hey guys i hope everyone is doing well!! i’d really appreciate any advice or perspective on my situation because i’m honestly struggling and feeling pretty lost right now.
for some context, i’ve been studying for the lsat since august 2025, and my diagnostic was a 136. i hired a tutor and worked with her from january - july, and the progress i made was amazing. i was consistently scoring in the high 160s and 170s on practice tests leading up to the june 2026 lsat.
unfortunately, during the june exam, i had a panic attack and got to the point where i couldn’t properly read the words on the screen. when i received my score of 158, i assumed anxiety had been the main issue, so i decided to retake and do the september exam.
between june and september, i worked really hard on managing my anxiety, drilling my weaker areas, and maintaining my stronger areas. i took the september 2026 lsat without experiencing that same intense panic and actually felt pretty confident afterward. i genuinely thought the dreadful year i spent on this exam was finally going to pay off.
when i received a 155, i was honestly heartbroken and completely baffled. i had spent an entire year studying, driving myself insane, and being so mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. i had been planning to finally submit my law school applications and felt like my chances at my goal scores disappeared.
i canceled the 155 and am keeping the 158 on my score report. my cas gpa is a 3.49, and i originally wanted my lsat score to make me more of a splitter applicant. i’m feeling really discouraged about applying this cycle because i know i’m capable of scoring significantly higher based on my practice scores, but i just don’t understand why my official scores aren’t reflecting what i was consistently doing in practice.
my goal was to attend a school in the t40 and i’m having a hard time figuring out whether i should apply this cycle with my current score or take another year and retake the lsat.
my family and friends are encouraging me to apply this cycle and “see where life takes me,” but i’m struggling with the idea of applying when i know i’m capable of a better score. at the same time, i’m scared of delaying law school for another year and potentially regretting that decision. what if i hold off for another year, take the lsat again, and end up with another score that i have to cancel? i don’t know if i can put myself through another year of this just to potentially end up in the same position.
i’m really struggling with what the right decision is, so any advice, especially from those who have struggled with significant gaps between practice scores and official scores would be so appreciated. thank you so much 🩷
8 comments
Hi, I am in a very similar situation because I quit my job earlier this year to study full time and took the June and September tests to score around yours as well. I am planning to retake in November to see if I can keep my test anxiety aside and prove to myself that I can do it. Because in all honesty, I know I can and so can you. I would recommend taking it one more time before you apply this cycle to see if you can overcome the hurdle. If not, you could always push it to the next cycle, but at least you won't regret not trying once more. Sending so much positive energy your way because I know how absolutely crushing it can be!! Hang in there-we've got this!
thank you so much!! 🩷 i really appreciate this and it honestly helps hearing from someone who’s in such a similar situation. do you think you’d submit your apps this cycle if you’re happy with your november score or would you take it and apply next cycle? i’ve heard that applying after december can hurt your chances so i’m a little nervous about waiting that long.
I would apply this cycle since I'd get the score back end of November. Another thing that I was told was to register for the January test before November so that I don't feel so much pressure in November. Retaking it in January maybe be my next option because I definitely want to apply this cycle. Regardless of what school I end up in, I could still make the most of it and strive to be a great lawyer.
I’m really sorry you’re going through this! Remember that all you can do is your best, see where that leaves you, and then make the best decision based on the information at hand.
And with that said, only you know Yu our internal balance of “I don’t want to take the LSAT again” vs “I don’t want to feel like I sold myself short.” Maybe another way to look at things are the best and worst case scenarios. I think you can ID the best cases. But which of the worst cases do you feel “least” worse about? If you applied this year, may only get into schools where your current stats are in range, and feel like you’ve sold yourself short (but at least you’re starting law school!) OR if you took another year and didn’t raise your LSAT (but at least you know you gave yourself your best chance!). That answer is probably going to help you figure things out.
I'm so sorry you're feeling so frustrated! I'm in a similar situation, and I think your answer boils down to which option you would regret less. You could end up regretting either one: if you apply this cycle, you might find yourself in law school thinking, "I should have waited and retaken because I knew I could do better," and if you wait another year, you might regret not going. You know yourself best so I think you know which internal monologue would be stronger.
My official score is nowhere near my PTs (I took August and I'm planning on taking November). If I'm still not seeing what I want after the next one, I'll probably apply next cycle. What went into that decision was that I have a job I love, so I don't mind staying another year or so; I have a really amazing support system; I'm living at home with my parents (so no rent, yay!); and I have really high standards for myself, so I know I can do really well. Sure, in my perfect world I would have already applied, but for me, I would regret selling myself short more than I would regret waiting another year. Obviously your situation might be different than mine but maybe thinking about things through this framework might help with the decision process.
Another thing to consider: if you know you're going to law school no matter what, why rush it? Moving your goalposts might help ease the anxiety. Also, the days may go by slowly, but the year goes fast. By the time you've retaken and gotten a score you're happy with, it could be next June, and application season would only be a few months away.
Tune out all the external advice, too. This is YOUR journey, so do what you want with it. At the end of the day, you're the one who's going to go to law school and become a lawyer, and no one else can do that for you, so whatever you choose, make sure it's for you and not for anyone else! Let go of the fear of perception as well. Whether you go to a T14 or a T50 doesn't matter as long as you're happy with your decision and confident that this is the path you want to take.
I think one of the main reasons we feel regret is that we put ourselves in situations we didn't want in the first place. If what you want is to apply now, that's your best chance of not regretting anything. But if you know deep down that you want to wait and you apply anyway, you might feel an even deeper regret because you knew it wasn't what you wanted.
Either way, you've got this, and whatever you choose, live with conviction! Best of luck with everything. I'll be rooting for you!
Hi! I experienced a very similar situation with practice test scores being where I needed them to be, and then receiving my September results and being baffled because they did not reflect what I was expecting. I am now planning to retake it in November, but I am also feeling a lot of anxiety about actually seeing progress in a month, or the same thing that happened in September happening in November, when that test needs to be my last one for this cycle. I hope hearing that you aren't the only one helps, and I wish you the best of luck on the November LSAT.
I don’t have too much advice as far as admissions goes, but wanted to let you know that I feel you and am sending you lots of positive energy 🫶. This journey can be so taxing and frustrating, but remembering how far you’ve come and the end goal can hopefully help to put things into perspective.
thank you so much for your support sending so much positive energy your way🩷