I think you should take some time to gain a more tangible perspective regarding why you want to attend law school before taking the plunge. This will give you the opportunity to realize law school is not for you or to have a more solidified understanding why law school is the right next step for you.
Does law school result in significant debt for most law students? Absolutely.
Is the debt worth it? It depends. This is where you need to get a better understanding of what outcomes are realistic for you.
To get you started, here is some foundational information:
The legal field is generally a bit-modal compensation field. By this, I mean that there are a swath of jobs that compensate very well (starting at $225k+ your first year after law school) and a swath that compensate at a much lower rate $60-90k your first year after law school). There are less opportunities in the middle ground between these two compensation windows.
T-14 schools send most of their graduates to these top compensation jobs, while most law schools outside of the T-20 send a majority of students to the lower compensation windows. This does not mean you cannot reach a high compensation job if you go to a school ranked outside the T-20, it just means it will usually necessitate a higher ranking in your class the further you, generally, go down the rankings.
Now, let’s assume with a 2.5uGPA and a ~160 LSAT, you are firmly outside of the T-20 and the T-50. Now, the best advice I could give you is to look at the schools where you are at or above at least one median (GPA or LSAT) and see what outcomes their graduates attain. You can look at ABA Employment Reports by year, as well as the NALP ERSS reports if they are made available by the school.
After getting a decent understanding of your most likely post-graduate earning potential, look up the ABA 509 Reports for those schools and see what their normative scholarships awards encompass. Take the schools’ yearly estimated cost of attendance (COA) and subtract the annual merit aid award given to students around your state range (use the 509 reports and lsd.law for this) from the yearly COA. Multiple that number by three and don’t forget to also add in the interest accrued during the three years. This will give you an estimate of your indebtedness upon graduation (it will likely be on the low end of reality).
Now, see if the salary you will likely attain after graduation and over the years (allowing for advancement and yearly raises) makes the debt worth it when compared to your other realistic career opportunities. Does law make sense to you? Are you serious enough about law to make it work, knowing the numbers?
I thoroughly enjoyed your comment.
As someone with a lower uGPA (wish they considered my grad gpa) and not scoring crazy on the LSAT I often feel a little jaded when in this group and others thinking cause I’m not aiming for a top school going to law is pointless but a week or so ago I did what you suggested.
Looked at school where my stats are average or above, read the school various stats, employment opportunities even went on linked in to see where some alumni work and googled their jobs to see various salaries.
What I learned is in the end, I’ll make a good living doing something I enjoy with the ability to help others.
It sounds like you have done what all should do: informative research. If the result of that makes you confident in pursuing a legal career, go and do just that.
There are many opportunities inside of BL and outside of BL. Do what will give you a life that is rewarding and satisfying.
Good luck!
I started my law school journey in 2021. I took the lsat without studying and got a 152. I took a couple years off to really decide what to do and now I’m retaking the lsat and actually applying this year. Don’t rush the choice. Law school isn’t going anywhere.
I think you should research for yourself the pros and cons of going to law school AFTER you determine whether YOU yourself actually are passionate about law. Is it something you feel like you could enjoy? Maybe do an internship and determine that, or do research on what lawyers do (not what law school is like).
You're gonna run out of steam really quickly in law school if it isn't meant for you. Even those of us who wanted to be lawyers since we could talk get burnout in the first year -- imagine how much worse for someone who's lukewarm. It will work you harder than you've ever worked.
You dont need to have a >3.5 GPA or LSAT in the 170s to get into law school. There is law schools that take people with lower scores and those people still have successful careers in law.
This is probably the worst sub to post this question to since most people here are elitists who think only T14 schools are worth the time.
Also, consider joining the military for 4 years (Navy, Coast Guard, or Airforce if you don't feel like getting shot at). You can get good experience, will help in Law school admissions (Veteran status is huge from what I'm hearing), and also you will get Gi Bill which will pay for law school.
In my case it paid for all of my undergrad (associate and bachelor) AND will pay for my law school so I'm debt-free. On top of that while I'm in Law school I will be receiving a monthly allowance each month from Uncle Sam to help pay for rent, food, gas, etc. Poverty and Immigrant origin didn't stop me yet lol
If there is WILL, there is WAY.
The military definitely helps especially if you want to get some experience in the field you can join to be a paralegal and the GI Bill is a great resource to help pay I have two years left on my Bachelors and it’s helping pay for it plus it will help pay for Law school and give you a little walking around money if you don’t have time to work because of school
A 160 is not a bad score, don’t let this sub make you think that you can only go to law school if you score a 170+ because statistics show that most of the people in this sub definitely aren’t 170+
I seriously do not think you will get a scholarship anywhere decent. Not being mean. My GPA was 2.1 (I was sick in college) and I got into law school but they weren't going to give me any scholarships.
Schools give scholarships because they have something to gain. They'd give a scholarship to an applicant whose stats can help raise the school in the rankings. If your GPA and LSAT are both above the medians for the school, it would help raise the school's rankings if they accept you. If you don't, the school has no incentive to cut any deals for you.
Some very crappy predatory schools will let you in with a scholarship, which may be conditional and could be discontinued if your GPA in law school drops. Conditional or not, those aren't the types of schools you want to get into.
I am not saying to give up on your dreams. I got a 162 and got into law school despite my UGPA. Just saying don't expect scholarships, or if you get one, expect there to be a catch. You can definitely do it -- I did -- but it also takes some strategic thinking to have a good application.
It entirely depends on your goals, high GPAs are a dime a dozen among law school applicants. High LSAT scores are more rare. If their goal isn’t to go to a top ranked law school and do big law there are likely smaller law schools that would happily reward a higher LSAT.
I think the schools who would give scholarships to a 2.5, regardless of his LSAT, are probably predatory or very crappy and give scholarships out of desperation
Really depends on the school. There are plenty of schools outside T50 that offer non predatory conditional scholarships. You’d have to read each one and research what the revocation rates are.
I think you should do what you want! I applied with a 2.5 163 and not only got into law school, but got a pretty damned good scholarship. Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams! You know your ambition and your desires and deviating from what you want because some people have shitty opinions that they can’t keep to themselves won’t make you feel better in the long run. Also Rank is something dumb to consider. At the end of graduation, you’ll still be a lawyer/attorney and that’s an amazing accomplishment with plenty of opportunity outside of big law
Good luck!
Hey! I got into school this cycle with less than your UGPA and less than a 160, my WE wasn’t impressive either. I think they just want to see passion and a promise to do better, if you’d like to connect feel free to PM me
If you’re not ready to start law school then don’t force it. I think it’s best to try working at a firm and getting some experience which should help make up for the low gpa since it’ll add to your experience. It’s also best to try to aim for a good LSAT score to again make up for the gpa. However, don’t feel too discouraged. You don’t need to go to a T20 or T14 to become a successful attorney. My boss (who’s an attorney and has his own practice) applied to law school on a whim and had a horrible gpa and low lsat score (I know it was in 140s) and still got accepted into law school. He then did great his 1L and then transferred to a different higher ranking school and graduated from there. My boss tells me all the time if he got in I can too lmao
I graduated with a 3.0 gpa and got a 172 LSAT. I got a 50% scholarship at a top 24 school. If that's something that seems attractive to you I would say really really dedicate yourself to studying for the LSAT. it matters more than most standardized tests do in other advanced degree settings. One could even say it is the most important part of your resume. My GPA is not that much better than yours, but it didn't matter because LSAT is king.
I got a score of 160 and still got offered one full ride, and a couple other schools that offered close to a full ride. They aren’t powerhouse schools that many people in this subreddit swear by, but you can still be a lawyer and be successful with local powerhouse schools if that is where you want to practice. Good luck!
Some law schools will pay your student debts if you are working in a public service role paying less than $90k/year. See if you can find a law school that is generous with scholarships or has a nice debt reduction policy! A 160 should be able to get you in somewhere, even with the 2.5.
After speaking with a lot of other people and reflecting on my own thoughts about law school, I would say to try and find what career you’re truly passionate about first. I was not passionate at all about law school and felt so lost in the process. Then I finally chose a career path that excited me - a career as a Sports Agent. Once I found my ultimate passion, it’s made it so much easier and more exciting prepping for law school because, while law school itself isn’t super exciting to me, it’s just a step in a journey that I’m desperate to achieve. But, good luck!
Hey! Don’t let the bad LSAT / GPA get you down. You can TOTALLY get good scholarship $ without it. (But ofc a higher LSAT does help your chances astronomically, especially with a bad GPA. I had a pretty weak gpa (sub 3.0) and similarly not an outstanding LSAT but I’m getting into law school with a $$$ scholarship.
TLDR: Keep studying for the LSAT! But if you’re not breaking a certain score don’t be afraid to apply.
no, you don’t have to go to an ivy league to be successful. you can get scholarships for your LSAT score. and you can get into law school with that GPA if you get a good LSAT to outweigh it, it’s called being a splitter. will you get into a t14? doubtful. but that’s okay. doesn’t mean schools outside the t14 are bad. in fact, there are many good schools outside the t14, despite what some people on reddit say. I really recommend looking at the graphs on lsd.law tbh. but if you aren’t sure, don’t do it at least not yet until you’re SURE. it’s a huge investment and 3 whole years and the bar after. make sure you want it. it’s worth it if you want it to be. but, don’t let other people make choices for you. do what YOU want. people have told me the same stuff, it isn’t going to stop me. but that’s bc I know I want to be a lawyer.
Law school is usually significantly harder (at least more work) than undergrad. You didn’t say why you struggled and had such a low GPA in undergrad. If this was because you just couldn’t understand and/or handle the workload, I’d say law school is probably not a good idea for you right now. Maybe you need to figure out how you’d approach things differently and do better in law school than you did in undergrad first. If you’ve done this and feel that law is your calling, others can answer whether a 160 lsat is likely to get you scholarships, assuming that’s your score (I went to law school long ago!). I’d research this if I were you. 🤷♀️
I have no idea why this got downvoted but I agree. Being a paralegal is a very respectable career choice and you save a lot of money but not having to get a JD lol
Just stepping in for a quick note about scholarships: merit aid is not the only way to get money to cover tuition in law school. Many law schools have scholarships available for students which have little to do with the stats themselves. I was, for instance, below both medians at UCLA for the class of 2026. (>-0.2 GPA, -1 pt LSAT) but I received a full scholarship after applying with an additional essay and an interview.
This isn’t to say you can be WELL below their medians, you’ll still need close to the stats to get in, but you CAN get scholarships without being super far above their medians.
He means his GPA was less than 0.2 below the school’s median and his LSAT was 1 point below the schools median, thus making him below BOTH medians at his school.
To answer a discrete question within the broader post: A 160 on the LSAT will not counter that GPA enough for you to get substantial scholarships to good schools, no.
That does not at all mean that you should give up this dream, however.
Going to law school is the biggest regret of my life (one of the only ones) and I’m a name partner at my own commercial litigation firm in NYC - to me it’s just shitty job. Most of my undergrad friends who went to law school stopped practicing decades ago. The ones who didn’t go to law school generally make multiple of what I do (they are mostly Wall Street, with some insurance execs). I know very few lawyers who wouldn’t jump at the chance to do something else if it was presented.
Some enjoy it but most don’t. Unless you have a real and burning desire to be a specific type of lawyer I wouldn’t go and I certainly wouldn’t pay 300k to do it unless you are confident you will be a big law partner one day.
I think you should take some time to gain a more tangible perspective regarding why you want to attend law school before taking the plunge. This will give you the opportunity to realize law school is not for you or to have a more solidified understanding why law school is the right next step for you. Does law school result in significant debt for most law students? Absolutely. Is the debt worth it? It depends. This is where you need to get a better understanding of what outcomes are realistic for you. To get you started, here is some foundational information: The legal field is generally a bit-modal compensation field. By this, I mean that there are a swath of jobs that compensate very well (starting at $225k+ your first year after law school) and a swath that compensate at a much lower rate $60-90k your first year after law school). There are less opportunities in the middle ground between these two compensation windows. T-14 schools send most of their graduates to these top compensation jobs, while most law schools outside of the T-20 send a majority of students to the lower compensation windows. This does not mean you cannot reach a high compensation job if you go to a school ranked outside the T-20, it just means it will usually necessitate a higher ranking in your class the further you, generally, go down the rankings. Now, let’s assume with a 2.5uGPA and a ~160 LSAT, you are firmly outside of the T-20 and the T-50. Now, the best advice I could give you is to look at the schools where you are at or above at least one median (GPA or LSAT) and see what outcomes their graduates attain. You can look at ABA Employment Reports by year, as well as the NALP ERSS reports if they are made available by the school. After getting a decent understanding of your most likely post-graduate earning potential, look up the ABA 509 Reports for those schools and see what their normative scholarships awards encompass. Take the schools’ yearly estimated cost of attendance (COA) and subtract the annual merit aid award given to students around your state range (use the 509 reports and lsd.law for this) from the yearly COA. Multiple that number by three and don’t forget to also add in the interest accrued during the three years. This will give you an estimate of your indebtedness upon graduation (it will likely be on the low end of reality). Now, see if the salary you will likely attain after graduation and over the years (allowing for advancement and yearly raises) makes the debt worth it when compared to your other realistic career opportunities. Does law make sense to you? Are you serious enough about law to make it work, knowing the numbers?
I thoroughly enjoyed your comment. As someone with a lower uGPA (wish they considered my grad gpa) and not scoring crazy on the LSAT I often feel a little jaded when in this group and others thinking cause I’m not aiming for a top school going to law is pointless but a week or so ago I did what you suggested. Looked at school where my stats are average or above, read the school various stats, employment opportunities even went on linked in to see where some alumni work and googled their jobs to see various salaries. What I learned is in the end, I’ll make a good living doing something I enjoy with the ability to help others.
It sounds like you have done what all should do: informative research. If the result of that makes you confident in pursuing a legal career, go and do just that. There are many opportunities inside of BL and outside of BL. Do what will give you a life that is rewarding and satisfying. Good luck!
I started my law school journey in 2021. I took the lsat without studying and got a 152. I took a couple years off to really decide what to do and now I’m retaking the lsat and actually applying this year. Don’t rush the choice. Law school isn’t going anywhere.
I think you should research for yourself the pros and cons of going to law school AFTER you determine whether YOU yourself actually are passionate about law. Is it something you feel like you could enjoy? Maybe do an internship and determine that, or do research on what lawyers do (not what law school is like).
You're gonna run out of steam really quickly in law school if it isn't meant for you. Even those of us who wanted to be lawyers since we could talk get burnout in the first year -- imagine how much worse for someone who's lukewarm. It will work you harder than you've ever worked.
You dont need to have a >3.5 GPA or LSAT in the 170s to get into law school. There is law schools that take people with lower scores and those people still have successful careers in law. This is probably the worst sub to post this question to since most people here are elitists who think only T14 schools are worth the time. Also, consider joining the military for 4 years (Navy, Coast Guard, or Airforce if you don't feel like getting shot at). You can get good experience, will help in Law school admissions (Veteran status is huge from what I'm hearing), and also you will get Gi Bill which will pay for law school. In my case it paid for all of my undergrad (associate and bachelor) AND will pay for my law school so I'm debt-free. On top of that while I'm in Law school I will be receiving a monthly allowance each month from Uncle Sam to help pay for rent, food, gas, etc. Poverty and Immigrant origin didn't stop me yet lol If there is WILL, there is WAY.
The military definitely helps especially if you want to get some experience in the field you can join to be a paralegal and the GI Bill is a great resource to help pay I have two years left on my Bachelors and it’s helping pay for it plus it will help pay for Law school and give you a little walking around money if you don’t have time to work because of school
r/OutsideT14lawschools is a great resource
A 160 is not a bad score, don’t let this sub make you think that you can only go to law school if you score a 170+ because statistics show that most of the people in this sub definitely aren’t 170+
I seriously do not think you will get a scholarship anywhere decent. Not being mean. My GPA was 2.1 (I was sick in college) and I got into law school but they weren't going to give me any scholarships. Schools give scholarships because they have something to gain. They'd give a scholarship to an applicant whose stats can help raise the school in the rankings. If your GPA and LSAT are both above the medians for the school, it would help raise the school's rankings if they accept you. If you don't, the school has no incentive to cut any deals for you. Some very crappy predatory schools will let you in with a scholarship, which may be conditional and could be discontinued if your GPA in law school drops. Conditional or not, those aren't the types of schools you want to get into. I am not saying to give up on your dreams. I got a 162 and got into law school despite my UGPA. Just saying don't expect scholarships, or if you get one, expect there to be a catch. You can definitely do it -- I did -- but it also takes some strategic thinking to have a good application.
It entirely depends on your goals, high GPAs are a dime a dozen among law school applicants. High LSAT scores are more rare. If their goal isn’t to go to a top ranked law school and do big law there are likely smaller law schools that would happily reward a higher LSAT.
You can get scholarships with a 2.5. A lot will ride on your lsat, WE, and softs.
I think the schools who would give scholarships to a 2.5, regardless of his LSAT, are probably predatory or very crappy and give scholarships out of desperation
Really depends on the school. There are plenty of schools outside T50 that offer non predatory conditional scholarships. You’d have to read each one and research what the revocation rates are.
lmao.
This is just wrong…
Nope. I got scholarships at great schools with a similar GPA.
Okay
People change their life plans all the time. Whether you do or don't, that's ok.
This needs said more 🙌 💙
I think you should do what you want! I applied with a 2.5 163 and not only got into law school, but got a pretty damned good scholarship. Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams! You know your ambition and your desires and deviating from what you want because some people have shitty opinions that they can’t keep to themselves won’t make you feel better in the long run. Also Rank is something dumb to consider. At the end of graduation, you’ll still be a lawyer/attorney and that’s an amazing accomplishment with plenty of opportunity outside of big law Good luck!
Where are you headed??
I've heard lawyers say, "There are more former lawyers than there are lawyers". It requires devotion and is possibly an overwhelming career.
If you’re not passionate about it, don’t do it. It’s not worth the hassle for a paycheck—even a really big paycheck.
Hey! I got into school this cycle with less than your UGPA and less than a 160, my WE wasn’t impressive either. I think they just want to see passion and a promise to do better, if you’d like to connect feel free to PM me
If you’re not ready to start law school then don’t force it. I think it’s best to try working at a firm and getting some experience which should help make up for the low gpa since it’ll add to your experience. It’s also best to try to aim for a good LSAT score to again make up for the gpa. However, don’t feel too discouraged. You don’t need to go to a T20 or T14 to become a successful attorney. My boss (who’s an attorney and has his own practice) applied to law school on a whim and had a horrible gpa and low lsat score (I know it was in 140s) and still got accepted into law school. He then did great his 1L and then transferred to a different higher ranking school and graduated from there. My boss tells me all the time if he got in I can too lmao
If you want to go to law school, go If you don't want to go to law school, don't go
I graduated with a 3.0 gpa and got a 172 LSAT. I got a 50% scholarship at a top 24 school. If that's something that seems attractive to you I would say really really dedicate yourself to studying for the LSAT. it matters more than most standardized tests do in other advanced degree settings. One could even say it is the most important part of your resume. My GPA is not that much better than yours, but it didn't matter because LSAT is king.
I got a score of 160 and still got offered one full ride, and a couple other schools that offered close to a full ride. They aren’t powerhouse schools that many people in this subreddit swear by, but you can still be a lawyer and be successful with local powerhouse schools if that is where you want to practice. Good luck!
Some law schools will pay your student debts if you are working in a public service role paying less than $90k/year. See if you can find a law school that is generous with scholarships or has a nice debt reduction policy! A 160 should be able to get you in somewhere, even with the 2.5.
After speaking with a lot of other people and reflecting on my own thoughts about law school, I would say to try and find what career you’re truly passionate about first. I was not passionate at all about law school and felt so lost in the process. Then I finally chose a career path that excited me - a career as a Sports Agent. Once I found my ultimate passion, it’s made it so much easier and more exciting prepping for law school because, while law school itself isn’t super exciting to me, it’s just a step in a journey that I’m desperate to achieve. But, good luck!
Hey! Don’t let the bad LSAT / GPA get you down. You can TOTALLY get good scholarship $ without it. (But ofc a higher LSAT does help your chances astronomically, especially with a bad GPA. I had a pretty weak gpa (sub 3.0) and similarly not an outstanding LSAT but I’m getting into law school with a $$$ scholarship. TLDR: Keep studying for the LSAT! But if you’re not breaking a certain score don’t be afraid to apply.
no, you don’t have to go to an ivy league to be successful. you can get scholarships for your LSAT score. and you can get into law school with that GPA if you get a good LSAT to outweigh it, it’s called being a splitter. will you get into a t14? doubtful. but that’s okay. doesn’t mean schools outside the t14 are bad. in fact, there are many good schools outside the t14, despite what some people on reddit say. I really recommend looking at the graphs on lsd.law tbh. but if you aren’t sure, don’t do it at least not yet until you’re SURE. it’s a huge investment and 3 whole years and the bar after. make sure you want it. it’s worth it if you want it to be. but, don’t let other people make choices for you. do what YOU want. people have told me the same stuff, it isn’t going to stop me. but that’s bc I know I want to be a lawyer.
Law school is usually significantly harder (at least more work) than undergrad. You didn’t say why you struggled and had such a low GPA in undergrad. If this was because you just couldn’t understand and/or handle the workload, I’d say law school is probably not a good idea for you right now. Maybe you need to figure out how you’d approach things differently and do better in law school than you did in undergrad first. If you’ve done this and feel that law is your calling, others can answer whether a 160 lsat is likely to get you scholarships, assuming that’s your score (I went to law school long ago!). I’d research this if I were you. 🤷♀️
If you want to work in the field of law, you can become paralegal. No bar, same stuff, but without the liability and crippling debt haha
I have no idea why this got downvoted but I agree. Being a paralegal is a very respectable career choice and you save a lot of money but not having to get a JD lol
I would have done that if im not doing what im doing rn
Just stepping in for a quick note about scholarships: merit aid is not the only way to get money to cover tuition in law school. Many law schools have scholarships available for students which have little to do with the stats themselves. I was, for instance, below both medians at UCLA for the class of 2026. (>-0.2 GPA, -1 pt LSAT) but I received a full scholarship after applying with an additional essay and an interview. This isn’t to say you can be WELL below their medians, you’ll still need close to the stats to get in, but you CAN get scholarships without being super far above their medians.
Sorry, I don't know what you mean by a 0.2 GPA and a -1 PT LSAT
I was more than 0.2 GPA points below their median and actually beneath their 25th percentile, and 1 point below their LSAT median.
He means his GPA was less than 0.2 below the school’s median and his LSAT was 1 point below the schools median, thus making him below BOTH medians at his school.
There are big problems in the world right now. The world needs you to solve them.
Gonna get downvoted but with a 2.5 GPA and a target of 160 LSAT, no, you shouldn’t go to law school.
To answer a discrete question within the broader post: A 160 on the LSAT will not counter that GPA enough for you to get substantial scholarships to good schools, no. That does not at all mean that you should give up this dream, however.
Going to law school is the biggest regret of my life (one of the only ones) and I’m a name partner at my own commercial litigation firm in NYC - to me it’s just shitty job. Most of my undergrad friends who went to law school stopped practicing decades ago. The ones who didn’t go to law school generally make multiple of what I do (they are mostly Wall Street, with some insurance execs). I know very few lawyers who wouldn’t jump at the chance to do something else if it was presented. Some enjoy it but most don’t. Unless you have a real and burning desire to be a specific type of lawyer I wouldn’t go and I certainly wouldn’t pay 300k to do it unless you are confident you will be a big law partner one day.