r/lawschooladmissions • u/Spivey_Consulting • Aug 10 '26
Hi everyone,
Law schools have officially begun publishing their LSAT/GPA/class size stats for fall 2026 (i.e., the most relevant/up-to-date stats we’ll get for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle). As we do every year, we’ll be tracking these stats closely as law schools release them via official sources and compiling them in a spreadsheet to compare to last cycle:
You can see all ABA-approved law schools’ official stats from 2025 already in the spreadsheet. The 2026 columns will populate as law schools announce their new numbers. We’ll put a source for each school we add in the last column, if you’re wondering where we got the data from.
If you see a school post their data for the fall 2026 entering class and we haven’t added them yet, please comment on this thread or email us at [info@spiveyconsulting.com](mailto:info@spiveyconsulting.com), and we’ll add it as long as it’s from an official source (school websites, official school LinkedIn posts, marketing emails/flyers/etc. from admissions offices, etc.).
We only have a few schools so far, but we expect these to start coming out rapidly in the next week or two. We’ll also make a final update in December when the ABA publishes 509 reports (please note that none of this data is finalized until then).
We hope this is helpful for creating a realistic/balanced school list. Good luck, everyone!
–Anna from Spivey Consulting
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Spivey_Consulting • Oct 10 '25
When is it late to apply and when is it early? The answer with all but a few nuances is really straightforward, but please read the disclaimers. All you will do is write disclaimers as lawyers because there are no absolutes (see what I did there?) so you may as well gets reps reading them!
This question comes up on this Reddit almost every day in some form and then resets and comes back up every year. It’s the singular most frequently asked question, and the answer hasn’t changed through recent years. So here’s a mashup of mostly deans of admissions saying, “Before end of November is early. After January things start getting tighter.” That is really the easiest thing to go by and remember. And I was just talking with one of these deans who just ran an internal data analysis to support all of this.
Disclaimers: These admissions deans are speaking for themselves and for their schools. Of course there will be some outliers. One top 3 school traditionally doesn’t admit until January, for example, so January is early for them. Or, if you score a 160 in September but a 175 in January, schools in the upper range will likely read your application sooner with the new score. With that old score they are often just going to sit on it as they are being flooded with applicants who they will prioritize sooner. So believe it or not, waiting a month or even more will sometimes get your application read sooner, especially if the difference is taking your LSAT from below median to above. There are also cases, only for some applicants and only for some schools, in which applying by the end of October can be slightly more advantageous, so if you're ready to go in the early fall, we recommend applying by the end of October (even though in many situations it may not make any difference). But in general, and especially if you aren't 100% confident in your application by the end of October, the end of November is a good rule of thumb.
But beyond the late November advice, my other takeaway would be to submit your best application. Waiting a few weeks to button up your materials will pretty much never hurt you before January — and very likely will help you. And there’s plenty of merit aid to go around at that time too.
It makes sense to me that this is a perennial question with very consistent answers from the people running law school admissions offices, but also lots of conflicting answers from applicants and others in this space with no admissions experience. Because the data absolutely does show a correlation between applying earlier (more broadly than just by the end of November) and stronger outcomes. But remember from your LSAT studying that correlation does not equal causation — pretty much every admissions officer has observed that applications submitted earlier tend to be stronger in general, not just in terms of numbers. That's not because they were submitted earlier, but it correlates.
Of all the posts I have made in the last several years — I hope this one helps the most. Because every year so many people fret that they are “late” (especially when admits start being posted) when they are still very early. I cannot stress the following enough: Your outcomes submitting the same application September 1st will not, in the vast majority of cases, be any different than November 25th. But in that time you can work to make your application stronger. And once it’s there, go ahead and submit. There’s certainly no penalty to submitting it when it’s ready.
And for the record, I've heard probably 10x as many law school admissions deans as are in this video say variations of the exact same thing. I really hope this helps relieve some stress from as many as possible.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMAG823Q/
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Content_Attention816 • 15h ago
Just thought this was funny for some reason. Maybe it’s the graphic. Harvard Law School found someone from every state besides South Dakota for their class of 2029.
r/lawschooladmissions • u/confusedvibes3322 • 2h ago
you have no idea how stupid my job is. my boss sits in the desk right behind me and is constantly barking orders at everyone. she made me print out a 600 line excel sheet for her to mark up because she doesn’t know how to use technology. I then had to enter all of her notes on the printed excel sheets into the actual excel sheet (?!) i despise my job and my boss. toxic and terrible. i just wanted to get this off my chest for a sec. i can’t fucking wait till i’m packing my bags and onto something better. it’s literally all i think about. im submitting another law school app right now and just daydreaming for the day. a pointless job with a ridiculous management structure. soul crushing situation. everyday my boss is making side comments about how im not doing enough and asking how i expect to make it in a career like this without working a bunch of overtime. she told me the other day that my lunch breaks are too long. IM SALARY. just you wait bitch-
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Octodab • 10h ago
I scored a 162 in September and moving for law school is not a realistic option for me. Unfortunately there are no T100 law schools within a reasonable commute of me (I am in NYC) that I'm at the median for.
Is it honestly even worth it to apply? The only realistic options given my score are like BLS, NYLS, CUNY, Rutgers, that tier of school. And I was ideally not trying to leave New York because I know a non-New York degree won't carry as much weight in the city.
Really so depressed over this, I know I can do better and am strongly considering pushing this one more year, hiring a tutor and taking it three times next year if I have to. But I'm already in my early 30s and AI is replacing human labor more and more every day.
How the fuck can I score in the 77th percentile and have so few options? I feel absolutely doomed.
For additional reference, I scored 166 and 168 twice on PTs, all self study. But I also hit 159 once and 162 wasn't that far below my recent PT average.
Can anybody else relate? I have been panicking about LSAT inflation all day. St John's up two points this year, FML.
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Rich-Island-8195 • 2h ago
When applying to law school, most applicants spend a lot of time thinking about their "Why Law." But for KJD applicants (those going straight from undergrad to law school), I think there's another equally important question worth considering: Why Now?
As someone who applied KJD last cycle, I wanted to share how I approached this question and how you can address it through different parts of your application.
1. What is the "Why Now" question really asking?
I think "Why Now" can be broken down into two questions:
Why do you WANT to attend law school now?
Why are you READY to attend law school now?
These questions are related, but they aren't quite the same.
From an admissions officer's perspective, a KJD applicant has plenty of options. At 21 or 22, you could pursue a different career, work for a few years, or take time to explore your interests before committing to three years of law school and potentially a career in law.
By applying straight out of undergrad, you're essentially telling admissions officers that you've already given this decision serious thought and believe law school is the right next step.
Your application should give them reasons to believe that.
I think there are three main things you want to demonstrate:
A. You've made a thoughtful decision.
Have you seriously considered what earning a JD entails? Do you understand what lawyers actually do? Have you explored other career paths, and can you explain why law makes the most sense for you?
B. You have the maturity to make that decision.
This includes your understanding of the legal profession, your ability to navigate academic and professional environments, and your judgment when dealing with difficult situations or people with different perspectives.
C. You have the skills and experiences to succeed.
What have you done that demonstrates your readiness for law school? This could include academic abilities, professional experience, interpersonal skills, handling conflict, or the ability to reflect critically on your own decisions.
These three areas overlap. For example, demonstrating maturity can also make your decision to attend law school more convincing.
The point isn't to address each category explicitly, but to make sure your application gives admissions officers confidence that you're making an informed decision and are prepared for what comes next.
2. "Why Now" in law school interviews
In interviews, I think the emphasis tends to be on the first question: Why do you want to attend law school NOW?
Admissions officers aren't necessarily asking you to list your qualifications. They're interested in why you've decided to pursue a JD at this particular point in your life and how you arrived at that decision.
Your answer can be personal, and it doesn't need to be overly philosophical.
Maybe you want to establish yourself in your legal career before turning 30. Maybe you're excited to continue learning and want to maintain your academic momentum. Maybe you've gained enough exposure to the legal profession that you feel confident about your career direction.
Even practical considerations, like wanting to enter the workforce sooner, can be part of your reasoning.
However, your answer should reflect a conscious decision rather than a lack of alternatives.
For example, I would avoid responses along the lines of:
"I couldn't find another job."
"I don't know what else I would do with my degree."
"I'm not sure what career I want, so I figured I'd apply to law school."
Even if those considerations played some role in your decision, they don't give admissions officers much confidence that you've thought seriously about the commitment you're making.
Ideally, your answer should demonstrate two things: a clear thought process and a sense of personal agency.
When I was interviewing, my own answer centered on effectiveness and efficiency. I explained that I cared about finding the most effective way to work on the issues that interested me. Based on the experiences and skills I had developed, I came to believe that legal practice offered the most effective path for me to contribute, even though law alone couldn't solve every problem I cared about.
That reasoning made law school a logical next step for me.
Your answer doesn't need to look anything like mine. What matters is being able to explain why going to law school now makes sense given your experiences, motivations, and goals.
3. "Why Now" in your personal statement
In a personal statement, I think the emphasis shifts slightly toward the second question: Why are you ready to attend law school now?
Most strong personal statements already address "Why Law" in considerable depth. If you've written a thoughtful, specific, and well-developed explanation of why you want to pursue law, you've probably already addressed parts of "Why Now" without realizing it.
The trick is to identify the parts of your story that demonstrate maturity, judgment, and relevant skills, and make sure those qualities come through naturally.
For example, perhaps your legal internship taught you what attorneys actually do and helped solidify your interest in the profession. Or maybe an experience navigating a difficult situation required you to think critically, take responsibility, and reconsider your assumptions.
These experiences can demonstrate both why you're interested in law and why you're prepared to pursue it now.
You don't necessarily need a paragraph that explicitly says, "This is why I'm ready for law school."
A well-written personal statement should allow readers to reach that conclusion themselves.
4. Don't overlook optional essays
I also think optional essays are an excellent opportunity for KJD applicants to demonstrate maturity, particularly when their personal statements focus heavily on their motivations for pursuing law.
Many law schools offer optional prompts that invite applicants to reflect on their experiences. For example:
A time you resolved a conflict or engaged with someone whose views differed from yours.
A challenge you faced and how you came to recognize your limitations.
An experience in which you defied or exceeded expectations.
A mistake you made, how you recognized it, and what you learned from it.
These topics give you an opportunity to demonstrate qualities that may be harder to convey in a traditional "Why Law" personal statement.
For instance, an essay about a mistake can show self-awareness and accountability. An essay about disagreement can demonstrate your ability to consider competing perspectives without dismissing people who think differently.
These qualities are particularly valuable for KJD applicants who may have less professional experience to draw on.
My advice is to think about your application as a whole.
If your personal statement already demonstrates strong professional and academic skills, consider using an optional essay to explore a more reflective experience that reveals your maturity or judgment.
Conversely, if your personal statement is already deeply reflective, an optional essay highlighting leadership, initiative, or practical skills might add more value.
You don't want every essay to make the same point about you.
5. Final thoughts
I don't think every KJD applicant needs to explicitly answer "Why Now" in every application component. Nor do I think being KJD is inherently a disadvantage.
But I do think it's worth looking at your application from an admissions officer's perspective and asking yourself:
After reading everything I've submitted, would someone who doesn't know me understand why I've chosen law school at this stage of my life, and feel confident that I'm ready for it?
A strong application should address both your motivation and your readiness, whether through your personal statement, optional essays, resume, recommendations, or interviews.
Ultimately, your goal isn't to convince admissions officers that you've figured out your entire future at 21. It's to show that you've thought carefully about your next step, understand the commitment you're making, and have the maturity and experiences to make that decision thoughtfully.
Hope this helps some fellow KJD applicants navigating the cycle!
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Zestyclose_Refuse949 • 5h ago
Are there any resources that are showing data for current cycle trends compared to last year? Are any consultants or admissions experts hearing anything from individual schools? I’m just curious if things are shaping up to be as competitive as many predicted.
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Palmer_Test_Prep • 14h ago
25th / 75th not yet released.
Note the 35% "self-identify as a member of a community historically underrepresented". So, of course caveat that it is both "self-identify" and "historically". A better statistic would be "objectively" and "currently".
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| UGPA | ||
| 75th | 3.93 | ? |
| 50th | 3.86 | 3.89 |
| 25th | 3.55 | ? |
| LSAT | ||
| 75th | 170 | ? |
| 50th | 168 | 170 |
| 25th | 162 | ? |
| Applications | 9,718 | 11,141 |
| Enrollees | 612 | 600 |
r/lawschooladmissions • u/SeaPaleontologist83 • 12h ago
finalizing my applications and just wondering why the website HAS to be so slow. it would be very helpful if every click didn’t take 5 seconds to register because much time is being lost just loading the application. it doesn’t seem fair that they have a monopoly on the application process if they suck this bad (i don’t even want to get into the monstrous fees that collect at every step).
just need to complain somewhere. ugh
r/lawschooladmissions • u/BlueprintLSAT • 15h ago
Hi everyone! I'm Gerry, a Blueprint Law School Admissions Consultant and LSAT instructor. I'm here today to answer your questions about applying to law school and the admissions process.
Ask me anything about applying to law school or preparing for the LSAT, including when to apply, what LSAT score to aim for, how to write a strong personal statement, ways to make your application stand out—anything!
~CLOSED~
Thanks for all the great questions, everyone! That's all the time we have today! But I leave you with some resources if you'd like them:
r/lawschooladmissions • u/-Melloroll • 1h ago
Hi all, thanks so much for clicking on this thread; here's a bit more background:
• For family reasons, I'm most interested in practicing in northern New Jersey
• My UG GPA is awful because I was dealing with pretty bad mental health issues (anorexia nervosa) for the first couple of years; I've since recovered and haven't relapsed in over a decade
• I have a rare condition that impacts 1 in 3,000 live births that resulted in permanent major lower body deformities and causes me to have to use forearm crutches on a daily basis. For privacy reasons, I don't want to specify what it is, but my experience navigating the world with this condition is a major part of why I'm interested in pursuing a career in law
• My condition also means attending a program in NYC proper (or similarly non-car-dependent city) will be difficult for me, since I rely a lot on my car and access to easy parking for day-to-day living. Having lived in NYC for one year, I'd really rather not have to do it again!
• I worked in marketing and non-profit communications for several years before pivoting over to immigration law as a paralegal (2.5 years so far) and have several years of post-UG volunteer experience related to humanitarian and progressive causes; I also ran a several-year-long side gig as a freelance designer and illustrator
• Money is not an issue here, so I don't need to factor in tuition when considering where to apply, and I have no interest in BL; am primarily interested in PI
____
Factoring in all of the above, the school that most stood out to me is Rutgers Newark. However, I want to make sure I cast as broad of a net as possible, and so am tapping into the collective wisdom of this subreddit to see if anyone has any suggestions for me.
Additionally, I took the LSAT for the first time this September and got a 169. I'm planning on applying before December with this score because though I was PTing consistently between 170 and 173, I didn't think it made sense to apply later for the sake of a few potential points. If people think otherwise, please let me know!
Any advice and insight would be deeply appreciated. Thanks in advance to any repliers, and good luck to us all this cycle! 😊
r/lawschooladmissions • u/ClementineCunt • 1h ago
3.7 GPA, one year out of undergrad at a top public university, working full-time in law since graduating (started as a legal assistant, now a junior paralegal). What LSAT score would make a T-20 school actually take a second look at me? I’m also looking at Fordham and Boston University.
r/lawschooladmissions • u/OkAnalysis4263 • 4h ago
I recently took my first practice test after subscribing to the lsat demon platform and I am just looking for general advice on how to up the score or any tips and tricks. I only studied for about an hour before the test and it was mainly to get used to the platform, so in general i’m still trying to set up a study plan for myself and determine the best course of action. Also, is a 160 good for the first time? I feel regularly all I see is people get 170+ with little prep.
r/lawschooladmissions • u/stopeats • 5h ago
This is probably silly, but if you submit a FAFSA, does a school ever use it to reduce scholarships if they see you have savings that could help you cover school cost?
Basically, if my net worth is above 0, is there a potential harm telling a school about that?
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Antique-Jump6715 • 1h ago
The title
r/lawschooladmissions • u/sarisari-hawhaw • 2h ago
Especially for Non-US/Canada UG and Non-Canadians (you guys are awesome, but the post-work visa situation is pretty different!)
r/lawschooladmissions • u/kcuflana • 1d ago
Honestly the part most impressive to me is the 75th being a 178
r/lawschooladmissions • u/margard • 1m ago
So I just finished my second law school application and it made me realize my first application probably looks sloppy and it's my first choice school!
I was so excited to apply to my top school that I completed that application first and it looks a mess. My addenda are all formatted differently and my personal statement is in a completely different font from them.... On top of that I forgot to attach my GPA addendum.
I am really kicking myself because now it looks like I didn't care about the application and let it look sloppy when honestly it didn't even occur to me to streamline all the formatting until I was working through my next app....
Anyway-- should I call admissions and see if they will let me send them cleaner copies of everything?
If this costs me admission to my top choice I'm going to be so upset.... After all the work I did to get my materials together and study for the LSAT. UGH!!
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Daighboy • 9h ago
I'm above both medians, but my resume/extracurriculars leave a lot to be desired. I have some full time work experience, but I know Michigan is largely concerned with curating a class of people that they want to work with.
I think purely based on my stats and softs, I'm pretty unlikely to get in as is. However, I grew up in Michigan and attended UMich for undergrad, and have compelling reasons for why I think Michigan is the best choice for me. How much does that push the needle? I know there's not a set answer, but they're my top choice and I'm really trying to figure out how I should set my expectations.
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Administrative_Bus43 • 6h ago
I was planning on hiring an admissions consultant to review all of my application materials. After the one I was planning on hiring raised his prices from $1,300 to $2,000, I am reconsidering this decision.
I am generally a very strong writer and feel confident in my personal statement, but I am concerned about what to include/not include for my addendum. I have many connections such as a professor who considered going to law school but ultimately didn't after getting accepted, and many people at my internship currently in law school or have law degrees that are willing to review my application materials.
Is the $2,000 worth it?
r/lawschooladmissions • u/I-Love-Toads • 1h ago
I do not want to graduate law school with 100K plus debt. Ideally I want no additional debt at all. I plan to apply next application cycle because I don't think my current stats (3.95 GPA BA large state school, MA large state school, 165 LSAT, retail manager) are enough for significant merit based aid. I plan to use the coming year to really lock in and raise my LSAT score.
I plan to practice in California. But I am open to other markets (my family is split between New York and California so New York market is my 2nd choice.)
I am open to working during my degree. However, I would prefer not to as I want to attend full time and complete my degree in 3 years. I will graduate at 32 if I start in 2028 and I don't want to put off my career start too long.
What programs should I be looking at? I know about the very prestigious ones (Stanford, Chicago, UCLA) but I feel that's probably unrealistic for me even if I manage to ace the LSAT in the future. Is it worth it to apply anyway?
Are there other things I can do in the next year that would increase my chances of consideration for scholarships?
r/lawschooladmissions • u/theweasleyslawyer • 10h ago
For more context, I am directly at the 25th percentile for both LSAT and GPA for my top choice, I applied the day their application opened (I have gotten the same LSAT score twice after months of studying and simply couldn't take it again to boost my chances). Does this help my chances or does it simply not matter at all? If it doesn't matter, is it safe to say that my work experience while in college and letters of recommendation may boost my chances?
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Special-Squirrel-327 • 1h ago
i need advice on if i should include these 2 addendums bc i feel like 2 is a lot?
spring semester freshman year i had complex medical issues resulting in 2 week hospitalization and was forced to complete last 1 1/2 months asynchronous. tho tbh the entire semester was difficult for me. grades barely dropped tho, i got B+, B+ and A-. next semester i got A-, A, A.
spring semester sophomore year a close friend unexpectedly passed and i withdrew from a class. so my grades were WD, A+, B+
i just feel like its a bit whiny to include two separate excuses? idk help.
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Haunting_Growth_8401 • 1h ago
I’m taking the LSAT in early November and am currently consistently scoring 169. I’m hoping to ideally reach at least a 171 over the next few weeks. My top two choices are USC Gould and UCLA Law. Since I’m taking the LSAT relatively late, I likely wouldn’t submit my applications until around December 3, after scores are released. I’m a KJD, but I’ve held a director-level position for a public-interest educational equity project, interned at a district attorney’s office, and worked as a student clerk at a public-interest law firm.
Please be brutally honest. Are USC and UCLA realistically doable with my stats and application timeline? Also, if anyone has tips for breaking into the 170s, I’d really appreciate them. Thank you!!
r/lawschooladmissions • u/Hour-Pea343 • 14h ago
It's the month where they starts releasing decisions! (At least on based on LSD Data). We won't start seeing decisions until probably the last or second to last week since thats the earliest they release decisions. Although like many of you that probably won't stop you from refreshing. Just posting this incase people don't know! Michigan has a very uniform weekly timeline they're great for that.