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7 Likes
Splitter success stories? (2017-2018 cycle)
AmateurProphet
Alum Member
Hey guys,
My stats are 174 LSAT, 3.15 GPA from top 15 university, non-URM, and decent softs. I'm preparing my applications to send sometime next week. Blanketing the top 14 (minus HYS) and adding UCLA, Vandy, USC, WUSTL, and Emory. I'm considering applying ED2 Penn -- anyone know how my chances would look?
As I've read literally everywhere, my GPA means this cycle is going to be an unpredictable one. I was wondering if anyone had any splitter success stories, or words of advice to help keep my motivation up. For those studying for the LSAT or applying right now, good luck! 
Peace,
AP
Comments
Apply broadly and you will undoubtedly have great options. People have gotten into all schools Columbia down with your LSAT score. You will almost 100% get $$/$$$ from WUSTL, Emory, UCLA, etc.
@"Alex Divine" Thanks for the insight, that's definitely reassuring. What do you think about ED2 Penn with my stats? It's not my first choice over columbia/NYU but I'd be really happy to go there. Appreciate your input
Yes, please. I too need some motivation while studying for the June exam.
Anyway, there are splitters on r/lawschooladmissions with acceptances at several T14, including UVA, Penn, Mich. Just off the top of my head.
With your LSAT, you'll probably get in at some T14 and some great $$$ at T20. Be ready to write some LOCIs. Still, it's pretty early in the cycle.
I don't know a lot about ED at Penn specifically. Is there a guaranteed scholarship? Not sure of your financial situation, but if scholarship money matters to you then ED is rarely a great choice unless there is a guaranteed scholarship amount (like Northwestern, which has a guaranteed $150k scholarship with ED acceptance). You can really get screwed financially in having a binding decision but no leverage to negotiate scholarship money. If you got in ED at Penn with no or low money and then were offered a big scholarship at Columbia or something, you might regret it. Again, it depends on your personal financial situation.
Have you checked out MyLSN? It's a little tougher to predict with splitters, but here's a general look at odds with your numbers:
http://mylsn.info/06ax3j/
And here it is for ED only with your numbers (though doesn't split out ED2, not sure if that is significantly different):
http://mylsn.info/e7u3l1/
Here's one with a little range to the input to get a broader picture:
http://mylsn.info/frelcy/
@Kalayaan Wow that's the dream for me. You should check the motivational post by @LSATcantwin, it helped me a lot. Also know that I went from low 160's to my first take of 174 in December -- anything is possible
@"Leah M B" Thanks for sharing the mylsn tables, it's really helpful. Been on the site a few times but never know how to interpret it since there are such few data points for splitters. You should definitely keep berkeley and cornell on the list, as I know several people with similar stats who got in last cycle. Good luck!
Just got into Texas today with a 167 and a 3.12. A 174 is a lock for $$$ outside t14 and almost a lock to get into most t14's with some money.
You have no reason to worry.
Also, I read an article/ blog that talked about how given the LSAT curve and the total number of high scorers the top 8 schools will accept most people with a 175 or higher score. They have to do it in order to keep their median numbers high for their rankings.
Do you have a link or source for this?
Mannnn being a splitter sucks! I wish I could go back 10 years and kick 18 year old me in the ass....haha
Don't really get this. No school has a median of over 173, so I don't know why 175 would be the magic number to protect medians. With regard protecting a median of 173, there's no difference between a 174 and a 180.
Unless you mean to protect the 75% number, but even then, there are only two schools with a 75 percentile of 175 or over.
Just commenting to bring this post back to relevance
In at Penn!
Did you end up applying ED to Penn?? AND THAT'S AMAZING, CONGRATS!!!
Another one of my top choices! Where does it fall on your list of choices?
@"adi.pickles" Yeah I ended up doing ED2. Thanks! I'm so excited.
@"Alex Divine" Honestly it was a toss up between penn and nyu for my 2nd choice after columbia, but I think ED was the right move with my extreme splitter status and the increase in high scoring apps this cycle. Do you know if this means I have a 0% chance of money?
@AmateurProphet update on your cycle? i'll be a splitter applying in the future and wondering how high up I can aim
Me and you both... yep, sucks.
What kind of scholarships can you get from UCLA with a 170+ LSAT and similar GPA? Do they give full-rides?
There are a few samples, but here is a list of people who applied to UCLA with LSAT 170-180 and GPA 3.0-3.2 on Law School Numbers:
http://mylsn.info/dispresults.php?sk=jz63b1&school=ucla&sort=money
Thanks for this! Reminds me that I really need to kill this September 2018 LSAT.
I applied to the whole t14, still waiting on most schools. But I'll share the responses I've gotten, as usual for a splitter (176, 3.56) very inconsistent. I've been accepted at Texas; waiting on aid info, accepted at UofM;120k scholly, waitlisted at duke, rejected by cornell.
Are you putting this info on LSN? congrats on your acceptances!
I looked at a lot of the data and it appears that Cornell rejects any LSAT if it doesn't come with a super-high GPA. Are they like a mini-Yale in terms of having an academic focus?
Apologies if this is a silly question. What is a splitter? Assuming it's a gap between LSAT score and GPA?
Congrats on Penn!
From what I (briefly) saw on LSN, it appears that Cornell is rejecting (or the occasional waitlisting) everyone with a 172+ LSAT this cycle, even with GPAs of 3.75+. So my guessing is Yield protection
Yep it's basically an applicant whose GPA is at/below the school's 25th percentile and LSAT that's at/above the school's 75th percentile.
Got it, thanks!
That's frustrating. I really like Cornell and I wrote what I thought was a very convincing Why Cornell. Yield protection seems like such a shortsighted and detrimental strategy. Ugh
But I guess it's better than telling myself my 3.56 is too low for the t14
.
Any more splitter successes this cycle??
I'll be straight, I've heard that this was a tough cycle. But, your LSAT is great so chances are you'll get some very decent offers. I had a 169, 3.28 and was accepted to UCI and some lower ranked schools, waitlisted at UCLA and Vandy, and rejected by USC and Penn. I didnt apply early so that may also be a factor.
my friend had a 3.8 and a 161 but was waitlisted at UCLA and UCI and rejected from USC.
I hoped that my 169 would be good enough for USC and UCLA, and I saw many acceptances on LSN with lower numbers and similar GPA, but again, these were people that possibly applied earlier or didnt report accurately.
This cycle, I feel like they were super tough on low GPAs. Maybe because of an increase in applications. Who knows. F*** em.
How are your softs, PS and LORs? The increase applications allowed law schools to be more choosy and select based on factors that they otherwise wouldnt have considered as much