Chances at a T14 School Forum

[em114]

Hi all, I’m very new to this forum so bare with me but I was wondering what my chances were at a T14 law school with my current stats:

Currently I’m a first semester senior at a big state university in MA
Major: Political Science and Anthropology
LSAT: Enrolling in a live course and taking this summer (hopefully), aiming for 170+
GPA: 3.92
Other stuff: Non profit work for the homeless, Red cross volunteering, research assistant for a professor who has YLS ties

Possibly also counts but I’m also a minority woman and the first of my family to achieve a degree, I’m also a slightly older student but not by much.

Thanks!

[The Lsat Airbender]

Your LSAT is basically dispositive here - everything else about your profile is awesome and you're live for Yale or a T14 full-ride with a high enough score. Don't rush the test, or the application process.

[Sackboy]

As LSA said, your LSAT could mean that you're stuck attending Minnesota with a half-scholarship, or it could mean that you're attending Chicago with a Ruby/going to Yale. Don't rush the test. If you don't get what you want, sit out a cycle and retake.

[crazywafflez]

Hey, your LSAT score will be the most important part of your application. Are you a minority or a URM? I'm a minority, and first to get a degree in my family as well, but not a URM, so that did not help. If you are a URM (under represented minority) you will get a boost. Your GPA is good, so that should help you in general! Your softs are fine- most folks will have these softs who are aiming for most T1 schools.
If you score a 170+ you are gonna be fine for any school- you may be waitlisted at T6 schools (I'd still bet you'd get in though to all but Y/H/S off the bat). Also, remember that even if you don't get Yale, there are many other great schools in the country- just make sure you get them for a good price.
Make sure to take the LSAT seriously and really study for it!
Best of luck!

[em114]

Hey, your LSAT score will be the most important part of your application. Are you a minority or a URM? I'm a minority, and first to get a degree in my family as well, but not a URM, so that did not help. If you are a URM (under represented minority) you will get a boost. Your GPA is good, so that should help you in general! Your softs are fine- most folks will have these softs who are aiming for most T1 schools.
If you score a 170+ you are gonna be fine for any school- you may be waitlisted at T6 schools (I'd still bet you'd get in though to all but Y/H/S off the bat). Also, remember that even if you don't get Yale, there are many other great schools in the country- just make sure you get them for a good price.
Make sure to take the LSAT seriously and really study for it!
Best of luck!

Thank you for your response! I'm a Puerto Rican woman so that classifies me as a URM. I was definitely aiming toward Yale (Harvard a close second) as the ultimate goal but I know this is all dependent on my LSAT score as well as my essays. I've decided to cut 4 months out of my life to studying for the exam this late spring/summer and I do take this very seriously! I know live courses are expensive but it's the price I'm willing to pay in order to get into the best possible schools in the country. For my last semester as an undergrad would you recommend another research assistant position? I know Yale likes to see students who work closely with professors/value academia a bit more than other schools.

[Sackboy]

For my last semester as an undergrad would you recommend another research assistant position? I know Yale likes to see students who work closely with professors/value academia a bit more than other schools.

As long as it does not affect your grades, I think that sounds good. If it's going to affect your grades by even a hundredth or two, I wouldn't. When you get into the top echelons of the law school rankings, you really don't have too many hundredths to lose on your GPA before you become a candidate that is too far below a school's median. Yale (3.93), Stanford (3.91), and Harvard (3.89) are already encroaching on your GPA, so try to keep it at 3.92 or get it bumped to 3.93, if possible.