Any top 50 schools as a match school?

[kev2015]

Dear Powerscore,

I just have a question regarding my selection of law schools to apply to in this cycle (fall 2016 start). I know that it is late in the cycle, but i still want to apply and see.

So my highest LSAT score is a 158, and I have graduated from a top 20 university, according to US news. I studied science in undergrad. My GPA according to my school's scale is 3.2 and I graduated with Honours (this is the second rank honours that you can get by your graduation, with the highest being "High honours"). My GPA according to LSAC is 3.18. I am working now in a "pure science firm", and I have a lot of extracurriculars, etc..., as well as diversity.

So I am just wondering, what types of top 50 schools would you advise me to apply to? Are there are top 50 schools that can be considered my match schools?

And what would be ranking range for my safety, match, and reach schools? I am just unsure in how to choose the schools wisely.

Thank you very much in advance for your help and advice!!

[Dave Killoran]

Hey Kev,

Thanks for the question! The process of choosing school is, to me at least, a bit more involved than simple numbers. Where you live, where you want to practice, what kind of environment you like, your tolerance for debt, etc all come into play in this decision. For example, Georgetown, Berkeley, and Duke are all somewhat close in rankings, but are three very different schools. One student might thrive at Georgetown but struggle at Duke (and vice versa). So, as a disclaimer, I'd urge you to look more deeply into each school because some might naturally make the list or remove themselves from the list based on what factors you value. That is the best way to produce a match list that allows you to feel comfortable with your ultimate decision.

Looking at just the numbers can be difficult, and when you add in the diversity factor, it gets even harder. when the diversity factor is added in, your chances at the schools ranked 30-50 are the best. The very top schools (like Harvard) are tough for everyone, and a sub-160 LSAT score and sub-3.5 GPA knock those top schools more or less out of contention. I'd focus on sifting through the schools ranked 30-50, in order to see which ones really interest you. Those schools span the country, and there are a lot of fine options there. For example, you have a decent shot at both Florida and Florida State, but even with all their similarities they are very different schools.

There aren't any stone cold locks in the top 50, but certainly if you apply to a span of schools in that lower range, you'll get admitted to at least one or two if the rest of your softs are solid.

Hopefully that's a start. Good luck!