Self-paced
Hello! I am just looking for some advice, reassurance, or a reality check about my chances of getting into law school. In early June I took a diagnostic with 0 lsat prep and scored a 152. I have been studying for roughly one month now and had a plan to test in September and October, to get applications in prior to thanksgiving. My study plan has been going well and I am up to date. My goal score is 165+ and my cumulative undergrad GPA is a measly 2.51! Since college I have been working as a contract analyst in a national finance firm for 2 years. Working in a law related setting and working directly with lawyers and legal analysts had really driven my interest in studying law. My undergrad degree is from Drake and I would love to continue my education there.
With my stats, how realistic is this goal?
Does it help in law admissions when applying to a law school from which you graduated in their undergrad program?
Is the "Thanksgiving cutoff" a real thing or should I focus on getting the highest score possible, even if that is a later test date?
Thank you for any input you may provide!
1
2 comments
Every month in the cycle you wait after september os roughly equal to 1 lsat point, after Thanksgiving the bigger hit you take is with scholarship offers. (Atleast this is what ive heard and seen in the analytics.)
To give you my take id need to know how far through the core curriculum you already are/if ur done how much drilling have you completed. And how many hours per week are you going to be studying.
Realistically with a 152 blind diagnostic a 165+ should be no problem with hard work and dedication. For reference I started with a 158 and after 6 weeks of the core curriculum I just took my two PTs and scored a 165 and then 169.
You definitely have the potential for a great score so why rush? Do you have to apply this cycle?
Note that all this is just my semi informed opinion as someone relatively new but absolutely obsessed with the process so take it with a huge grain of salt.
@MJ thank you for the detailed response! I would really like to apply this cycle, I don’t believe waiting another year would fit well with my 5 year plan. I have finished the foundations curriculum and am starting in on the LR section. I have about 15-25 hours per week to dedicate to studying, depending on varying work hours. I have completed several small sessions of drilling, Adding to a few hours. I intend to take another PT this weekend to give myself a better idea of where I am at since finishing the foundations. Thank you!!