Very important question regarding law school, any help from KNOWLEDGABLE responders will be much appreciated!!

Question

I just scored 158 on the LSAT, but I am thinking of applying to some schools well above that range because I am an excellent writer and I believe that my personal statement could definitely sway some minds...my question is, would there be disadvantages in attending a school with a majority of students who scored much higher on the LSAT or does it not really matter once you are in school?

Answer 1

The schools themselves will make the decision about your capabilities, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. If your grades have been strong at high-quality undergrad schools and you have taken a rigorous schedule there, your inability to handle multiple choice tests will not be much of a hindrance, since other than on the multistate portion of the Bar exam, I don't remember ever encountering a multiple choice question in law school.

By the time you get to law school, you probably won't know what any of your classmates' LSAT scores were (I didn't), but you can definitely get a sense of who the bright people are with whom you want to ally yourself. I remember being asked to join a group for some purpose,and suggesting a friend be invited. The response was that they only wanted the intelligent people in the group, and she wasn't good enough. So yes, law school is highly competitive, and not always very nice. Being on the low end of the curve can be an unpleasant experience, especially if you are bright enough to realize that you aren't respected like you are used to.

I would not recommend applying too far above your level, especially if your grades are not compensation for the LSAT score. Personal statements are nice, but they can easily be written by someone other than the applicant, so no school is going to take a good personal statement in substitution or BOTH poor scores and poor grades. Also, if you know that schools generally only accept people with scores over 170, it wouldn't make much sense to apply with a 158, no matter how good your essay. You could do it with a 168, , MAYBE a 166, but much below that, and you are just wasting your money.

Answer 2

The LSAT is only a predictor of how well you're going to do your first year of law school. Once you're actually in and doing the work, it ceases to matter: some people exceed expectations; others can't live up to them.

However, that's if you get in. And in law school admissions, GPA and test scores count far higher than your personal statement. If you're determined to go for the top, consider a retake, particularly if you don't have the grades to compensate.

Answer 3

I don't think it matters, if I were you I would look at it like the act or sat.Some people who score in the 30s don't always do good in college because of their work ethic.As long as you work hard I think you will be on the same level as the others.