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If I Had a 2.5 GPA, This Is How I Would Get Into a T14 Law School
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GPA medians at the T14 law schools range from 3.8 to 3.9, which raises the question, how would you get in if your GPA is significantly below those numbers? Today I'll walk you through what I would do if I wanted to get into a T14 law school, but I had a super low GPA. For those who don't know me, my name is Steve Schwartz. I've been teaching the LSAT since 2005, and I personally increased my LSAT score from a 152 to a 175. Now I would have been a so-called splitter applicant when I was applying to law school because I had a low GPA. It was probably somewhere in the ballpark of a 3.3 or so, not quite as low as a 2.5, of course, but not anything that would get me into a T14 on that basis alone. So I would have had to make up for it with a super high LSAT score, which gave me motivation. It fueled me to put in the work necessary to achieve a 175 on LSAT test day. So the number one thing I would do actually is just that. If my GPA was significantly below the medians of a 3.8 to 3.9 for the T14, I would balance it out to get the highest LSAT possible, ideally 170 to 175 or above, which puts you in the running for the T14, given that their LSAT medians are 170 to 175 this year in 2024. They were a bit lower back when I was applying to law school, but LSAT medians have risen in recent years due to rampant LSAT score inflation. The reasons for this LSAT score inflation, there are a couple of them. One of them is that due to the temporary LSAT flex format at the beginning of the pandemic, applicants got much higher LSATs than LSAT expected. Long story short, LSAT messed up the curve on the LSAT flex. They didn't realize that having a significantly shorter LSAT three sections rather than five would make it easier to do better because of course endurance was not as much of a factor. Additionally, they underestimated the fact that it'd be easier to get a high LSAT score when taking the LSAT online from the comfort of your own home, rather than in person in a testing center with all the stress of the other test takers and being in an unfamiliar environment. Additionally, it's become a lot easier to get LSAT accommodations for things like extra time because LSAT has been sued several times over the years. They used to be far too strict in granting accommodations. Now the pendulum has swung the other way and they are giving extra time accommodations to 98% of those who ask for them. All you need is a note from a qualified professional like a doctor or a psychiatrist and you are likely to get them. And so of course, all these people getting extra time are getting higher LSAT scores than they had not gotten extra time. And as a result, LSAT meetings at the T14 are now ranging from 170 to 175. Additionally, it's become a lot easier to retake the LSAT because the LSAT is offered more frequently than ever before. It used to be that the LSAT was only offered four times per year. Now it is offered eight times per year. And so there are double the number of opportunities to retake the LSAT and law schools do not average multiple LSAT scores, but rather they only take the highest score. So there really is no downside to retaking the LSAT. In fact, I recommend that everyone retake the LSAT at least once for the simple reason that through luck alone, you could do better if so great, if not no big deal. So if I were applying to a T14 and I had a low GPA, I would give myself as many at-bats as possible as many opportunities to retake the LSAT because I might do better. And if not, no big deal. So let's say that you were aiming to take the LSAT in August and your PT average or practice test average was a 170. Maybe you go in there in August, you take it and you get a 170 right on target. You shouldn't stop there because you could retake it in September and maybe through luck alone, you'll get a 173. If so, fantastic, you now have a 173 on record. And if you schedule 170 again or you get a 168, no big deal, the 170 from August is still what counts. And yes, it is better to apply a month later and take the LSAT in September if you could get a few points better. And what if you also put in some more studying over that additional month, you would then be maximizing the odds of your doing better. In fact, according to LSAT's own data, retakers tend to get a few points better than they did on their initial take. And of course, the more work you put in, if you learn from your mistakes, if you study more effectively for your retake, you are then even more likely to do better, of course. Now, the LSAT is offered for consecutive months coming up this year, August, September, October, and November, you could take any of those four or theoretically all of those four and apply to law school this cycle. Now, I wouldn't recommend taking the LSAT on a whim four times in a row in four consecutive months. That starts to look a little questionable from the law school's perspective. But if you were to take it in August and September, and then again, November, that would be totally fine. Maybe you want to do three out of those four and of course, making sure you're taking the LSAT only when you believe that you are likely to do well and likely to hit your goal, meaning you're putting in the work in between these retakes, I would recommend at minimum taking one practice test per week and reviewing it in depth. Now, of course, you don't want to stop there. You also want to work on your application essays, but the LSAT is the biggest factor in admissions, well worth putting in your time there before worrying about anything else. Now, if you'd like my help on your journey of scoring a 170 or above on the LSAT this fall or beyond, there are a variety of ways that could support you. You can check out the links below this video to find out more and to book a call with me, my team, we'd be glad to help you out. Now, when it comes to the writing sample, people ask me about that sometimes. People will ask me about, say, getting work experience in the legal field as a paralegal. My question for them is, until you have your goal LSAT score on record and until you have that 175 or above when you're aiming for a T14, don't waste any time thinking about the writing sample or your resume, all of that pales in comparison to getting the highest LSAT score possible. I find that these extraneous questions are often a distraction or procrastination from doing the hard work of actually studying for the LSAT, which is going to give you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of your time invested. It's going to have the biggest impact on your actual emissions chances. So please don't distract yourself with these side things. The LSAT is what matters. And again, reach out to me anything. I'm here to help. And in the meantime, I'll wish you all the best and take care.