I'm trying to score in the high 150s and maybe even break 160 by November. My plan is to apply to schools like American and Catholic up in D.C. My undergrad GPA is a 3.9 and I have T3 softs. This test has been extremely difficult and humbling for me, so if I can somehow get a high 150 in my October or Nov attempts, I will be ecstatic. (currently have a 152 on file..)
I'm just wondering if applying by late November will drastically change my admissions and tuition help outcomes. Would appreciate anyone's advice!
Also a side question, would I have a shot at top 100 schools with a 152? Thank you!
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@Elecoo - If you check out other threads on the board, you'll see me very much telling folks that applying my mid-October is good target. But there are a few qualifiers on that. The first is that you have to apply when you feel like you can submit your best app. If that's after the November LSAT, then you gotta do what you gotta do. But the other factor is that applying earlier is a bigger deal for the higher ranked schools. It's all arbitrary, but I usually suggest the US News T30 as a good cut off here. If it's in that cohort - try to apply earlier. If it's outside of that cohort (like American and Catholic are), then it's not as essential to apply earlier.
And let me throw something else out there to you! If the plan is to apply after taking the October and November LSATs, that kind of means that you have to get your application documents done sooner rather than later. Why? Because you really want to spend September exclusively on LSAT prep, and October on finalizing apps and maintaining your LSAT prep for the November test. So that means that now (late July and early August) is a great time to get your personal statement, resume, and any other core doc (like a diversity statement, or if you need to write an addenda) done.
Good luck!
Hi! I am in a very similar situation, and originally, I was planning on applying for fall 2027 cycle, but I do not think that will be the case anymore...
I took the LSAT in November '25, and scored a 149, then took it again in April and scored a 156. My goal is to hopefully break 160, because then (even though it is just a few pts higher) it can open WAY more doors for someone in terms of scholarships, etc. I'm someone who will need scholarship help/assistance for law school, and if I just get my score a little higher and then apply to schools with medians of 158 or even 159, being above a school's median will help a ton. I too have a strong undergrad GPA (I am just a horrible test taker), but after a lot of research and intro calls with admissions companies, the first thing schools look at is your score, and them mainly telling me to get my score a little higher was not necessarily what I wanted to hear.
I also know it depends on what kind of law you want to go into! I am interested in big law, which is another reason why I need to get my score up a few points. Postponing my application one more year was a hard (& difficult) thing I had to realize, but I also realized I want to send in my apps (with an updated LSAT score already), as soon as they open in the fall, because typically, that is where scholarship is maximized.
I hope this helps in any way, but best of luck to you!
With a 3.9 and strong softs, a 152 can still get you in somewhere. But jumping to a 158 would significantly improve your odds, both for admission and for scholarship money, since you'd be at or near the median at a lot more schools. The better question is what school you actually want.
Medians aren't the only thing that matters, but landing at or above a school's median makes a real difference.
On timing: late November isn't too late. Applying earlier is better, but as long as you get everything in before the new year, you're fine. Use the extra time to make sure the rest of your application is ready to go the day your score comes back.