LSAT Score Goal

[JohnB]

I am KJD applicant with a 3.74 GPA in aerospace engineering from Notre Dame. I just scored a 157 on my LSAT diagnostic and am trying to gauge what final score I should be aiming for in order to be competitive at T6 schools.

While I know that my GPA is comparatively lower because of the major I chose, I have heard some opinions that it doesn't really matter. I have fairly good softs with internships at top level aerospace firms (Boeing, etc.), a strong LOR, and am nURM.

In order to be a super splitter at my top choice schools, I am aiming for a 176 LSAT. Is this reasonably high to help balance the GPA? Who is more friendly to super splitters? How far will my softs/strength of major take me? Any insight is appreciated.

[Chandler H]

I am KJD applicant with a 3.74 GPA in aerospace engineering from Notre Dame. I just scored a 157 on my LSAT diagnostic and am trying to gauge what final score I should be aiming for in order to be competitive at T6 schools.

While I know that my GPA is comparatively lower because of the major I chose, I have heard some opinions that it doesn't really matter. I have fairly good softs with internships at top level aerospace firms (Boeing, etc.), a strong LOR, and am nURM.

In order to be a super splitter at my top choice schools, I am aiming for a 176 LSAT. Is this reasonably high to help balance the GPA? Who is more friendly to super splitters? How far will my softs/strength of major take me? Any insight is appreciated.

Hello John,

These are all good questions. As you are aware, a 3.74 (while still a great GPA!) is lower than most of the 25th percentile GPAs at T6 schools. Although it is true that law schools try to look at applicants more holistically—including softs and letters of recommendation—as well as essays, the numbers are still king when it comes to predicting admission.

With that being said, achieving a 175+ on your LSAT would certainly go a long way toward making you a competitive splitter. (For what it's worth, a 3.74 would not make you a "super splitter"—that term usually refers to someone with a GPA in the 2.Xs.) This PowerScore blog post may be helpful in figuring out which schools are known to be splitter-friendly.

Hope this helps!