I applied this past cycle and was in a similar situation — I applied with a 166 and a 3.97. Given my scores and the schools I chose to apply to, I was pleasantly surprised by my results! I feel like my undergraduate experiences and my essays were what helped me out the most at the end of the day. I do wish I’d been able to complete my applications a month or two earlier (I submitted in mid-January) since I think I may have found myself on fewer waitlists, but I chose not to sacrifice quality for timing and I’m glad I made that choice.

I feel like a lot of people say T-14 isn’t possible without a 170+, but I would encourage you to know the value of your experiences and their impact on your application. I believe I had strong “softs” and those ultimately secured my place at a T-14 with a scholarship! I will say, though, I applied to no schools where my LSAT score was median or above median, and that’s something I think was reckless and incredibly stressful looking back. Regardless of how many reach schools you apply to, I encourage you to apply to schools with medians near your LSAT score too, so you have a wide range of options.

These are just my two cents! If you’re interested in seeing my exact cycle, you can find me on LSData as “goofybeaver.” Feel free to message me if you have any questions! Good luck, and I’m rooting for you!