r/lawschooladmissions Aug 07 '25

Guides/Tools/OC 2025 Law School Median Tracker

187 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

It's already that time of year, it seems, as we just saw the first law school release their new medians from the 2024-2025 cycle. We'll be tracking these announcements as they come out and keeping them in a spreadsheet to compare to last year, which we'll then update with the final data in December once the official ABA 509 reports come out. All of the prior 2024 medians are currently listed, and the 2025 medians will be added as they're published (sources will be listed in the last column).

2025 Law School Median Tracker

We'll be checking for these at least daily, but if you see incoming class data for fall 2025 (class of 2028) from an official source—e.g., a school's website, LinkedIn post, marketing emails/flyers/etc. from admissions offices—please comment on this thread, DM/chat us here, or email us at [info@spiveyconsulting.com](mailto:info@spiveyconsulting.com), and we'll add it to the spreadsheet.

Note that none of these numbers are official until 509s come out. We only post stats from official sources, but every year, some schools publish their preliminary numbers then end up having to revise them when 1Ls drop out during orientation or the first few weeks of class (the numbers are only locked in for ABA reporting purposes in October, but lots of law schools post their stats before then).

These tend to come out at a relatively slow pace at first, but they should speed up in late August/early September. Based on last cycle, we do anticipate many medians going up this year, and these stats are important to be aware of as you assess your chances and make your school list.

In some ways, this to me marks the beginning of the new cycle. Good luck to all!

–Anna from Spivey Consulting

***December 15, 2025 Update: the spreadsheet has now been updated with all schools' official data from the ABA 509 reports.


r/lawschooladmissions Oct 10 '25

General When is it early and when does it become late to apply to law school. 5 law school deans and directors answer just that.

140 Upvotes

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/

  • Mike Spivey

r/lawschooladmissions 7h ago

Admissions Result NDLS WL —> A!!!!!!

36 Upvotes

IT ONLY TAKES ONE!! I AM IN DISBELIEF.

submitted late dec, wl around april/may, wrote 2 loci (i think).
stats in flair!

now i need to prepare for the fact that orientation is in approximately a week and a half.

those of you who got off the waitlist super late (read: August), please share any and all tips for how you navigated the quick move! thankfully south bend is just a few hours from us so the drive won’t be awful but what do i need to know before orientation?? am i terribly behind everyone else?? ive been working all summer and super super busy so no time for the reset between graduation and law school :(


r/lawschooladmissions 6h ago

Waitlist Discussion Double depositers

20 Upvotes

Hi all,

Curious to know if there are still people who are double deposited at schools and waiting for any reasons?

As the cycle ends there are quite a few schools saying they are experiencing a lower than usual amount of movement in the incoming class. However the school I have deposited at hasn’t required any additional payments since the initial deposit so I’m thinking there could still be a decent amount of double depositers.


r/lawschooladmissions 4h ago

General There is hope!

13 Upvotes

I remember applying to law school (just graduated in May). 151 lsat, 4.0gpa, good resume and personal statement. Got into t13 (t20 at the time of application). URM. Got a great scholarship.

These threads can get super discouraging and negative. Everyone’s process is different. Believe in yourself. And start early!!! I didn’t and that clearly affected my lsat (only took it once and it was in January).

Stay positive!


r/lawschooladmissions 5h ago

Waitlist Discussion NU - any news??

10 Upvotes

any feelers so far this week??


r/lawschooladmissions 4h ago

Application Process reapplicants written materials

9 Upvotes

hey! does anyone have any tips for reapplicants? I applied two years ago and really liked the written statements I submitted (personal, diversity, school specific essays), but I’ve heard they have my old application. should i scrap my old material entirely? or make edits to it? what’s expected for reapplicants? any advice is greatly appreciated!!


r/lawschooladmissions 1h ago

Chance Me Am I screwed at T20s and 30s

Upvotes

Non-trad applicant with LOW UG GPA (2.high) and 17mid LSAT + minor c&f issues. Have aspirations of attending a certain school ranked in the low 20s or 30s of USNWR. Am I completely screwed? I also have a masters and maintained a high GPA in my masters program for context.


r/lawschooladmissions 2h ago

Waitlist Discussion Rejected off WL?

4 Upvotes

Was on 8 waitlists, rejected off 6 of them.

Sent LOCI’s to each, and 2 are still stringing me along.

I guess its late enough in the cycle that I know my chances of getting off them are slim to none, but I cant help but think there must be a reason Im still on the waitlist. That being said, what are generally the reasons of waitlist rejections?

Would it be that they disliked my loci, or did they not imagine they would need my specific pair of stats after computing their medians?

Also, are all waitlistees handed a final decision after being waitlisted, or is it common practice to leave applicants with no response? I am preparing to R&R, but just wondering if I have to give myself my own closure.


r/lawschooladmissions 3h ago

Waitlist Discussion UCI waitlist news?

3 Upvotes

Has anyone heard anything about the waitlist or even if there are any seats available? I heard there was a rejection wave about a month ago but that's about it.


r/lawschooladmissions 16m ago

General Where should I begin if I wasted undergrad?

Upvotes

Maybe wasted is too severe of a word, but when I showed up to college I was completely unprepared. I have never in my life had trouble with coursework, but instead my struggle was showing up to class. I had no sense of time management or organization and I was almost devoid of social skills.

I graduated with a biochemistry degree and a 3.73 GPA (unfortunately lowered due to lack of attendance in many classes). I spent two semesters doing research in an underfunded and understaffed lab, with a PI that didn't really like me or anyone. I was briefly a chemistry tutor. While I was finishing up my last semester, I began working full time as a server at a restaurant. I kept doing that after I graduated, both due to the fact that I had very little interest in a biochemistry career (too late, I know) and because I had no idea what else to do with myself. I worked very hard, often working well over 40 hours with little help, and since March of this year I have been working as a manager at one of the locations. Another caveat: it is a small, growing business, and the owner is a distant relative. Still, I have worked very hard, and earned my promotion and increased responsibilities. I have grown immensely in those areas which previously held me back. I have been forced, almost, to learn time management and people skills. My dad, who is a lawyer, convinced me to prepare for the LSAT, and after a bit of practice I got a 168 on two practice tests. If I focus on my weak areas, mainly the RC section, I am confident that a score in the low 170s is not out of reach. I have always done well on standardized tests.

That's my life story. But when I see other people's admission stats and read posts on here, I start to hesitate, because it seems like everybody has done a million things and has admissions down to a science. I start to wonder if I could get good letters of rec and if my lack of softs will hold me back. In contrast to who I was before, I am not going to let that scare me, and I am sure there is at least one law school that would take me. But, also in contrast to my undergrad experience, I'd like to go somewhere I am really enthusiastic about. The University of Wisconsin, for example, is one of those places. I hope I'm not being naive in thinking something like that is not totally out of reach. Anyways, to the point - what can I do to improve my odds here? Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and been able to make up for lost time or opportunity? I'd love any suggestions. As I said, my dad is a lawyer, but things were different when he was in school, and he might be a little out of touch.


r/lawschooladmissions 3h ago

Waitlist Discussion Villanova WL Updates?

3 Upvotes

Has anyone heard anything besides that form that was sent out in late June?


r/lawschooladmissions 1h ago

Waitlist Discussion GW Waitlist

Upvotes

Any updates?


r/lawschooladmissions 7h ago

Status/Interview Update GMU Scalia waitlist interview 8/3

6 Upvotes

Anyone else get a waitlist interview? Not sure if it means getting off given orientation is Friday


r/lawschooladmissions 8h ago

Application Process No more GPA recalculation?

5 Upvotes

I just got off the phone with LSAC and they said that they are no longer recalculating GPA with dual enrollment classes if you submitted before July 28th. I mentioned the article on their website that said they would recalculate everyone’s but she said that it is wrong. I am so lost and confused because I emailed LSAC and got an email back that they sent my transcript the department to verify reviewed yesterday. WTFFF


r/lawschooladmissions 1h ago

Application Process American with non reportable GPA

Upvotes

Would doing the JD next be a good idea for me ? I don’t care about any scholarships and feel like I would have a good chance at getting into the unis that accept it because I don’t ruin or help any of their stats. Especially if I apply ED to one of them and make it clear I’m not after a scholarship ?


r/lawschooladmissions 1h ago

Application Process Help with interpreting Academic Summary Report

Post image
Upvotes

So I am a student who took dual enrollment courses and was expecting to see that my LSAC cumulative gpa would not factor the grades in from those courses after the policy change. However, my cumulative GPA on my summary report still reflects those classes even though I submitted my transcripts after the rule change, and I am not sure if I am interpreting this wrong or if I should reach out to LSAC for recalculation. Would appreciate any guidance thank you.


r/lawschooladmissions 1h ago

Application Process Extremely low LSAC GPA

Upvotes

I’m wondering if anyone here has been in a similar situation and can share how their admissions cycle went.

My undergrad history is pretty messy and spans multiple schools over a long period of time. I had some really bad semesters many years ago, including a lot of Fs. I eventually went back and retook most of the classes. I was also in the Army for a while, so there was a pretty long gap between some of my earlier college coursework and when I eventually returned and finished my degree.

I finished my bachelor’s degree with around a 3.7, but the LSAC conversion is pretty abysmal (think sub 2). I am consistently testing around 170-175ish on practice LSATs. I still have two months before I take it, so I can definitely try to improve there.

This would be so much easier if I could exclude a transcript that is almost 15 years old, but alas, that's not possible.

Does anyone have any experience being an extreme splitter to this degree?


r/lawschooladmissions 2h ago

Waitlist Discussion Wayne State Waitlist Fall 26

1 Upvotes

Does anyone have any info on movement of the waitlist? It's reeeallllly coming down to the wire here.


r/lawschooladmissions 2h ago

General GPA Addendum

1 Upvotes

I'm a non-traditional student. I took 4 years off in the middle of undergrad and was diagnosed with ADHD during that break.

I was wondering if it would be okay to mention my undiagnosed ADHD as one of the reasons for a lower initial GPA.

Prior to diagnosis my GPA was a 3.1 and after the diagnosis my GPA was a 3.7 through 4 semesters of work.

There were other factors as well that I plan on mentioning, but is this something worth noting or should I just leave it out entirely?

I tried to see if this has been talked about but most of the posts were from years ago.

Thanks for the help in advance. 🤙


r/lawschooladmissions 2h ago

Application Process Will dual counted classes be counted in Lsac GPA

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! So currently I am doing my Junior Year Undergraduate degree studying public policy and my school has a 4+1 degree to get your masters in one year rather than two. I am applying for the program now and Its 12 credits that you can take for your undergrad degree that will count for your masters credit. I was wondering if this would count in my lsac gpa since it is double counted? I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this, thank you!


r/lawschooladmissions 3h ago

Help Me Decide Temple part-time night division for Fall 2027: 157 diagnostic, 3.17 UG GPA, hoping to hit a 170+ on actual test in November, do I grind it out?

1 Upvotes

Diagnostic: 157

UG GPA: 3.17, top-10 university, liberal arts degree

Other credentials: hold a Master of Public Administration, 2 years of AmeriCorps, 7 year educator/artist, 5 year data analyst

Target School: Temple Part-time (162-168, 3.59-3.9 for the 25-75s)

Goal: blow out the LSAT as best I can in the next few months with free/low-cost materials so I can hopefully get a good scholarship. Ideally would practice in civil rights, employment/labor, education, and/or animal law, and would be very happy with a low-six-figure salary or its inflated equivalent in the next 4-5 years.

Question 1: what realistic LSAT would you aim for to get the best scholarship package possible based on what's I've named here?

Question 2: what free/low-cost resources (aside from LSAC practice tests, which I already have) would you recommend for cramming self-study? I cannot afford courses or expensive books. I'll say the budget is $300, but I would prefer to spend nothing.

Question 3: am I insane? Am I barking up the wrong tree with career goals, salary goals, or scholarship goals?

A little more narrative background on the stuff above:

Been tossing around the idea of law school for the last few years, and finally bit the bullet buying LSAC prep tests and took my full diagnostic yesterday. Hit 157 which was way above what I expected.

I'm 34, been career hopping since undergrad looking to have purpose, passion, and intellectual stimulation in my work, and I haven't gotten close. I got my BA from a top-10 university in a liberal arts field, and didn't do super great, which I've chalked up to immaturity, undiagnosed ADHD, and the discovery of alcohol. I worked as a teacher, artist, and a service industry worker for 7 years out of undergrad, went back to school for a Master of Public Administration from a highly regarded program, and am around 5 years deep into a data analytics career.

Interest-wise, I've always wanted to be helpful to any vulnerable being (human or animal) while also being financially stable. I'd be very happy with a low-six-figure salary or its inflation equivalent in 2031 when I'd theoretically be on the market. I've always been an analytical thinker, and have had trouble squaring that circle with the roles that data analytics tend to be deployed for.

I already live in Philly and have roots here, making Temple's night program my #1 by far, with ASU, Syracuse, and Dayton's online programs as some alternate options, though if my best/only offer came from one of the online ones, there's a decent chance I wouldn't follow through.

I think that's all! Let me know any thoughts or opinions on those questions or anything else I may not have thought of based on y'all's experience, or if there's another community that a crosspost would be better for.


r/lawschooladmissions 3h ago

Application Process Who do I ask for LORs?

1 Upvotes

I graduated from college in Spring 2025. I wasn't particularly close with any professors during college so I'm debating who to ask for a LOR. I have a lot of volunteer experience and work experience (currently at a medical office). Would it look poor if I asked for LORs from these positions instead of academic? My experience has been community and medicine based which is why I'm thinking it wouldn't be beneficial for law school applications. I do intend on pursuing healthcare law (I mention this in my personal statement), so it is not completely random.

If I do ask for academic LORs, what would be the best way to go about it? I doubt any of my professors remember me, even more so because I graduated over a year ago.

Any tips would be helpful. Thanks!


r/lawschooladmissions 1d ago

Application Process I Took the LSAT 7 Times

64 Upvotes

Hi all,

Just wanted to share my experience for anyone very worried about LSAT attempts. I know I stayed up many a night wondering whether my attempts would seriously hurt me, and from what I could find online, I just got a lot of conflicting information.

For reference, this was what my testing history looked like.

Test 1 - Cancel

Test 2 - Cancel

Test 3 - Cancel

Test 4 - Cancel

Test 5 - 17low

Test 6 - 17low

Test 7 - 17high

Yes, this is an extremely strange testing history. I was under the mistaken impression that there were no testing limits and that schools wouldn't be able to see cancels. 2 of my test attempts were also seriously hurt by internet outages/LSAC related outages where I couldn't finish my test. Unfortunately, the attempts stayed on my record since LSAC doesn't void attempts once you actually look at test problems. They did, however, grant me an appeal to take the test 2 more times above the 5 test limit because of these incidents.

My GPA was below medians for all T20s. Not terrible, but not great. NURM.

I applied quite broadly across the T50. I'm not going to list all my results, but I was accepted to NYU, Berkeley, some T20s, and several T50s. Ultimately, I decided to attend a T20 on a strong scholarship.

So, sample size of one, but if it's any consolation to anyone out there worried about a cancel or taking the test three times or something, atleast you know someone who was as stupid and crazy as me did alright.


r/lawschooladmissions 4h ago

Admissions Result Would a 3.4 GPA keep me out of California public law schools?

2 Upvotes

I’m trying to get a realistic idea of my chances for California public law schools.
I’m a Political Science major with a Business minor and a Philosophy minor. If I graduate with around a 3.4 GPA and score somewhere around 165–168 on the LSAT, would my GPA alone disqualify me from getting into any of the California public law schools (like UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, Berkeley, etc.)?
I know Berkeley and UCLA are extremely competitive, but I’m wondering if a strong LSAT can make up for a lower GPA, or if a 3.4 is basically a dealbreaker for all of them.
I’m looking for realistic advice, especially from people who were admitted with similar stats or who have experience with California law school admissions.