I'm feeling a little discouraged. I've been wanting to be an attorney for a few years now and didn't truly realize how difficult the application process was until I really started the process. I just am frustrated with how many bumps in the road I have had. I try hard not to, but I correlate my self-worth with my failures and accomplishments.
My path to law school has been untraditional. I will be in my late 20s when I start law school (hopefully) next year. My academic path was a little rough, but I've been working full time in the legal field for the last four years.
Until a few months ago, I didn't realize my GPA was going to be calculated based off of every class I've ever had - even the classes that I failed and have since retaken. My graduating GPA was a 3.73, but my LSAC GPA dropped all the way down to a 3.04.
The school I want to go to had a median LSAT of 156. I received that score on the Sep LSAT. I wanted to get a few points higher to feel better about my application, so I took the Oct LSAT. I learned a few days ago that my school's median LSAT score just went up by two points. I'm not sure how I did on the Oct LSAT, but even if I did better than Sep, I don't know if having the median LSAT score is enough to counter my low GPA. I do think I have probably T-2 softs and I think the topic of my PS is decently good.
I guess I'm just at the point where I can't stop thinking about what my next move will be. If I did not get my school's new median on the Oct LSAT, I definitely won't be applying when my score releases. My plan was that if my Oct score isn't at least the new median, I will retake in Jan and apply in Feb, when I get that score.
However, I have heard a lot of people say not to do that and just wait until the following year. I am a planner and I am less than enthused to have to wait another year to apply. I know the admissions predictor isn't 100% factual, but it says I have a lot better odds of being accepted if I get a 160 or above LSAT and apply in Feb versus applying with the school's median LSAT in Nov. Again, that just worries me because all I've been hearing recently is don't apply in Feb. Does anyone have any thoughts?
2 comments
Let me throw this out there to you - this is not a today problem. You won't know what you received on the October LSAT for a few more days. So what is the pressing issue of the moment? I'd argue that it's getting your app materials in order sot aht you can submit an app ASAP if you do get a 158 or higher.
If you don't get the score you were shooting for, it's reasonable to then target the January LSAT. At that point, you can make the decision as to whether to apply this cycle or next cycle based on how your app materials are coming together and if you feel like you need more time to raise your LSAT.
Good luck!
I do not want to make you feel worse, but I do agree with waiting for the next cycle if you end up taking a Jan test, I do not doubt you will get the median score, but even with the score, your app will likely be submitted with 60% of their other applicants, which personally I rather have my foot in the door earlier. For context I applied last cycle, I applied to a school I had a very good chance at in December/ Jan and got accepted a month later, but I was above their LSAT median. The other schools, one being my top choice, I applied to in mid February - early march. I did not see success here and was waitlisted at my top choice. It is not to say that applying when I did is what waitlisted me, but I do think it had some impact. I 100% get waiting another year is not ideal, but in the instance you do get placed on a waitlist too, your upcoming admission would not be certain. With that being said, I think it is good to see the 25th percentile stats at your schools, as it can give you an idea as to what kind of stats those under the median got accepted with, and you might be within that range. I am not an AO, but I think in general being at either median (GPA or LSAT) is usually something that makes you stronger, try not to worry about it weighing down. Have you considered writing an addendum?