Applying as science major - GPA 4.0, GRE 332 Forum

[comicsanslife]

Can I apply T14 and is it possible to get scholarships like a full ride? If I don't get in, does being a reapplicant hurt my chances for T14 and scholarships?

I'm relatively late coming onto the law track, so I haven't even taken the LSAT. However, I have a 4.0+ LSAC GPA (B.S. in molecular biology) from a UC and 165V/167Q GRE with a 4.5 (out of 6) on the essay. According to ETS, the company that administers the GRE, my GRE score is the same as a 172 LSAT.

For this cycle, my tentative school list is Harvard, Columbia, NYU, and maybe Georgetown. After sending my apps in, I'm going to prep for the LSAT to build a stronger profile in case I need to reapply. If I reapply, I'll still aim for T14.

Thanks.

[cavalier1138]

Unless you've been working and/or have a graduate degree in a scientific field, you're likely to get lowballed/rejected if you apply with only a GRE score. The ETS GRE-to-LSAT "conversion" is meaningless.

If you're serious about becoming a lawyer, take the LSAT, and apply broadly across the T13. A strong LSAT will make you competitive anywhere.

[QContinuum]

Unless you've been working and/or have a graduate degree in a scientific field, you're likely to get lowballed/rejected if you apply with only a GRE score. The ETS GRE-to-LSAT "conversion" is meaningless.

If you're serious about becoming a lawyer, take the LSAT, and apply broadly across the T13. A strong LSAT will make you competitive anywhere.

It's impossible to accurately predict GRE-only applicants' chances from the outside, because there's simply no publicly available data out there (and there's zero public evidence any law school admissions office relies on or even considers ETS' conversion tool). That said, my opinion is that cav overstates the case against the GRE. Yes, some schools have indicated that they really only consider GRE-only applicants who have a graduate experience or significant work experience, but others have suggested they're willing to consider GRE-only applicants more broadly. The GRE's treatment likely varies significantly from school to school, in a manner that's impossible to predict from the outside.

A 332 does look like an objectively great GRE score. And, the fact that OP has a 4.0 GPA is also likely to give adcoms increased confidence in that 332 GRE. That said, as noted above, we just can't predict with confidence which schools OP's likely to get into, let alone how much (if any) merit aid OP's likely to be awarded.

I also second cav's (implied) advice to OP to be sure they actually want to practice law. "Relatively late coming onto the law track", especially coupled with indicators like applying sans LSAT, often (though not always) suggests a sudden shift to law out of desperation. No 0L should ever go to law school out of desperation.