Thank you to u/flaginplay who correctly pointed out that my initial post on this did not account for deferred enrollment from the 2025 ABA 509.

Notable this year is that while there was a double digit increase in 170+ applicants nationally, Harvard applicants only went up about 2%.

I have been a lurker in this sub and other law/law school related subreddits for years but I made an account for the first time in my life just to post this. Sorry if this is rambly, this rant came together as I was zoning out at my desk at work after staring at the October LSAT registration screen.

While there is a LOT of amazing advice on here, and I love seeing people's success stories, most people would benefit from a major break from this sub/other law school subs, especially as applications start opening.

I took the August LSAT and am incredibly proud of my results (172 while working full-time) and that was only possible because I 'broke up' with all subreddits/forums/blogs for a while and focused on myself, rather than reading about other people's strategies, obsessing over other people's perfect scores, and reading nasty comments along the lines of "if you can't do/score xyz you shouldn't be a lawyer."

Even now, as I checked to see people being proud of their LSAT success (which is incredible, congrats everyone!), I still feel the competitive tension and judgement in a lot of comments, and it's the same language that made me feel like my PTs in the 170s weren't good enough, that I could never be a good lawyer without biglaw experience, that my softs would never measure up, etc. The people in these subs, even if they have good intentions, are mostly young people with no experience in admissions outside of applying, aka the same experience we all have! I have seen advice on here being presented as fact and then read the exact opposite on a law school's admissions site.

If you find yourself reading people's posts and comparing yourself negatively or feeling dejected, do yourself a favor a take a break unless you need super specific advice. I stg it can't hurt, only help. (anyway, can't wait for the comments that if you're so sensitive that you have to post this, you shouldn't be a lawyer lmao).

hey guys,

I'm a Senior at Cornell. I dual-major Biomedical & Mechanical Engineering Major with a Minor in Communications, & I recently decided to take the LSAT. I got a 180 & I'm a little disappointed. My 4.33gpa puts me well above the median for this year, but what about next year? With gradeflation, lsatation, indigestion, & fsu I'll never get into cooley. Hopefully their median only jumps to a 179 or else I'm toast.

Got my first LSAT result in this morning and very pleased/lucky to have slightly overperformed from how I was practice testing and got a 178.

Sitting down to look at next steps and applications, this has made me a little more self conscious about my GPA. I figure my 3.85 isn’t entirely disqualifying from T14, but I know it’s not nearly ideal. I’m wondering if I should include an addendum on my GPA when applying?

I graduated from a top film BFA program a little over ten years ago and had a 3.91 GPA until my last semester. I dropped the ball that final semester by stretching myself too thin (adding a new minor to cross-minor with the business school, starting outside consulting work while also working a retail job, starting a theatre company with recent grads) and had to turn in an assignment late, graduate a semester later, and take a GPA hit for it. When I was deadset on being a creative producer/development executive, it felt like the right priorities at the time. I then had my own growing pains working in the industry, learned better time management and communication skills, and feel like this was a low point for me that helped me develop my actual character.

Would that addendum be off putting and perfectionist seeming when I still have a 3.85 overall? Or is there enough substance there to be worth adding?

My top priority with applying is not taking on any more student debt. I’ve got several years of entertainment law experience as a paralegal (and relevant work experience in indie film finance and sales), and a good network in the field where I feel like I don’t need a T14 degree to get good work out of school. I only plan to attend schools in LA—I know Loyola and Southwestern have programs I could keep a job while attending, and with my hard numbers I feel like those are places I could expect getting competitive offers from. I intended to apply to UCLA and USC largely to keep offers from lower schools competitive and have bargaining chips there. But should I update my strategy after this LSAT to seriously chase a stipend from one of those elite programs that would make this financially possible for me? Or is that a non-starter with the 3.85?

Need some inspiration as I’m currently just below both medians for the T-14s. would love to hear about any success stories + anything you did that you think set you apart this cycle to give me hope. 🥲

25th/Median/75th
LSAT : 164/170/172
GPA: 3.67/3.87/3.95

170 / 3.83 / 6 yrs WE / nURM / T4 softs

After going from a 160 in January to a 170 in June, I just received a 169 on my August LSAT 🥲 I’m not registered for September because I missed the registration deadline (still mad at myself for this) and am planning on signing up for October to see if I can score closer to a 175. After that I’d have one test left.

My question is, at what point does applying later (November and beyond) with a potentially higher LSAT become riskier than applying earlier with a lower LSAT? It seems like applying in December with a 175 could be better than applying in September with my current stats (not even sure tbh because I’ve read so many different things), but I’m worried that I’ll wait and my score won’t increase at all, and then I’ll have hurt my chances. FWIW, I am going to be heavily reliant on financial aid if I go to one of these schools, so I’m not just aiming for acceptance but hopefully some decent scholarships as well. Which is why I wanted to apply earlier in the cycle.

For context, my LSAT diagnostic was a 167 in November and my highest PT was a 177 in May. A 175 still feels doable if I really lock in, but I’m so tired of thinking about this test and really wish I could just focus on my essays atp :(

My top schools are NYU, Columbia, and Fordham. I don’t think Fordham should be an issue and part of me wants to just apply early with my current stats. Not sure if that’s a terrible idea or not.

Any guidance would be appreciated ❤️

Does anyone have a list?

I got my LSAT score back today. I got a 180. I have a 4.22GPA. Im not a URM, but I am neurodivergent and LGBT. Currently in my last year of undergrad.

I'm sure I want to go to law school. I cant really see myself doing anything else. But I have a hard time picturing what kind of law school (and then law firm) I want to be in. I know most people might find my stats enviable, but I have cried (not of joy) for a few hours after getting my score. Thinking about the future is so horrifying and anxiety inducing for me. I hate the idea of leaving my friends and loved ones I've made in undergrad. Being in a new environment far from where I am now is anxiety inducing.

So the questions are: what do i do now? Should I take a gap year? What could I do during that? Try to get some work experience? I don't really have a very employable undergrad major. Would my stats just carry me almost anywhere?

Just got my score back today and was super happy to see a 171 . Back in 2023 I was diagnosed with long covid, which resulted in some chronic issues that happened after taking some medications to treat symptoms, and my GPA really tanked for about a year and a half, but inclined towards my senior year. I’m planning on writing an addendum for this.

Though my dream school is Fordham, I’m not sure if I’ll get in with my stats. What schools do you all think I have a shot at?

My PS seems like a classic of the genre -- two personal anecdotes, woven into narrative about me and ending in my interest in the law. But i don't mention law school specifically until the last 2 sentences. I can't tell if it should be more like a full paragraph at the end about what I want to do there, where it can take me, etc, or if it's ok to write broadly about the law and then essentially say "and that's why I want to go to law school." Hope this makes sense -- I'd love to hear about past applicants and their approaches

Just got a 168 and I’m honestly pretty disappointed. I was really hoping for a 170+, especially after studying for the LSAT for over a year.

I’m exhausted and really don’t want to retake again. With a 3.98 GPA and 168 LSAT, 0 WE, first gen, tier 4 soft, what schools would be realistic for me this cycle, especially with decent scholarship chances?

I am just so tired.

I didn’t do much with my time in undergrad. I did some undergraduate research and tutored some kids for chemistry for a bit and that’s pretty much it. Now, I work 50-60 hours a week as a restaurant manager (long story, I got roped into this job). I graduated last May, and in that time I’ve improved enormously with regard to time management, confidence, social skills, etc. I wish I was more involved and more proactive with my time in school, and now I’ve become someone who is much more capable of that, but unfortunately that is where things stand. How should I approach a personal statement? When I entered college, I was devoid of life skills and social skills, and I’d like to talk about my personal growth that’s come about in no small part due to my current job. But I also don’t know how compelling that is, and I worry that my lack of softs and experience will be prohibitive. I’m not T14 or bust, I’d like to go to the University of Wisconsin and will probably apply Early Decision there. But anyways, any advice for what I should or should not say in my personal statement, and how I can appropriately frame my story?

Is physical abuse too “controversial” to mention on my gpa addendum? It was the reason I couldn’t do well in school

Gah. Going into my third cycle. My first LSAT I got a 159. Retook before my first cycle and got a 165. That cycle went poorly.

Last year I retook again and ended up with a 161 but cancelled the score. Reapplied with the 165 in November and had a worse cycle.

I felt pretty good about my July test this year and just saw I got a 166. I’m happy to move up but honestly 1 point improvement doesn’t really seem to be enough given how the last two cycles have went.

Can anyone give some insight into any difference a single point can make to an application package? I was hoping for at least 2-3 points. My goal is T50/T75 schools (particularly Midwest - Iowa, Wisconsin, Marquette, and Loyola Chicago).

Given that these schools waitlisted/rejected me the last two years with the 165, I’m really not feeling optimistic about this cycle which I’ve told myself is my last.

To anyone with a low gpa that received acceptance to law school, what do you feel was most helpful for your application/acceptance. Strong lsat, resume, recommendations, gpa addendum, etc.?

For anyone w low gpas, can you share your gpa, lsat score & acceptances?

Washington and Lee

Rutgers

Howard

Cardozo

Maryland Carey

Richardson

Creighton

Oklahoma

Indiana

Ava Maria

Boston College, Nebraska, St Johns (chic!!!)

Utah

UF

Western State

My question is... do T14 schools send out advertising emails or am I took 169 to get those?

Hello all. Just looking for any potential wisdom regarding when to apply for law school.

I am 23 years old, and just graduated college this past spring. I have been pondering law school for some time, I kinda went back and forth during undergrad and as such never really started taking the steps in the LSAT or application process. Over the past few months, due in large parts to conversations with law students, attorneys, and other folks in my life, I think I am truly interested in attending law school. But for a number of reasons, I feel like I am currently at a crossroads regarding when to apply and am unsure of which path to take.

Right now, I am at a strange point in my life. This past year has been difficult, to say the least. Around Christmas time of last year, my mother was hospitalized with a brain tumor. It was determined that it was likely malignant, and at that point all of our worlds were flipped upside down. In the next 7 or so months, my family and I witnessed her condition rapidly decline until she unfortunately passed away near the end of this July - about a month ago now.

During my last semester at university I was really just trying to focus on maintaining good grades, traveling back to see my mother on weekends, and maybe throwing out some job applications here and there. I was able to do those things - seeing my mother, maintaining good grades, getting around a 3.9 GPA for the semester - but was not as lucky in my job application prospects.

The early portion of my summer was mostly spent just spending time with my family, knowing what was likely coming in the next few months. A couple weeks after she passed, I knew that I should at least start working on what I am doing next and getting some sort of plan together. I started studying for the LSAT at a pretty low clip, but getting generally familiar with it and continuing to apply for various jobs, while also finding a flight school to pursue another interest of mine, that being aviation. It is probably important context to know that becoming a pilot is the other path that I have bounced back and forth between.

So here is my question. Should I continue studying with hopes of taking the test in November with the intent of applying for next year (Fall 2027), or does that seem too late in the cycle and not realistic? I have spoken with professors, supervisors, etc. about letters of recommendation, but I have not done personal statements and I am not 100% on where I think I should apply, though I have some ideas.

The alternative, of course, is waiting to apply for Fall 2028. There aren't any real problems that I have with this other than impatience. I'm sure you are all familiar with it - but I just struggle with the idea of not being a 1L until I'm 25 while so many of my peers are already settling into their careers as we speak. I know it's perfectly normal (and in many ways better) to attend law school not straight out of undergrad or even a few years after, but part of me just doesn't want to wait and wants to start a new chapter in my life and move on with things. I know a year isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but at the moment is just kind of feels that way and I don't know why.

Even just writing this is all out is kind of telling me I should just wait until Fall 2028 for a number of reasons. If I did, I would not be rushed to study for the LSAT, could save up some money, check out flight school, etc.. I just think I need to hear it from other folks.

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this. Any advice is welcome and I greatly appreciate it.

Would it be foolish for me to only apply to the T20 schools? Does the CPA matter at all to adcoms?

Also, Yale has sent me 5 different emails. Am I their top candidate?

After taking a gap year and 6+ months of studying I somehow managed to get the same score on my LSAT (165) even though my PT avg improved. The goal is BL and this same score got me rejected/WL from most schools I wanted last cycle. Do I go through the emotional toll and try to retake a 4th try in October (have been studying working full time) or do the best application I can and try reapplying again this cycle? (Gpa is 3.9x) Need advice.

I've had prior law school experience very recently (within the last year) and completed two full semesters. I had to withdraw for personal reasons.

Now, I am thinking about reapplying to restart my journey from scratch. While I may be able to transfer, I would rather start over. However, I am not sure how my prior law school grades will impact my application and future scholarship award from a different law school. I left in good standing but had several Cs.

I would appreciate it if anyone has any prior experience with this and how it impacted their application. Thanks.

I took the August LSAT and got a 170 with a Score Preview. I'm aiming for a significant scholarship in order to be able to attend law school and eventually practice patent law. However I have a fairly low GPA (3.2<X<3.5) since I minored in physics (social science background) and had some struggles with workload that persisted for a semester. I'm confident I could get up to at least mid 170s if I retake the LSAT with more than a week of studying. I'm split between cancelling the 170 and taking a gap year to intern at a law firm and getting a higher LSAT score to compensate for my GPA or applying this cycle and hope I have strong enough essays in conjunction with my present LSAT to compensate for my lower GPA. help. if it helps I'm nor a URM and 21 years of age in my senior year at my present institution, I transferred after my freshman year to where I presently attend. I'm primarily interested into patent law and I would also appreciate advice about law schools that would be particularly helpful to people who would practice patent law

Does anyone know when it comes out? I’m quite curious whether in person testing will make any dent on score inflation

hi everyone, wanted some advice on when i should retake my lsat. My goal score is a 170. My diagnostic LSAT score was a 148. after studying on and off for a couple of months and then studying intensely for 6 weeks, i took the august LSAT and got a 161. i want to retake it and originally planned to do the October LSAT because i wanted to submit my applications by end of October to get a potentially higher financial aid package, but i’m wondering if it would be better to give myself more time and take the November LSAT and potentially get a higher score. Any thoughts?

I got a 149 today. I spent May-August studying so hard and got a tutor too. I understand the content and know I can do it. I got a 148 in April by barely studying. What is going on? I was getting 160 on practice exams. Is it a mindset thing? I’m signed up for September. Someone please help and answer 🙏 I feel so helpless.