2026 Law School Median Tracker

Beyond excited! My #1 choice going into this cycle!!!

Don't want to reveal too many specifics regarding my application, but I submitted earlier this month and just heard back after interviewing!!

WAHOOWA!

could use some work but has been giving me a good kick throughout this cycle (not the first time this has happened)

In case you haven’t seen it, here is some news from LSAC.

https://www.lsac.org/lsat-will-look-little-different-starting-august-2027

It’s not until August 2027 and Dave Killoran and I are podcasting soon so we will absolutely speak on this. Per LSAC, they are moving to embedded pretesting of new items on the LSAT, starting with the August 2027 test. No change in any of the skills being tested or any of the question types, just to change in how they present the unscored experimental questions. If you have any questions on admissions implications fire away although off the top of my head I don’t see any.

Edit. We added a bit more on what it will look like in 2027 on Insta since we were getting questions on that.

- Mike Spivey

I know they send packages to lots of people, but I was still thrilled to receive one. I’m not exactly a competitive applicant, but this was a good reminder to ensure that your application materials give us a full picture of what you would bring to our community proofread my application before sending it.

I got a 17high. My GPA is on the lower side so I know this isn't a slam dunk for the schools I'm aiming at, and I've spent a lot of time lately doing the splitter math in my head like everyone else does.
I made myself stop and actually think about what this number means. Being in the top 1% of everyone who sits for this test is not something I ever expected to say about myself. A year ago I was grinding this thing in between work shifts and wondering if I was wasting my time.
I'll be honest, part of me wanted to let the ego run with it. I hate when I catch myself doing that. The thing that keeps me grounded is remembering that everyone on this sub is going through the same grind, and a lot of people with way harder circumstances than mine are putting in the same hours. The score is mine but the work is something all of us share. So this isn't a flex, it's more of a thank you to this community for being the place I came to when I was doubting myself.
To everyone still waiting or deciding whether to even start: you can do this. It's a learnable test and the work pays off.
Good luck to everyone this cycle. Rooting for all of you.

Any predictions/insight into if it’ll be this week or next?

I check AT LEAST every hour. Sometimes more. Send help.

I know everyone is sick of these posts at this point.. but oh my GODDDDD. Waiting to hear back from schools is agonizing!

I’m a habitual planner and not knowing what the next few years of my life will look like is driving me insane. I also DESPISE my current job and I need to know if the misery will end next fall or if I need to suffer another year while I study for an LSAT retake. Lol.

Feel free to lament about the waiting game in the comments!

Per LSAC data, we are about 20% of the way through the cycle in terms of total applicant count. Here's the breakdown of Applicants, compared to last year:

The applicant numbers have already come down since the first data was released about 10 days ago, and are now up only 6.8%. That may look bad but remember that over the last two years the early numbers were up 26% and 33%, so these increases are considerably lower than the prior two years. The numbers are fairly volatile this early in the cycle, but this quick drop is an encouraging sign that this cycle may end up less competitive than last year.

Because things are hard to read at this point, you’ll see law schools be a bit hesitant while they wait and see what happens, and that points to another slow cycle as far as decision-making is concerned.

Let’s take a look at the LSAT scores for the applicants so far:

These numbers are also down compared to the opening numbers, and with the October LSAT scores coming out this week we should see some additional movement. I’ll check back on these in more detail next week, but for now these numbers are lower compared to last year, which is good news.

TL;DR: We are only 20% of the way through the cycle, so numbers remain small and will move plenty in the coming weeks. Early applicant numbers are up, but not nearly as much in the prior two years, which is a hopeful sign we may see the overall number of applicants decrease eventually compared to last year.

Any questions, please let me know!

Got a Vandy ii and seeing conflicting things on here. Some are saying they offer it to everyone who asks, others say it is required for admission, others say it just highly boosts chances, others say the AdComms use their discretion for who to offer it to and it means something?? Any anecdotal feedback?

been staring at the same intro for over a week and just have no idea where to take it. I feel like I have so many things I could talk about but no neat linear narrative, which is sometimes what it feels like they want. Also every personal statement example I read starts with some snapshot of a vivid moment or story and it just feels formulaic and inauthentic and like I'm trying to come up with a narrative based on whatever opening snapshot sounds good. Do you have to follow this formula?

Any advice on combatting writers block or how to stop overthinking this thing would be appreciated. I have the LSAT score I have the resume I have the GPA but this personal statement thing is like paralyzing me

Just wanted to provide a data point! Applied 9/17, complete 10/13, and ii today 10/26!

Any advice or tips for the group interview would be greatly appreciated!

Got diagnosed with ADHD throughout college. Writing my addendum about how GPA dosent reflect my true academic potential.

I was financially and insurance dependent on parents for healthcare. I couldn’t have access to treatment. My academic ability changed after treatment and medication which led to x improvements…..

I’m honestly not to sure if my time frame on when I got medicated is correct. I kind of framed it to support a trend in my academics gaining support. And this is true, I’m just not too sure if the dates match completely.

Will admissions ask for proof? Will the bar ask for proof?

The new format essentially takes away the accommodations advantage. I use that term loosely here.

Now everyone takes the same number of sections and answers the same number of questions.

Of course, those who have the accommodations still get more time but overall the new structure is fairer especially since everyone also takes RC first then the two LR sections after.

How do you feel about the new format?

Hey everyone,

I'm 28 and at a bit of a crossroads career-wise. I have a bachelor's degree in film/media and spent some time working in entertainment, but with how unstable the industry has become, I've been looking into other career paths that offer more financial stability and long-term opportunities.

For the past year or so, I've been taking science prerequisites at community college while exploring healthcare careers, primarily physical therapy and nursing. The problem is, I'm finding that I really don't enjoy the coursework, and I'm starting to question whether I'd actually be happy working in healthcare.

Lately, I've been considering law, but before committing to another expensive, time-consuming educational path, I'd really appreciate some perspective from people who have actually gone through it.

Some of my biggest questions:

• Is law school worth the investment? How realistic is it to graduate with a manageable debt-to-income ratio, especially if you don't attend a top-ranked school?
• How much does school prestige matter? Is attending a T14 school practically a requirement for the higher-paying jobs, or can graduates from regional/online schools still do well?
• What is the job market actually like? How competitive is it to land a decent-paying position after graduation? Is the market oversaturated?
• What are realistic starting salaries? I see wildly different numbers online, from $70k to $200k+. What's typical for a new graduate, and how does that compare to student loan debt?
• How bad is the burnout/work-life balance? I constantly hear about attorneys working brutal hours, dealing with demanding clients, and eventually regretting their career choice. Is that the norm, or does it depend heavily on the area of law?
• How concerned should prospective lawyers be about AI? Do you see automation significantly reducing entry-level opportunities or affecting the long-term demand for attorneys?
• Does age matter? If I started law school around 29–30, would entering the profession in my early 30s put me at any disadvantage?
• Do you actually enjoy being a lawyer? Knowing what you know now, would you choose this career again?

I'm not expecting a career that's easy or stress-free. I'm willing to work hard, but after already spending years pursuing different directions, I'm trying to be much more deliberate about my next decision. I want something intellectually engaging that also offers a reasonable path toward financial security without completely sacrificing my personal life.

I also realize law is a very broad field, and experiences probably vary significantly depending on practice area and location. I'm in California, for context.

If you were in my position, what would you do to figure out whether law is actually a good fit before investing three years and potentially six figures into a JD?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from career changers or attorneys who had similar doubts before starting.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience. I'm genuinely trying to make an informed decision and would appreciate any advice, including reasons not to pursue law.

Some schools have an essay that ask you to describe some sort of adversity you faced, how you overcame and what unique perspective this gave you. I have a lived a very traditional life and am lucky to say I can’t think of any significant hardship that I could write about. I am thinking about leaving this blank because I don’t want admissions to read a story that I try to stretch to fill the prompt. I wanna know how damaging it is to leave this blank and if it is a good idea. Thanks guys.

Title- I was disciplined by my university for participating in an act of civil disobedience. The charge was minimal but it is on my record and I’m writing an addendum for it. Looking for people with similar backgrounds who applied in recent cycles to share their outcomes! Thanks!

TLDR: Do you feel civil disobedience charges impacted your cycle success? Why/Why not?

If anyone applied SKJD this cycle or any of the last couple cycles dm me!

How does Cambridge and Oxfrod assess the first-class honours requirement for a law masters degree? Are people who get the foreign equivalent of a 7.0 GPA (minimum first-class honours requirement) still competative or would it not be considered against individuals who get higher first-class GPAs i.e. 8.0+? Further, could a lower first-class GPA be made stronger with supporting relevant achievements e.g. competition awards etc.?

I’m giving this a-go at 38, later than a lot but better now than never.

A major reason for my delay relates to my health. I started developing symptoms related to a rare autoimmune disorder at the age of 20. So rare, it took nine years for me to be diagnosed; about 1 in 200,000-350,000, estimates are hard to come by because of its rarity. During that time, I struggled with school, often taking medical withdrawals and eventually finishing with a GPA of 3.05 according to LSAC. The trajectory of my record is actually visually reflective of my experience and ironically, I have more A’s than any other grade. That said, I also went to a STEM school so my lower grades are in subjects like Calculus 2 and Physics 2, which were part of the core curriculum.

After some life stuff happened this year, including a hospitalization related to GLP-1 use and a breast lumpectomy, I decided to just apply to law school. I’ve made it to Paris in the spring but I want to go to law school, too IYKYK. So, I took the LSAT with less than 40 hours prep, and got a 162. Not bad. I think I can do better with more prep and not also planning a giant ass wedding as I was this summer. Its magnitude was also related to the life stuff…but blacking from abdominal pain changes a person, what can I say?

Anyway, my giant ass wedding took more out of me in that I spent two weeks or so recovering, after having had to pause most things for two weeks, so I was late to request my LORs and was not at all ready to test in Nov so pushed back to Jan. Somehow one LOR is already in with the others promised within the next couple of weeks. I’ve drafted all my written materials and am hoping to have everything in by Jan 1 to all but a few places that won’t consider my Jan score unless I submit after it’s released.

I think my LORs will be positively impactful - my undergrad advisor, an author who just officiated my wedding, an instructor from my MBA program for which I have a 3.98 - while I know this GPA not officially factored, I think it serves as a good metric as to my academic performance after diagnosis, something I talked amount in a supplement, and a former colleague at an international nonprofit who also holds her MBA and is now an educator. I’m confident they all will advocate well and eloquently on my behalf.

I also currently have several fee waivers and formal invitations that I’m taking up.

As I get set to close out a helluva a year, staying focused on my LSAT studying and finishing up the final touches just feels insane at times, and like maybe I should just wait another cycle. But at the same time…I mean, why wait? Tbh, this might sound weird to some of the really high achievers in here, but I find myself asking, is the goal to do it or is the goal to try to reach the highest level I can? Should I submit when I get all my LORs? Do I have a shot without a higher score? Do I have a shot at all?

Anyway, this was brought to you by a minor flareup of aforementioned disorders.

Basically when I was in high school I was a DUMBASS and got a 0 in two dual enrollment classes, brining my gpa down to 3.70 (college gpa is 3.89). Obviously with the new rules for next year this wouldn’t matter, so not sure if I should wait or just say fuck it and apply this cycle? I took the LSAT in September and got a 159, taking it again in November and have been scoring in the mid 160s. I don’t really want to go to a T14. Just not really sure what to do here, and wanting to get some advice. I’m already 25 and if I wait to apply next year I feel like I’d be starting school sooo late 😭.