Receiving a low LSAT score can be a devastating experience. I remember the fear I felt during the four weeks that I waited for my score to arrive. Thoughts of receiving a low score and never being able to attend law school constantly flooded my mind. I recall sitting in my car as the email with my score came through on my phone and feeling like the wind got knocked out of me as my below average score loaded on the screen. I immediately decided that law school may not be in my future and after finally working up the courage to take the exam again, my new score was only two points higher. Feeling devastated was an understatement. However, I decided to jump all in and begin applying to schools, even with my low score. I figured that there had to be some school that would have mercy on me and then, at the very least, I could transfer to a higher ranked school after my first year. Therefore, you can imagine the surprise I felt when I got accepted to a top 25 school with a hefty scholarship offer.
So how was this possible? Getting into a top school with a low LSAT score isn’t a frequent occurrence. You should absolutely assess yourself realistically in determining your best chances for admission. However, while making this assessment, bear in mind that despite your low score, admission to your dream school is possible. Therefore, I’ve outlined some of the things I did during my law school application process that I think may have helped my chances. Who knows if some of these tips may be your ticket to your dream school.
1. Review Admission Statistics
One way to increase your chances of getting into your dream school, is by carefully reviewing admission statistics to determine which factors the school primarily considers in making its admission decisions. Does the school give more weight to a high LSAT score or does it give greater consideration to your undergraduate GPA? Unfortunately, most tier 1 law schools require a high LSAT score, however, some of these schools will accept students with a lower score if they have a high GPA. While applying to law school, I was completely unaware of this. Therefore, I primarily applied to lower ranked schools with the assumption that my score would get me nowhere. I only applied to the school I ultimately went to by sheer chance and then I learned that they actually accept students that either have a high LSAT score or a high GPA. Thankfully my GPA was above average and ultimately had a bearing on my admission.
So what does this mean for you? If you have a low LSAT score, don’t allow this to dissuade you. Do your homework, and apply to schools that consider other factors in making their admissions decisions. If you have a high GPA and a low LSAT score then you could be a shoe in at a top law school. Additionally, if you have unique or outstanding work or life experience, you should expound on this in your application because these are also factors that a school may consider regardless of your score or GPA. I’ll touch on this more below. However, just be aware of the admission culture at your schools of preference, then apply to the ones that best match your abilities.
2. Submit a Well-Rounded Application
Another factor to consider if you have a low LSAT score is the fact that this score is just one aspect of your application. There are still a variety of ways that you can sell yourself to your dream school that are not necessarily contained to a three-digit number. Submitting a well-rounded application will be crucial if you have a low LSAT score. Below are some of the ways that you can beef up your application to sell yourself to top schools even with a low score.
Draft a Strong Personal Statement
What are some of the things that make you great? Think about that and channel this into your personal statement. The fact that you have a low score may appear minuscule if you’ve spent years overseas working for an amazing cause or if you’ve overcome extraordinary obstacles in your life. Law schools want to admit students who they believe will leave an indelible mark on the school and ultimately excel as attorneys. Therefore, if your experiences indicate that you will be such a candidate, they may be willing to overlook a lower score. Just make sure that your personal statement sells this to them.
Submit an LSAT Addendum
Another tool that you can consider if you have a low LSAT score is submitting an LSAT addendum with your application materials. An LSAT addendum allows law school applicants to explain what factors may have contributed to receiving a low score. I submitted an addendum with my application based on my history of poor standardized testing. I explained that based on my record, I have scored either average or below average on standardized tests, but despite this factor, I’ve always excelled as a student. I included a copy of my low SAT scores and also my high undergraduate GPA to show the discrepancies between both figures. If you’re trying to determine whether you should submit an addendum check here.
Submit a Diversity Statement
Finally, another tool you can take advantage of is submitting a diversity statement. A diversity statement provides applicants with the opportunity to explain how their background and life circumstances would contribute to creating a diverse student body. Law schools, in general, try to enroll students with different viewpoints and experiences in order to create a culturally rich student body. Therefore, if you’re an ethnic minority, if you’ve had an ongoing disability or if you’re from a low-income background, these are a few of the factors that would allow for a strong diversity statement. If you fall into one of these categories or into a category mentioned here, and you have a low LSAT score, be sure to consider submitting a diversity statement with your application.
A low LSAT score does not pigeon hole you into a lower ranked school. It will take some extra work to sell yourself without this golden ticket, but, you may be able to access your dream school if you apply the above. So get to work!
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This is very helpful. I’m also seeking advice pertaining to: if one has been academically dismissed from a law school because his grades fell below a 2.0 in his first year, what strategy might one use to reapply to other laws schools in order to get accepted for at second chance?
Thank you so much! Although I haven’t thoroughly researched the best strategies to re-apply to law school after a dismissal, I’ve come across an excellent article that may be helpful. I will definitely kick my research into high gear and put together a post on this in the future.
Here’s the article: https://www.lawcrossing.com/article/1346/Coping-with-Law-School-Dismissal/
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Hey! Your article is very motivating. However, can you please tell me in what range was your lsat score? I’m going through this tough phase of admissions and i am quite scared because even i have a low LSAT score.
Hey Dharvi,
Thank you for reaching out! My LSAT score actually fell between the 150-155 range, so it definitely was not on the higher end of the spectrum. I know the law school admissions process can be overwhelming but you should definitely be motivated by the fact that you have already sat for the LSAT and made it this far. If you’re currently not happy with your score you could definitely consider going through the prep process again and re-sitting the exam at a later date. However, it’s also a good strategy to just get out there and apply and see which schools you receive an acceptance from. If none of these schools are your top choices, you should definitely remain open to the option of starting at a lower ranked school and then transferring to a top choice during your 2L year. Many of the students who transferred to my law school graduated with excellent grades. Therefore, this option is also a great consideration.
Wishing you the best of luck in your application process!
My LSAT score was very low. At the time I was working on a double Masters degree and studying for the CPA. I studied but I know I was dong a lot. I normally don’t do well testing but I am a good hard working student mostly A’s and B’s I turn everything in on time. It isn’t easy as I am also a single mother and work a lot of hours. I plan to test again but haven’t registered for march I was scheduled for January 26 2019 but haven’t had the time to study as this time a round I am registered working on my PhD. I was thinking of taking off next semester focus only on the LSAT. I am nervous because I have never done good on test.
Hi Angela,
Thank you for reaching out! It is definitely a difficult task to juggle other responsibilities as well as preparing for the LSAT. If you have the opportunity to take a semester off or even go to school part time, I think that’s a good idea. This would certainly would give you ample time to dedicate focus on LSAT prep. However, if taking time off will cause some difficulty, I also think it’s doable to prepare while you’re still in school. This may just mean taking a longer time to prepare and taking the exam
at a later date.
Regardless of your decision, I am certain you will attain your goal as you seem to be a very hard worker.
Congratulations on all your accomplishments thus far and good luck!
-Christen
Hi Christen,
I simply want to say that I found your piece to be thoroughly encouraging. Lately, I have been feeling really discouraged because I have taken the LSAT twice and have done really poorly (139). I plan on taking the LSAT one more time in a couple of weeks, but I have not been testing any better on practice exams, even after sitting through a prep course.
However, I will take your advice and submit an LSAT addendum and a diversity statement. Perhaps it is that I am not a good standardized test taker. Also, I fall into both of the categories you mentioned for the diversity statement, so I am hoping that these factors will help me.
Further, I have been working at top medical-malpractice defense firm here in New York over the two years I have been out of college and I am hoping that my experience helps my application tremendously.
I am not giving up on my dream to attend law school and become an attorney. Nonetheless, I want to thank you for your words of encouragement. I was motivated a great deal by your story. I hope to hear from you soon!
Regards,
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m very happy that this article was helpful. I am also very happy to hear that you are pushing forward despite the many difficulties that the law school application process can present. Your perseverance is certainly a strong character trait that will serve you well when you become an attorney. I wish you all the best in the LSAT exam and the application process ahead. If you remain confident in your abilities and continue to apply yourself, I have no doubt that you will achieve your dream of attending law school and becoming an attorney.
Good luck!
-Christen
Hi Brian,
I am curious to know if you ever ended up taking the LSAT the third time and if you got into law school. I am in the same exact boat as you and would love some feedback.
Thank you
Hey Christen
Even though i scored a 159 on my feb lsat, your article and your reply on my last comment really inspired me to apply to top 25 law schools.
However, i am still very nervous and uncertain about my admission. Do you know about more people from different T25 schools who got in with a score like mine? Can you please name some schools? Just to boost my confidence.
Hey Dharvi,
Congratulations! 159 is definitely an awesome LSAT score so you should be very proud of your performance. Unfortunately, with the exception of myself and close friends who have told me their scores in confidence, I don’t personally know of other people who have scored within that range and gotten into T25 schools. However, the best way for you to gather this information would be to contact your schools of interest. I highly recommend speaking to an admissions counselor and letting them know your specific situation and hopefully they would be willing to give you a realistic view of your prospects. At the very least they may be able to tell you if other students with your score have received admission in the past.
I really want to encourage you to be confident! You have definitely put in the hard work and I assure you that it will pay off!
when you say low lsat score how low do you mean?
Hi Christen!
I found your post very helpful and encouraging! I sat for the LSAT a few weeks ago and haven’t received my score back but during my practice exams I was consistently getting in the range of 149-139. I do not have a particularly great track record on standardized tests so it wouldn’t be at all shocking to me if I didn’t do well on the LSAT. I’m just curious on how much experience can play a role in your application and subsequent acceptance? I would be a non-traditional student as I graduated from undergrad in 2009 and am now married with two little children. I went to paralegal school in 2010 and graduated with a 3.9 GPA. I have been a full-time paralegal for the last 8 years. Thanks in advance for any advice you can impart!
Hi Holli,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I think that experience paired with a high GPA can definitely play a major role in law school acceptance. However, this will depend on the factors that your school of choice considers most important. While some schools weigh a high LSAT score above other factors, other schools will consider a student with a high GPA diverse background and work experience as a strong choice, even if they have a lower LSAT score. With this in mind, I recommend researching the admission requirements for your schools of choice. Determine early on what factors they look for and consider applying for the schools that you think will fare best with your personalized experience.
You have an excellent GPA and a strong legal background! I think that you will have a good chance of getting into a good school if you apply this research to your school search.
Good Afternoon Christen,
First of all I would like to say congratulations on your legal success thus far it is quite inspiring. This article/advice you have provided on this website blog has been very helpful along with some of the comments of others. I am in a very tough situation myself for trying to get into law school due to low LSAT scores. I have paid more than $3,000 in prep courses and taken the exam four times and my score range remains the same 129-135. I am not a very good standardized test taker never have been. But I always remained top in my class in college and graduate school with good grades. I need advice on what you recommend I do? I am not going to give up I feel like someone will give me a chance. I know I can excel in law school.
Hi Von,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I appreciate you opening up about some of the issues you have faced during your LSAT prep. However, most of all I’m very inspired by your zeal to remain committed to this process. Although your score may not be hitting your goal, have you considered still applying for law school and possibly transferring in the future? There are schools that will accept a score on the lower end of the spectrum and it may be beneficial to begin your law school career at one of these schools and then transfer to a higher ranking school after your 1L year. I can attest to the difficulty of standardized testing, however, your proven college/grad school track record leaves no doubt that you would be an excellent law student despite your score. So consider diversifying your law school options, and possibly starting out at a school that may not necessarily be your top choice and possibly transferring to your top choice later on. Many students who transferred to my law school from a lower ranking school excelled throughout their law school career and graduated with great job offers.
So keep this in mind. Good luck!
Hi Christen,
I am on the same page. I have never been good at standardized testing, but I graduated undergrad with a 3.79 and I just graduated with am MPA at 3.89. My LSAT is 136. I understand that I can transfer, but what do you think about accumulating the debt? Should I work and go to law school part time then transfer?
Here is a post with some thoughts on transferring: https://lawschooltoolbox.com/i-hate-my-law-school-should-i-transfer/ Good luck!
Hey Christen,
Just read about your experience and it is truly inspiring. Just like you attended, I would love to pursue my law career starting with Emory Law. I haven’t taken the LSAT yet but I plan on doing so in November. Do you have any tips or any guiding points you recommend me taking or doing? My currents GPA is a 3.26 but I still have two semesters left until I graduate
Hi Nikki!
Thank you so much for reaching out! Emory is a great school so I am very happy that you’re interested in attending there. Good job on all your hard work in college thus far! During your final two semesters, I recommend taking courses that you believe you will enjoy but also courses you believe you will excel in. These last two semesters are your final opportunities to impact your GPA, therefore it would be helpful to take courses that you believe will impact your GPA positively. As for the LSAT, I recommend dedicating as much time as possible to your prep. Taking it while you’re still in college will mean that you have a lot on your plate to juggle, but if you are dedicated you will certainly excel. Taking the exam so early also means that you have several opportunities to retake the exam if you’re not pleased with your score.
Wishing you all the best!
Hey Mrs. Morgan,
Great article and a hearty congratulations on getting into Emory Law. I just took the September 2018 LSAT and I’m pretty distraught and crushed. I got a 150, even though my practice average was a 155 and I really needed a good LSAT score to get scholarships. I was only able to find time to study for 2 weeks full time plus 3 weeks during the school semester. I’m not sure if I should even apply to law school since I have a 2.5 CAS GPA during undergrad.
However, my undergraduate degree is in Electrical Engineering from a top 10 engineering school in the US and I am very involved on campus. Furthermore, I’m not a US citizen and believe I come from a diverse background being born and raised in the Middle East, to Indian parents. A lot of schools took interest in the fact that I had a resume as well as my undergraduate degree and institution (due to my interest in pursuing intellectual property law?) during a law school forum I attended. I would like to attend a top 100 school with a hefty scholarship for me to be able to justify law school, location is of little hindrance.
What advice would you have for me, assuming I do not retake the LSAT (I don’t have time as I’m in my last semester of school)?
Hi Shiv,
Thank you so much for reaching out! Congratulations on completing the LSAT! I think you should be extremely proud of the fact that you got through this major obstacle and also about the fact that you achieved a passing score with limited time to study.
I definitely think that you should jump in and begin applying for law school. I can definitely understand the time constraint being a deterrent from re-sitting the exam and I think that if you have a strong application packet you will have a chance to get into a very good school. I recommend applying for schools early as this will increase your chances for scholarships and for acceptance, I also definitely recommend having a very strong personal statement and diversity statement. As an immigrant myself my statements focused on my diverse background and how I think it would be beneficial towards the legal community. You should showcase your beautiful/diverse background and use that to your advantage. It is also rare for a law student to have such a strong engineering background. I think that you should use that to your advantage as well. Finally, I think that you should visit the schools you’re interested in. It can absolutely make a difference if the admissions office is able to put a face to your application. It would also be helpful for you, in learning about exactly what that school is looking for in a prospective student. A school visit can certainly provide you with some intel that you can use to boost your application.
I wish you the best of luck!
-Christen
Hi Christen,
Your article was really uplifting in a big time of need for me. I appreciate you writing this, especially for people like me who don’t test well. I’ve been studying for the LSAT for months and am planning to take it in November, but according to my practice tests so far, the studying I’ve been doing hasn’t had much of an impact on my score (which is embarrassingly low). I have a history of not testing well – I actually spelled my name wrong on my first SAT and proceeded to take the ACT four more times with the same score each time. I know I will probably have to write an LSAT addendum, but in doing so, will I need to provide my ACT scores from my college applications? If so, is there a way I can access them?
Thank you so much again – if it’s easier to respond to me via email I’m happy to provide it!
Hi Rebecca!
Thank you so much for reaching out! I can definitely understand the challenge of not testing well on standardized exams. However, I would like to encourage you to be positive about the LSAT exam. I encourage you to go in with the mindset that you will do well on the exam and that this can in fact be different from your ACT and SAT experience. At the very least, remember that this isn’t a one time shot and that if you do have to re-sit this exam you will have the determination to do so.
To be honest I’m not quite sure where to access ACT scores. I only sat for the SAT and I was able to pull those scores from the SAT website. I recommend checking the ACT website or contacting the main office to see how you can pull your scores.
Wishing you all the best!
-Christen
Hi Christen,
I first want to start off by saying that I am so happy I came across your article. I find a lot of similarities between us and it gives me some reassurance that I am not alone and your encouraging words in both your article and responses have given me some glimmer of hope in my admissions process.
It’s been a goal of mine of getting into law school for so long. I worked in the social services field for 4 years prior to applying and was inspired to get my JD and wanted to specialize in family and youth law. After some research in application requirements, I decided to remedy my low GPA (2.4) from my undergrad and went back to university (while still working) to upgrade my GPA to a 3.6 which I am proud of. I applied for the 2018 cycle and took my first LSAT on Feb 2018 resulting in a crushing score (142). I was rejected from all schools I had applied to which was another devastating blow.
After several months and finally picking myself up again, I decided to persevere and am now in the processing of applying for the 2019 admission cycle. I initially planned to write the Sept 2018 LSAT, but felt that I was not ready and cancelled the week prior, instead deciding to focus on the Nov 2018 exam. Overall, I felt more confident in my application this year. I wrote a stronger personal statement and feel that I am a well-rounded applicant (diverse background, steady and relevant employment and volunteering).
After putting in significant time into my studying (all the while trying to balance two demanding jobs), I felt that I have been making improvements, understanding various strategies and performing fairly well on practice questions. Last week I took another practice test to check in with my progress and was completely shocked and devastated that I had not moved out of that 140-145 range. I took another practice exam and still did not budge. I’m absolutely confused and discouraged that my hard work is not being reflected and feel that this is most likely how I will perform on the Nov exam.
My trouble now is that after the Nov exam, I do not know what next step I should take. I could theoretically re-write in January 2019 (the last exam that will be accepted in this admission cycle), but in addition to not having the time to properly dedicate to my studies, I’m scared that I will underperform again which will only further damage my application for future cycles. I was also told by an admissions member that Canadian law schools typically frown on applicants writing the exam more than twice. Given that Canada only has 12 law schools in total, the competition is high in any school I apply to and I feel that my options are limited. While I want to keep trying, I’m embarrassed to admit to family and friends that I failed a second time and I’m also embarrassed to ask my referees to write me a reference letter for the third time.
Do you have any tips or advice for someone feeling stuck?
Hi Sandra,
Thank you so much for reaching out and thank you for your kind words! First of all I would like to congratulate you on making it to this point in your law school enrollment journey. I think it’s excellent that you took the step to go back to university to increase your GPA and I also think it’s great that you have been so dedicated to this process while juggling two jobs.
I completely understand the frustration of receiving a score that is lower than what you desired, however, I want to encourage you to keep pushing forward despite the result of your previous practice exam. The fortunate thing about this journey is that you get several opportunities to sit for this exam, therefore regardless of how things turn out for the November exam, this will not be your last shot. Therefore, I recommend sitting for the exam and still trying your hand in the Fall 2019 application cycle. Even if you don’t get accepted to your top school, there is always the opportunity to transfer after your first semester. Now, if your score is still lower than what you hoped for, do not be dismayed! This is an extremely hard exam and there is no reason to be embarassed. If you have the option, it may mean taking some additional time off to prepare to be ready for the January cycle. However, if taking time off isn’t an option, it may mean spanning your preparation over a few months and sitting for a later exam and trying your hand for the Spring 2020 cycle. Regardless of which route you choose I know that you will ultimately achieve your goal. It is clear that you are an extremely hard worker and if you continue to persevere you will gain nothing but the best.
Good luck!
-Christen
Hello Christen,
Thank you for sharing such an inspirational story. When you applied to Emory law, did you submit a diversity statement?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Kristen
Hi Kristen,
Thank you! Yes I did submit a diversity statement. 🙂
Hi Christen,
Your story is very inspirational. I do have taken the LSAT and I am in the process of applying to law schools but do have a question about it. Is there anyway I can email you about it, as I do not feel comfortable posting about it here? Thank you in advance.
Hi Julia,
Thank you so much for reaching out! Also, thank you for your kind words! Sure you can email me at christenmorgan@gmail.com.
Thank you for the article. I find it quite helpful.
You’re welcome! Best of luck to you.
My son did received less than a 2.0 GPA in his first semester in law school-failing one course as well. He does not do well on standardized tests but had good GPA in college. He definitely has learning disability- auditory processing disorder and mild ADD. I am so worried that he will be dismissed from his school. Not sure of what to do to help him.
Hi Julitta,
Sorry to hear about your son’s difficulties. If you are interested in talking to us about tutoring or working with you, please fill out our contact form at: https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-contact-form/
Thank you so much for this refreshing article! It is very discouraging when most of the information out there says that if you do not score 160+ that you should not go to law school, but your story gave me hope. I took the June 2019 LSAT and bombed even after months of prep. I am waiting on my retake September 2019 LSAT score now, and hope to be applying later this month.
We’re glad this was helpful! Good luck moving forward with your law school career.
Hello,
I was thinking of attaching a lsat addendum to my application since I also have a history of doing poorly on standardized test but got a high gpa in university. However, do you think I have to attach my ACT scores to the application because I do not have a copy of my old scores handy. Thank you.
I don’t think your ACT scores are going to be relevant to your law school applications. You can talk about your academics in undergrad.
Hello,
I hope all is well. I received a 146 LSAT score and have a 2.9 GPA. I have a few worried though. #1 my GPA in undergrad was not the best because I was 16 in college with a very bad home life rendering me unable to even go home and working two jobs. It was better towards the end of my stay when I was able to establish myself more with a better job. #2 my LSAT score was not the best due to massive shift in my job on a university campus with a complete reconfiguration of my job and an increase of work load. I worry about writing two addendums though. I am not trying to go to a top 25 school but I am a perfect candidate for a diversity statement given my cultural back ground too. Are you willing to share your diversity statement? Do you recommend multiple addendums?
Hi Shannon,
Here is some more information that might help about working on your diversity statement: https://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/01/the-dos-and-donts-of-a-law-school-diversity-statement/. Best of luck with your application!
Hi Christen,
I’m so glad I came across your article and we are definitely alike when it comes to standardized testing. I have never really good at it. My undergrad GPA was 3.24 and my paralegal GPA was 3.67. I took the lsat for the first time in February 2020 before the pandemic and my score was 127 😔 I’m currently studying to take the lsat for the second time next year so what do you recommend? Do you think a law school would accept me despite my low lsat score? Thanks
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for reaching out and thank you so much for sharing your story. I would definitely recommend researching each law school before sending in your application to get an idea of the score range they typically accept. Also look into whether they weigh GPAs highly as a factor for acceptance. Good luck with your law school application process!