Prospective students must often present highly competitive applications to receive offers of admission from the top U.S. law schools. Tier 1 law schools can admit only a small percentage of applicants. For example, Yale Law School, which "U.S. News" ranked first on its 2010 list, received 3,363 applications for the prior year, but made offers to only 270 applicants. Prospective law students should review advice from the Law School Admission Council and the American Bar Association regarding preparation for law school and submit strong overall packages.
Tier 1 law schools generally require each applicant's Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score. Students with high LSAT scores may have a better chance of success. Yale, for example, reported a median LSAT score of 173 in its most recently released data prior to the 2010 rankings. Applicants can estimate the LSAT score range for each Tier 1 law school by using the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) official guide (see Resources). The LSAC website allows individuals to enter their LSAT scores and undergraduate grade point averages, and compare their credentials with the numerical ranges for specific institutions. Users can select law schools ranked in the top tier by "U.S. News" and compare their test scores with published data. The online tool also estimates the individual's likelihood of success based on her test score and academic grades.
Prospective law students can also use the LSAC official guide to compare their undergraduate grade point averages (GPA) with the median and numerical range of each Tier 1 law school. Students with high GPAs or undergraduate degrees from prestigious universities may be more likely to receive offers of admission from Tier 1 programs.
In addition to test scores and grades, Tier 1 law schools evaluate applicants' personal qualifications by requiring recommendations from academic advisers, professors and prior employers. For example, Yale requires at least two letters discussing an applicant's potential. Though applicants with lower test scores or grades may feel intimidated by the median qualifications of students at Tier 1 programs, LSAC says law schools often consider personal factors when making overall decisions. Recommendation letters and personal essays, for example, may help to tip the balance toward a favorable outcome.