How to get into law school with a bad LSAT score?

Asked by: Mazie Lesch  |  Last update: September 18, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (12 votes)

How to Get Into Law School with a Low LSAT Score
  1. Re-take the LSAT. Ok so the most obvious first thing to consider is whether you can improve your LSAT score. ...
  2. Take the GRE. ...
  3. Have a High GPA. ...
  4. Present Robust Letters of Recommendations. ...
  5. Write an Addendum Explaining Your Low LSAT Score. ...
  6. Write a Winning Personal Statement.

How do I get over a bad LSAT score?

High grades can help offset a low LSAT score, as can strong recommendation letters from professors, professional experience and a well-structured personal statement. Use other elements of your application like your resume to bring out skills tested by the LSAT, like logical reasoning and close reading.

Can you get into law school with a 150 LSAT score?

How “good” of a score is good enough depends largely on what law schools you're applying to. For example, to get into a top-ranking law school, you'll probably need an LSAT score of at least 160 or above, while a score in the mid-150s is often acceptable at many excellent law schools.

What is the lowest LSAT score you can get?

To make it easier to compare scores earned across different LSAT administrations, your “raw score” is converted to an LSAT scale. This is the score you receive in your score report. The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.

Is 148 a good LSAT score?

Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.

How to Get Into Law School With a Low LSAT Score

15 related questions found

What did Obama get on the LSAT?

Unraveling the secret behind Obama's LSAT Score

Hence it's very likely that Obama had an LSAT Score around the median of the class (43 on the then-used 48 point scale).

Is 155 an okay LSAT score?

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 is the lowest LSAT for Harvard?

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. If you have a GPA of 3.94 or higher and above a 175, you are pretty much a lock for admission, particularly given the class size of ~560.

What score is 20 wrong on LSAT?

Every LSAT throughout the year is different, but on a typical LSAT, you can still get 25 wrong and end up in the 160s— or about 20 wrong and get a 164, a 90th percentile score. Even a perfect score of 180 often allows for a question or two to be missed.

Can you get into Harvard Law with a low LSAT?

As of the most recent application cycle, Harvard Law's median LSAT score is 174. Assuming the rest of your application is perfectly “average” for Harvard Law, if your LSAT score is below 174, your chances of getting in are below average. If it's above 174, your chances are above average.

What LSAT score did Elle Woods get?

LSAT Lessons from Legally Blonde (really!)

As you probably know, the LSAT is scored from 120 to 180. Elle Woods was able to raise her score from a 143 to a 179 just by diligently preparing.

Is 158 a bad LSAT score?

As mentioned above, the average LSAT score nationally is a 152. Generally speaking, a score of 160 and above is necessary to guarantee admission into top-100 schools like Tulane, UC Hastings, or Case Western Reserve.

Is 157 a bad LSAT score?

The typical LSAT score for 2022 law school enrollees was about 159, but top programs require scores in the 170-175 range.

Is it worth cancelling LSAT score?

Remember, just because you feel you did poorly on the test does not necessarily mean you did. Some people may come out of the test feeling nervous or unhappy with how they did but end up scoring very well. You should only seriously consider canceling an LSAT score if you feel like you completely flunked the exam.

Should I cancel my LSAT score if I did worse?

Should You Actually Cancel Your LSAT Score? In the final analysis, if you have strong reason to believe you've done poorly, and if you have time to take the test again (and to further your preparation), there's nothing wrong with canceling one LSAT score (but only one).

Why am I getting worse at the LSAT?

When you start studying LSAT methods and techniques, however, your natural process is initially disrupted and consequently you slow down. This is completely normal but it can be upsetting because when you slow down, you often see your score drop a bit.

What is a mediocre 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.

What is an 80% on LSAT?

A score in the 80th percentile or higher will give you a good chance at most schools. This requires a scaled score around 160 and a raw score of approximately 78 or 79.

How is 120 the lowest LSAT score?

After arriving at the raw score, a unique Score Conversion Chart is used for each LSAT to convert the raw score into a scaled LSAT score. Since June 1991, the LSAT has utilized a 120 to 180 scoring scale, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.

Do law schools accept low LSAT scores?

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.

What is the lowest LSAT score accepted by Yale?

There is no minimum GPA or LSAT score for applicants, but the recent statistics show that the lowest GPA and LSAT scores received by a member of Yale Law School's most recently admitted class were 3.32 and 155 respectively.

Is 135 a bad 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.

Should I cancel a 153 LSAT score?

First we should state that, in general, we do not recommend canceling your LSAT score. Canceling has very few benefits—the test still counts toward your allotted 3 takes per cycle (and 5 takes per 5-year period, and 7 takes total), and it doesn't remove the test administration from your record.

Is a 170 LSAT realistic?

An LSAT score of 170 pretty much guarantees you're getting into law school. You've outscored 98% of all other LSAT test takers, so you're automatically elevated as a desirable applicant. With this score, you're not just “getting in” to “any” law school; you have the potential to be admitted to a top-tier law school.

Is 143 a low LSAT score?

How low is too low? Quite frankly, if your LSAT score is below 147, it will be difficult to be admitted to an accredited law school, not impossible but very difficult. Your GPA will have to do some heavy lifting. If your LSAT score is 150 or above, your chances increase if you choose prospective law schools wisely.