URM African American Males Forum

[willmarl]

I've heard that URM's are looked at differently in the admissions process because some Law Schools want diversity in their school's. I wanted to know how or what they do in the process of reviewing applications? I've heard rumors that they give LSAT boost and GPA boost to students that are URM. I'm a Black Male and I wanted to know if it's a point boost to the LSAT or something like that? Like a 5 point boost???

[Future Ex-Engineer]

Yep. great boost. get a 170 and you're in everywhere

[willmarl]

My First score was 148. So idk about Top tier schools. But if I'm URM does that make it go to like 153??

[Future Ex-Engineer]

I'll be totally honest and say I have no idea how useful/quantifiable of a boost it would be in that score bracket.

Maybe someone else here will know.

[Mr_Chukes]

My First score was 148. So idk about Top tier schools. But if I'm URM does that make it go to like 153??

Nobody knows how much the boost is. It probably is different from school to school.

[uhwrestler]

ive heard the average boost is about 7 points for urm aa males.....urm aa males get the highest boost

165 lsat with a gpa above 3.5 should make a contender everywhere barring yale and stanford

167 -170 should get you in everywhere with money

[hammy393]

ive heard the average boost is about 7 points for urm aa males.....urm aa males get the highest boost

165 lsat with a gpa above 3.5 should make a contender everywhere barring yale and stanford

167 -170 should get you in everywhere with money

Yea it's about a 7 point boost for AAs

[PrezRand]

So a 167 would basically be a 174 for an AA male?

[poptart123]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... statistics

[Incrementalist]

I have always thought that a score of at least 160 was good. Though everyone should approach the LSAT with the mindset of achieving a 180 despite receiving a boost in the admissions process. I think it changes from year to year though the score differential that is.

[lnsl123]

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[Mr_Chukes]

It seems to me that a majority of AA applicants who are admitted to top schools are admitted because of their GPAs vs. LSAT.

I can see that. GPA has a more significant impact.

[lnsl123]

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[Mr_Chukes]

It seems to me that a majority of AA applicants who are admitted to top schools are admitted because of their GPAs vs. LSAT.

I can see that. GPA has a more significant impact.

What do you mean by that? Like because they're more common than a high LSAT score?

I think the average GPA for AA Males is sub 3.0. Average LSAT score is in the 140s.

[PrezRand]

URM AAs who are accepted to t14s and schools like UT/USC/UCLA/Vandy and etc normally have high GPAs and low LSATs relative to Non-URM students who are accepted. Basically reverse splitters. It would be easier to get into Yale as an AA with a 4.0 GPA and a 163 LSAT versus a 3.3 GPA and a 178

[lnsl123]

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[usaorbust]

and the LSAT is predictive of bar exam performance.

I am pretty sure this is not the case. Or at least there is a strong indication that is is not the case.

[lnsl123]

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[Mr_Chukes]

and the LSAT is predictive of bar exam performance.

I am pretty sure this is not the case. Or at least there is a strong indication that is is not the case.

Perhaps I would use a word other than 'predictive', but I think as a 0L, your LSAT has a stronger relation to bar passage than GPA.

Probably not. GPA shows you are willing to work hard and learn all through college. The same dedication you can put towards law school. There are many variables that can mess you up on the LSAT.

[lnsl123]

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[Mr_Chukes]

and the LSAT is predictive of bar exam performance.

I am pretty sure this is not the case. Or at least there is a strong indication that is is not the case.

Perhaps I would use a word other than 'predictive', but I think as a 0L, your LSAT has a stronger relation to bar passage than GPA.

Probably not. GPA shows you are willing to work hard and learn all through college. The same dedication you can put towards law school. There are many variables that can mess you up on the LSAT.

And there are many variables, perhaps far more, that can affect your GPA. For example, one's undergraduate experience varies greatly from school to school. Some schools have grade inflation. Some have grade deflation. The experience of being AA at the University of Chicago is very different from being AA at Morehouse.

Also, your GPA is a reflection of what classes you took. Perhaps your coursework was generally more intense or challenging than someone else's. Perhaps your school has a core curriculum that includes subjects that you are particularly gifted or not gifted in. Perhaps your school is just notorious for being academically intense with grade deflation, on the quarter system in a city with brutally depressing winters.

My point is that the LSAT is pretty uniform, whereas GPA is not. What does it mean to have a 3.8 GPA from [insert school]? I don't know unless I went there. I know what a 168 on the LSAT means.

a 3.8 is a 3.8 anywhere. If the school is an accredited school. It doesn't matter.

[lnsl123]

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[Mr_Chukes]

and the LSAT is predictive of bar exam performance.

I am pretty sure this is not the case. Or at least there is a strong indication that is is not the case.

Perhaps I would use a word other than 'predictive', but I think as a 0L, your LSAT has a stronger relation to bar passage than GPA.

Probably not. GPA shows you are willing to work hard and learn all through college. The same dedication you can put towards law school. There are many variables that can mess you up on the LSAT.

And there are many variables, perhaps far more, that can affect your GPA. For example, one's undergraduate experience varies greatly from school to school. Some schools have grade inflation. Some have grade deflation. The experience of being AA at the University of Chicago is very different from being AA at Morehouse.

Also, your GPA is a reflection of what classes you took. Perhaps your coursework was generally more intense or challenging than someone else's. Perhaps your school has a core curriculum that includes subjects that you are particularly gifted or not gifted in. Perhaps your school is just notorious for being academically intense with grade deflation, on the quarter system in a city with brutally depressing winters.

My point is that the LSAT is pretty uniform, whereas GPA is not. What does it mean to have a 3.8 GPA from [insert school]? I don't know unless I went there. I know what a 168 on the LSAT means.

a 3.8 is a 3.8 anywhere. If the school is an accredited school. It doesn't matter.

Yeah, you're right.

They might just look at it at 3.8 vs 3.8 when they have two people who have similar stats, but I don't think it would be a significant factor. Softs would probably take more priority.

[laqueredup]

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[Future Ex-Engineer]

and the LSAT is predictive of bar exam performance.

I am pretty sure this is not the case. Or at least there is a strong indication that is is not the case.

Perhaps I would use a word other than 'predictive', but I think as a 0L, your LSAT has a stronger relation to bar passage than GPA.

Probably not. GPA shows you are willing to work hard and learn all through college. The same dedication you can put towards law school. There are many variables that can mess you up on the LSAT.

And there are many variables, perhaps far more, that can affect your GPA. For example, one's undergraduate experience varies greatly from school to school. Some schools have grade inflation. Some have grade deflation. The experience of being AA at the University of Chicago is very different from being AA at Morehouse.

Also, your GPA is a reflection of what classes you took. Perhaps your coursework was generally more intense or challenging than someone else's. Perhaps your school has a core curriculum that includes subjects that you are particularly gifted or not gifted in. Perhaps your school is just notorious for being academically intense with grade deflation, on the quarter system in a city with brutally depressing winters.

My point is that the LSAT is pretty uniform, whereas GPA is not. What does it mean to have a 3.8 GPA from [insert school]? I don't know unless I went there. I know what a 168 on the LSAT means.

While I would agree that *in general* the LSAT is a good indicator of your general capabilities (excluding the fact that someone who has no job/a semester off/still in school has way more time to prepare than someone working a full time job and that some are far better at standardized tests than others), I think my GPA is far more indicative of my ability to perform.

I say that with a 3.9x in engineering from a good engineering school. But, I wouldn't look at a 3.9x in underwater basketweaving as indicative of a strong possibility they will succeed in law school/other higher education. I would see that as a strong indication that they were able to show up at class and weave a basket under water.