Splitters & Reverse Splitters in Law School Admissions

A splitter in law school admissions is an applicant whose LSAT and GPA sit on opposite sides of a school's medians, usually a high LSAT with a lower GPA. A reverse splitter has the mirror profile: a high GPA with a lower LSAT. This splitter law school guide defines both and shows real schools that forgive each, using verified 2025 spreads.

By Ali Unar, Georgetown Law, Founder of Lovare Institut. Ali Unar is a Georgetown Law student and the founder of Lovare Institut, an admissions and LSAT-prep practice built on primary-source law school data and more than 5,000 real application materials.

Verified August 2026. The medians and percentiles on this page come from Lovare's verified 2025 ABA Standard 509 set, meaning each named school's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure for the fall 2025 entering class.

What is a splitter in law school admissions?

A splitter in law school admissions is an applicant whose two main numbers point in opposite directions against a school's medians: an LSAT above the median paired with a GPA below it. The splitter reverse splitter distinction turns on which number is the strong one. A classic splitter leads with a high LSAT and asks a school to forgive a lower GPA.

Splitters exist because law schools weigh the LSAT and the GPA separately and report a separate median and 25th percentile for each. When your LSAT clears a school's LSAT median but your GPA falls under its GPA median, you are betting that the school values the high LSAT enough to reach down on GPA. Some schools do this readily, and their 509 numbers reveal which ones.

The clearest way to see a splitter school is to look at how far its GPA 25th percentile falls below its LSAT strength. WashU Law's 2025 ABA 509 figures show a 175 median LSAT paired with a 3.58 GPA at the 25th percentile, a 0.38 GPA spread that makes it the clearest splitter school in the top tier. That combination is the signature of a school that forgives a lower GPA for a high LSAT.

What is a reverse splitter?

A reverse splitter is the mirror image of a splitter: an applicant with a high GPA and an LSAT below a school's median. In the splitter reverse splitter pairing, the reverse splitter leads with the transcript and asks a school to forgive a lower test score. Reverse splitters look for schools that protect their GPA median and reach down on the LSAT.

Reverse-splitter-friendly schools are rarer and easier to miss, because a school that forgives a low LSAT shows it in a low LSAT 25th percentile sitting under a solid LSAT median. University of Georgia's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure posts a 159 LSAT at the 25th percentile under a 169 median, a 10-point LSAT spread, and it does this while forgiving a lower LSAT for a high GPA. That wide LSAT spread is the reverse-splitter tell.

The reason the reverse splitter is a distinct strategy is that the two numbers behave differently in admissions. A high GPA signals sustained performance but is hard to compare across schools and majors, while the LSAT is a single standardized number. A reverse splitter is asking a school to trust the transcript over the test, and only schools whose 509 spreads show LSAT forgiveness, like University of Georgia, reliably say yes.

Which law schools are splitter friendly?

Splitter-friendly schools are the ones whose verified 509 numbers show a wide gap between a strong median on one axis and a low 25th percentile on the other. From Lovare's verified 2025 ABA 509 set, WashU Law and George Washington are clear GPA-forgiving splitter schools, while University of Georgia is the reverse-splitter case. The table below shows the telltale spreads.

SchoolTypeMedian LSATTelltale 25th percentileWashU LawSplitter (forgives GPA)1753.58 GPA, a 0.38 GPA spreadGeorge WashingtonSplitter (forgives GPA)1683.55 GPAUniversity of GeorgiaReverse splitter (forgives LSAT)169159 LSAT, a 10-point LSAT spread

Source: Lovare's verified 2025 ABA Standard 509 set, each school's fall 2025 entering class disclosure.

WashU Law is the headline splitter school in the top tier. Its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure shows a 175 median LSAT, one of the highest anywhere, sitting above a 3.58 GPA 25th percentile, so a quarter of its class enrolled with a GPA at or below 3.58. An applicant with a 175-caliber LSAT and a GPA that would sink most high-LSAT schools has a genuine case at WashU Law.

George Washington is the second GPA-forgiving example. According to its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, George Washington posts a 3.55 GPA at the 25th percentile under a 168 median LSAT, so it too enrolls a meaningful share of students whose transcripts fall well below what its test scores might suggest. For a high-LSAT applicant with a weaker GPA, George Washington is a school where the split is likely to be forgiven.

What does a reverse-splitter school look like?

A reverse-splitter school looks like University of Georgia: a solid LSAT median with a strikingly low LSAT 25th percentile beneath it. University of Georgia's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure shows a 169 median LSAT over a 159 LSAT at the 25th percentile, a 10-point LSAT spread. That gap means the school regularly admits high-GPA applicants whose LSAT is well below its median.

A 10-point LSAT spread is large, and it is the clearest signal in the data that a school will trade test points for transcript strength. When a quarter of an entering class comes in at a 159 LSAT while the median is 169, the school is telling you that a strong GPA can carry an applicant across a substantial LSAT gap. University of Georgia is exactly the kind of school a reverse splitter should target.

The practical read for a reverse splitter is to hunt for that pattern across your list: a low LSAT 25th percentile relative to the median, paired with a GPA profile you can beat. University of Georgia's verified 159 to 169 LSAT spread is the model. A reverse splitter with a high GPA and an LSAT in the low 160s is a realistic candidate at a school built like that.

Why do some schools forgive a low GPA or a low LSAT?

Schools forgive a low GPA or a low LSAT because they manage two medians independently and will protect the number that matters more to them while reaching down on the other. A splitter school protects a high LSAT median, as WashU Law does at 175, and lets its GPA 25th percentile fall to 3.58. A reverse-splitter school protects GPA and lets its LSAT 25th percentile drop.

The mechanics come straight from how schools report to the ABA. Each school publishes a median and a 25th percentile for both the LSAT and the GPA, and each protects the medians that feed its ranking while it has more freedom below the 25th percentile. A school that prizes a headline LSAT median will accept lower GPAs to keep that LSAT number high, which is precisely the WashU Law and George Washington pattern in the verified 509 set.

Reverse forgiveness works the same way in the other direction. A school like University of Georgia keeps a strong GPA profile and treats the LSAT as the flexible number, which is why its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure shows a 159 LSAT 25th percentile under a 169 median. Understanding which median a school protects tells you whether it will forgive your particular weak number.

Does a high LSAT or high GPA matter more for splitters?

For most applicants and most schools, a high LSAT is the more powerful single number, which is why high-LSAT splitters find more forgiving schools than reverse splitters do. The LSAT is standardized across every applicant, while GPA varies by school and major. The verified spreads back this up: WashU Law reaches all the way down to a 3.58 GPA to keep a 175 LSAT median.

That said, the honest answer is school-specific, not universal. At a reverse-splitter school like University of Georgia, a high GPA clearly outweighs a lower LSAT, because that school chose to protect GPA and let the LSAT 25th percentile fall to 159. So the right question is not which number matters more in general, but which number a given school protects, which its 509 spread reveals.

The strategic takeaway is to lead with your strong number and target schools built to forgive your weak one. A high-LSAT splitter should chase schools with WashU Law-style GPA forgiveness, and a high-GPA reverse splitter should chase schools with University of Georgia-style LSAT forgiveness. Matching your profile to the school's protected median is the whole game for splitters.

Can a splitter get into a T14?

A splitter can get into a strong school, and a high-LSAT splitter has the better odds, but the top of the market forgives less than dedicated splitter schools do. WashU Law, the clearest splitter school in the top tier per the verified 2025 ABA 509 set, shows how far a high LSAT can reach on GPA. The most selective schools compress their medians and leave less room.

The reason splitting is harder at the very top is that those schools post high medians on both numbers at once and admit fewer applicants overall, so the gap they will forgive is narrower. A splitter still gets a real look there, because every class includes students below the median on one axis, but a splitter should not treat the most selective schools as anything other than reaches.

The workable plan for a splitter aiming high is to anchor the list with proven splitter-friendly schools and add selective reaches on top. WashU Law and George Washington, with their verified GPA forgiveness, are where a high-LSAT splitter converts; the most selective schools are the upside. Building the list that way uses the splitter profile where it is strongest instead of betting everything on schools that forgive the least.

How should a splitter build a school list?

A splitter should build a school list by ranking targets on how far each school's 25th percentile falls below its median on the axis the splitter is weak. Schools with a wide gap in the splitter's favor, like WashU Law's 3.58 GPA 25th percentile under a 175 LSAT median, belong near the top of the list. Schools that protect both numbers tightly belong lower.

Start by fixing your strong number and identifying your weak one, then read each school's verified 509 spread through that lens. A high-LSAT, lower-GPA splitter looks for low GPA 25th percentiles under strong LSAT medians, the WashU Law and George Washington pattern. A high-GPA, lower-LSAT reverse splitter looks for low LSAT 25th percentiles under solid LSAT medians, the University of Georgia pattern.

Then balance the list across forgiveness levels. Include several schools whose spreads clearly favor your profile, a few mid-range schools, and a small number of reaches that forgive less. Because splitter admissions in law school turn on matching your profile to the right protected median, a list sorted by verified spread beats a list sorted by ranking alone. A free profile evaluation can rank your targets by exactly this fit.

How should a reverse splitter approach the LSAT?

A reverse splitter should treat the LSAT as the number with the most upside, because raising it turns reach schools into realistic ones. A high-GPA applicant with a low LSAT already has the harder number to change locked in as a strength, so LSAT gains compound: each point widens the range of schools whose protected medians the reverse splitter can meet rather than merely slip under.

Before retaking, a reverse splitter should map current targets against schools built to forgive the LSAT. University of Georgia's verified 159 LSAT 25th percentile under a 169 median shows the kind of school where a high GPA carries a lower LSAT today. Those schools are the reverse splitter's floor, and they make a strong list even before any score improvement.

If a retake is realistic, the reverse splitter should weigh the effort against the schools it unlocks. Moving from a low LSAT into a school's median band changes the applicant from a forgiveness case into a straightforward admit, which also strengthens scholarship leverage. For a reverse splitter, the LSAT is usually the highest-return place to invest, precisely because the GPA is already strong and fixed.

Frequently asked questions about splitters and reverse splitters

What is a splitter in law school admissions?

A splitter in law school admissions is an applicant whose LSAT sits above a school's median while the GPA sits below it. The splitter leads with a high LSAT and asks the school to forgive a lower GPA. Splitter-friendly schools show this willingness through a low GPA 25th percentile under a strong LSAT median, as WashU Law does at 3.58 and 175.

What is a reverse splitter?

A reverse splitter is an applicant with a high GPA and an LSAT below a school's median, the mirror of a splitter. A reverse splitter leads with the transcript and asks the school to forgive a lower test score. Reverse-splitter schools show a low LSAT 25th percentile under a solid median, like University of Georgia's 159 LSAT under a 169 median.

Which law schools are splitter friendly?

From Lovare's verified 2025 ABA 509 set, WashU Law and George Washington are clearly splitter friendly on GPA: WashU Law pairs a 175 LSAT median with a 3.58 GPA 25th percentile, and George Washington pairs a 168 median with a 3.55 GPA 25th percentile. University of Georgia is splitter friendly in reverse, forgiving the LSAT with a 159 LSAT 25th percentile under a 169 median.

Is WashU a splitter school?

Yes. WashU Law is the clearest splitter school in the top tier, according to Lovare's verified 2025 ABA 509 set. WashU Law posts a 175 median LSAT above a 3.58 GPA at the 25th percentile, a 0.38 GPA spread, meaning a quarter of its class enrolled at or below a 3.58 GPA. A high-LSAT applicant with a lower GPA is exactly who WashU Law forgives.

Is George Washington splitter friendly?

Yes. George Washington is a GPA-forgiving splitter school. Its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure shows a 3.55 GPA at the 25th percentile under a 168 median LSAT, so George Washington enrolls a meaningful share of students whose transcripts fall below what their test scores might predict. For a high-LSAT applicant carrying a weaker GPA, George Washington is a strong splitter target.

What is an example of a reverse-splitter school?

University of Georgia is a clear reverse-splitter example. Its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure posts a 159 LSAT at the 25th percentile under a 169 median, a 10-point LSAT spread, while forgiving a lower LSAT for a high GPA. That wide LSAT spread means a high-GPA applicant with an LSAT well below the median has a real case at University of Georgia.

Can a splitter get into a T14?

A splitter can reach strong schools, and a high-LSAT splitter has the better odds, but the most selective schools forgive less than dedicated splitter schools. WashU Law, the clearest top-tier splitter in the verified 2025 ABA 509 set, shows how far a high LSAT can reach on GPA. A splitter aiming higher should anchor the list with proven splitter-friendly schools and add selective reaches.

Does a high LSAT or high GPA matter more for a splitter?

For most schools, a high LSAT is the stronger single number, because it is standardized while GPA varies by school and major. The verified spreads show it: WashU Law reaches down to a 3.58 GPA to protect a 175 LSAT median. But at reverse-splitter schools like University of Georgia, a high GPA outweighs a lower LSAT, so the answer depends on which median the school protects.

How do you know if a school is splitter friendly?

You know a school is splitter friendly by comparing its 25th percentile on one axis to its median on the other in its ABA 509 disclosure. A low GPA 25th percentile under a high LSAT median signals GPA forgiveness, like WashU Law's 3.58 under 175. A low LSAT 25th percentile under a solid median signals LSAT forgiveness, like University of Georgia's 159 under 169.

How should a splitter build a school list?

A splitter should rank schools by how far each school's 25th percentile falls below its median on the splitter's weak axis. Schools with a wide gap in the splitter's favor, like WashU Law and George Washington on GPA, belong near the top. Balance the list with several strong-fit schools, a few mid-range options, and a small number of reaches that forgive less.

Should a reverse splitter retake the LSAT?

A reverse splitter usually gets the highest return from raising the LSAT, because the GPA is already a fixed strength. Each LSAT point widens the range of schools whose medians the reverse splitter can meet outright rather than slip under. Before retaking, a reverse splitter should still anchor the list with LSAT-forgiving schools like University of Georgia, which admit high-GPA applicants at a 159 LSAT 25th percentile.

What is the difference between a splitter and a reverse splitter?

The difference in the splitter reverse splitter pairing is which number is strong. A splitter has a high LSAT and a lower GPA and seeks GPA-forgiving schools like WashU Law. A reverse splitter has a high GPA and a lower LSAT and seeks LSAT-forgiving schools like University of Georgia. Both strategies match a lopsided profile to the median a school is willing to reach down on.

What LSAT and GPA make someone a splitter?

There is no fixed cutoff, because a splitter is defined relative to a specific school's medians. You are a splitter at a school when your LSAT sits above its LSAT median and your GPA sits below its GPA median at the same time. The same applicant can be a splitter at one school and a straightforward applicant at another, which is why splitter status is always measured school by school against each school's verified 509 medians.

Do splitter strategies actually work in law school admissions?

Splitter strategies work when they are grounded in verified spreads rather than hope. The evidence sits in the 509 data: WashU Law enrolls a quarter of its class at or below a 3.58 GPA while holding a 175 LSAT median, and University of Georgia admits high-GPA applicants down to a 159 LSAT. Targeting schools whose spreads match your profile is a real, data-backed law school splitter admissions strategy.

Is a splitter a weaker applicant than a non-splitter?

A splitter is not inherently weaker, just lopsided. A splitter with a high LSAT brings a number that many schools protect above all others, which is why splitter-friendly schools like WashU Law reach down to a 3.58 GPA to capture it. The task for a splitter is not to apologize for the profile but to aim it at schools whose verified 509 spreads reward the strong number.

Sources

The medians and 25th percentiles on this page come from Lovare's verified 2025 ABA Standard 509 set, meaning each named school's 2025 ABA 509 Information Report for the fall 2025 entering class, published in the American Bar Association's required disclosures database at https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/. The schools cited are WashU Law, George Washington, and University of Georgia.

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