Is it inconceivable?

carg1995

I took the December LSAT and scored a 153. My scores had been averaging out at around 155-157, so I scored a bit lower than I would have hoped. However, I have an undergraduate GPA of 3.85+ in sociology (concentration of law) with a forensic sciences minor. I graduated in my program with distinction, and I am certain I will have glowing letters of recommendation at my disposal (my undergraduate academic advisor adored me and would be willing to say nothing but the best about me, I had a foreign language professor for 4 semesters straight in a course with section sizes of no larger than 15 students who I had established an intimate relationship with and who would do the same, I had a course on religion in which I had the second highest score of anyone in the course; the professor actually emailed me at the conclusion of the semester to congratulate me on a job well done, to inform me that I was only .37% away from the highest score, and to simply articulate that I was a pleasure to have in class, and so on).

My top school choice is Notre Dame, but it is quite competitive (even the 25th percentile LSAT score for the past incoming class is several points higher than I scored). However, I AM above the typical GPA 75th percentile.

I was wondering if a few other factors may play a strong enough role in my application to tilt the odds more favorably (and if they are points that I should even shed light on in my application):

1) I am a South Bend native. Anyone from the area knows that Notre Dame runs in the blood of those who are from the area, so I plan to write about this in the "Why Notre Dame?" section of the application.
2) I am a racial minority. I'm unsure if Notre Dame is actively seeking to diversify their JD program. Would this have any influence in the admissions' decision?
3) I received a full-ride "upcoming leader" scholarship in undergrad.
4) I have overcome a pretty tremendous amount of adversity in pursing an education (for example, I have a drug-addicted relative who has negatively affected my family life in a HUGE way which I've had deal with while attending high school and undergrad, my father is an uneducated laborer from a foreign country, my mother has a crippling health condition that has forced her to live on disability for the past 10 years, I received zero financial contribution from any family during undergrad and so I was entirely self-supported, among other things)
5) I have two health conditions (one physical, and one cognitive) that I believe could create a fairly strong case for me receiving accommodated testing. However, I decided to forego testing accommodations and still scored slightly above average. Would writing in my application that my LSAT score isn't entirely indicative of my aptitude for law school be a reasonable and/or advisable thing to do?

In short, I am wondering if it is inconceivable for ND to admit me given my undergraduate GPA, my LSAT score, and any of the other five aforementioned criteria. Opinions are greatly appreciated

Thank you.

mcglz_64

We don't know, only Notre Dame does.

Just apply or take February if you feel it would greatly impact your standing and then apply (check first if ND takes it...I'm not sure) in short, you really never know until your hat is in the ring. Give the application your best shot.

Certainly your GPA and a great PS and LORs will help you but you knew that already.

Good luck and may you be admitted to your dream school!

carg1995

Thank you. Really sucks I'm in this predicament!

mcglz_64

You'll be ok! We will get through this!

carg1995

Anyone else have any other thoughts?

Alex

@carg1995 said:
Anyone else have any other thoughts?

What type of URM are you? This will likely have some affect on your chances.

With a 153 LSAT, your chances even with strong softs and URM status are low. Your GPA is really strong, so I think if you can get your LSAT up to a low 160s, you should have a great shot at ND.

oiafjkofpvmapxb

It's not inconceivable, but it's unlikely considering Notre Dame's acceptance rate. Notre Dame is right around a top 20 school.

A lot depends on the admissions board and the strength of the other applicants in the class. Not all schools value the GPA and LSAT equally. Some value the LSAT more because it's an indicator of how likely you are to pass the bar. You should focus on those other factors but keep in mind that they aren't given as much weight. You should probably apply to some safety schools or consider taking the LSAT again.

I hope things work out for you.

carg1995

@"Alex Divine"

I am hispanic.

I do believe that my LSAT performance is not indicative of how well I am capable of performing on the LSAT. What is frustrating is that I KNOW that I could do significantly better if given testing accommodations that I decided against pursuing this time around (given the fact that the toughest part of the test is the time constraint itself).

I understand that more "tangible" aspects of an application (e.g. LSAT and GPA) will carry more weight in the admissions board's decision-making. However, I can't shake the notion that having intimate ties to the university and to the city of South Bend could be helpful. What do you think?