Hello all!

I want to start by saying I am exceptionally grateful for my April LSAT score. I took it for the first time, and got a 170. I am very happy that my hard work paid off, and am thrilled that I will be able to go to law school.

That said, I am considering a retake, but uncertain. For context, my dream school has a median LSAT of 171, and to attend, I would need to be able to receive at least a half tuition scholarship, otherwise I will not be able to afford it. On numbers alone (hoping that the other parts of my app are at least decent), I feel there's a decent chance I could get in, just not sure about scholarship. I plan to apply for outside scholarship opportunities as well. There are other schools I would be happy to attend, but the above mentioned school is my dream.

I am above their 75th percentile for GPA, which I think should be helpful. I also have a few years of law-adjacent experience.

Here's my pros/cons list:

Pros: retake could potentially put me over their median. This would likely lead to an increase in scholarship money.

Cons: if I don't do better, taking it again would feel like a waste of the limited financial resources I have and would potentially make my first score look like a fluke.

I have PT-ed above 170 a few times. If I can get mid 170s consistently, I may lean towards a retake more heavily. My only opportunity for a retake will be August, as I will be out of state for most of Sept/Oct/Nov. Also, January, but I would like to have applied by then.

What do you all think? I'm just at a bit of a loss here.