How bad is a 138 on the LSAT?
Asked by: Maudie Stracke | Last update: January 23, 2026Score: 4.9/5 (56 votes)
“If you have a 2.3 GPA and a 138 LSAT, you — unfortunately — are very unlikely to be able to make it through law school and pass the bar exam after graduation. So making the decision now, before investing three years and $150,000, could be the smartest thing you do.”
Should I cancel a 138 LSAT score?
Should I Cancel My LSAT Score? Probably not. Most schools only use your top LSAT score for admissions, so having a lower score doesn't generally hurt you. A few schools do look at all your LSAT scores, but most just want to see a trend of improvement if you retake.
What is a poor 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.
Can I get into law school with a 139 LSAT?
Quite frankly, if your LSAT score is below 145, it will be difficult for you to be admitted to an accredited law school – not impossible, but very difficult. And if your LSAT score is low, your GPA will need to be higher to compensate for it.
Is 138 a good LSAT score?
“In general, it's unwise to attend law school with an LSAT score below 160,” said Keith Syska, LSAT curriculum designer at Magoosh. “Surely there are exceptions, but scoring below 160 will foreclose many attractive opportunities.
From 139 to 171: Ethan's LSAT Success Story | LSAT Demon Daily, Ep. 878
Is 136 a bad LSAT score?
What a Low LSAT Score Means. If your LSAT score is in the 130s or low 140s, it's very hard to find an ABA law school anywhere in the US that will offer you unrestricted acceptance (especially in the increasingly competitive environment).
What is a failing LSAT score?
Understanding Your LSAT Scores. The LSAT scores range from 120-180, with 120 being the lowest possible score. If you are wondering what a good LSAT Score is, there is no failing or passing score on the LSAT.
What did Elle Woods get on her 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.
Is 135 a bad LSAT score?
Average LSAT Score
The LSAT score range is 120–180, and the median score is approximately 152. You need to get about 60 questions right (out of 99–102 questions) to get that median score of 152, which means you need to bat about 60 percent.
Is 137 a good LSAT score?
A well below average score is considered by many as anything below the 25th percentile, which typically indicates a score of 145 or below. However, do not be disheartened if your LSAT percentile is below average; use it as motivation to study harder and ensure quality results the next time you take the exam.
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)
Is 139 a bad LSAT score?
139 is such a low score, it indicates that you will probably never pass a bar exam. The traditional cut-off score for law school admissions is 150. A score below 150 indicates that you are at such high risk of not being able to pass a bar exam, the law school cannot i…
Does a bad LSAT score hurt you?
Meaning, a lower score on a LSAT retake should not hurt you. Now admissions officers are still humans, and there is most certainly some psychological negative impact of having multiple lower LSAT scores and then a high LSAT score when compared to someone who just scored high the first time.
Is it possible to raise your LSAT score 20 points?
Students have successfully improved their LSAT score by over 20 points, but it required several months, even years, of dedicated study, trial and error, and unwavering focus.
Should I cancel a 139 LSAT score?
If you feel that you performed poorly on your LSAT, it may be a good idea to cancel your score. However, keep in mind that you do not get a refund if you cancel your score. Once a request to cancel an LSAT score is approved, the cancellation cannot be reversed.
What did Obama make on the LSAT?
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 Legally Blonde realistic?
OVERALL (fairly accurate!)
After going through it myself - overall impression of Legally Blonde? Not too shabby! I'd say the class/school scenes are pretty accurate, as well as Elle's transition from totally uncomfortable to realizing that she deserves to be at Harvard Law.
What LSAT score do I need for Harvard?
So let's take a look at what it actually takes to have a chance of being admitted to the most prestigious and preeminent law school in the world. As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School.
Can I get into law school with a 135 LSAT?
Typically, a good rule of thumb is that you want to at least break 140 to make taking on the cost of law school economically feasible. You can get into a law school with a 140 LSAT score. If you can't break 140, you either want to rethink your testing strategy or reconsider law school.
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.
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.
Should I cancel a 143 LSAT score?
Vast majority of law schools take your highest score. Not a lot of benefit, if any, from cancelling. They'll see a canceled score notification. So if you are going to bring it up, I'd keep the score.
Can I get into law school with a 136 LSAT score?
If your LSAT score is in the 140s or lower, you need to spend some time looking at the 25th percentile LSAT scores for the schools you were hoping to attend.
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.