Applying to reach schools

[aliu0204]

Hi Powerscore,

I have a question regarding the law school application which I would like to get your advice on. I am currently registered for the Dec.2015 LSAT, however I would like to first apply to several schools that I might have a chance of getting in before the Dec. LSAT. I have taken the June LSAT previously, and have scored a 151.

My question is, how many LSAT points below a school's 25% percentile is it a reasonable for an applicant to apply to? For example, I see that Indiana Maurer has a 25% percentile of 154, acceptance rate of 61.9%, and U of Illinois has a 25% percentile of 155, acceptance rate of 41.9%. So my 151 is three points below the 25% for Indiana, and 4 points below for U of Illinois. Therefore I am just wondering whether I would stand a chance applying to these schools? Or whether early decision would help getting admitted to them?

Any suggestions would be deeply appreciated. Thanks a lot in advance!

[Dave Killoran]

Hi A,

Thanks for the questions! This is basically two questions in one: how much of a chance do you have if you are below the 25% LSAT score, and how much does early decision help boost your chances?

In answer to the first question, when you drop below the 25th percentile, it hurts your chances significantly. Most schools weight the the LSAT and the GPA as the two most important factors in admission, and from there every school weights the LSAT higher than the GPA. Thus, your LSAT score is the single biggest factor in determining your chances. So, when it drops below the 25%, you can't avoid the fact that it hurts you. The bottom line is that it is better to have your GPA below the 25th percentile than your LSAT (and I'm not saying that's desirable or reasonable, I'm just saying that's how it is).

Looking at admission data from schools like Indiana and Illinois shows that there are applicants who get accepted with lower than 25th percentile scores, but it is somewhat rare. So, it's possible that you get accepted with the 151, but not common. Your GPA also plays a role here, and if you have above a 3.8, you are more likely to get in than otherwise. Regardless of your GPA, adding just 3-4 points to your LSAT score would really increase your chances at these schools, and so as you look at the December LSAT, focus on that as the minimum that you need to increase your chances of admission.

In answer to the second question, at most schools the Early Decision route will increase your chances of admission. It's a question that comes up frequently enough that I asked our good friends over at Spivey Consulting to write a special blog post for us on the topic. Their article is at http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/to-earl ... y-decision, and I strongly think it's worth a read here. The bottom line is that Early Decision typically does help, but it usually lowers your financial aid package, so make sure you consider that carefully before going down that route.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!