Top Law Schools

I have a 3.7 undergrad GPA (some Bs first year, but after that mostly As) from a top 30 liberal arts schools and 3.9 Master GPA from a top university. I have two years of full-time work experience in my field, abroad experience with a Fulbright, and several relevant internship experiences as an undergrad. I also speak three languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese).

The problem is that my LSAT is very weak. I took it the first time right after undergrad and got a 156 and opted for a Master's instead as my GRE scores were much more competitive. I figured if I could improve this to 160+ I would be at least competitive. I retook it during my last semester of my Master's and my score dropped to a 152 and I was horrified. It probably wasn't the best timing as I was completing my thesis and had several professional and research obligations (which I don't think are worthy of an addendum), just a reflection of the situation.

Is it worth it to apply for a T-14 school? In terms of other stats, I'm a woman, half white, half latina (South American). Thank you!

Depending on your specific South American background, you may get a slight URM boost. But assuming you don't get that, you are absolutely not competitive at the T14 (or at many top regional schools, for that matter).

But the question isn't "Is it worth it to apply for a T-14 school?" The question is whether it's worth it for you to go to the schools you're likely to get at the prices you're likely to pay.

dricalei wrote:I have a 3.7 undergrad GPA (some Bs first year, but after that mostly As) from a top 30 liberal arts schools and 3.9 Master GPA from a top university. I have two years of full-time work experience in my field, abroad experience with a Fulbright, and several relevant internship experiences as an undergrad. I also speak three languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese).

The problem is that my LSAT is very weak. I took it the first time right after undergrad and got a 156 and opted for a Master's instead as my GRE scores were much more competitive. I figured if I could improve this to 160+ I would be at least competitive. I retook it during my last semester of my Master's and my score dropped to a 152 and I was horrified. It probably wasn't the best timing as I was completing my thesis and had several professional and research obligations (which I don't think are worthy of an addendum), just a reflection of the situation.

Is it worth it to apply for a T-14 school? In terms of other stats, I'm a woman, half white, half latina (South American). Thank you!

I'm currently waitlisted at a top 20 school.

dricalei wrote:The problem is that my LSAT is very weak. I took it the first time right after undergrad and got a 156 and opted for a Master's instead as my GRE scores were much more competitive.

How did you determine that your LSAT is weak? What did you do to study first time around? Did you take a course and if so, what one? How long did you study? Did you follow any of the guides on here?

Plenty of folk here have taken 156ish practice scores or even real world scores and turned them into high-160s or above. The LSAT is a learnable test.

There are a lot of people on here recently that are so dead set on their score in the 150s being their LSAT.

I promise you that if you really study and take it for real sometime again that you're going to probably increase to a score as high as 165. That could probably get you into one of the lower-tier T-14 (LSN indicates probably Georgetown). Increase your stat to 170 and you're looking at being open to all of the T-14 except HYS, and LSN even has a few H's in there for those stats.

Your LSAT is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your application at this point. You 3.7 has kept your doors open at every school - many of us cannot say that - but you have to get that LSAT up to have a chance at the top schools/money at 5-14.

Wineburg wrote:There are a lot of people on here recently that are so dead set on their score in the 150s being their LSAT.

I promise you that if you really study and take it for real sometime again that you're going to probably increase to a score as high as 165. That could probably get you into one of the lower-tier T-14 (LSN indicates probably Georgetown). Increase your stat to 170 and you're looking at being open to all of the T-14 except HYS, and LSN even has a few H's in there for those stats.

Your LSAT is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your application at this point. You 3.7 has kept your doors open at every school - many of us cannot say that - but you have to get that LSAT up to have a chance at the top schools/money at 5-14.

I don’t understand why people throw away all their hard work in undergrad because they refuse to retake.

It reminds me of what Mike Spivey, a former admission officer at a few law schools, used to post here. You say how badly you want to go to my school, but will you study?

The LSAT is learnable and people seriously hamper their career - by paying too much and going to low ranked schools- by not studying correctly and retaking.

dricalei wrote:I'm currently waitlisted at a top 20 school.

Ok, then my take is...

Depending on your specific South American background, you may get a slight URM boost. But assuming you don't get that, you are absolutely not competitive at the T14 (or at many top regional schools, for that matter).

But the question isn't "Is it worth it to apply for a T-14 school?" The question is whether it's worth it for you to go to the schools you're likely to get at the prices you're likely to pay.

dricalei wrote:The problem is that my LSAT is very weak. I took it the first time right after undergrad and got a 156 and opted for a Master's instead as my GRE scores were much more competitive.

Wait, don't a bunch of law schools now accept the GRE instead of the LSAT?

L'orDuCommun wrote:

dricalei wrote:The problem is that my LSAT is very weak. I took it the first time right after undergrad and got a 156 and opted for a Master's instead as my GRE scores were much more competitive.

Wait, don't a bunch of law schools now accept the GRE instead of the LSAT?

Unless there's been a change, some schools accept the GRE, but it's only useful if you don't have a reportable LSAT. OP isn't in that position.