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I just (as everyone else did) got my September LSAT score, and figured I'd finally break my period of lurking here to ask for some insight and wisdom. =)

My Sep. LSAT score is 171 (yay!), and my previous LSAT (Feb 09) was 166, so I made a marked improvement there. Over the past 3 semesters I have gotten straight A's, and pulled my GPA up to 3.5 (3.49 according to LSAC, grrr). Unfortunately, I don't have any really impressive softs. I did volunteer service learning with the Junior Achievers program, I was on my undergrad's Mock Trial team, and am a participating member of PAD, but little else of note.

I've been looking over the percentiles and averages of the T14 and figure I might have a decent chance at a few of them, particularly Cornell. If I get fee waivers, I will of course be applying to the entire T14, just in case.

Does anybody have any extra wisdom they could grant me? What other schools in the T14 would be likely candidates for me to set my focus on?

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So I really do have a fairly good chance of making Cornell, then? Is there anything I can do to improve that chance?

At the end of this semester I plan on adding 5 more A's to my transcript, bringing my LSAC GPA up to 3.56. Will that make a significant difference enough that I should wait to apply until those come through (or will the school merely hold my application instead of denying me outright, so that I'll be able to send a second transcript for review?)

Don't wait to send your application. If you have not heard back by the time your grades come out (and you probably won't) it's perfectly acceptable to send and updated transcript or a letter/e-mail notifying them of this development.

Am I missing something, or doesn't a 171/3.5 pretty much get you in Michigan, GULC and Duke?

You're likely in at Cornell and Georgetown, 50/50 at Duke, and rejected from the rest of the T14.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone!

And im_blue, not that I disagree, but what makes you think that I'll be flat rejected by most of the T14 besides Cornell/Georgetown/Duke? GPA? If so, do you think my 3.56 at the end of December will make any significant difference?

mb88 wrote:Thanks for all of the replies everyone!

And im_blue, not that I disagree, but what makes you think that I'll be flat rejected by most of the T14 besides Cornell/Georgetown/Duke? GPA? If so, do you think my 3.56 at the end of December will make any significant difference?

Just based on LSN results - many schools have unofficial GPA cutoffs around 3.5-3.6 and you fall below that line. If you bump that GPA up to 3.56, you should be in at Duke, and 50/50 at Michigan and Virginia.

So if I don't hear back from the schools before my new grades come out, I'm welcome to send them. Is it that unlikely that they will deny me before seeing my updated grades?

I would expect you to have an outstanding chance at Cornell. You're in top 25% for LSAT easily, and within their middle 50th percentile for GPA.

I'm applying there with numbers a little lower than yours albeit with a strong soft (PhD). Good luck!

I'd like to update myself to say that I just received an email inviting me to Duke's priority track application program, and a fee waiver.

Does this speak to my odds of acceptance there, or is it just something I can participate in to save time?

congrats on PT. I have pretty much exactly the same stats, so best of luck to you this cycle! I haven't gotten priority track (yet??, i wish) but from what I've seen in here, they only invite those they're really likely to autoadmit, so thats definitely a good sign! i think everyone who's heard back on tls this cycle has gotten accepted from it so far, though not positive on that one.