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Related Discussions
Applying with low GPA, current 156 LSAT
lilsquish
Member
Hi all, wondering if any of you think there's a whispering hope for a 3.0 GPA in a science degree with honours and a current 156 lsat. I will be writing again in January and April in hopes of raising my score, highest PT 161. Applying anywhere in Canada but my hopes would be Windsor, Ottawa or TRU. I was hoping for a score about 160, and ideally I was thinking a 165 might give me a fighting chance, but alas as we stand now that's not the case. Wondering if anyone was accepted with a lower GPA and what LSAT they had.
I am a mature student with currently 6 years in the work force, continually advancing position, and 3 years in a unique legal role with court experience. I will have strong LORs.
I know its a bit theoretical now since I'm writing again, but really just looking for anyone in a similar boat and what hey needed LSAT wise to get in somewhere.
Hoping for some improvement, and thank ya'll for feedback!
Comments
From what I am hearing from coaches, the farther out you go, the less important your GPA is. You have a decent number in a science. It is not like you had a 2.0. And, LSAT counts for more than GPA. Of course, if you can bump that up, all the better. I am not familiar with the Canadian law school system, but it does not seem like you are in a fatal position. Go for it!!
Hi!
Similar LSAT score here: 156, out of school for 1yr+ (not identical but sitll) and also Canadian
I am going to be honest, I dont think a strong LOR will make a difference. Unless its the dean or something.
Make sure you really beef up your resume w extra cirriculars, put everything down.
My highest PT was 163, and I am going to retake in January -- i think that if you have a compelling reason as to why you want to pursue law, you have a good shot. I believe if you have a more difficult program, you will also have a higher chance for some schools (I know for a fact U of T takes this into consideration, I believe other Ontario schools do as well).
Honestly, I think you have a good shot, since you are a mature applicant, but you will have a better chance with a higher LSAT score.
Are you active on lawstudents.ca? They have a "predictor" applucation where you can plug in your stats and see what % chance you have.
I'm sorry this was not a great deal of help, but please know that you are not alone w the LSAT score & I wish you the best of luck in your future studies!
"7sage predictor" and "lawschoolnumbers.com" are good sites for estimating your chances. I think it only takes into account GPA and LSAT tho so your unique work exp will probably give you a boost.
https://lawapplicants.ca
A 3.0+ GPA in a tough major is something to be proud of, and having a degree in a STEM field puts you at an advantage when applying. Also, 156 is an above-median LSAT. There are a few active 7Sage members on here attending or applying to Canadian law schools. Maybe they'll see this and respond with more ideas. If you keep working on this exam, improvement is very likely.
Fellow Canadian here as well
This made me stop for a second. If you're taking it in April, I assume you're applying the next cycle, so you have some time. If that's the case, I stroooongly recommend: do not take it in January! Take it when you are ready. If that's April, then that will be great, and you'll still have the summer and fall if April doesn't go well. But there is no reason to take it in January and get a worse score than you'll be capable of. I strongly recommend withdrawing your registration. Especially when you already have an LSAT score on record!
By April or by the summer, that is a lot of time to study and practice and improve your score and hit the mid 160s. On the LSAT just a few points can make a big difference.
@taschasp I listen to the thinking LSAT podcast and they suggest taking as many times as possible since schools only take your highest. Even if I write in Jan and April I can still write again 2 more times. The tests also have a great degree of flux between them, as I'm sure you know, so writing again literally a month later could yield a result 5pts higher if the test had more games or RC passes that one is more familiar with. I am specifically writing to gain confidence under test conditions - and my original plan was to be ready for January but I have chronic migraines that have impeded my studies, however I'm still hoping to see an improvement from where I'm at now. And so by April I will have 2 official exams under my belt and will hopefully have loads of confidence going into the test that counts
I think I get what you're saying, but I gotta listen to my boys Nathan and Ben. And yes I won't be applying until the 2020 or 2021 admission cycle, I'm in no rush since I'm already a very mature applicant (lol).
Thank you for your support, I wish you success as well!
I have the same GPA! I have 3 years solid work experience and expecting around 162-5 in the January exam. I need to improve my Logic Games though, doing an 100 hour crash course on purely LG over the next 2 weeks before the exam. If i can get to -2 or -3, 165+ is very easily achievable.
As others mentioned, a 3.0 is not a "Great GPA" but it certainly is not a "Bad" GPA. Unless you're talking HYS or perhaps U of T in Canada, it won't trigger alarm bells when they review your application. It's a fair GPA, especially for a STEM degree and of course GPA is becoming increasingly insignificant. It's ridiculous to expect GPAs to be fairly and consistently reviewed to a central standard, there are just so many variables in each college that can impact it.
Smash over 160 on the LSAT in January and you'll get some good opportunities for this fall. I'd advice you to submit your application NOW though and request final review upon release of January scores. Most decisions for admission are made by the Spring so I fear the April LSAT will be too late for most decent schools.
@dansykes94 Thanks for your advice! I am not applying until Aug 2020 for Sep 2021 intake, so I have lots of time to finalize scores
I want to be first in the app cycle
Where did you find the 100 hour crash course on LG? Just wondering. Thanks.
Lsatplaylist,
I am doing 100 Logic Games, upon completion i'm marking the ones where I made errors and doing them 10 times over, as per the fool proof method. I'm not looking for perfection but if I can get -5 on LG i'll be very happy. Just go to resources, problem sets and you can create your own LG lists.
You don't have to take my word for it, but this isn't the full truth. They definitely care most about your highest, in large part because that's what affects their rankings. But schools care about a lot of things that don't affect their rankings, or else you would know who was getting in just based on highest LSAT score and GPA alone. And that's not the case. In reality, they look at all your scores, and it is a disadvantage to have a ton of scores on your record. 4 is pushing it.
Now, if you already took the LSAT three times and then took it a fourth time and got a higher score, that would definitely be worth it -- the benefit of a higher score would never be outweighed by the cost of an additional retake. But it would have been better if you hadn't already taken the test three other times. In other words, for example, a 156 followed by a 165 is much better than having a 156, 158, 159, and 165 on your record.
Why? Well, your highest score (especially if its the last score on record) might reflect the most, lower scores reflect something too. Just like how senior grades reflect more than first-year grades in your GPA. How a specific admissions officer will weigh this things and think about it depends from person to person, institution to institution. But its misleading to say to just take it as many times as you want at no cost.
I will say that your point about the test flux is a good one, especially if you find that your PT scores have a very wide range. But if your goal is 165, I would wait at least until the summer when you're hopefully hitting that goal in PTs, and then you still have one or maybe even two more back ups in case the "flux" doesn't work out in your favour. Heck, you could even sign up for tests in April, June, AND July if you really wanted to and I think that would be better than taking the test in January and April.
Anyway that's my take, and I won't be offended if you don't follow my advice
but I still consider it my duty to share it so you have as much information at your disposal to make the best decision!
@taschasp Thank you, I do appreciate your advice and opinion. My belief is that the number of tests taken doesn't account for much when reviewing apps, and if questioned I can always explain my strategy. I guess we'll see what happens