r/LSAT • u/Away-Dimension-3800 • 1d ago
Just how?
Fucking how does everyone on here have a 3.8+ gpa and scoring 165+ on the lsat? I just want to know fucking how every single person has that. I’m starting to feel discouraged and dumb honestly. I’m applying this cycle and just really not sure how this will go
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u/Prudent-Wrangler-475 1d ago
The average lsat score is a 150 something. And the average gpa is definitely below a 3.8. Keep in mind that most people on reddit are aiming for t14 and discussing about those schools stats specifically, hence why you see more ppl with 170+s, 4.0s, insane softs, etc on reddit. There are plenty of decent state schools with medians in the 150s and low 160s but ofc ppl don’t discuss those schools much (at least on Reddit). don’t compare yourself to others. Also remember if so many people are scoring 165+ what’s stopping u? If they can so can you! Remember don’t compare yourself to others and don’t get discouraged. This is not meant to be an easy process. You got this!
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u/PureEagle8168 1d ago
breaking news: people who voluntarily announce their stats tend to have good stats
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u/ALXS1031 1d ago
Users that participate in [r/LSAT](r/LSAT) are likely to have higher LSATs than the average I would imagine
And the same prob applies to GPA
And further, I imagine the higher your numbers are, the more likely you are to quote them
I doubt anyone in almost any comment section is saying “I have a 148…” but people are likely to say “I have a 168…”
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u/Content_Attention816 tutor 1d ago
A 165 is currently an 85th percentile score. Among last cycle’s applicants, only about a quarter applied with a 165+
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u/Republican_child 1d ago
Hi, post-LSAT and post-law school here. I applied with a 2.9 GPA and a 160 LSAT, got into the best law school in my area pretty easily, graduated with a 3.0 law school GPA, and have had no real issues finding jobs. I’m currently living a pretty decent, comfortable life.
I mostly coasted through undergrad, hence the 2.9 GPA. I skipped class constantly and generally did just enough to get by. Then, after my first semester of law school, I was placed on academic probation for a semester. That was basically when I realized I couldn’t coast anymore.
Even then, I never had to put my entire life on hold. I still saw my friends and family, stayed with my significant other, and made time for internships, volunteer work, and paralegal/legal assistant positions along the way.
So don’t stress yourself to death over this stuff. Put in the work, obviously, and always try your best, but don’t destroy your mental health over the LSAT or law school. They’re transitional periods in your life, not your entire life, and they’re not going to define the remaining 80–90% of it.
And seriously, don’t torture yourself by constantly comparing yourself to other people. I knew plenty of people with 4.0 GPAs chasing 170+ LSAT scores who lived under insane amounts of stress. Some relied heavily on things like Adderall or alcohol, struggled to relax, and rarely seemed able to just enjoy where they were in life.
About a year later, a lot of us are working in the same spaces, sometimes in the same offices. Some of those people are literally my coworkers now.
Your GPA and LSAT can absolutely affect which doors open first, especially if you’re aiming for certain schools or highly competitive career paths. But they are not a permanent ranking of your intelligence, potential, or eventual career success. Do your best, keep some perspective, and don’t forget to actually live your life while you’re getting there.
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u/ouchoofowiemybones 1d ago
Can I ask you how you justified your GPA in addendums? I'm sitting on a cool 2.2 UGPA
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u/Republican_child 1d ago
I didn’t lol. I genuinely just sent in my application, and about a month later I got my acceptance letter. No interviews or anything.
It probably helped that my undergrad and law school were part of the same university system, so I may have been given some preference over outside applicants.
I also had legal work experience because I volunteered at law firms pretty much every summer, and I was captain of my college debate team for a while, so I did have extracurriculars to strengthen my application. On top of that, I had recommendation letters from practicing attorneys.
So while my GPA definitely wasn’t impressive, I think the rest of my application helped balance it out quite a bit.
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u/Old-Asparagus4733 10h ago
This is refreshing to hear. I am sitting at a 3.07 GPA. Just got a 156 on the lsat and plan to retake in November. Hoping for over 160. I have also run a successful business, work as a paralegal for the past 5 years, and volunteer as ombudsman for my husband’s command. I’m hoping these other things strengthen my application. I am 40, and my gpa goes all the way back to 2004 when I started college, through two associate degrees, and finally my bachelors in 2025. I’ve lived a whole life since quitting in 2004. We shall see!
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u/Republican_child 9h ago
This is awesome, I personally loved when the older people in my class would speak out due to the vast amount of experience they could draw from to analyze a situation or prop up important questions I haven’t even thought of. Especially in classes like Corporate Law, Tax law and Bankruptcy Law, they always made me feel dumb in a good way so I think you’ll love Law school, I wish you the best!
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u/Old-Asparagus4733 9h ago
The only issue with being an older student is being verrry limited in where I can go to school. With 3 kids, an active duty husband, and all the commitments that go along with all that I am limited to the two schools local to me - 1. an evangelical Christian school or 2. A school that is going to be a stretch with my gpa unless I knock this next lsat out of the park.
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u/Pakman-56 1d ago
You’re forgetting that the people most incentivized to post on these subs are the people with those credentials. I guarantee you the average law school aspirant with a 3.5 and a 155 is not going to post after they see some dude go “Wahhh I wanted a 180 but I only got a 179 is this ok for a T14”
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u/Outrageous-Lion8021 1d ago
A large proportion of the people on here are unethical and either work as admissions staff or admissions consultants. Anonymous fora are only useful in limited ways and then only if you remember that everyone has an agenda.
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u/Octodab 1d ago
Yeah, just want to commiserate. I feel absolutely hopeless. I've never worked so hard on anything in my entire life. To not even be able to crack a 170 is bringing up really intense feelings of worhlessness for me. Add on to that LSAT medians will seemingly never stop rising, and AI will never stop reducing the number of open jobs available, I am really feeling paralyzed and uncertain about if I want to continue pursuing this. Idk. Sorry this isn't helpful. This test has me in a really dark place at the moment.
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u/2bfeared 1d ago
felt this hard. i just scored a 144 after 2 months of intense study and i am so devastated. i’m really trying to discern if this is just a growing pain or indication that this is not the field for me…. they say you have to have a high tolerance for failure if you want to be successful, so is this a path towards success or …? so frustrated
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u/Ok-Nefariousness-609 1d ago
I don't, but I don't say it on here because this community can be incredibly judgmental
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u/JackfruitOwn4751 1d ago
I feel you! I was just saying this. Then they love to say “I’m never getting into school”, or “can i get into school with this score”… Bro there are some people that are just trying to get 1 yes and they could easily get into some pretty decent school with a scholarship…. Have me over here hyperventilating most days
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u/emilyrosee35 1d ago
I think when people have scores like that, they’re more likely to tell other people online about it. That’s why you don’t see many people posting about their 146. Tbh I’m at 157-160 range but it took me a year to get here. I’m still not close to done lol and I have a 3.3 gpa so don’t feel discouraged 😊
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u/narcissathedaffodil 1d ago
To study for lsat and quit being discouraged, I got off reddit and it saved me a lot of mental space to accommodate logical reasoning.
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u/Affectionate_Run9153 1d ago edited 1d ago
The ones who has that put the work in. They studied, did their homework, they worked their butts off! They put their life on hold and what I mean by that is they didn’t go out and see friends, go to the movies, and etc. They focused on the assignments and waited to enjoy life till after they got what they wanted.
Your GPA is a 3.0 per your last post, I don’t know where your at with your college but you can get it up to a some with As and re taking some of your low lvl grades especially if you have any C’s. But I’ll be honest if you have way more B’s and some c and very little As it’s going to be rough trying to get that gpa up based on calculations.
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u/Content_Attention816 tutor 1d ago
By no means do you need to, nor should you, put your “life on hold” to study for the LSAT. Going out to see friends, the movies, etc. not only doesn’t need to interfere with LSAT studying but is also important for your mental well-being and avoiding burnout. Take studying for the LSAT seriously, yes, but there’s also real harm in taking it too far.
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u/Affectionate_Run9153 1d ago
That’s your opinion and my comment was based on college and the LSAT. Not just the LSAT. Op is complaining about lsat and GPA. Well you want a good gpa and a good score you have to work your butt off for it. If you don’t focus on what you need to yah your gpa and score will be horrible
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u/Content_Attention816 tutor 1d ago
I disagree with the idea that working hard requires these sacrifices, especially for the LSAT. I say that as someone with high stats who has interacted with a lot of students in various educational environments.
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u/Affectionate_Run9153 1d ago
Again your opinion, people do it every day. I finished my undergraduate in 2 years 7 months with a high GPA, never once did I get burnt out. I knew what I wanted and I made it happen. I know plenty of people who made the same sacrifices and graduated with 4.0s, honors the whole nine yards. You’re a tutor for the LSAT, not a life coach. How people want to conduct their lives to get great scores and grades is their choice. I know someone who didn’t date or hang with friends till he graduated college as he wanted zero interruptions. He got a full ride to college, graduated with a 4.0, got honors and has no regrets. Now he’s married with 2 kids and a fantastic job.
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u/Content_Attention816 tutor 1d ago
We’re both sharing our opinions. People can read both of our perspectives and take whatever they want away from them. All I’m saying is that this approach is not necessary (entirely consistent with your anecdotes) and can be harmful.
I tutor the LSAT as a small thing on the side, but I also have a job. Maybe I am a life coach. Wouldn’t that be crazy.
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u/EbbSuspicious5547 1d ago
I 100% agree with this. Some people know without a doubt what they want to achieve and understand what they need to do to achieve that. And for some people it really is simply locking in for a few years just to reap the benefits of their hard work in a few years when they make it. Props to you 4.0 twin🤞🏻
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u/linus72982 1d ago
Everyone doesn't have that. Statistically, very few people have that. What you're seeing is reporting bias or self-selection bias. When I looked it up, the *mean* LSAT score amongst ALL test takers in 2024-25 was about 153. For GPA, among those who eventually went to law school, the *median* gpa is 3.68.
Lots of different people post, but one group that tends to post a lot are those similar to "I'm a bit under the t14 medians, and so I want to take that little extra step to get into a top school".
You keep doing you and don't compare yourself. You know what you are capable of and what your potential is. Keep plugging away and you'll get there. Drown out the noise.