People admitted to law school today have followed different paths to get there. In fact, members of Yale Law School's 2011 entering class have extraordinary skills like flamenco and hip hop dancing, professional poker playing, skydiving, martial arts and even mixology, among other specialties not typically associated with the law.¹ But one thing Yale Law Students share is a high LSAT* score—the median LSAT score for the class of 2011 is 173.

Highly Competitive
First off, let's make sure you understand just how competitive law schools really are. Only 2/3 of people who apply even get in.² And applications for the class of 2012 are expected to increase over last year. Right there you know what you're up against. Aiming for a high LSAT score is a good thing, no matter where you're applying--70% of admissions officers say your LSAT score is the most important factor in the application process.³

If your initial reaction to this statistic is "forget about law school," think of Kevin Valdez who told us, "After my abysmal 142 on my diagnostic, I was not sure that I would be able to raise the 23 points to a 165." Fortunately, things changed for Kevin. After getting prepped, Kevin felt much more positive. "I was able to go up 25 points (to 167). This score put me in the 95th percentile of all test takers, so I am confident about applying to law schools." Way to go, Kevin! After your initial elation over a great score, it's good to bear in mind that scoring in a specific law school's target range doesn't necessarily guarantee you a spot. Fortunately or unfortunately, a high score isn't the only factor in your application.

Your law school personal statement is very important, too. If it's a good essay, you'll stand out. If it isn't, well, Bill Corwin, former Pre-Law advisor at Princeton, rightly points out, "The law school personal statement is most definitely a double-edged sword. It pains me to see otherwise perfectly competitive applicants shoot themselves in the foot because of poorly executed or conceived statements." That's a word to the wise.

High Numbers
OK, by now you're probably wondering about the real, concrete numbers you need to get into law school. Here's a quick snapshot of the average LSAT score range at various law schools around the country:

Source: US News and World Report, Best Law Schools 2009

As you can see from the chart, "acceptable" score ranges can vary dramatically from one law school to another. The following site shows you score ranges at law schools around the country to help you better target your LSAT study needs and the "right-fit" law schools for you: Kaplan's Law School Search Tool.

As you look through these scores, remember that although an astronomically high LSAT score is no guarantee of admission, there are other benefits to doing well on the test. A small gain can help you "leapfrog" ahead of other applicants. And you're probably more likely to be eligible for merit-based scholarships. Who knows, you could even be able to parlay that high LSAT score into a full-ride scholarship at a great school. Kevin Valdez won multiple scholarships, including full tuition at two schools. How would you like to start at a top law firm absolutely debt-free?

Highly Logical
Now that you've got an idea of score ranges, you're probably wondering what the LSAT is all about. Well, it's not about memorizing facts or applying formulas. Unlike other graduate school entrance exams, the LSAT doesn't measure content knowledge at all.

The LSAT actually measures your abilities on skills considered essential for success in law school. These include analyzing arguments and drawing conclusions, understanding the structure of complex passages, organizing and managing information, and writing persuasively. It's logical, really!

You may not realize this, but your LSAT score doesn't just help you get in. It's also the single greatest predictor of your first-year success at law school! So study up! And to answer your question, what LSAT score do you need? Briefly...as high as you can get! You're probably hoping for a happy ending to your story. Here is Kevin's latest report, "I am still waiting for Columbia and Cornell. I am (also) considering Wash U, and Illinois. It's been an exciting couple of months hearing back from the different schools." So in spite of all the dire statistics, you can still get into great schools. And if you're thinking about law school, go for it.

*LSAT is a registered trademark of the Law School Admission Council, Inc.

¹ Source: http://www.law.yale.edu/admissions/profile.
² Source: LSAC (Law School Admissions Counseling)
³ Source: Kaplan Law School Admissions Officer Survey, July 2008. 153 ABA law schools interviewed.