Harvard Law School is considered one of the best in the U.S.
The Law School Admission Council lists 199 ABA approved law schools on its website; each school determines admission by selecting the candidates who have good undergraduate GPA's, passing LSAT scores and an impressive personal statement. Since there are thousands of law school applicants each year and only a few available seats, law schools consider candidates who score within the national average -- 152 -- on the LSAT. Top law schools look at students who score between 165 and 180.
LSAT Information
The LSAT is administered by the Law School Admission Council four times a year. The test consists of one essay section, one reading comprehension section, an experimental section that does not receive a score, two logic reasoning segments and one analytical reasoning part. The score ranges from 120 to 180. Students are allowed to take the LSAT three times in a two-year time period. The test is designed to judge how well a law student will analyze arguments, think critically, classify information and explain inferences. Students who score the best on this exam study at least eight weeks for it. LSAT admission scores play a significant role in how law schools are ranked. Law schools begin accepting applications in November; the most recent rankings posted by U.S. News and the Gourman reports are projections for 2011 based off of 2010.
Yale University
Yale Law School is ranked number one and is one of the smallest law schools in the country. More than 3,000 students apply per year and only 250 are chosen to fill 200 seats. The average LSAT score for an admitted student ranges from 171-176.
Harvard University
Harvard is ranked second and considered a large law school because it awards 600 Juris Doctorate degrees annually. According to the ABA, Harvard ranks high because its freshman law class has a LSAT median of 176. Students who take the LSAT more than once have their scores averaged.
Stanford University
Close to 170 students out of 4,000 applicants are chosen each year to attend third-ranked Stanford Law School. The median LSAT score for accepted students is 170. Stanford analyzes multiple LSAT scores holistically and considers each circumstance separately.
Columbia University
Ranked fourth out of the top law schools, Columbia receives more than 8,500 applications per year and accepts 1,200 students to its law program. The average LSAT score is 172.
University of Chicago
The accepted LSAT scores range from 169-173, with the average score 171. This law school is considered the best in the Midwest and ranks number five overall. The admissions committee places a great emphasis on LSAT scores, more so than any other criteria.
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