GRE to LSAT conversion (use current GRE score this cycle or work on LSAT for next cycle?)

HLoom1222

I originally planned to apply to both PhDs (history, just finished a Master's with a 4.0 at UChicago) and, separately, JDs this cycle (have worked in a lot of paralegal and legal research jobs); but I made veeery slow to no progress on the LSAT, and it became clear to me by November, when I needed to focus on getting the PhD applications out the door, that it was unlikely I would reach a super competitive LSAT score for this cycle (which would be necessary given my terrible UGPA at Princeton - 2.51 10 years ago due to medical issues long since resolved). I determined to finish the PhD applications and then make a decision on whether or not it made sense to apply in January/February with my current GRE score.

I'm now at the juncture of trying to understand how my current GRE score stacks up (170 Verbal 99%, 159 Quant 69%). The ETS's GRE-to-LSAT calculator says this is equivalent to a 172 (weighting the verbal 60% and the quant 40%). But I see on 7Sage that that conversion is not necessarily followed by law school admissions and that the best indicator is the GRE percentile. However, since the GRE does not provide an overall percentile, my question is, how should I look at those two separate percentiles for the GRE verbal and quant scores and figure out what an overall percentile is roughly? Would I look at the two percentiles evenly, weighting them 50-50, or, like the ETS conversion calculator assumes, weight the verbal percentile more? And how much more?

WouldRatherBeEating

Consider looking at the schools reported data about admitted students, which is required by the ABA. Harvard at least has information about their GRE stats as well as the LSAT.

Selene Steelman

The ABA has published its 2020 509 reports (http://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/Disclosure509.aspx).

7sage updated our resources to include some statistics on GRE scores (scroll right): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tUI5y-Sw2utvXvUEk9IQDzC1Rc0NDb7Q4PFwzxYkZpw/edit#gid=166071728.

I have worked with several GRE-only candidates over the last few cycles, and in my particular experience, they are most successful if the candidate, in addition to the GRE score, could offer an above median/75% GPA and some other attractive factor to their candidacy (like expertise in an uncommon field). Law school admissions often look to GRE-only candidates because they are looking for interesting candidates who might otherwise not have applied to law school. Good luck!