Friday, March 21, 2014

Using the LSAT to Choose a Law School (And Set Expectations)

Too many students perseverate on LSAT scores when choosing a law school (as do some law schools when choosing applicants). The LSAT is only one factor out of many that you should consider when choosing a law school and it should not be used when making a final determination on where to attend. However, it can be a useful tool in the initial stages of the admissions process when you are setting your expectations and choosing safety schools, match schools, and reach schools.

A single LSAT score falls within a range of scores which an applicant would likely earn if s/he retook the test. For example, if you scored a 159 on the LSAT and then retook the test, you would likely score between a 156 and a 162. Law schools take these ranges into consideration when choosing applicants and you should take this into consideration when choosing law schools.

In the chart below you will see schools grouped together by median LSAT score with group 1 being the highest LSAT score and group 32 being the lowest LSAT score. If you think about these groups as your options when setting your expectations, you can reduce some of the stress out of the application process.

Lets use our 159 LSAT score for an example. A 159 falls into group 14. Group 14 is now the base for selecting your match schools. There are only nine schools in group 14 so you don't have many options; however, you should expand your match schools up two groups to include groups 13 and 12 and then down two groups to include 15 and 16. Now you have 52 schools that would be a likely match school for you based on your LSAT score. You can now expect schools in groups 11 through 1 to be reach schools and schools in groups 17 through 32 to be safety schools.

Although there are always exceptions to this method, it is a useful tool when you are in the initial stages of researching law schools in order for you to help set your expectations during the application process. After you set your expectations and goals you enter a whole other phase of the admissions process and any importance you place on a school's median LSAT score should diminish.


Group
School
Bottom 25%
Median
Top 75%
1
Harvard University
170
173
175
1
Yale University
170
173
176
 
 
 
 
 
2
Columbia University
169
171
173
2
Stanford University
169
171
173
 
 
 
 
 
3
Chicago, University of
166
170
172
3
New York University
168
170
172
 
 
 
 
 
4
Duke University
165
169
170
4
Pennsylvania, University of
165
169
171
4
Virginia, University of
164
169
170
 
 
 
 
 
5
Georgetown University
163
168
169
5
Michigan, University of
165
168
170
5
Northwestern University
161
168
171
 
 
 
 
 
6
California-Berkeley, University of
163
167
169
6
California-Los Angeles, University of
162
167
169
6
Cornell University
165
167
167
6
Vanderbilt University
163
167
169
 
 
 
 
 
7
Southern California, University of
163
166
167
7
Texas At Austin, University of
163
166
168
7
Washington University
160
166
167
 
 
 
 
 
8
Boston University
161
165
166
8
Emory University
157
165
166
8
George Washington University
159
165
167
 
 
 
 
 
9
Alabama, University of
157
164
166
9
Boston College
160
164
165
9
California-Irvine, University of
162
164
166
9
Minnesota, University of
156
164
167
9
Washington And Lee University
160
164
165
9
Washington, University of
161
164
165
9
William And Mary Law School
161
164
165
 
 
 
 
 
10
Fordham University
161
163
165
10
Georgia, University of
158
163
164
10
Notre Dame, University of
160
163
165
 
 
 
 
 
11
Arizona State University
158
162
164
11
California-Davis, University of
159
162
164
11
Colorado, University of
158
162
164
11
Indiana University - Bloomington
154
162
164
11
Southern Methodist University
157
162
163
11
Wake Forest University
157
162
164
 
 
 
 
 
12
Brigham Young University
158
161
164
12
George Mason University
157
161
163
12
Iowa, University of
158
161
163
12
North Carolina, University of
159
161
163
12
Northeastern University
153
161
162
12
Richmond, University of
157
161
163
12
Wisconsin, University of
156
161
163
 
 
 
 
 
13
Arizona, University of
155
160
163
13
Baylor University
156
160
162
13
Cardozo School of Law
156
160
162
13
Florida, University of
156
160
162
13
Houston, University of
157
160
162
13
Illinois, University of
157
160
163
13
Ohio State University
157
160
162
13
Pepperdine University
154
160
162
13
Temple University
156
160
162
13
Tulane University
156
160
162
 
 
 
 
 
14
Brooklyn Law School
157
159
161
14
California-Hastings, University of
155
159
163
14
Case Western Reserve University
155
159
161
14
Florida State University
157
159
161
14
Georgia State University
157
159
160
14
Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles
156
159
161
14
Maryland, University of
154
159
162
14
San Diego, University of
156
159
161
14
Utah, University of
155
159
161
 
 
 
 
 
15
Chapman University
155
158
160
15
Chicago-Kent College of Law
153
158
159
15
Cincinnati, University of
155
158
159
15
Connecticut, University of
154
158
160
15
Denver, University of
154
158
160
15
Lewis And Clark College
154
158
161
15
Loyola University-Chicago
155
158
160
15
Nevada - Las Vegas, University of
154
158
160
15
Oregon, University of
156
158
161
15
Penn State University
154
158
160
15
Pittsburgh, University of
154
158
161
15
Rutgers University-Camden
154
158
160
 
 
 
 
 
16
American University
153
157
159
16
Hawaii, University of
155
157
159
16
Kentucky, University of
154
157
160
16
Miami, University of
155
157
160
16
Michigan State University
152
157
159
16
Missouri, University of
155
157
160
16
New Hampshire University of
153
157
159
16
Oklahoma, University of
155
157
159
16
Rutgers University-Newark
154
157
159
16
Santa Clara University
155
157
160
16
Seton Hall University
152
157
159
16
Tennessee, University of
153
157
160
16
Villanova University
153
157
160
16
Wayne State University
153
157
159
 
 
 
 
 
17
Florida International University
151
156
158
17
Kansas, University of
153
156
159
17
Louisiana State University
153
156
159
17
Nebraska, University of
152
156
159
17
Seattle University
153
156
158
17
St. John's University
153
156
158
 
 
 
 
 
18
Belmont University
152
155
159
18
Drexel University
152
155
157
18
Louisville, University of
152
155
157
18
Maine, University of
152
155
158
18
Marquette University
151
155
157
18
Mississippi, University of
152
155
157
18
Saint Louis University
151
155
158
18
South Carolina, University of
153
155
158
18
St. Thomas, University of (Minnesota)
150
155
159
18
Syracuse University
152
155
156
18
Texas Tech University
152
155
158
18
Tulsa, University of
152
155
158
 
 
 
 
 
19
Arkansas, Fayetteville, University of
152
154
157
19
Buffalo-SUNY, University of
150
154
158
19
Catholic University of America
151
154
157
19
City University of New York
153
154
157
19
DePaul University
151
154
156
19
Gonzaga University
152
154
156
19
Hofstra University
151
154
157
19
Indiana University - Indianapolis
150
154
157
19
McGeorge School of Law
151
154
159
19
Montana, University of
151
154
157
19
New Mexico, University of
151
154
158
19
Quinnipiac University
151
154
157
19
Stetson University
152
154
158
19
William Mitchell College of Law
149
154
157
 
 
 
 
 
20
Akron, University Of
150
153
156
20
Albany Law School of Union University
150
153
156
20
Drake University
149
153
158
20
Hamline University
149
153
156
20
Memphis, University of
151
153
155
20
Regent University
150
153
157
20
San Francisco, University of
151
153
158
20
Washburn University
149
153
155
20
West Virginia University
151
153
157
 
 
 
 
 
21
Baltimore, University of
150
152
155
21
Campbell University
151
152
156
21
Cleveland State University
150
152
155
21
Creighton University
149
152
155
21
Duquesne University
150
152
155
21
Idaho, University of
148
152
156
21
Mercer University
148
152
154
21
Missouri-Kansas City, University of
150
152
155
21
Northern Kentucky University
149
152
155
21
Southwestern Law School
150
152
155
21
Texas A&M University
150
152
155
21
Toledo, University of
148
152
155
 
 
 
 
 
22
Savannah Law School
148
151
155
22
Arkansas, Little Rock, University of
147
151
155
22
California Western School of Law
148
151
154
22
Detroit Mercy, University of
147
151
156
22
Howard University
148
151
154
22
Liberty University
148
151
155
22
Loyola University-New Orleans
147
151
154
22
New York Law School
149
151
153
22
Pace University
147
151
153
22
South Texas College of Law
148
151
154
22
St. Mary’s University
148
151
153
22
Vermont Law School
147
151
155
22
Willamette University
148
151
154
22
Wyoming, University of
149
151
155
 
 
 
 
 
23
Charleston School of Law
146
150
153
23
Elon University
146
150
153
23
Golden Gate University
147
150
153
23
Northern Illinois University
146
150
153
23
Ohio Northern University
145
150
152
23
Samford University
148
150
155
23
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
147
150
153
23
Western State College of Law
148
150
152
23
Widener University-Delaware
147
150
152
 
 
 
 
 
24
District of Columbia
147
149
152
24
John Marshall Law School - Atlanta
146
149
152
24
John Marshall Law School - Chicago
146
149
152
24
Mississippi College
145
149
153
24
New England Law | Boston
145
149
153
24
Nova Southeastern University
146
149
152
24
Oklahoma City University
145
149
153
24
Roger Williams University
146
149
154
24
Suffolk University
145
149
153
24
Western New England University
145
149
152
24
Whittier Law School
145
149
152
 
 
 
 
 
25
Capital University
145
148
151
25
Dayton, University of
145
148
150
25
Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of
145
148
151
25
North Dakota, University of
145
148
153
25
Touro College
145
148
150
25
Widener University-Harrisburg
145
148
151
 
 
 
 
 
26
Barry University
145
147
151
26
La Verne, University of
146
147
152
26
South Dakota, University of
144
147
150
26
St. Thomas University (Florida)
145
147
150
 
 
 
 
 
27
Ave Maria School of Law
141
146
148
27
Faulkner University
142
146
151
27
Florida A&M University
144
146
150
27
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
143
146
149
 
 
 
 
 
28
Appalachian School of Law
143
145
149
28
North Carolina Central University
142
145
149
28
Puerto Rico, University of
142
145
149
28
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
141
145
150
 
 
 
 
 
29
Arizona Summit Law School
141
144
148
29
Charlotte School of Law
141
144
149
29
Florida Coastal School of Law
141
144
148
29
Southern University
142
144
148
29
Texas Southern University
141
144
147
 
 
 
 
 
30
Valparaiso University
141
143
148
 
 
 
 
 
31
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico
135
138
142
 
 
 
 
 
32
Pontifical Catholic University Of P.R.
132
135
139





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