Self-study
This time last year, I was nervously awaiting the posting of December test scores. It could be any day now (Actually, it will almost certainly be 1-3 days before the official release date, so chill y'all!) and since I was committed to applying to that cycle, it would be time to send my applications--like my score or not. I wasn't sure how I'd done, but I felt that if just a couple of things went my way I had a very real chance. I'm writing this post because I feel like while there is a lot of anxiety around every score release, the end of year release carries the additional weight of feeling like a last chance. It certainly felt that way for me. When I got the notification on my phone that my scores were in, I went to a nearby park and I did a few laps around the track before I worked up to opening it. When I did, I was crushed. Not only did I fall short of my target score, I actually fell a point from my October score. I was prepared for less improvement than hoped for, but dropping a point was devastating.
Amidst this emotional shock, I also had an important decision to make. Now that I had fallen so short, I'd have to decide whether to stick to the plan or change course and delay. Obviously, I ended up delaying and, as many of you know, that delay really payed off. But at the time I was making this decision, I did not have that information. I didn't know I'd score a 170, so the choice was not between a 170 a year from now or decent Tier 2 numbers now. It's tempting to conclude that, based on my results, I made the correct decision. That's just not right though. Because I didn't have that information, the correctness of my decision was independent of the outcome. That's a difficult concept, but that's the situation.
So what did I know? What was the information that informed my decision?
While I had fallen far short of my goal score, I had a score that would leave me with some excellent options. I wouldn't be going to any T14 schools, but I could have gone Tier 2 on scholarship. By no means was it a terrible situation. There are lots of schools outside the T14 that lack in prestige but that offer great programs and opportunities. Ultimately, I was in pretty good shape.
On the other hand, I felt like the LSAT had beaten me. And that really was the biggest hold up. If I applied then, it'd mean that I'd accepted that result while I still had one more chance to change it. Of course, I knew what a better score could mean, but I was content with my options. It was just really difficult for me to concede defeat.
And essentially, that was my debate. I think that before committing to a delay, it was important for me to identify how I was going to improve. For anyone contemplating a delay, I think this point is crucial. You need to be able to answer, in concrete terms, how you're planning to do better. For me, that meant signing up at the website with the guy from the LG videos, and it meant living off of my savings for as long as I could so that I could study full time. That was how I'd be able to prepare to a higher level. That was how I was able to answer that question.
Again, it all payed off for me, but there were no guarantees of that happenening. It was possible I could have delayed a year only to find myself in the same situation. I had to be aware of and at peace with that contingency. And so do you if you decide to delay. If you find yourself struggling with the decision to delay or apply, I hope my experience can serve as an example. It is anecdotal, and I'm sure for every success story that gets shared, there are numerous counter examples of things going the other way that people are less eager to talk about. I may have lost a year, but I gained the opportunity to achieve my potential. And that's how you have look at it. By delaying a year you only create an opportunity--one more shot, with zero guarantees, to make it happen.
As an additional bonus, I also benefitted from being able to apply with a much greater knowledge of the application process rather than as an end of cycle noob.
The main takeaway is that if you consider delaying, realize that the correctness of that decision is independent of the results. Even if things hadn't turned out the way they did for me, delaying would still have been the right call. And whatever you decide for yourself will be right or wrong too no matter how it turns out. It's a hard decision, so take some time, think it through, make the call, and don't look back.
