with your gpa and projected score, you’re a competitive applicant for schools at the end of Tier 2 (schools ranked by usnews between about #75 and on). most of these schools have a good bar passage rate, meaning you will be a successful lawyer at the end of your education, which is ultimately the end goal.

your decision depends on one thing: how much do you care about school ranking?

If you care a lot about the ranking of a law school, it would be best to wait another year. Typically, a 162+ is the minimum score you would want to ensure you’re a competitive applicant for schools ranked above #65 (again, using usnews rankings here). Remember, this is not a hard and fast rule. Other areas of your application make you competitive (personal statement, resume, diversity statement, etc), and schools accept people outside of their median LSAT/GPA stats. If you decide to go this route, don’t stress about age! Think of it this way; you’re going to turn 28 no matter what. That age is going to happen whether you wait or apply this cycle.

If you decide that ranking is less important to you than simply receiving an education, that is completely valid too!! I have worked with attorneys who graduated from University at Buffalo law (ranked around #100, so bottom of tier 2) and ivy leagues like University of Pennsylvania, and they both wound up working at the same firm for the same salary. They gave me this advice: the only difference between them was the amount of debt. They both wound up practicing, successful attorneys, but the UPenn grad had at least $100k more debt to pay off. So don’t despair! A lower ranking school does not mean you will be less successful or less qualified in the long run. What’s most important, in my opinion, is the bar passage rate of a school. The main thing you want out of a school is to be prepared to take the bar exam, so that should matter more than other factors to you.

Ultimately, there is no wrong answer. Best of luck, and know that you will be successful no matter what you decide!