIMATE goal, where I have to go and what I have to do in the interim isn't as big a deal as long as it pays the bills and makes me enough money to return home.

And I see your username is cavalier do you really think that going to UVA for undergrad and doing well still couldn't overcome a subpar LSAT? Would it be any boost?

I'm really worried that I may never have a good LSAT score...you guys with the 170s amaze me, you guys must be machines.

[trebekismyhero]

Going to UVA will give you a very minor boost, definitely won't overcome a score in the 150s. What did you do to study for the LSAT? If you have a 3.81 at UVA there is no reason that with proper studying you can't get in the mid-160s at least. Right now with a 152 any school that would accept you is not worth attending

[themostwanted]

Going to UVA will give you a very minor boost, definitely won't overcome a score in the 150s. What did you do to study for the LSAT? If you have a 3.81 at UVA there is no reason that with proper studying you can't get in the mid-160s at least. Right now with a 152 any school that would accept you is not worth attending

Well I bought a Barron's Logic Games book to learn how chart logic games and I bought the 10 practice tests and took them. I was scoring consistently in the mid-150s. So this test isn't really much of anomaly surprisingly--I was so nervous I got no sleep and my timing was much worse for the real thing than in practice with so much second guessing under pressure. I thought I was doing well to have prepped for a month, until I found this forum.

I'm scared I can't improve :/ in undergrad I was amazed at people's SAT scores and how they trained for them...where I'm from we just showed up and took the tests and hoped for the best back then. On the LSAT I struggle just to get everything read in time much less think about the answers. I'm glad I found this forum, only wish I had found it sooner and realized what exactly I was in for. What kind of regimen would I realistically need to improve to that level in general? A couple hours everyday for 3 months?

[trebekismyhero]

Going to UVA will give you a very minor boost, definitely won't overcome a score in the 150s. What did you do to study for the LSAT? If you have a 3.81 at UVA there is no reason that with proper studying you can't get in the mid-160s at least. Right now with a 152 any school that would accept you is not worth attending

Well I bought a Barron's Logic Games book to learn how chart logic games and I bought the 10 practice tests and took them. I was scoring consistently in the mid-150s. So this test isn't really much of anomaly surprisingly--I was so nervous I got no sleep and my timing was much worse for the real thing than in practice with so much second guessing under pressure. I thought I was doing well to have prepped for a month, until I found this forum.

I'm scared I can't improve :/ in undergrad I was amazed at people's SAT scores and how they trained for them...where I'm from we just showed up and took the tests and hoped for the best back then. On the LSAT I struggle just to get everything read in time much less think about the answers. I'm glad I found this forum, only wish I had found it sooner and realized what exactly I was in for. What kind of regimen would I realistically need to improve to that level in general? A couple hours everyday for 3 months?

You didn't do nearly enough studying or the right studying. The LSAT is not like the ACT or SAT where a few practice tests are enough. You should be studying at least a couple hours a day for 3 months. I did a prep class (a lot cheaper and better than Kaplan), but plenty of other ppl have self studied and done really well. Go on the LSAT forum here and read up on the best practices for LSAT studying

[ponderingmeerkat]

do you really think that going to UVA for undergrad and doing well still couldn't overcome a subpar LSAT? Would it be any boost?

Going to UVA UG isn't going to help you.

"But why???" I hear you asking.

Well, law school deans and adcomms have their job performance (heavily!) evaluated based on how their school is doing in the US News and World Report Law School rankings. And USNWR doesn't have a "How many UG bros from your fine institution are admitted to your fine institution's law school?" metric for their rankings. If they did, deans would all of sudden give a shit that you went to UVA UG and adjust fire accordingly.

Instead, the LSAT is the most heavily weighted item followed closely by GPA and URM status. So, you're weak exactly where you need to be strong. Ultimately, even if you're super good buddy bros with Dean Faulk and were UG roommates with his son, you aren't getting in with a 152 (or probably even a 162) because he has no interest in risking "lateral career broadening" as well as food getting taken out of his kids mouths to hook up UVA undergrads. Not gunna happen...sorry.

So, study again for the LSAT. Gun for a 168 (median) and preferably 169+ (75th) and reapply.

Oh and, don't go to Liberty. (Or Regent.) (Or Appalachian.) Maybe W&L, George Mason, or W&M if you're happy practicing in this region and they give you a solid scholly.

Good luck!

[themostwanted]

I hear you meerkat, and hope I didn't hit a nerve. I had read how important the medians and rankings are to a school and knew it'd be a stretch with my current numbers (which I want improve.) The only reason I asked now was I had heard UVA admits 40% of its class to state residents. So being in-state is one advantage I would say as you are competing with far less people. My next thought process was I had read admissions like to pick people who would be a good fit for their school; where as I don't have the numbers, I do have my undergraduate record to show I can fit in and do well atleast at that level. *and I thought I heard long long ago that UVA grads may get some seats reserved though I can't verify that*. So my hope was that with a subpar LSAT maybe I could still be viable for ED next cycle if I submitted early.

Again, I understand what you're saying and agree with it and I appreciate you keeping it real. I'm still new to all this and trying to figure it out. It's all like a puzzle to me and I'm just examining the pieces right now

[CR7]

I hear you meerkat, and hope I didn't hit a nerve. I had read how important the medians and rankings are to a school and knew it'd be a stretch with my current numbers (which I want improve.) The only reason I asked now was I had heard UVA admits 40% of its class to state residents. So being in-state is one advantage I would say as you are competing with far less people. My next thought process was I had read admissions like to pick people who would be a good fit for their school; where as I don't have the numbers, I do have my undergraduate record to show I can fit in and do well atleast at that level. *and I thought I heard long long ago that UVA grads may get some seats reserved though I can't verify that*. So my hope was that with a subpar LSAT maybe I could still be viable for ED next cycle if I submitted early.

Again, I understand what you're saying and agree with it and I appreciate you keeping it real. I'm still new to all this and trying to figure it out. It's all like a puzzle to me and I'm just examining the pieces right now

If you're intent on staying in VA, you may want to also look at GMU and W&M.

[albanach]

I hear you meerkat, and hope I didn't hit a nerve. I had read how important the medians and rankings are to a school and knew it'd be a stretch with my current numbers (which I want improve.) The only reason I asked now was I had heard UVA admits 40% of its class to state residents. So being in-state is one advantage I would say as you are competing with far less people.

Fortunately for UVA, there are enough applicants from VA that they can maintain pretty much the same class profile from the 40% in-state.

[ponderingmeerkat]

hope I didn't hit a nerve.

You're good dude. No worries--no nerves hit. Just wanted to bluntly drive home the motivators that drive adcomm behavior. Good luck man.