How hard is it to get 173 on the LSAT?
Asked by: Julius Ernser | Last update: August 4, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (25 votes)
For example, if you scored in the 99th percentile (173), that means 99% of other LSAT takers scored at or below that level. The LSAT percentiles chart isn't just for the single administration that you take, but rather is an average over several years.
What schools can I get into with a 173 LSAT?
Applicants to these schools commonly have LSAT scores in the mid-160s or even higher. For example, the best law schools in the United States, Yale and Stanford, both have scores in the 170s—174 and 173, respectively.
How many questions can you get wrong on the LSAT and still 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 retake 173 LSAT?
I'd just say, don't retake until you're consistently well above 173, and if that doesn't happen, you probably don't need to retake. 173 is a really good score and is at the threshold where the score would never be what's holding you back at all.
Is 173 a good LSAT score on Reddit?
It's totally up to you, but a 173 lsat is only below the median for Harvard and Yale, so unless you're really wanting to go there, OR there's something else going on (like a really low gpa), there isn't really a reason to.
How to score in the 170s on the LSAT.
How rare is a 173 on LSAT?
For example, if you scored in the 99th percentile (173), that means 99% of other LSAT takers scored at or below that level. The LSAT percentiles chart isn't just for the single administration that you take, but rather is an average over several years.
How hard is it to get 173 on LSAT?
What Does A 173-180 LSAT Score Mean? First off, if you're in this score range, congratulations: you're officially above the mean, median, and mode (you're welcome, stats fans). In fact, you're besting 99.4 to 99.9 percent of your peers – not bad at all.
Does retaking the LSAT look bad?
No, law schools don't really care if you retake the LSAT. However, if you have multiple LSAT scores (four or more) it may raise a few eyebrows and make the admissions committees question your time management, dedication, and academic potential a little more.
How important is a 4.0 GPA for law school?
According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), students need a GPA of at least 3.59 and an LSAT of 162 or more to get into any top 10 law schools. However, that is the bare minimum, and you should aim higher if you want to increase your chances of getting into the top 3.
Does the LSAT get curved?
Answer: "It's not actually curved. It's equated." If you're especially savvy, you won't be satisfied with that. You'll look at my LSAT PrepTest Raw Score Conversion Charts and calculations of what it takes to get an LSAT score of 160 or 170.
What score 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.
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)
What is the lowest LSAT score accepted?
What Is The Lowest Acceptable 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 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.
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 the LSAT becoming obsolete?
The ABA's House of Delegates will vote on the Council's proposed change in February 2023. If the House votes to nix Standard 503, the standardized-test requirement won't go away until 2025. So, the LSAT isn't definitely going away, and it's definitely not going away until 2025.
Do law schools know how many times you took the LSAT?
Applicants may take the LSAT up to seven times overall, five times within the current and five past testing years, and three times in a single testing year from July to June. Remember that law schools will see the score of every uncanceled test you take.
What percentile is 173 LSAT?
A 173 is a nearly 99th percentile score, meaning that in a random sample of a hundred test takers, you were probably the best scorer of them all.
Is a 2.9 GPA bad for law school?
Your low GPA doesn't guarantee rejections from law schools. Law schools look at who you are as a person, not just how well you perform academically. If your GPA was all that mattered, there would be no need for such extensive application processes.
Has anyone gotten 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.
What law schools can I get into with a 173 LSAT?
Stanford Law School in California, the University of Chicago Law School, Columbia Law School in New York and Washington University in St. Louis are tied for third place with a median LSAT score of 173. Here is a list of the 19 ranked law schools with the highest median LSAT scores among incoming students in fall 2023.
How many months to study for LSAT?
For most students, a three-month period of preparation (of approximately 20 hours per week) is a great goal. This is, of course, an estimate; most students are not all students. To find out how much LSAT prep time you're likely to need, we recommend taking a practice LSAT to get a baseline score.
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.