Self-study
hi, so i just got my lsat score back. im pretty happy with it, but it is on the lower side (25th percentile) for the T-20 schools i am considering. i was nervous while taking the test, but of course that's not really a valid excuse. i was thinking about writing an additional statement on how my standardized test scores dont define me. i applied test optional to an ivy league school for undergrad and got in despite my sat/act score also being on their lower side, yet i am graduating near the top of my class with a 3.9x gpa. i wonder if this will convince admissions officers that my score doesn't define my potential. any thoughts?
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3 comments
Not to repeat anything that's already been said, but I'll throw something else out there for other folks who may be reading this - the only time that an LSAT addenda really comes in handy is providing context to a score discrepancy. For example, you've taken the test three times and got a 160, 161, and 171. Explaining that score jump would be useful for the admissions officers. But telling me that you're more than your score? Yup, I already know that! And I thankfully have the rest of your application to see just that!
Just to echo what Phoebe said, the admissions officers are already well aware that test scores don't define you. They all have seen and accepted people below their school's 25th percentile LSAT scores. Graduating near the top of your class at an Ivy League school will speak for itself. Writing an essay about why your score shouldn't be factored in as much, without a specific reason, probably won't convince anyone and may waste the time they could be spending on the best aspects of your application.
Hey there! If there are special circumstances that explain your score, by all means add an addendum, but I don't think an essay is quite necessary. Admissions officers are evaluating your file holistically; they know your GPA, and they absolutely know that there's more to an applicant than one number, so an essay isn't really adding anything except giving them an extra thing to read. Let the parts of you that do define you more (essays, grades, whatever) do the talking :)