Should I put my LSAC calculated GPA on my resume or my undergraduate institution's calculation if it differs?

Hey everyone,

So, I was ready to go for the Nov. LSAT and went the day of but ended up leaving after section 3 and cancelling my score. Up until then, I was planning on applying this cycle as soon as I got my score. However, now I'm facing a dilemma.

I'm planning on taking the Jan LSAT so that I dont lose any of my prep so far, but I'm unsure if it's wise to apply this cycle since it would be rather late. I didn't want to take another gap year, even though I'm sure I could extend my current internship or find something else to do during that time so that I don't have a gap in my resume, etc.

I have a strong GPA and I'm a URM - so my question is if you guys have any advice on applying late this cycle or just waiting for next cycle?

As an aside, I do already have me LORs submitted, so I was wondering if I would need new ones if I decide to apply next cycle instead of this one.

Any advice/ thoughts/ comments are welcome. Thanks in advance!!

Would be happy to trade drafts, discuss applications, and work towards deadlines with another student. I'm a nontraditional student determined to apply this time around.

Hi all,

I never knew this day would be coming, but time really does fly. I started my LSAT journey back in Jan 2017 and it's been hell of a ride. I started with a 130 (no joke) and I've been able to improve my score drastically and I don't think it's sugar coating it when I say it's because of the help I got from the 7sage community.

Yesterday, I had my Penn Law (or Penn Carey Law) interview and after I was done, I couldn't help but think back to how I got to that point in my life. It's always been a dream for me to go to Penn Law (due to my strong interest in business law) and just the idea of doing an interview was surreal to me. What I really want to say to you all is never give up and pursue your goal. I know this has been said many many times, but keep enduring while you're studying for the LSAT or writing your personal statement and you'll eventually get there. I've had many many many sleepless nights not just studying for the LSAT, but also putting together a strong application with the personal statement, LORs, why X essays, resume, etc. But seriously it was all worth it in the end. And if I could go back in time, I'd do the same thing.

I hope I have more interviews coming my way, but in the meantime, let me know if you guys want any advice regarding LSAT, admissions process, etc. Would be more than happy to answer questions. Thank you again 7sage community!

Does anyone know where the 2023 Law School Admissions Forum is these days? It looks like it's not on TLS or LSN.

Okay, I know this is probably a VERY silly question, but I am getting super confused right now even after reading LSAC's official instructions and googling online.

So I have downloaded, printed out, and signed the Transcript Request Form. What should I do next? Should I send it to the schools that I attended and ask them to send the form along with my official transcript to LSAC by mail?

When I applied for grad school I requested my transcript online with my undergraduate institution, and the process was pretty simple and straight forward. I just go to the website, fill in the name of the grad school, select the right options and hit "submit". I tried this again just now, but when I searched LSAC/Law School Admission Council, nothing showed up.

Could anyone please tell me the exact process? I apoligize for asking this stupid question but I just don't understand what to do with my transcripts now.

I'm having trouble deciding whether or not to even consider writing a diversity statement. I'm wondering if growing up with a special needs sibling and/or single parent would be a diversifying element, or if I should just skip it altogether .

How do folks know which schools to provide an optional addendum stating why X? I was reading that it is important for a few, and that on the other hand.. a few schools dislike receiving them. Yet most schools don't indicate which camp they fall into.

This seems unnecessarily non-obvious :) is there a consolidated list of schools that prefer the addendum?

I've received commitments from a few people willing to write me letters of recommendation. Now I'm in the process of putting a packet together to help them write it. What kind of guidance would you give your recommenders? Which qualities should they highlight?

I've been Googling what law schools generally look for in terms of recommendations. Most advice is targeted towards underegrad admissions. I've been out of school for almost a decade, so I realize the letters should highlight my ability to still excel in an academic environment. If anyone has feedback/experience they can share, I would appreciate it.

What's the customary next step to take when I've received an acceptance letter? My letter indicates that I don't need to do anything until seat deposit time . . . but I feel like I should at least acknowledge that I received it. Yeah?

Is there a generally-accepted next move?

Hi, All!

I just checked my law school application status and one of them says "Application Pending Final Review." What does this mean? I think I know what it means... my application is going through a final review... is this a good thing or a bad thing? I submitted my application late October and decisions aren't supposed to come out until February.

Now that I think about it, I feel like I'm just overreacting and overthinking haha. Anyway, please shed some light. It's my second application cycle and all I've ever gotten before were waitlist and denied.

Thank you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

For anybody writing a "Why X Law School" essay, is it necessary to state the exact type of law we plan on practicing? I'm going back and forth between two types of law that I'm interested in, and the school I'm writing the essay for has a great program for both fields of law.

However, I'm weary of sounding indecisive by mentioning both types of law. Is anybody in the same boat?

Hey all! I'm thinking about my chances at a T20 and reflecting on my undergraduate transcript. I graduated cum laude with a 3.6 from a top tier liberal arts college. I graduated early and also studied abroad for a full year. My study abroad grades are not factored into my undergraduate GPA and LSAC also does not factor them in. If they had been factored in, I would have received a 3.8 GPA.

How are top law schools going to look at this? Are they really going to see me as a 3.6 or will they consider that full year of study abroad? My study abroad accounts for about 1/3 of my undergraduate coursework so I'm not sure how schools look at this. Is this something I should address in an addendum?

Re my LSAT score, I'm really more towards the low 25% for these schools, so I would be a splitter.

I'm in a bit of a quandary and was wondering if anyone has any advice.

I took the October LSAT and scored a 160. I was quite disappointed with that score because on my PTs I was getting 165-170. I think I just got really nervous and freaked myself out. So I am retaking in January and am confident I can score at least 2-3 points higher if not more.

The schools I'd like to apply to are #30-40 such as UF, UNC, Wake Forest etc. According the the predictor I have about a 50-60% chance of getting in with that LSAT and GPA. My LSAT falls slightly below the median. Should I wait to apply to those schools until I have a higher score or should I apply earlier with the score I have and take my chances? With the mid-January LSAT, the applications wouldn't get submitted until Feb.

Or, can I apply now with my score and then if I get rejected and/or waitlisted send in my higher score? Not sure how this works.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

Hey, friends. I'm deciding very soon which 7Sage admissions package to get, and if anyone out there is willing to discuss your experiences with it, I'd be so grateful! Please send me a message if you're willing to share briefly. Thanks :)

Hello all, just looking for some advice on admission for someone getting out of the military.

Long story short - I initially learned in July that I was facing a possible medical discharge from the military (discharge will 100% be honorable). I had always intended to go to law school following the military, but this made the timeline much tighter than I would have preferred. I began studying for the LSAT, and took it in September. I did poorly, I scored on the low end of what my practice tests were (151-161 for PTs, all progressing towards 161...I scored 153 in September). So I signed up for the January LSAT knowing that I'd just have to apply later in the cycle to ensure I'd have time to study for the January test.

For some context:

My undergraduate degree is in electrical engineering from Penn State, however, I graduated with a 2.99 GPA. I made some mistakes as a freshman/sophomore, and really turned it around my junior/senior years, just missing the 3.0. Following school, I worked using my degree for 2.5 years before I decided to join the military. In that time, I took some grad classes and had a 4.0 GPA.

I now know I AM being medically discharged, likely in June/July. My fiance and I would like to stay near where I am currently stationed, near Nashville, TN. There are only two viable options (in my mind) for law school in Nashville, Vanderbilt and Belmont. Now, obviously, I'd love to go to Vanderbilt, but I know that it is a long shot and a stretch for my past academic performance.

I guess my question revolves around the January/February LSAT dates. In an ideal world, I'd have applied before today, but the world that was handed to me not ideal (the best laid plans of mice and men...), and I'm looking for advice as to whether I ought to apply this year, or wait another cycle. Is the January/February timeline too late to apply to a stretch school with my low GPA? What score range should I be looking at on my LSAT before I need to look in the mirror and understand that Vandy is not a viable option? I'd love to score 170, but I realistically expect I can manage around a 165.

Anyone know if there are centers affiliated with Law schools doing research in technology/law intersection who'd accept applications to be a researcher there regardless of whether one is law student or not?

I was wondering if a sw engineer could get to be researcher at such places without being a law student.

I have a marijuana-related charge from when I was 15. It has since been expunged. I've noticed some applications let you know that if something has been expunged, you do not have to report it. Others say that regardless you must. If an application fails to address what to do if records have been sealed/expunged, what should I assume?

LSAC has decided to release LSAT scores to schools even if the test-taker hasn't taken LSAT Writing. Here's the full text of a recent LSAC communique (though the emphasis is mine):

As you know, starting in June 2019, we separated the writing portion of the LSAT from the multiple-choice portion. After five months of experience with the writing portion (“LSAT Writing”), many of the benefits we expected – including a shorter test day and the ability for candidates to provide their writing sample in a more natural setting at a convenient time and place of their choosing, as well as a more legible and useful writing sample for admission consideration – have come to fruition. But we have also heard from a number of member schools that they are interested in receiving applicant scores as soon as they are available, even as candidates are still completing LSAT Writing.

Therefore, to help candidates and schools move expeditiously through the admission process, we will be releasing scores for the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT to candidates and to the law schools to which candidates apply (or have applied), as soon as scores are available, even if candidates have not yet completed their writing sample. This change applies to anyone who took or will take the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT in this testing cycle which began June 2019 and ends in April 2020.

This change does not mean that legal writing is any less important. Many law schools require a writing sample as an integral part of their admission decision, and therefore, candidates should take the writing sample immediately and to meet schools’ application deadlines. Writing samples will be shared with candidates and schools as soon as they are completed. LSAC includes the fee for the writing sample as part of the LSAT fee to encourage this prompt action. In case candidates are not applying in the current cycle, please note they have a maximum of a year to take LSAT Writing without an additional fee; after that it is a separate fee unless they take the entire LSAT again.

As mentioned in a recent communication, 97% of candidates applying for fall 2020 have completed a writing sample and 73% who have started but not finished a 2020 application have completed a writing sample. As a reminder, candidates need only one writing sample on file to be considered complete, even if they take the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT more than once.

We understand that this is an important decision and a shift in the way that schools have received LSAT scores and the writing sample. We considered many factors in making this decision – balancing candidate and school requests for speed in score release, the varying admission requirements that institutions have, and the need to communicate clear policies and procedures to candidates and institutions. We will continue to work with our community to explore options for how to best offer LSAT Writing in the next testing cycle and will share those decisions well in advance.

I struggled with self-doubt for 2 years with this test and never thought I would make it here. A huge weight has lifted knowing that I've got at least one down. Thank you so much to this incredible community!!!!

I'm an international application and i'm working on my why x essays.

Would it be an disadvantage for me if i write about wanting to work for the government of my country (Korea) after i graduate their law school?

I'm thinking of working for the ministry of foreign affairs after graduating.

Thanks!

#help I was wondering what a good number of law schools to apply to would be? I want to be sure I give myself the best chance, but also make sure I am reasonable as it is an expense to submit an application each time. Thanks!

I am currently writing a “Why X?” Essay and was wondering how should I format the header. Also does anyone have any tips regarding this type of essay?

I know this is going to get a lot of flak by those here. But if someone already has a well established career in SW engineering that pays 6-figure income and opportunity cost of going to LS is only worth if HYS accept (due to academia goals), then:

is a 4th/5th reapplication worth it?

It already looks neurotic/superbad but other than the 3rd time (cycle which hit record applicants), other times all had issues with lowLSAT or late-app.

Is there no sense anymore and it's done?

Question:

How do you tell schools to not look at your file until you appear for the Jan 2020 LSAT i.e. ignore your scores so far ?

Seems like CAS will report every score after it is available but the school might not know you registered for a future LSAT and might give a decision without considering your future LSAT score.

Link:

https://www.lsac.org/applying-law-school/jd-application-process/credential-assembly-service-cas/law-school-reports

https://www.lsac.org/lsat/taking-lsat/lsat-scoring