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LSAT Percentile needed for a realistic chance of admissions

jhanco10jhanco10 Alum Member

I have a good GPA (3.84), but I am unsure how high I'll score on the LSAT. Where do I need to be in comparison to a school's average to have a good chance of acceptance? I know this is subjective and there are many other factors, but I would appreciate any input. Thank you

Comments

  • cstrobelcstrobel Alum Member
    228 karma

    The rule of thumb I've seen is that you take the percentile your GPA is in +/- 50 and that'll give you a ballpark of the LSAT percentile for the school you'd need to average their 50th.
    However, as a splitter, it can be a shot in the dark with some schools, particularly this year as the number of top scorers has increased. So try to shoot for a score that'd put you averaging above the 50th with the split.

    For example were the 75th percentile for GPA, aiming for their 25th percentile or better for the lsat is the general approximation I've seen.

    Best of luck!

  • Seeking PerfectionSeeking Perfection Alum Member
    4423 karma

    It will depend on the school. At some schools your 3.84 will be above median and at a handful it will be below the median. ( The median is where there are 50 percent of applicants above and 50 percent below. The law schools ranking is based on medians so they care mostly about this rather than the average.)

    LSAT is more important than GPA in law school admissions. So in order to have a good chance I would say if your GPA is above median you want at least a median LSAT. If your GPA is below median you want an above median LSAT.

    However rather than rely on a rule of thumb, you should look at actual data. You can use mylsn to see how many people with similar statistics to you got in to various law schools. You can just try different LSAT scores. This is the link to the one for a 3.84 and a 170, but try other LSAT scores.
    http://mylsn.info/n3jgkb/

    However, your goal won't just be to get into whatever school you attend, but to get scholarships. For those higher LSATs can be helpful. So its best to max out your LSAT score by doing as well as you can for admissions as well as scholarships.

  • westcoastbestcoastwestcoastbestcoast Alum Member
    3788 karma

    Even if it seems unlikely, you should aim for a 180. Aim to maximize your LSAT as much as reasonably possible and run the numbers on mylsn once you have a stable PT average.

  • 1000001910000019 Alum Member
    3279 karma

    I don't think there is a meaningful way to answer your question. "[G]ood chance of acceptance" is vague. You didn't mention the specific school you were interested in.

  • tylerdschreur10tylerdschreur10 Alum Member
    1465 karma

    3.84 is a solid gpa. If it's above median for a school you desire, an above median LSAT should give you a great shot!

  • wnivabyfdljwnivabyfdlj Alum Member
    52 karma

    @"Seeking Perfection" said:
    However rather than rely on a rule of thumb, you should look at actual data. You can use mylsn to see how many people with similar statistics to you got in to various law schools. You can just try different LSAT scores. This is the link to the one for a 3.84 and a 170, but try other LSAT scores.
    http://mylsn.info/n3jgkb/

    How do you get it to list more than 51 schools? Good to know for sure that Yale won't take me.

  • Seeking PerfectionSeeking Perfection Alum Member
    4423 karma

    @wnivabyfdlj said:

    @"Seeking Perfection" said:
    However rather than rely on a rule of thumb, you should look at actual data. You can use mylsn to see how many people with similar statistics to you got in to various law schools. You can just try different LSAT scores. This is the link to the one for a 3.84 and a 170, but try other LSAT scores.
    http://mylsn.info/n3jgkb/

    How do you get it to list more than 51 schools? Good to know for sure that Yale won't take me.

    I've never quite been able to figure that out. If you are looking below the Top 50 you might just have to use law school numbers to get an idea. MyLSN draws its data from there anyway. The graph page for each school is very informative as long as you go back to a completed cycle. The applicants spreadsheet can be useful too if sorted by LSAT or GPA.

    http://schools.lawschoolnumbers.com

  • goingfor99thgoingfor99th Free Trial Member
    3072 karma

    @wnivabyfdlj said:

    @"Seeking Perfection" said:
    However rather than rely on a rule of thumb, you should look at actual data. You can use mylsn to see how many people with similar statistics to you got in to various law schools. You can just try different LSAT scores. This is the link to the one for a 3.84 and a 170, but try other LSAT scores.
    http://mylsn.info/n3jgkb/

    Good to know for sure that Yale won't take me.

    You never know!

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