Do law schools only see your highest LSAT score?
Asked by: Brionna Dach | Last update: May 14, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (17 votes)
If you have taken the LSAT multiple times, law schools will generally consider your highest LSAT score. Each law school combines your cumulative GPA with your LSAT score to come up with an index score.
Do law schools only look at the highest LSAT score?
In accordance with the American Bar Association and LSAC policies, we place the most importance on the highest LSAT score and report the highest score (we do not average). Any large differences between LSAT scores should be explained in an addendum (uploaded through the LSAC electronic application).
What LSAT score do schools look at?
Your LSAT score is the most important factor for admission to law school. The highest LSAT score is 180. The average LSAT score is about 152. A "good" LSAT score depends on the law schools you are considering.
Does the LSAT keep your highest score?
USC – “We report the highest LSAT score to the American Bar Association and other organizations. However, all scores (not averaged) will be considered in the admissions review process.
Does taking the LSAT 3 times look bad?
Additionally, if you take the LSAT more than three times, or if you have a significant difference in scores (typically more than five points), an admissions committee will want to see an addendum explaining why you kept taking the exam, or explaining the reason for the higher score—essentially, to explain why the high ...
My Law School Application Stats: LSAT, GPA, work experience, and more \\ how I got into law school
Should I keep a 145 LSAT score?
A 144-145 is generally considered to be the lowest acceptable score to attend law school. The median LSAT score is around 151-152, so 144-145 is significantly lower than this. As such, the majority of law schools will not accept scores below this.
How many questions can I get wrong on the LSAT to get a 170?
How many questions can be answered incorrectly for a score of 170? The most questions you can answer wrong on the LSAT if your objective is to achieve a score of 170 is 11. You should achieve your goal score of 170 by correctly answering 90 out of the 101 questions.
Should I cancel a 153 LSAT score?
If you don't have strong reason to believe you've done poorly, and retaking will delay your applications, you probably shouldn't cancel. Don't forget that rolling admissions rewards earlier applications.
How rare is a 180 on the LSAT?
The LSAT is scored on a bell curve, ranging from 120 to 180. On recent tests, the hump of the curve has centered around 153. Percentiles vary slightly between tests, but generally around 25% of test-takers score 160 or higher, 5% score 170 or higher, and 1% score 175 or higher. Only one in 1,000 test-takers scores 180.
How bad is a 155 on the LSAT?
According to U.S. News, law school admissions experts recommend striving for at least a 150; however, for a top-ranking law school, you should aim for a 160 or better. For a Top 10 law school, a 170 or more is desired. Of course, this all depends on which schools you are applying to.
How rare is 172 LSAT?
So, a great score on the LSAT is a 172, but more than 100,000 people take the LSAT every year and only 1% score 172 or higher. For the top 50 law schools, the median LSAT score is between 164 and 174. A good LSAT score for top tier(defined by T14 schools for this article) law schools is between 171 and 174.
What is the average LSAT score for first time takers?
LSAT scores range from 120 to 180. First-time LSAT test-takers score an average of 151 out of 180. The median LSAT score of first-year JD students is 158.5. Among first-year JD students, 160.9 is considered a high score (75th percentile), and 154.8 is considered a low score (25th percentile)
Should I retake the LSAT if I got a 160?
If you're somewhere within the 25th to 75th percentile, then a retake may not even be necessary—especially when you consider the time and money it'll cost you. If you're one of the lucky few that scored a 170 or higher on the first try, then there's really no point in retaking it at all.
Should I retake a 165 LSAT?
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Some people would say “yes”, and that is fine. But if you have an above-average score, say, between 165-170, retaking the LSAT seems like overkill at that point.
Is GPA or LSAT more important?
Those rankings unquestionably value median LSAT score more highly than they do UGPA; in fact, a peek at the full details of the rankings (only available to those willing to pony up $29.95 for inside access) shows the LSAT score placed front and center, whereas it takes several clicks and some scrolling to discover the ...
Does cancelled LSAT score look bad?
Do Law Schools See if You Cancel Your LSAT Score? Yes. While law schools can't see your LSAT score, admissions officers will see that you took the test and canceled your score.
What was Elle Woods' LSAT score?
Elle Woods, a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde, is known for her remarkable LSAT score—179 out of 180. Portrayed as a stereotypical "valley girl," she embarks on a journey to Harvard Law School in the movie that has since become a cult favorite.
Is a 135 on the LSAT bad?
Average LSAT Score
LSAT passing score of at least 165 on the LSAT. In recent years, the average LSAT score has stayed at around 151-152. Correspondingly, applicants should aim to score 151 at a minimum to get into an accredited law school because of how competitive and challenging admissions are.
Will a 180 LSAT get you in anywhere?
Here is a breakdown of what counts as a good enough score for law schools based on the school's rank: Top-five law schools: 170 to 180. Schools like Harvard and Yale, which are the top two, rarely accept applicants with less than 172 on the LSAT. Law schools ranked between 5 and 10: 165 to 170.
How bad is a 148 on the LSAT?
Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.
Does a bad LSAT score hurt you?
Most applicants who consider canceling their LSAT score do so because they think that having the lower score on their record will hurt them, even once they have a higher score. This is, for the most part, not the case.
How rare is a 160 on the LSAT?
A student scoring a 180 is in the 99.9 percentile because the student scored better than 99.9% of test-takers. A student scoring a 160 is in the 74.8 percentile because the student scored better than 74.8% of test-takers. You can hover over the blue outline to see a tooltip for all each LSAT/percentile combinations.
Does the LSAT get curved?
The LSAT is graded on a “curve” so that even if a test was relatively easy or difficult, a 160 on any given test is equivalent to a 160 on any other test. This means that not all tests are exactly the same level of difficulty.
Can you see what you got wrong on the LSAT?
You may request a score audit after you have received your LSAT score. If the score audit results in a score that is different from the original score — higher or lower — the result will be emailed to you and will be reflected in the CAS reports that are transmitted to the law schools to which you apply.
Can you get lucky on the LSAT?
There is no average, and the LSAT definitely isn't luck, although you CAN get lucky. If you take it a few times and don't study in between, you will probably get within 3 point of each other, because a few of the answer you guess will be right/wrong.