I started at 143 (i.e. I got 5 more questions right than you, probably by chance) and got a 165 on my first take, 167 on my second. It took 6 months of rigorous studying to get there, though.

The most important thing to remember is that this test is learnable, and the test-makers repeat the same content for every test, just in a different format. For example, they might cover fossil evidence on one exam and low birth weight babies on another, but the underlying logical reasoning might be the same. Learn how to diagram various games quickly and how to make inferences on them, study the different question types on LR, and find a reading strategy that works for you on RC. You can do it.

I'm not 170+, but I was two or three questions shy. My biggest motivation was wanting acceptance to a respectable school with no debt. You could think about the LSAT in any number of ways– as a puzzle, a game, a stepping stone to law school, an entertaining 3 hours where you learn about Navajo blanket weaving and perspectives about it, and so on. Believe me when I say, there's no stronger motivating factor than realizing that two or three more correct responses could be the deciding factor in whether you go to a law school for free or take on 6-figure debt. Yes, the LSAT sucks, but getting a decent score and securing an excellent scholarship means that you could graduate almost debt-free, and there's no greater gift than that in this day and age (mind you, avg law school debt nowadays is 160k at an 8% interest rate).

Fight for the money and your future financial freedom!

Really, why so nervous? Here are some things you should consider before letting a 2 hour-long exam get to your head:

-You're not gonna die. You'll (hopefully) be sitting in a quiet room answering some question on a computer. No one's life is at stake, not even your own. It's as innocuous an activity as you could possibly do.

-There are about 200 law schools in the country, and all but 30 of them are legit and will prepare you for legal practice. You could 'bomb' the exam (get about 55/100 right) and still get a sizable scholarship to one of the good schools.

-You can take the LSAT up to 5 times before your file raises a red flag. If you don't like your score, you can retake.

-You're not obligated to go to law school. There are many careers to choose from. You're taking this exam because you want to, not because you have no other choice. You're free to leave whenever you decide.

OP, I was in your position last year. I worried so much about this exam that I didn't get any sleep the night before. But now that I look back on it, all that worry was completely useless. I could've gotten a worse score and still had almost same admissions outcome that I have today. Does a higher score help? Sure, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. In that case, I might've applied to T70 schools instead of T50 schools. It's the "youth and inexperience" in us that thinks the LSAT is all that matters and law school admissions are all that matter, when there's so much more to consider.

Anyway, take it easy.

There certainly are schools that will accept you with that score (scroll down on 7sage's rankings to where your median matches those of the schools).

OP, I don't know if this is a hypothetical question or you plan on applying in the immediate future, but I highly recommend a retake. Even if you're comfortable going to one of the lower ranked schools, at least go there for free. You can do that if you get your LSAT score up by just a few more points.

I recommend not taking in January. It's better to go through the 7sage curriculum first and only then start practice tests. I don't know if that'll be possible in one month– it's generally advisable to take as many practice exams as possible, and that should take a lot longer than a month if you're doing 4 or 5 exams a week. Do NOT apply to law school with a sub-150 score. If you cannot crack the 150 barrier for any reason, I don't know how you'll fare when law school exams and the bar exam come around.

OP, the most important thing here is to not give up hope. The LSAT is a learnable exam– they repeat the same questions year after year, and it's all about learning the patterns. A good score is attainable if you put in the work. Look no further than the 7sage lsat/admissions forum: people started in the 130s and ended up in the 170s after many months of diligent work. In my case, my diagnostic was a low 140 and I ended up getting a high 160s score, and next year I'll be going to a t30 school with a full tuition scholarship. Granted that it took me over 1 year of studying, I think it was worth it.

Best of luck!

@ thanks for the input!

I forgot to look at LSData before posting this, lol. People with slightly lower numbers than mine applied as late as January/February and got close to full-tuition scholarships! idk if the higher applicant volume is going to change things, but I'm more hopeful now.

By some miracle, I got on a T20 waitlist with numbers below the medians, and my Kira interview was awful. I just rambled incomprehensibly until time was up. I guess the admissions officers saw something special in me :smiley:

I agree with the others. Just do your best and you'll be fine.