3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs Forum

Not sure where your numbers will get you? Dying to know where you stand? Come have your palms read by your fellow posters!
albanach

Gold
Posts: 1986
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:05 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by albanach » Fri Apr 14, 2017 1:38 pm

Neil_Gorsuch wrote:I'm 167, 3.95. I just hit my third take - first was in September 2014 so I could still retake a fourth time - bu I'm wary about taking again even though in the days before the exam I was averaging 173 or so. I have great softs and work experience - domestic and international (worked with President, Minister of Defense in a Baltic country in addition to some other work on Middle East) - along with a position as a fellow at a national security think-tank in D.C. in addition to my main job as a management consultant. I also did a pretty extensive undergrad thesis on Islamic Law in the Ottoman Empire as an additional academic cred.

What schools do I have a reasonable change at? I have thought about retaking and am confident I could improve my score to 170+ , but am nervous as to how a fourth take would be perceived. Any advice?
While doubtless they are good and could make a difference in avoiding a WL situation, I'm not sure those are 'great' softs. I had no shortage of classmates with substantive domestic and international political experience. Of course you are summarizing here and there might be something really substantive in your work. Great softs generally require achievement more than connections. Have you won an international medal of some description, or flown a fighter/led troops into combat? Those are the kind of softs that truly make a difference to applications.

As others above have said, your LSAT score does disservice to your excellent GPA. You should retake.

lawschoolbound2017

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2016 5:03 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by lawschoolbound2017 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 1:46 pm

FWIW I've got the same numbers with less impressive softs and am in everywhere except HSY

katthegreat11

Bronze
Posts: 324
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 1:16 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by katthegreat11 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:25 pm

.
Last edited by katthegreat11 on Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

albanach

Gold
Posts: 1986
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:05 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by albanach » Fri Apr 14, 2017 3:26 pm

katthegreat11 wrote:
I disagree that those are not great softs. I have won no medals, participated in no combat, yet I got into HS+rest of the T14 with a 168/3.99.
The 3.99 GPA. LSN shows almost everyone with similar stats having successes through the T14, including 20-30% success at the very top. That GPA is much harder for schools to find than another applicant with a 99th percentile GPA.

katthegreat11

Bronze
Posts: 324
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 1:16 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by katthegreat11 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 3:31 pm

.
Last edited by katthegreat11 on Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


pizzagoblin

Bronze
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:24 am

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by pizzagoblin » Fri Apr 21, 2017 12:03 pm

I have the exact same stats (3.95/167) and got into every school to which I applied (highest-ranked being Penn). Also yielded some pretty substantial scholarships, which you can check out on myLSN. That being said, if I wanted to pursue big law, I probably would have retaken the LSAT for the fourth time. I think it all comes down to your goals, which may differ from TLS' big-law-or-bust mentality. The best advice I have is that you MUST apply early, like the day apps open. People with the same numbers as us who applied later in the cycle had FAR less success.

Good luck! PM me if you have any specific questions.

User avatar
chargers21

Gold
Posts: 3760
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 10:54 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by chargers21 » Fri Apr 21, 2017 12:08 pm

.
Last edited by chargers21 on Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Neil_Gorsuch

New
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:12 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by Neil_Gorsuch » Fri May 05, 2017 11:57 am

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement! After establishing and following processes for answering all questions over the last month, I've gotten 177 and 178 on my last two practice tests. I'm planning on continuing to take a test a day until the June administration.

Rigo

Diamond
Posts: 16639
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 3:19 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by Rigo » Fri May 05, 2017 11:58 am

Neil_Gorsuch wrote:Thanks to everyone for the encouragement! After establishing and following processes for answering all questions over the last month, I've gotten 177 and 178 on my last two practice tests. I'm planning on continuing to take a test a day until the June administration.
Don't burn out.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
Neil_Gorsuch

New
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:12 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by Neil_Gorsuch » Fri Jul 07, 2017 12:13 am

.
Last edited by Neil_Gorsuch on Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
tuna_wasabi

Bronze
Posts: 292
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:16 pm

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by tuna_wasabi » Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:42 am

Neil_Gorsuch wrote:Hi everybody, sorry to say that I under performed my pre-test average - again - by a fair margin, albeit with a brutal curve that shoved me off the 170 ledge by one question - and got a 169 in June. In any event, thanks so much for encouraging me on retaking. Having reviewed the relevant stats, my chances at a number of mid-level T14 schools have improved considerably! I think that I'm all LSAT'ed out for this life so I'm going to work as hard as possible to build up my narrative capitalizing on my fairly substantial international and tech background, which I think can help tie together my softs and give me a good boost, in addition to applying as early as possible.

Thanks again!
Hi SCOTUS, are you not considering a fourth retake? You have great softs and GPA--why not take it the fourth time?

pizzagoblin

Bronze
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:24 am

Re: 3.95 / 167 / Good - Great Softs

Post by pizzagoblin » Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:34 pm

Neil_Gorsuch wrote:Hi everybody, sorry to say that I under performed my pre-test average - again - by a fair margin, albeit with a brutal curve that shoved me off the 170 ledge by one question - and got a 169 in June. In any event, thanks so much for encouraging me on retaking. Having reviewed the relevant stats, my chances at a number of mid-level T14 schools have improved considerably! I think that I'm all LSAT'ed out for this life so I'm going to work as hard as possible to build up my narrative capitalizing on my fairly substantial international and tech background, which I think can help tie together my softs and give me a good boost, in addition to applying as early as possible.

Thanks again!
Congrats! A 169 unlocks some amazing opportunities for you. You're going to be fine. Make sure you apply SUPER early, like the day apps open.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “What are my chances?”