I'm debating about taking the Nov LSAT (I've already taken Aug and got a 160, and am taking Oct...I'm still pt-ing in the low 160s and want 167-170). I don't think I'll get to my goal range by October, maybe just mid 160s at best. The most important factor to me for law schools is receiving financial aid. I'm just applying to regional state schools (Chapman, Pepperdine, USD, etc.) nothing too fancy, but it's pretty competitive in California. Is getting my score back in early December then submitting right away too late to receive substantial scholarships? Or should I submit after I get my October score and take Nov (you can wait right?)? Is there any other option around these? 🙏
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A quick "for what it's worth" - this isn't something you have to decide on until you get your Oct score back. That's a month away and I'm guessing you have enough to do to keep you busy in the meantime (prepping for the LSAT, getting your app materials together, etc). Keep your eyes on the prize!
But if you get your score back from Oct and you're trying to figure things out, the key is what you mentioned about your strategy. If the most important thing is maxing scholarship, that may require an LSAT retake. Why? Because the majority of law school fin aid is merit based - it's your stats. So the calculated risk is going to be "how confident am I that I can move my LSAT enough come November to make a difference?"
Notice how I haven't really touched your question yet. That's because most admissions offices keep consistent merit scholarship awards throughout their review process up until they start admitting people from the waitlist.
Good luck!
Thank you! The Nov registration deadline is approaching soon (10/1) so I wasn't sure if I should throw $200+ at it next week without knowing how I'll do on Oct. I'd also heard that even a little point difference in the high 160s-70 can have a huge impact on scholarships, but I'm not sure if that's verified?
Also I didn't know about the consistent scholarship awards until the waitlists, thanks!
November registration - Sorry for the confusion! Based on the context of your question, I assumed you were already registered for Nov. So, the way that you may want to look at this is a) how confident you are about getting your score in October, vs b) how much you'd like to have an insurance policy in case you don't get your target score in October. That's a very personal call!
Point variations affecting scholarships - This can happen but within reason. For example, moving from just below a school's median to just above the median will likely have a very big effect on a merit scholarship award. But let's say that a school's median is a 170 and you move from a 165 to a 167. That's probably not having a big effect because you're still below the median. The reverse can also be true - you move from a 173 to a 174 and the school's median is a 170. Moving from "above the median" to "one point higher and above the median" doesn't change much from the school's perspective. The best way to suss this out is to check out applicants last year reported either on our website or lawschooldata.
Got it, that makes sense, thank you!!