Chance?

[Toby Flenderson]

My cGPA is only 3.2/4.33 due to very bad first two years. This significantly improved once I changed my degree and now my L2 is close to 3.9/4.33 or 3.77/4 (I used U of C gpa calculator to get this). I know my chances are basically only left with L2 schools if that. 

What LSAT should I aim for? Realistically do you think I am competent given that I have failed courses before and was required to withdraw due to poor academic standing. I improved a lot and my transcript really shows that but I am worried that cGPA, repeats and Fs will plummet my chances. I also have ECs as an exec, volunteer, mentor, Honour rolls (consecutive) and TA. I can get good LORs for sure. 

Would like some honest opinions since I will have to invest a lot of money in LSAT prep. 

[TobyFlenderson]

Commenting in part because I saw your username and thought “huh, I didn’t post that”. And here I thought Toby would be a name that is safe from imposters!

To answer your actual question, though, aim for as high as you can. If someone tells you that you need a 165, and you score a practice test at 166, don’t stop. The goal should be to score as high as possible, because the higher you get, the better your chances. No score is a “safe” score.

That said, if I were you, I would want a 162+. Could maybe get away with lower at an L2 school, but last cycle was extra competitive and this cycle may be as well. If I scored a 162 with your stats, I would probably not rewrite. Others here may disagree.

[luckycharm]

The One Million dollar question:

Where are you planning to apply?

[Yogurt Baron]

41 minutes ago, Toby Flenderson said:

My cGPA is only 3.2/4.33 due to very bad first two years. This significantly improved once I changed my degree and now my L2 is close to 3.9/4.33 or 3.77/4 (I used U of C gpa calculator to get this). I know my chances are basically only left with L2 schools if that. 

What LSAT should I aim for? Realistically do you think I am competent given that I have failed courses before and was required to withdraw due to poor academic standing. I improved a lot and my transcript really shows that but I am worried that cGPA, repeats and Fs will plummet my chances. I also have ECs as an exec, volunteer, mentor, Honour rolls (consecutive) and TA. I can get good LORs for sure. 

Would like some honest opinions since I will have to invest a lot of money in LSAT prep. 

Couple of weird assumptions here.
1. Have you written a diagnostic LSAT yet? Why do you think you'll "have to invest a lot of money in LSAT prep"? There are people who can write a 180 LSAT cold. If you haven't written a diagnostic, you don't know if you'll have to invest any money in LSAT prep.

2. Lots of people have disastrous starts in undergrad and turn things around. A 3.2 with a 3.77 L2 can absolutely get you in somewhere with a high enough LSAT. That's a separate question from whether you're "competent", but I don't see why you wouldn't be "competent".

[Toby Flenderson]

10 minutes ago, TobyFlenderson said:

Commenting in part because I saw your username and thought “huh, I didn’t post that”. And here I thought Toby would be a name that is safe from imposters!

To answer your actual question, though, aim for as high as you can. If someone tells you that you need a 165, and you score a practice test at 166, don’t stop. The goal should be to score as high as possible, because the higher you get, the better your chances. No score is a “safe” score.

That said, if I were you, I would want a 162+. Could maybe get away with lower at an L2 school, but last cycle was extra competitive and this cycle may be as well. If I scored a 162 with your stats, I would probably not rewrite. Others here may disagree.

Omg hahahaa I didn't mean to impose!! I was watching the office when I made the account and thought there would be a michael scott already lol. Will change the username is its possible haha. 

I am so worried about the super competitive cycle. I was aiming for high 160s thats why I was willing to hire a "out of my budget" tutor with raving reviews. I know I can work hard, I was just a very depressed undergrad dduring those years and they got the best of me. Will aim for 160s as you said!

12 minutes ago, luckycharm said:

The One Million dollar question:

Where are you planning to apply?

I will most likely apply to L2 and holistic schools. But since I only have one shot i might just apply to most schools and take my chances haha. Really depends on my LSAT score though.

[Toby Flenderson]

2 minutes ago, Yogurt Baron said:

Couple of weird assumptions here.
1. Have you written a diagnostic LSAT yet? Why do you think you'll "have to invest a lot of money in LSAT prep"? There are people who can write a 180 LSAT cold. If you haven't written a diagnostic, you don't know if you'll have to invest any money in LSAT prep.

2. Lots of people have disastrous starts in undergrad and turn things around. A 3.2 with a 3.77 L2 can absolutely get you in somewhere with a high enough LSAT. That's a separate question from whether you're "competent", but I don't see why you wouldn't be "competent".

I am writing a diagnostic today! I've been on r/LSAT so much it just seems like a very difficult thing to do. Given my cGPA I feel that I have to on far right end of the curve to have a chance so I was thinking of going with private tutoring. Good thing to consider though I'll write a diagnostic first!

its 3.2 on 4.33 so it seems a bit inflated. Once I put in OLSAS I think it'll drop to 2.9, I just have very low self-esteem about my cGPA so I worry about that a Lot. SFU tends to inflate grades with their 4.33 scale and only counting higher of the repeated courses, which I sadly have 4 of. My 3.77 didn't seem as bad to me but again, my mind is telling me my past grades will forever haunt me 

[Yogurt Baron]

2 minutes ago, Toby Flenderson said:

I am writing a diagnostic today! I've been on r/LSAT so much it just seems like a very difficult thing to do. Given my cGPA I feel that I have to on far right end of the curve to have a chance so I was thinking of going with private tutoring. Good thing to consider though I'll write a diagnostic first!

its 3.2 on 4.33 so it seems a bit inflated. Once I put in OLSAS I think it'll drop to 2.9, I just have very low self-esteem about my cGPA so I worry about that a Lot. SFU tends to inflate grades with their 4.33 scale and only counting higher of the repeated courses, which I sadly have 4 of. My 3.77 didn't seem as bad to me but again, my mind is telling me my past grades will forever haunt me 

Oh, hey, I'm a narcissist and sometimes I forget that sometimes people are new and not everyone knows who I am. I had a disastrous first few years of undergrad. Lots of Fs, lots of withdrawals, cumulative GPA at its worst would have been closer to 0 than 1. With a lot of work to clean that up, plus a respectable (but not bank-breaking) LSAT, I eventually got into a whole bunch of good law schools. I'm not going to look at 2.9/no LSAT and say, "Yup, definitely, you are guaranteed to be on the Supreme Court next week sometime!", but with a good LSAT and your upward trend, you've certainly got cause for hope.

[Toby Flenderson]

17 minutes ago, Yogurt Baron said:

Oh, hey, I'm a narcissist and sometimes I forget that sometimes people are new and not everyone knows who I am. I had a disastrous first few years of undergrad. Lots of Fs, lots of withdrawals, cumulative GPA at its worst would have been closer to 0 than 1. With a lot of work to clean that up, plus a respectable (but not bank-breaking) LSAT, I eventually got into a whole bunch of good law schools. I'm not going to look at 2.9/no LSAT and say, "Yup, definitely, you are guaranteed to be on the Supreme Court next week sometime!", but with a good LSAT and your upward trend, you've certainly got cause for hope.

This was soo uplifting! You should definitely be very proud of your success, your hard work paid off and it shows!! Hopefully my LSAT is enough that I can fee the same way 😄

[ZineZ]

 

This @Toby Flenderson @TobyFlenderson conversation right now. 

[Pantalaimon]

A 3.77 L2 is actually above median for Calgary. I'd imagine if you can get a 162, which was usually the median (I have no idea what happened last year with the flex), you'd have a decent shot. Higher is better, of course.