Posting on Behalf of a 7Sage User: Should I Take the November LSAT-Flex? (Need Advice)

Juliet - Student Service

[I am posting on behalf of a 7Sage user. Please feel free to leave your comments below. Thank you for your help!]

"I’ve taken the LSAT twice in one year now. First one, I scored 140 in May. Second one, 145 in August. I’m debating if I should take the November flex now and max out my third attempt. I cannot seem to score higher than a 147 in practice exams. I had Kaplan course and 2 tutors. Still no progress. My undergrad GPA was a 2.67, so I need to get the highest possible GPA.

What do you suggest? Take November? I want to be considered for Spring start for a school in Texas and I have time to take off right now."

OldLadyK

I am also not a super-high scorer but I'm quite proud of the improvements I've made since I started studying. You should pat yourself on the back for achieving a 5-point bump in your test score in only a few months! Many test-takers score a few points below where they are PTing, so ideally you would want your practice test scores to be higher than your goal score. Are you drilling weak points thoroughly? Are you blind reviewing your practice tests and getting a better score when time is not a factor? Without knowing more about where you're having trouble, it's hard to tailor advice. The Analytics section of the Resources tab is incredibly helpful in giving you an idea of what your problem areas are. For me, this whole process has taken much longer than anticipated (I've been studying for a year and have two takes under my belt). Everyone is different and no two LSAT experiences are the same. It might be beneficial to delay a cycle and try to push your score up into the 150s. But if you're set on applying this cycle, get in touch with the admissions office of this Texas school you're interested in and ask them if they can offer any insight into your present GPA and LSAT scores and whether you could apply with them. Good luck and keep your head up!

Constantine

Take the test when you are ready, that is, when you are constantly hitting your target score.
Law school in Texas rankings(usnew):
1. TEXAS AT AUSTIN 25th Percentile 165
2. BAYLOR UNIVERSITY 25th Percentile 157
3. SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY 25th Percentile 155
4. HOUSTON, UNIVERSITY 25th Percentile 156
So you have an idea.

producer4

It depends on the target score for the school. But if you're looking at schools accepting high 140s/low 150s, I'd strongly urge you to review its 509 report as well as anything online about its reputation. Schools in this "LSAT bucket" are generally low-ranked, have weak employment outcomes, and offer questionable academic value. I say... if you can wait another year... do so. Also, have a self-talk to ask yourself whether this is something you want to keep pursuing. If you go forward with a school that will accept you, what's the likelihood it will give you what you want?

VerdantZephyr

I agree with all of the above points. Do not go to a school that can not help you pass the bar and make sure you have as good a score as possible under your belt. To be honest, with a 147 and a 2.67 it will be very hard for you to get into a strong law school. I think you are honestly best off delaying your applications a year and trying to improve that LSAT into at least the low-mid 150's. Your best bet is a lower ranked public school I do not know much about Texas, but somewhere like University at Buffalo SUNY could be a good example. 78.1% of their graduates were employed in law within 10 months of graduation. Their LSAT 25-50-75 was 151-154-157.
However, their bar passage rate for first time test takers, though NY is not the easiest state to pass in, was only 67.2% As a local state school they nevertheless probably have connections throughout Western New York to get you started on your journey if you can perform in the middle of your class.

Doing a quick search of Texas schools it seems like Texas Tech #111 might be your best case scenario this cycle. LSAT 25-50-75: 153-155-157 GPA: 3.2 3.42 3.6 1st time bar passage: 87% Employed 10 months after grad 85.8% Those are really good stats for the 111th ranked school I think. There are a few lower ranked law schools that are easier to get into but I do not think they are wise decisions. Also consider why it is important to you to go to law school in Texas? With those stats, even if you want to practice in Texas, your options will be severely limited. If Texas Tech does not pan out I would say go elsewhere and study because frankly I do not think South Texas College of Law or St. Mary`s or any of the other schools look like they will pay you back your investment of time and tuition. Louisiana State University Baton Rogue, University of Oklahoma, and University of Tulsa are all schools near Texas that could be better options depending on how things pan out for you.

When did you finish undergrad? Was it recently or long ago? Would a school have reason to believe that you could perform better in law school than you did in undergrad? To go anywhere with that GPA this is going to be a question you have to answer in the admissions committee's minds. Keep in mind that going to a school ranked outside of the top 100 (all of the mentioned schools except #76 Oklahoma are outside the top 100) means that you will have to hustle for a job during and after unless you are interested in something like public defender.

VerdantZephyr

If you wait a cycle and pull your LSAT up to the upper 150's/160 you will have a lot more options. At that point Texas A&M might come into play with a strong application that explains your academic struggles in undergrad while the schools I mentioned above would be more likely to accept you.

VerdantZephyr

Here is a data driven article that talks about the risk involved in attending certain schools and how it relates to their medians. Make sure you carefully chose a school that will help you achieve the end goal, passing the bar.
https://data.lawschooltransparency.com/enrollment/admissions-standards/#:~:text=LSAT%20scores%20range%20from%20120,99.9%25%20of%20test%2Dtakers.