How much do law schools care about LSAT?
Asked by: Broderick Rempel | Last update: November 7, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (49 votes)
Grades are one of the two most important factors in law school admissions, along with standardized test scores on the LSAT or GRE. There are three reasons for this. First, studies have shown that applicants' LSAT scores and college grades are reliable predictors of performance in the first year of law school.
Do law schools still care about LSAT?
Yes, they do. Law schools look at your complete profile, including LSATs and undergraduate GPAs, as well as your undergraduate major and your other non-numerical stats from your undergraduate profile.
How much does LSAT matter for law school?
LSAT scores are often considered the most important factor in law school admissions. Typically, in law school admissions, LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA are used to create an “index formula” — your objective strength. The LSAT score is weighted more, accounting for greater than half of the admissions decision.
Do law firms care about your LSAT?
Law firms do not ask your LSAT score as part of the interview process. They focus instead on the law school you graduated from and your class rank. Of course, your LSAT score will play a large role in the law schools that you're able to get into.
Is LSAT a good predictor of law school success?
To its credit, the LSAT is meant to predict how well a student will perform during their first year in law school. And perhaps more than any other available metric, the LSAT is best at doing this. In fact, according to its creators, the LSAT has a predictive validity of 60%.
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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.
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.
Do law schools actually look at LSAT writing?
LSAT Writing is not scored. Your writing sample is sent along with your application to the law schools you've chosen, but no score or evaluation is attached. The essay is a supplemental tool that law schools use to evaluate your candidacy if they so choose. A few schools may never look at it, but most do.
Is the LSAT a good measure of intelligence?
The LSAT is not an IQ test. It does not measure intelligence the way IQ tests are designed to measure innate ability. A person who is very smart can receive a low LSAT score. A person who is very creative can receive a low LSAT score.
Is LSAT enough for Harvard law?
Per ABA Standard 503, an accredited law school must utilize a “valid and reliable test” in the admissions process. Therefore, a standardized test score (either the LSAT or the GRE) is a required component of the application and we cannot waive this requirement for any applicant.
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.
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.
Do law schools look at 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.
Is LSAT going away in 2025?
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.
Why are law schools getting rid of LSAT?
A Wall Street Journal article about the ABA move quoted Leo Martinez, an ABA council member and dean emeritus at University of California, Hastings College of the Law, who said, “In the grand scheme of things, folks of color perform less well on the LSAT than not, and for that reason, I think we are headed in the right ...
Do law schools see all LSAT attempts?
Law schools will see every time an applicant takes the LSAT. Law schools will see if you cancel a score for whatever reason. Law schools do not average the scores for admission, but we always look at performance if you've taken the test more than once.
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.
What IQ do you need for LSAT?
The LSAT is not an IQ test. Contrary to popular belief, the LSAT does not measure intelligence. Therefore, the test does not render those with higher scores smarter than those with lower scores. The LSAT is one of many factors relied upon by law schools to predict a person's chances of first-year success.
Is 148 a bad LSAT score?
Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.
Do law schools see cancelled LSAT?
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.
How serious is LSAT writing?
LSAT writing samples are rarely used to evaluate law school candidates, so no matter how well or poorly you did, this exercise will most likely not affect your admissions chances.
Do law schools still average LSAT scores?
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).
How bad is a 149 on the LSAT?
Moreover, if the student with an LSAT score of 149 fell at the 25th percentile at their law school, that institution would be labeled “high risk” or “serious risk,” whereas if the student with an LSAT score of 150 fell at the same percentile at their law school, that institution would be labeled “modest risk.” LSAC has ...
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.
What score is 75% on LSAT?
For example if your LSAT Scaled Score is 157 you will have a percentile rank of approximately 75% meaning that your Scaled Score of 157 is better than 75% of the LSAT Scaled Scores for the last three years.