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Feeling Discouraged

avoro002avoro002 Alum Member
in General 336 karma

I've debated if I should post this but decided to do it because I really need some encouragement. I took an Oct test for the first time and received 151. I was hoping for 155+ as my PTing was around that. I've been studying for a year, my diagnostic was 134, gone through 7-sage CC, the Loophole and some of Mike Kim's Trainer. Couple of months ago I got a tutor and he's helped me a lot with LR and RC. My worst section is RC (-10-16), LR (-6-9), LG (-2-6).
I signed up to take Nov test too, hoping to get a higher score. My GPA is 3.98, I'm non traditional student, first gen college and grad student and English is my second language. I have strong LORs, PS and DS.
I'm hoping to get into UCONN, Maurer, or W&M, and also shooting for W&L, U.of Illinois-Urbana, GW, GM, Northeastern. I'm also looking at Buffalo as my last resort. I know my LSAT score is very low and I don't want to take another year for studying. Nov test is my last shot.
I know many people would say I'm wasting my GPA, but I'm feeling done and just want to go to a law school in 2021. Is anyone in here with similar stats has a successful story of getting into law schools and getting any scholarships?

I would greatly appreciate any information about other schools I could look at as my safe targets. I'm trying to stay on the east coast and ideally move up North.

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Comments

  • nsturno_12nsturno_12 Alum Member
    39 karma

    I am in the same boat as you! Scored a 152 and taking in November, hoping for high 150s/low 160s if possible. Would appreciate any tips if anyone has!

    Also, are you going to keep or cancel your score? I can't decide what to do.

  • -POSe30--POSe30- Member
    14 karma

    Hi there,

    I'm in a very similar position and scoring range. I'm sure you find it overwhelming, as I do, reading through these sections where people went from 150s to 170s in a matter of months. Very impressive increases, and certainly motivating, but trust me those are the outlier. Most people are scoring like us (or just slightly higher). But I think this shows that hard work shines, and most people don't see these increases because they simply don't put in the necessary time (obviously not taking into account external factors).

    In my opinion, you need your LSAT score to stand as tall as possible. In terms of getting into law school, your score is the exclamation mark at the end of your other achievements. Your score is what's going to leave the lasting impression. This is what's going to open the most doors in terms of scholarships. You need to fight for every last point, because your score is basically all that matters. Regardless of what school you're trying to go to, you should be aiming for the highest score possible, given your time and overall ability. Again, MY OPINION :)

    I don't think "just wanting to go to a law school" is the best mentality. Why do you want to go to law school? Might be a dreadful question, I know, but you have to be honest with yourself...

    Sorry if all of this sounded like a vent haha. Maybe this is just me projecting.... Best of luck!

  • avoro002avoro002 Alum Member
    336 karma

    @nsturno_12 hey, I'm sorry! I hope you get your score with Nov test. I kept my score in case Nov test is even worse.

  • avoro002avoro002 Alum Member
    edited October 2020 336 karma

    @-POSe30- thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! Sometimes I forget where I am coming from and how much improvement I've made when the only posts I see are about people scoring so much higher than me and within couple of months improving tremendously.
    I meant I wanted to go to law school next year and not postponing it anymore when I said I wanted just to go to law school. I'm sorry I didn't state it more clear in the post. I have a strong reason why I'm going to law school and it's smth I didn't wake up with one day but worked very hard for achieving my goal for over a decade now. And when my dream is getting so close now, I'm feeling defeated by the LSAT score.
    Anyways, thank you so much for your response!

  • This_is_HardThis_is_Hard Alum Member
    815 karma

    My diagnostic was about 135, first person in my family to go to university, and a first generation Canadian. I also have a GPA of 3.97/4.00, but having this high of a GPA taught me nothing on how to approach the LSAT. What I came to realize, for my Major anyway, I learned to accept everything I read in the textbooks and through my teachers as truth. This mentality allowed me to retain a lot of factual information, without questioning any of it and perhaps allowed me to test well in class and achieve a high GPA.

    Come the LSAT, this type of mentality is the direct opposite of what you need in order to do well. For the LSAT, I learned I had to question everything and think critically, what my major lacked in teaching me. There is a reason why Mathematics and Philosophy majors do so well on the LSAT, they learn to critically think. Most majors don't teach you that.

    I, like you, have The Loop Hole and The Trainer along with 7Sage. After the first chapter in The Loop Hole on translations, everything changed for me and I was able to effectively understand stimulus like never before. I think you need to slow down and really digest what you are reading to get a better score in LR (translation is the number one skill you need to do well, remember!). For RC, try to read a passage or two a day and it will come with time (the memory method taught on 7sage is great, use it). LG, you are doing fantastic. If your score is 155+, LR improvement alone with what you are scoring currently with LG, should be enough for you to get 155+. Especially now that LG, LR, and RC are all worth the same.

  • LOWERCASE EVERYTHINGLOWERCASE EVERYTHING Member ⭐
    1952 karma

    first of all, congrats on your improvement! a 17-point improvement is amazing!
    i think you have a fair shot at some of those schools since your gpa is outstanding, but definitely you should try to aim for a higher score to improve your chances. are you pting where you want to be? have you considered taking jan? try to focus on your weak areas and aim for a better score! good luck!

  • avoro002avoro002 Alum Member
    336 karma

    @"LOWERCASE EVERYTHING" thank you for your response! I was thinking to reschedule for Jan but thought it would be harder for me to get in since it's already later in the cycle and not too many spots would be available.

  • avoro002avoro002 Alum Member
    336 karma

    @This_is_Hard wow, it felt like I was reading about myself, especially the part about not being taught how to think critically while accepting the information as the truth at college. Thank you for your response, that's exactly what I needed right now. I will work to perfect my LG, keep up with LR and drill RC. Slowing down while reading and translation helped me a lot but I think I just didn't have enough time to perfect it. It took me a while to rewire my brain for the LSAT, I feel like I need more practice, especially with RC.

  • VerdantZephyrVerdantZephyr Member ⭐
    2054 karma

    @avoro002 Do not beat yourself up. A 17 point jump is amazing. So is your GPA. So are your softs. Someone is going to bite on your application, though I do not know who that will be. Buffalo is a great town, my mom's from up there and I love visiting. Being able to grab wings from Duffs, hit up the Bills and Sabres games, and visit Niagara Falls and Toronto on the weekends would be awesome. With that said, I do not think you need to resort to going to 99th ranked Buffalo. There are lots of schools that are options. When you say move up north what does that mean? You mentioned several schools in VA, are you coming from Florida or Georgia? Some of this probably depends on what kind of law you want to do. Case Western for example has several specific programs that are excellent. I do not know if you consider Ohio East Coast, but they have wonderful international law programs and I think health law too maybe. Point being, if you want your value at a mid ranked law school know what you are looking for. You do not want to study law at 38th ranked school if they have no focus on religious liberty law and you intend to do religious liberty practice.

    In terms of value for money in encourage you to look at Above the Law's rankings, which try to show the real value of degrees rather than the competitiveness of getting into programs that the US News rankings show. Feel free to message me your specific interests, goals, and desired locations and I will be glad to try and help more. I did a lot of research on schools when I started this process.

  • VerdantZephyrVerdantZephyr Member ⭐
    edited October 2020 2054 karma

    https://abovethelaw.com/law-school-rankings/top-law-schools-2020/

    You could look at some of the lower ranked schools here that still shop up top 50 in ATL rankings.

    Tennessee is ranked in the 60's this year in US News but ATL has them as the 41st school. Temple (Philadelphia) is 56 in US News but 37 in ATL rankings. Wake Forest (North Carolina) is 42 in US News but 33 in ATL rankings. Villanova (Philadelphia) is 62 in US News but 32 in ATL. You already identified a bunch of other schools that are strong a little higher than those. I think you are finding good values. Maryland and Richmond are two more schools around that 50th rank near DC, which seems like something you are interested in from your list.

    I also encourage you to check out https://7sage.com/predictor/

  • VerdantZephyrVerdantZephyr Member ⭐
    2054 karma

    Scrolling through the predictor I think you have better odds than you think even with your scores. Will and Mary 19%
    George Mason 27%
    North Carolina 30% (not on your list but probably should be with those odds)
    W&L 31%
    Wake Forest 38%
    Indiana 35%
    Illinois 40%
    Northeastern 39%
    Temple 47%
    Villanova 49%
    Richmond 49%
    UConn 56%
    Maryland 59%
    Tennessee 60%
    American 70%
    Case Western 73%
    Pitt 79%

    Do not sweat it. These are your November application odds and while it is an unusually competitive cycle not many people out there have 3.98 GPAs. These are also your odds without factoring in being a non-traditional, having a grad degree, or being a second language speaker. You have got this, don't tear yourself down. You will be in a great law school situation next year regardless, I am sure of it.

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