Do law schools take highest LSAT?
Asked by: Isai Ryan | Last update: December 12, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (64 votes)
Schools don't have to report the average of your scores and only use your highest for reporting. To be clear, however, the rule does not require schools to use the highest score during the admissions process. This means schools can still use the average score when making admissions decisions, and some still do.
Do law schools consider your highest LSAT?
Standardized Test Scores
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.
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 ...
Do law schools look at LSAT percentiles?
It's common to talk in terms of LSAT scores, but law schools also look at your score percentile. Small LSAT score gains can net big results.
How rare is a 177 LSAT?
You would need to a top score across all LSAT attempts of a 177 to be in the top 1% of US and Canadian applicants. An applicant needs a top score of 169 to be in the top 10% of applicants.
LSAT Prep: How I Scored a 172 in Two Months
How bad is a 135 on the LSAT?
As previously stated, the score range for any LSAT exam is 120 to 180, but the average score is about 150. However, most of the top ten law schools require a candidate to have scored at least 165 on the LSAT.
What did Elle Woods score on the LSAT?
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.
Will a 180 LSAT get you in anywhere?
LSAT takers can score anywhere from 120 to 180. With that big of a range, what kind of score should you aim for? Realistically, you should try to get a score of at least 150. That's the score that will get you into any accredited law school.
What is a bad LSAT score?
While you may be able to apply and even be accepted into a law school with a lower LSAT score, there is a cut-off for acceptable application scores. If you are consistently scoring lower than 145, you may need to consider significant studying and a retake before applying to law schools.
Does LSAT outweigh GPA?
Yes, many schools with holistic admissions prioritize LSAT scores and other qualities over strictly GPA. Check individual schools for their approach.
Should I retake a 163 LSAT?
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.
Do law schools see cancelled LSAT scores?
The cancellation will still be visible to any schools you apply to, but your score will never be released (not even to you). LSAT scores can be canceled through your LSAC online account or by contacting LSAC directly.
Is your GPA or LSAT more important?
Most law schools tend to give LSAT scores a bit more weight, but some schools care more about grades. The admissions process is inevitably subjective, and some admissions officers might be more forgiving of a gap than others.
What majors score the highest on the LSAT?
- Mathematics/Physics: 160.0.
- Economics/Philosophy/Theology: 157.4.
- International Relations: 156.5.
- Engineering: 156.2.
- Government/Service/Chemistry: 156.1.
- History: 155.9.
- Interdisciplinary Studies: 155.5.
- Foreign Languages: 155.3.
Should I retake a 165 LSAT?
Improve your Scores
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.
What was Obama's LSAT score?
The easiest to predict, by far, is Barack Obama's score, mostly because we have some data. Based on admissions records, we can deduce — somewhat reliably — that Barry-O scored between the 94th and 98th percentile on his LSAT. Using today's grading system, that would place him somewhere around a 170.
Is cheating on the LSAT illegal?
The Law School Admission Council has established procedures for dealing with instances of possible candidate misconduct or irregularities on the LSAT or in the law school admission process. Misconduct or irregularity in the admission process is a serious offense with serious consequences.
Is it realistic for Elle Woods to get into Harvard?
Harvard Law likes a diverse range of law students. She also came from a wealthy background and went to a very prestigious college, UCLA, in the musical version, all of which played important factors in her chances of getting into Harvard Law. Senior Jo Kelly believes that it is realistic Elle got into Harvard Law.
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.
How rare is a 180 LSAT?
How Hard Is It To Get A Perfect Score On The LSAT? According to LSAC, only 119 test-takers out of nearly 60,000 achieved this in 2022. So when you ask, “How many people get a 180 on the LSAT?” the answer highlights the rarity and difficulty of this achievement.
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 score is 12 wrong on LSAT?
Every LSAT throughout the year is different, but on a typical LSAT, can still get around 18–19 questions wrong and still end up in the 160s—or about 12 wrong and get a 166, a 90th percentile score. Even a perfect score of 180 often allows for a question or two to be missed.
What is the average LSAT score for first time takers?
Data Summary. The average LSAT score for first-time takers was 151, according to scores tracked from 2006-2013. During this period, second-time test takers had the highest LSAT average score of about 152. The average national LSAT score for full-time, first-year JD enrollees for fall 2022 was about 159.