163/3.79 Chances at schools between 15 and 30 Forum

[peege]

I'm retaking the LSAT this coming Saturday, but got a 163 on my last go-round and want to know what my chances are if that score doesn't improve.
Stats:
LSAT: 163
GPA: 3.79
Undergrad: Big state school, ranked Public Health program
Major: Public Health
2 years experience working at a law firm, 8-month internship with South Carolina Attorney General, a few minor leadership positions
I'm K-JD
I want to know my chances of getting in at: Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Alabama and what a scholarship would look like at Boston University, Boston College, and GWU with my current score. I'll be submitting as soon as December scores are released. Any insight will ease my mind!

[ddevich]

It seems like you will perform exactly at your numbers.

mylsn.info will be your best bet. Everyone else here will suggest you use this as well. It's not 100% accurate by any means, but it will give you a general idea of your chances.

[cavalier1138]

Yeah, use MyLSN.

In addition to that, don't be a K-JD. Your school choices are all over the place, and it's not at all clear what you want to do with your degree based on how widely you're casting your net at this point.

[HenryHankPalmer]

Good decision to retake. With your GPA and WE, a few more points on the LSAT can make an insane difference in your outcomes. Even with a 2-3 point increase, you are very competitive at all of the schools you mentioned.Anecdotally, I retook with a 163 and ended up with a 168. With that score, I'm already in at one T20 with close to a full and another school just outside the T30 with $$$, and my GPA isn't nearly as good as yours. Good luck this weekend!

[peege]

Yeah, use MyLSN.

In addition to that, don't be a K-JD. Your school choices are all over the place, and it's not at all clear what you want to do with your degree based on how widely you're casting your net at this point.

Honestly I'm casting a wide net because I stayed home for undergrad and would prefer to get out of the southeast. I moved around growing up so I don't really care where I end up. If I tell you I want to take a general litigation approach and do business/contracts/probate does that make it any clearer?

[cavalier1138]

Honestly I'm casting a wide net because I stayed home for undergrad and would prefer to get out of the southeast. I moved around growing up so I don't really care where I end up. If I tell you I want to take a general litigation approach and do business/contracts/probate does that make it any clearer?

Not really. For starters, none of the specific fields you mentioned are litigation (unless you were referring to specifically litigating disputes that crop up in those areas). But the whole "I don't care where I go," attitude only makes sense if you're thinking of where you go to school. But you're talking about potentially being stuck in a state/region for over a decade.

There are a plethora of other reasons to not go to K-JD, but not having a clear idea of where you want to practice when applying to regional schools is a big one.