When I was applying to law school, I picked schools off rankings and gut feelings. Nobody told me to check how a school's bar passage compared to the state average, or what share of the class left after 1L, or what my scholarship would be worth if I lost it after first year. All of that is public. I just didn't know where it lived or what to do with it once I found it.
So I built the tool I wish I'd had.
You start with your own numbers: LSAT, GPA, where you want to practice, and how much debt you're willing to carry. Then you rate seven things from 0 to 10 based on how much they matter to you. Add your schools using the numbers from each school's ABA 509 report (there's a tab that shows you where every number lives). The spreadsheet scores each school from 0 to 100 using your ratings, and your list re-sorts itself every time something changes.
What it figures out for each school
Your admit band (Likely, Target, Reach or Far Reach), based on where your LSAT and GPA fall against the school's 25th, median and 75th percentiles
Your scholarship leverage, so you know where asking for more money makes sense
The true 3-year cost, with yearly tuition increases and the risk of losing a conditional scholarship built in
What you'd owe when repayment starts, using the federal loan limits for students starting law school after July 1, 2026
A monthly payment estimate on a standard 10-year plan
The scholarship you'd need each year to graduate with no loans
Each school's biggest strength and its biggest gap
One overall score, weighted by your own priorities
What's inside
Start Here: a 5-step walkthrough
My Profile: your numbers, your priorities and the loan assumptions (already filled in for fall 2027 starts)
School Data: room for 25 schools, with dropdowns so typos don't break anything
My Rankings: your list sorted best fit first, with a chart of your top 10
Compare Offers: up to 4 schools side by side once acceptances come in, with the best number in each row highlighted
App Tracker: deadlines that count down, essay and letter checklists, and your application fee total
Data Guide: what every column means and where to find it
Three sample schools come pre-loaded so you can see how it works before you add your own.
Good to know
Works in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. For Google Sheets, upload the file to your Google Drive and open it with Sheets. A few of the shaded score bars only show in Excel, but every calculation works in both.
It hasn't been tested in Apple Numbers.
You'll pull school numbers from each school's ABA 509 report. The Data Guide tab walks you through it.
This is an estimating tool for comparing schools. Admit bands aren't predictions, and the debt numbers aren't financial advice. Confirm costs and aid with each school's financial aid office before you deposit.
Instant digital download.
Want it in Notion instead? The Notion version adds school pages, a deadline calendar and a status board, and it works on your phone. See the Notion template.
When I was applying to law school, I picked schools off rankings and gut feelings. Nobody told me to check how a school's bar passage compared to the state average, or what share of the class left after 1L, or what my scholarship would be worth if I lost it after first year. All of that is public. I just didn't know where it lived or what to do with it once I found it.
So I built the tool I wish I'd had.
You start with your own numbers: LSAT, GPA, where you want to practice, and how much debt you're willing to carry. Then you rate seven things from 0 to 10 based on how much they matter to you. Add your schools using the numbers from each school's ABA 509 report (there's a tab that shows you where every number lives). The spreadsheet scores each school from 0 to 100 using your ratings, and your list re-sorts itself every time something changes.
What it figures out for each school
Your admit band (Likely, Target, Reach or Far Reach), based on where your LSAT and GPA fall against the school's 25th, median and 75th percentiles
Your scholarship leverage, so you know where asking for more money makes sense
The true 3-year cost, with yearly tuition increases and the risk of losing a conditional scholarship built in
What you'd owe when repayment starts, using the federal loan limits for students starting law school after July 1, 2026
A monthly payment estimate on a standard 10-year plan
The scholarship you'd need each year to graduate with no loans
Each school's biggest strength and its biggest gap
One overall score, weighted by your own priorities
What's inside
Start Here: a 5-step walkthrough
My Profile: your numbers, your priorities and the loan assumptions (already filled in for fall 2027 starts)
School Data: room for 25 schools, with dropdowns so typos don't break anything
My Rankings: your list sorted best fit first, with a chart of your top 10
Compare Offers: up to 4 schools side by side once acceptances come in, with the best number in each row highlighted
App Tracker: deadlines that count down, essay and letter checklists, and your application fee total
Data Guide: what every column means and where to find it
Three sample schools come pre-loaded so you can see how it works before you add your own.
Good to know
Works in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. For Google Sheets, upload the file to your Google Drive and open it with Sheets. A few of the shaded score bars only show in Excel, but every calculation works in both.
It hasn't been tested in Apple Numbers.
You'll pull school numbers from each school's ABA 509 report. The Data Guide tab walks you through it.
This is an estimating tool for comparing schools. Admit bands aren't predictions, and the debt numbers aren't financial advice. Confirm costs and aid with each school's financial aid office before you deposit.
Instant digital download.
Want it in Notion instead? The Notion version adds school pages, a deadline calendar and a status board, and it works on your phone. See the Notion template.
