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Got Your LSAT Score Last Night? It's Evaluation Time

By William Peacock, Esq. on July 02, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

My big brother got a bit of a surprise last night. His LSAT score, which was supposed to arrive later in the week, appeared in his inbox while we were watching “The Avengers.” Of course, prioritizing correctly, we finished the movie before checking his (pretty dang good) score and discussing his future options.

There are thousands of you pre-law LSAT score recipients out there today. What should you be doing with your new numbers?

Curious to know which schools would hypothetically accept you? Of course you are. The Law School Admissions Council has a GPA and LSAT data search function that compares your numbers to those of past applicants and admittees at participating schools.

It's as simple as entering your GPA and LSAT score. It also allows you to sort in ascending or descending order to find out which schools are likely to accept you.

Make the Big List

With numbers in hand, you can now evaluate your odds of admissions and choose your safety schools, fifty-fifty schools, and definite "dream" reach choices. We'd recommend picking a few of each and, if you are on a limited budget, tossing in a few of the free law school applications as well. After all, even if you only have minimal interest on one of those schools, you might be surprised with a scholarship offer.

Note also that many schools will reimburse you for the cost of visiting their campus, especially if you have applied or otherwise shown interest, though their willingness to do so will depend greatly on your LSAT score.

We'll have more on choosing schools to apply to next week, including information on sites that index prior admissions numbers, where schools place graduates, and what percentage of their graduates secure employment.

Retake the Test or Reevaluate Your Career Choices

Didn't do as well as you hoped? With the next admissions cycle swinging into full gear in the fall, you can still register for and take the October LSAT, and receive a score, before many schools have even had a chance to look at your applications. And if you do significantly better, schools that have already accepted you might be further inclined to provide scholarships and other financial aid in order to secure your enrollment.

If your score was exceptionally dissatisfying, and you already put in countless hours studying for the test, you might take this opportunity to consider other career paths. After all, without a stellar score, your chances of paying anything less than full sticker price at a mediocre school dwindle. With projected job prospects uncertain even four years from now, you might have better financial prospects, and far less student loan debt, if you take a different career path.

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