Law school admissions committees have a dirty secret. It’s a secret I didn’t even know about until I was already submitting my applications, but something that almost everyone who’s applied to law school can tell you all about.

Here’s the secret: law school admissions is a numbers game.

When you apply to law school, you apply with two “numbers”: your LSAT score, and your undergraduate GPA. These are called “hard factors”. “Soft factors” are every other part of your application: your resume, letters of rec, personal statement, etc.

When deciding whether to admit you, law schools will first look at the “hard” factors - specifically, whether your LSAT score and GPA are above or below their medians. (Stats refresher: the median LSAT score and GPA represent the “middle” score/GPA of their incoming class). They do this for a simple reason: admitting people whose scores are above their medians will raise those medians, while admitting people below them will lower them. Not only are these two medians publicly reported, but they’re also used to determine something that law schools care about a lot: their US News ranking.

Let’s add a disclaimer: Yes, law school admissions is still a holistic process. Yes, it’s possible to get into law school with a below-median LSAT score and GPA. No, you are not destined for a career in house-sitting just because your latest LSAT score wasn’t what you expected.

In fact, the way that admissions committees think about your application depends a lot on which of three different “buckets” you fall into. Depending on your unique GPA and LSAT score combination, your application could be looked at very holistically, or very “un-holistically”. Let’s me explain:

Bucket 1: Above both medians (GPA and LSAT)

Example: Applicant with a 3.76 and a 171 applying to a school whose medians are 3.64 and 166.

In this case, the process is very un-holistic: you’re probably getting in. By letting you in, this school is padding both of their medians and getting someone in their class who is clearly prepared for law school. As long as the rest of your application is solid, the school is making a very safe choice by letting you in.

The higher above the medians you are, the higher your chances of getting in.

Bucket 2: Below both medians (GPA and LSAT)

Example: Applicant with a 3.26 and a 152 applying to a school whose medians are 3.43 and 158.

If your GPA and LSAT score are both below a school’s medians, the hard truth is that your chances of getting in aren’t great. By letting you in, a school is effectively choosing to pull down both of their medians. Therefore, they’d need a very compelling counterbalancing reason to let you in. (exceptional story, reasons for GPA weakness, etc.)

The farther below the medians you are, the lower your chances of getting in.

Bucket 3: “Splitter” - GPA below median and LSAT above median or vice versa

Example: Applicant with a 3.73 and a 161 applying to a school whose medians are 3.54 and 164.

Example: Applicant with a 3.36 and a 169 applying to a school whose medians are 3.54 and 164.

This is where things get much less predictable. By letting you in, the school is raising one median, while lowering another. How far above/below median you are obviously matters quite a bit here. This is also where other factors start to play a bigger role. Personal statement, work experience, letters of rec - any of these can be used by an admissions officer to make a case for your acceptance when there isn’t a clear numerical argument for or against you. This is, by far, the most “holistic” bucket of the three.

Takeways

Ultimately, none of this is an exact science. Admissions committees are made of human beings, and different people have different priorities and decision-making processes. All we have are educated guesses based on past data - data which, yes, point to very strong relationships between LSAT/GPA scores and admissions outcomes, but which also include countless examples of people significantly outperforming or underperforming their numbers.

What should this mean for someone who’s just starting the application process? Well, if you’re still in school, it means your top priority should be getting the best grades you can. If you’re studying for the LSAT, it means doing everything in your power to maximize your score.

If you’re worried that your numbers are too low, I have good news for you: you can always change your LSAT score (if not your GPA). Even if it means waiting an extra year to apply, even a couple extra points on your test can make a world of difference when it comes to admissions outcomes and scholarships. If that’s the boat you’re in, let’s chat.

Deciding which part of the application to prioritize? We can help.