A2Z S5 E14: Medians

Main Ideas

Why Law Schools Consider LSAT Scores and Undergraduate GPAs

The LSAT and undergraduate GPA are the two principal numerical measures used in law-school admissions. Their main purpose is to help predict how applicants may perform during their first year of law school. They are not designed to predict bar-exam results, graduation performance, or what kind of lawyer someone will become.

Considering GPA alongside the LSAT provides a more complete predictive picture, but both measures are imperfect: some students outperform what their numbers suggest, while others underperform.

These numbers also carry reputational weight. Applicants, alumni, faculty, employers, and others may view a school’s LSAT and GPA figures as signals of quality, giving schools an additional incentive to maintain strong numbers.

Mean, Median, and Mode

Dean Z explains three ways to describe a set of numbers:

• Mode: The number that appears most often. Dean Z says it is generally not used in law-school rankings.
• Mean: The sum of all the numbers divided by how many there are.
• Median: The midpoint after the numbers are arranged from lowest to highest.

Law schools and rankings focus on medians, not means. A median depends on the midpoint, not on how far apart the highest and lowest scores are. A very low score can pull down a mean, but it does not change the median if the midpoint remains the same. This gives admissions officers more flexibility to admit applicants with scores below a school’s median while maintaining that median through other students’ scores.

What Medians Mean for Applicants

A school’s median is not a minimum cutoff. Having a score or GPA below a school’s median does not automatically rule out admission. Admissions officers may consider an applicant’s experiences, interests, communication skills, classroom contributions, and other qualities.

At the same time, schools need to manage their overall class profile. They may be cautious about admitting too many students who are below both medians, since doing so can make it harder to maintain their target figures.

An applicant who is below one median but at or above the other is often called a splitter. That applicant can help a school meet one median target, while another applicant may help with the other.

Being below both medians does not make admission impossible, but the odds and the importance a school places on its medians vary. Dean Z estimates that about 10% of Michigan Law’s class is below both medians.

Application Guidance

Dean Z’s advice is to:

1. Check a school’s medians from the preceding year. They offer a useful, though imperfect, guide to what the school may target.
2. Apply if you meet or exceed at least one median and the school interests you. This does not guarantee admission, but your numbers alone may not be a reason to rule it out.
3. Consider applying to schools where you are below both medians if they are a strong fit. However, avoid making every school on your list one where you are below both—unless you are comfortable with the risk of not being admitted to law school.
4. Strengthen every other part of your application, especially if you are applying below both medians:
   • Put substantial effort into the personal statement.
   • Write optional essays when they offer a meaningful opportunity to make your case.
   • Choose recommenders who can provide strongly supportive letters.
   • Present relevant work, extracurricular activities, and other experiences clearly on your résumé.
5. Remember that admissions pools change from year to year. A less competitive pool may lead schools to lower their medians, so last year’s numbers cannot tell applicants everything about the next cycle.
6. Consider the financial implications. Merit aid is usually tied to LSAT scores and GPAs, so applicants admitted below both medians may receive little or no merit aid. Need-based aid may be available at schools that offer it. Applicants should weigh the cost of a dream school against other options, while recognizing that applying preserves the choice to decide later.

The overall message is that numbers matter, but they are not destiny. Applicants should not treat medians as strict floors, and they should make informed choices about both admission prospects and cost.

Writing Tip

In a brief discussion of grammar and style, Dean Z relays advice from friends who are lawyers and writers: avoid beginning sentences with “However” too often. Doing so can make writing feel dull. When possible, move “however” later in the sentence.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Dean Z: Main speaker and presenter; explains law-school admissions numbers, application strategy, and the writing tip.
• Dustin: Briefly responds off camera (“sort of”) when Dean Z asks whether she has used a sports metaphor.
• Dean Z’s three unnamed lawyer-and-writer friends: Cited as the source of the advice about not starting sentences with “However”; they are not heard speaking in the subtitles.