TorilMUD Forums

I know there are a few lawyers and law students on this board, so would you guys help a brotha out?

I'm going to be taking the LSATs next spring, and am wondering how close the study guide is to the actual test. Also, what was your gpa, your current lawschool, the amount of schools applied and accepted to, and the score of your LSATs. I'm getting increasingly nervous as the days tick closer and closer, so I'm hoping it's not as bad as I think it is.

Also, any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Edit: Graduating with a B.A. in philosophy and minor in political science. (changed again, but I'm almost done with this one).

I had a 3.3 GPA, graduated with a B.S. in Social Science/Criminal Justice from Elmira College (Elmira, NY), got a 171 on the LSATs, applied to 1 law school (Albany Law in Albany, NY) 'cause that's where my girlfriend of the time was and I wasn't going to go anywhere else, got accepted and here I am.

Kaplan's rocks.

Kifle.. the best advice I can give you is to make sure its really what you want to do. Saw too many classmates who regretted their decision.

As for the LSAT, I studied on my own using the various books available at barnes and noble and got a 167. I needed a high score because my college GPA was shot from too much mudding. Birile kicks my ass though.

Thanks guys. I feel a lot better about my 3.5 now. My advisor was telling me I'd need at least a 3.8 to have a good shot at getting into a reputable lawschool.

Corth, yeah, I've thought about this avenue of study for my seven years of undergrad. I've changed majors more times than I've probably changed my underware in that time. Half my credits aren't going to count since my electives have been full for a few years now. If I was a bit younger I'd double major to have a better chance, but I'm getting restless. I'm really hoping to get into a joint program and get a jd and phd in law/philosophy, but I think my gpa will be my downfall there.

Thanks again guys. Any more advice as to things your advisor doesn't tell you about would be greatly appreciated. This is one thing that I really don't want to screw up.

Kifle,

I would suggest going for the gold if you really do want to get into a joint jd/phd program. Your GPA is fine, law schools obviously look at more than just that number, your advisor was probably talking about the likes of Stanford and what-not when he said "reputable." A good LSAT score (high 160s will probably do it) and whatever life experience/extracurriculars you have under your belt will also go a long way towards getting you accepted.

As far as the LSATs go, definitely take advantage of your study guides and if you can take a course it's definitely worth the investment (I was lucky enough to take my study course for free, Cornell funded the course for a couple of the other colleges in the area). The test is all about training yourself to think a certain way, and to do it quickly, that's all. The course goes a long way towards helping you do that.

For what it's worth, my best advice is to do whatever suits you best. I found Kaplan to be entirely worthless, but some people swear by it. For me, the best area of prep wasn't the cheesy study guides, but the actual released exams that are sold by LSAC -- you can buy a book of 10 for around $30 if my memory serves. Narrative explanations are provided for right/wrong answers, so you really can't go wrong there ... I basically studied exclusively off of these and discarded all my Kaplan material.

As far as your GPA goes, I wouldn't sweat it much. I applied to 16 law schools in 2000 with a lower GPA than you but a solid LSAT (mid 160s). I was accepted everywhere I applied and went to a top 20ish school (and had a bunch of other top 20-30ish schools to choose from). I'm happy to answer specific questions to a certain extent if you have them. My best advice, other than doing well on the LSAT, is to make sure your personal statement is original and honest -- individuality (and humility) goes a long way, especially if you're a good writer.

Lastly, unless you are dead set on a top (read: top 14) program, a joint degree won't be a major obstacle. Just remember, these schools are all about making money, and for most programs outside of law, bschool, or med school, the application standards are ... rather loose once you're already enrolled. I had at least 4-5 friends who did a joint degree in law/business who, if they applied outright, would have had no shot at being accepted to the business school individually. Whether such a program would actually enhance your career prospects (other than pursuing academia), however, is something that you should think long and hard about.

Good luck.

Just outa curiosity. I'm about to start my Masters in Criminology and am either going to do PhD or Law School. I was wondering what your thoughts were on taking the LSATS & applying to schools every year or just waiting until the year before I actually have my masters. I do plan on finishing it..its about 1.5-2 year program depending on how the classes fall, but I'm not sure how long the LSAT lasts and how long an acceptance into an institution would last.

E

Not sure about that Ensis. You may want to discuss with a career/guidance counselor at your current school. I think the LSAT score lasts at least a couple of years.. I doubt that law school admissions have a long shelf life.

*nods* I think LSATs are good for either 3 or 5 years, but my memory doesn't stretch back 8 years as easily as it used to. As for getting accepted to a law school and then putting it off, I think you're allowed a 1 year period from getting accepted, but maybe that varies from institution to institution. *shrug* I wouldn't worry about law school until you know for sure that you're going to do it, you have other stuff on your plate at the moment. Of course, taking the LSATs now in order to get a feel for them wouldn't be a horrible idea if you can spare the money. :)

I was thinking about taking them this semester rather than next when my advisor told me to, but I was worried that the admissions offices would look at your full LSAT history rather than the most recent. I know they look at your full transcript if you've replaced a grade here and there, which I'm worried will really screw me -- so, would, do they look at all your LSAT scores or just the last one you took?