3.54 GPA / 177 LSAT Forum

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halfelfhalfbot

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3.54 GPA / 177 LSAT

Post by halfelfhalfbot » Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:18 pm

3.54 undergrad GPA. Took the LSAT once in February and got a 177.

I have a BS in Bioengineering, but I am 29 and have been out of school for about 7 years. In that time I have worked as a teacher and a musician. It's kind of a strange CV, I know.

My top choice is NYU, but I am interested in all of the top 14.

What are my chances?

Thanks in advance y'all I appreciate it!

crazywafflez

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Re: 3.54 GPA / 177 LSAT

Post by crazywafflez » Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:35 am

halfelfhalfbot wrote:
Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:18 pm
3.54 undergrad GPA. Took the LSAT once in February and got a 177.

I have a BS in Bioengineering, but I am 29 and have been out of school for about 7 years. In that time I have worked as a teacher and a musician. It's kind of a strange CV, I know.

My top choice is NYU, but I am interested in all of the top 14.

What are my chances?

Thanks in advance y'all I appreciate it!
You've got a great LSAT. Make sure to apply early and apply widely. NYU is fine, but I'd much rather go to Cornell for free. Apply to all the T14 and just go to the one that gives you the best scholarship. I'd also consider applying to a T20 in the region you want to practice in (as I think you'd get a terrific scholarship and it could be worth pursuing). But yes, you are competitive for the T14, unsure about the T6 due to the recent LSAT inflation, but I'd still apply to CCN on down. I'd even take my shot at HYS just cause you never know. Best of luck.

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LochnerEra

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Re: 3.54 GPA / 177 LSAT

Post by LochnerEra » Thu Oct 21, 2021 3:17 am

With the rare score of 177 you'll be accepted to all or nearly all of the T14. Your "unconventional" CV and relatively low GPA won't be enough to detract from an entrance exam score that's well above that of most incoming T3 students. (Emphasis on "unconventional" because it's hard to tell whether that's a plus or minus.)

Instead of asking what your chances are, ask yourself where you'd like to live during school, and how important financial assistance is. I've heard that it's not terribly difficult to land a decent scholarship at Northwestern. If you're just looking for fit and aren't too debt-averse, go wherever you like - NYU is a great school. Congrats - it's great to be spoiled for choice.

MountainMama

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Re: 3.54 GPA / 177 LSAT

Post by MountainMama » Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:16 pm

I applied two years ago with a 3.6/174, also 7+ years out of college with some "unconventional" work history. FWIW, I was waitlisted at Columbia, NYU, Penn, Michigan, Georgetown, USC, UCLA, and WashU, rejected at Harvard and Berkeley. Admissions were way more competitive last year.

177 is a fantastic LSAT score but I'm not sure how much of a difference is made by every extra point past the 75% percentile. Some schools might just see you as a quintessential >75th LSAT/<25th GPA splitter.

Echoing crazywafflez, I recommend applying widely and keeping an open mind. Why is NYU your top choice?

I also think there will be disproportionate attention given to your letters of recommendation and personal statement. I think schools are more concerned with "why law" when there isn't something obvious in the resume. How does your background in bioengineering relate to your interest in law school? Is practicing as a lawyer a burning passion? Or are you a good test-taker looking for a more stable career? I feel like schools disfavor the latter, so the more smoke your can blow about "after years of teaching, I realized the law is my one true calling" the better.

The Lsat Airbender

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Re: 3.54 GPA / 177 LSAT

Post by The Lsat Airbender » Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:39 pm

LochnerEra wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 3:17 am
With the rare score of 177 you'll be accepted to all or nearly all of the T14.
This is comically bullish. OP has great chances in the T14 but they could realistically get in to only a couple (or none) based on how last year went.

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