Student Earns Perfect Score on LSAT

A member of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024, Sarah Boyle, an accounting major from Peckville, scored a perfect 180 on her Law School Admission Test (LSAT), a feat accomplished by less than half of one percent of American Bar Association (ABA) applicants this year.

A disciplined student, Boyle spent more than 10 months preparing for the standardized test that is used for admission to law schools.

A Newsweek story about Boyle’s perfect score stated: “just 123 of more than 49,000 ABA applicants this year achieved a 180 score in the admission test, according to the Law School Admission Council.”

“In my many years in higher education, both as a student and now as a professor, I’ve gotten to know a number of individuals who have been admitted to some of the best law schools in the country. To my knowledge, I have never met anyone who got a 180 on the LSAT. Now I have,” said Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., director of the pre-law advisory program and professor of philosophy at The University of Scranton.

The LSAT score will open the doors to the most prestigious law schools in the country.

However, the score alone didn’t get the attention of national press, a TikTok post made by Boyle went viral.

“I included sound from the movie Legally Blonde in a TikTok post about my 180 LSAT score, and it took off,” said Boyle of the post that has already had more than 1.5 million views. The trending post led to multiple stories, including one in Newsweek, that compares Boyle to the fictional character Elle Woods, who scored a nearly perfect 179 on her LSAT to gain entry to Harvard Law School.

A fan of the film and the character, Boyle is unfazed by the comparison. She considers Wood’s character – a smart, driven, capable and successful young woman – who happens to be blonde, pretty and “girly” – to be more uplifting than insulting.

And, when it comes to drive, ambition, intelligence and success – Boyle is truly in a league of her own.

A stellar student, Boyle will earn her bachelor’s degree in just three years – quite an accomplishment for any undergraduate – but exceptionally amazing for one who entered college as an undecided major.

At Scranton, Boyle received the Rose Kelly Award for the Kania School of Management in 2023. She is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor society. She is the president of the student chapter for the Institute of Management Accountants and the fundraising chair for the CURA consulting club.

Boyle also worked as an intern at Neumentum and will work full-time at Baker Tilly next year while pursuing an MBA at Scranton through its combined B.S./MBA program. She plans to earn the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential in addition to a law degree.

Preparing for the LSAT

Boyle’s preparation for the LSAT was self-guided and spanned more than 10 months. “Not continually,” she said. “It was in a more relaxed manner. I would take a week or two off from studying from time to time.”

Boyle said she can usually remember course material easily – but preparing for the LSAT was different, saying it was more like “mastering a skill.”

She prepared by using Khan Academy and other test preparation sources. She also took “all the online LSAT prep tests available.” Boyle also took the LSAT a total of three times, twice before scoring the perfect 180 on her third attempt.

“I would encourage someone preparing for the test to be patient and to not get discouraged if your score fluctuates on the LSAT. I had my lowest score on my second attempt and nearly gave up, but something in me told me that I could do better – and to give it another try.”

Boyle, the daughter of University of Scranton professor Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, hopes to practice corporate law with a specialization in mergers and acquisitions.

No doubt, her success will continue as she pursues her aspirations, to rephrase a quote from Legally Blonde II, “The Sarah Boyle Way.”