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Stem and humanities major splitter

stemsplitterstemsplitter Free Trial Member
edited May 2019 in Law School Admissions 16 karma

Hello! I know there are a TON OF posts about this topic but I just wanted to see if anyone has any opinions/gotten into law school with the similar circumstances.

I have a dual degree in Cell biology and Women’s studies and ended up with a 2.8 cumulative gpa. If I removed all of my science classes, my gpa would be about aBout a 3.8 (not sure if this matters at all). Since graduating, I have been working for a large medical device company in quality on a large project. By the time I apply, I would have been in the industry for 2 years. I eventually want to get into patent/intellectual property law. I am retaking the lsat again this fall and am aiming for ~165 + .

Has anyone else gotten into a good school with a low gpa, a better than average lsat and work experience?

Are there certain schools that really value work experience?

All opinions are appreciated! Thank you!

Comments

  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    23929 karma

    What do you mean when you say “good” school? Like a T14? Yes. You’ll be a super splitter, but with a high enough LSAT >75th%tile you’ll have at least a shot at some great schools. Apply early and broadly because splitter cycles are highly unpredictable.

    I know Northwestern seems relatively kind to splitters and put a heavy emphasis on work experience.

    Good luck!

  • PrincessPrincess Alum Member
    821 karma

    Hey! To be honest, I don't really know the answer to this question...but one thing I can tell you is that hard will definitely work off. I feel like I spent SO MUCH TIME just trying to figure out my chances and guessing myself rather than truly just putting in the work. It's not that I didn't want to work, but I was honestly just scaring myself and getting nervous. The GPA is set in stone, but the only thing we can do now is work on the LSAT and essays. Make sure that when you finish, you have no regrets that oh I should have worked harder, studied longer, or whatever. Give it 100% and work on those essays. Get help from people and just embrace the learning process. Don't be stuck on the numbers or figure out what your chances are to get into a school, but focus more on what's the best you can do now.

  • Leah M BLeah M B Alum Member
    8392 karma

    The biggest thing to know is that splitter cycles are super unpredictable. The best thing you can do (besides getting a killer LSAT) is apply early, make sure your essays are really strong, and apply broadly. It’s super important to keep options open and apply to a good number of schools, because there is little way to predict what will happen. Our resident super splitter @LSATcantwin can attest to the fact that it is totally possible to get into a great school with less than stellar GPA. Having work experience definitely helps, and most schools will also somewhat take into consideration that it was your STEM degree pulling down the GPA - the know that those programs are notorious for grade deflation. However, your GPA will still figure into their school stats, so that doesn’t totally get you off the hook.

    Study your butt off, and when you have a great LSAT, you’ll more than likely be able to get into a good school, yes. The general rule of thumb is that if your GPA is below the school’s 25th, you want your LSAT to be above their 75th to balance it out. So, that should be your goal and can help you figure out which schools to apply to.

  • LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage
    13286 karma

    I have been summoned! Everything @"Leah M B" is absolutely correct.

    If you just want to see numbers, I had:

    cGPA: 2.83
    LSAT: 171
    Work experience: multiple years (and veteran)

    I was accepted off waitlist at Northwestern, and just finished my 1L year!

    The LSAT is more important to you than it is to everyone else. There cannot be settling for a score, you absolutely have to get it above your target schools median. Your GPA will pull no weight for you, so your LSAT must do all the work. It is 100% possible to get into a very good school though!

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