So I scored 3-4 points lower than my average on the November LSAT, but still have a score that is worth applying to some schools in the T20-40 range. My plan is to move forward with applications, but I am studying for a retake because I know I can do better. I won't write the January test because I would like to have more time to study and reach my full potential, so I suppose the goal is March. If I get some great offers with my current score, I can decide after receiving my March score whether or not to accept those offers. The upside is that I will go to law school knowing I did my best on the LSAT, and won't have to struggle with the fact that I did not reach my target score in November. If I commit to delaying a cycle, I have March, June, and the digital July with a free score cancellation to work with and I'll be able to apply the day that applications open up.
My plan for studying: One section with thorough BR each day during the workweek, plus drills, and one timed full length PT on Saturday mornings with thorough BR for the rest of the weekend. I will use old PTs, including those which are used for the core curriculum, for the single sections. I still have a ton of fresh new PTs that I can take every Saturday too, and I can use those as a reasonably accurate indicator of my scoring range.
I reviewed every PT I took before scoring, but not as thoroughly as I could have. After taking a single section, I find that BR is less daunting and I have been writing out my explanations of circled questions and rewriting answer choices/stimuli to make wrong answers into right answers. Basically, I'm committed to doing BR better.
I guess my goal with this study plan is to increase the amount of quality studying I do each week. Before November, I only took 17 PTs and averaged way less than 2 per week because I had trouble finding time for multiple full length PTs around my work schedule. If I score close to my previous average score in March, I would consider delaying until next cycle and taking advantage of the benefit of applying early and a 3-4 point increase. At the same time, I feel I could score even higher than my current average by sticking to this study plan. I am confident that with 20-30 extra PTs under my belt, and more mastery/consistency in LG/RC, my score range will jump to the top few percentiles. That's where I want to be. Any thoughts or comments are welcome :)