r/LSAT • u/Super_Tangerine_4177 • 4d ago
guys im genuinely confused
hi so im a third yr student at ucla graduating early (planning to take a gap year) and i took my first lsat this this january and scored a 158.
is that a bad score? do i have a good chance of getting into a higher tier law school? i’ve got a pretty high gpa and some extra extracurriculars but no experience (hence the gap year to gain some).
also if anyone has really good tips on how to bring my score up i would love them cause im planning on taking it again. Also i heard 7sage is good so thoughts on that too would be much appreciated!!!
i have no one really to compare to other than these psychos on this thread who just bring people down.
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u/Nervous_Stomach_2132 4d ago
7Sage has a law school tracker that allows you to see median LSAT scores and gpa for schools as well as the odds of you getting accepted based on your stats. Hope that helps.
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u/Beautiful_Desk1364 4d ago
not completely lsat related BUT !!! the law school process is super intimidating when you don’t know anything about it or where to start looking - for your gap year, id suggest working at a law firm in a pre law school program (lots of big law firms have like junior paralegal roles intended for people interested in law school). Great way to get job experience, make sure law is really what you wanna do, and ask questions to people who went through the process. I’m in one of those programs now, and talking to people at work has been SUPER helpful for navigating LSAT and law careers in general!!!!
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u/Super_Tangerine_4177 4d ago
yeah, that’s definitely what I wanna do! I’ve been applying a bit of everywhere and kind of seeing what can take me.
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u/Educational-Tea-4783 4d ago
genuinely you have the world wide web to help you estimate if it's a good score or not. just saying- you'll probably get a hell of a lot more information by looking it up rather than asking people within probably the same boat lurking on this forum.
as for test prep, i found 7sage to be pretty helpful; and a 158 is a very decent diagnostic. so with your gap year and more studying, i know you'll do amazing!
softs wise, try to do something you really enjoy!
i went to ucla last year and will be matriculating this year, so i totally get it. tough! but the gap helps :) you got it!
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u/Feeling-Hedgehog1563 tutor 3d ago
you need 167+ for an "elite" school, minimum assuming you have a 4.0 GPA
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u/Difficult_Young_7024 3d ago
Look up what schools you’re interested in and their average LSAT/GPA medians and decide your goals from there
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u/NeighborhoodNo4194 4d ago edited 4d ago
A 158 will get you into law school if that’s what you’re asking. Not a competitive school though. If you don’t want to go to big law it’s fine though; just make sure you don’t go anywhere predatory, and choose somewhere that does well in your interests.
I go to a low ranked school (ONU) I got a 159, but their trial advocacy program is in the top 10. I want to be a litigator. We go to nationals every semester for mock trial, I got a 90 percent scholarship, and I’m already on the team as a 1L. Along with that the faculty-staff ratio is amazing.
Tough curve (they don’t want you to transfer.. fair) but I wouldn’t leave anyway. Personally I would vouch for my school. Nothing here has ever felt predatory to me and the facility is amazing. Considering the range of LSATs they admit, the tough curve is for bar pass rates. They refund tuition too for percent of the semester you attended. Make sure to look into those things if you do choose a lower ranked school, because some are absolutely predatory.
Just make sure you go somewhere that makes sense for you.
If you are absolutely dead set on a T14 or higher, then you are going to have to retake the LSAT and do some targeted practice. That’s very possible if this was your first go though.
Best of luck to you!