A lot of schools (all schools?) have policies against doing this. Michigan has explicitly stated they do, for example. If you ask professionally and politely, it's not going to hurt you. Just don't expect much from it.

Have you taken a diagnostic? I think your diagnostic score probably should dictate your strategy. If your diagnostic is high/close to your target score, you might benefit more from taking PTs and focusing on specific weaknesses. If your diagnostic score is lower (or even if you just have a lot of extra time) it would probably be helpful to go through the entire CC and then focus on PTs. In theory everyone should go through the entire CC once, but I understand that there is sometimes a need to prioritize your time if you don't have as much to devote to studying.

Specialty rankings don't really speak much to your ability to get a job in that field so I say overall ranking!

When I was studying and WFH, I did find it a lot easier to manage than studying and work in an office (pre-covid). If you work from home (which it sounds like you do), I'd definitely recommend seeing if you can shift your start of the work day a little later to do some sections in the morning (I know this isn't possible for every type of job!). Also, if you are able to take a 1 hour lunch break, using that to study. If you want to study in the evenings, don't do it right after you finish work. Take a break to go on a walk/jog outside to clear your head and eat something first.

This is what my WFH study schedule looked like. The Wednesday PT I would start around 7AM and start work around 10AM because my role at the time was flexible with start time where I could do that, and I was able to log onto work right after a PT because of no commute.

Saturday: PT 1

Sunday: BR

Monday: drills (either timed sections or individual games and individual passages)

Tuesdays: drills & maybe revisit things from the Saturday PT

Wednesday: PT 2

Thursday: BR

Friday: drills

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I'm not sure what benefit you would get out of withdrawing instead of waiting for a decision? You already paid for and worked on your apps, might as well get a result.

I'm glad they're finally admitting that it's possible to proctor a break in a remote test lol

Why did you submit LG with 6 minutes left? Definitely always use the extra time to go over your answers!

For tips, I'd probably emphasize not rushing through the questions. It sounds like you understand the concepts based on your BR scores. Taking the time to get most questions correct is worth it if you end up having to guess on the last 2 questions on a section (for example)

I also bombed 89 days before before my actual Flex!! I scored 12 points higher on my actual Flex than on that PT. Don't let a dumb PT knock your confidence :)

Re-do the game board

Congratulations!!

It sounds like you might be burning out to be honest, so I would recommend studying a little less. Was the 172 a fluke, or is that around where you usually score? If you're usually scoring in the low 170s, I'd imagine the 162 is the fluke. Also, are you blind reviewing your tests? If you're doing a BR and you scored a 162 timed and a 178 untimed, it really does sound like burnout/fatigue. If you scored 162 both timed and untimed, I'd just recommend focusing on the sections of the test where you didn't do as well going forward. Definitely prioritize your time instead of trying to put in a lot of hours

I second that softs are very important and would recommend improving those in whatever ways you can! Also improving relationships with professors so you can get better LORs (if you don't already have great relationships with 2 profs)

I would only retake the LSAT if you think you can score higher because of your practice tests. 170 is definitely a good enough score for a lot of the T14

That's a very unusual comment. Are you currently on a waitlist?

Probably depends on your specific timing issue. Are you rushing through questions because of a fear that time will run out? In that case, it's probably better to answer more slowly and accept 1-3 empty questions as a necessary loss for a higher score. Are you working through problems too slowly and running out of time to finish many questions? In that case, try drilling under time more frequently to get used to working quickly. Drilling more frequently is probably a good strategy regardless. But ultimately you need to figure out what is causing your actual test score to be that much lower and then address that specific problem.

Prioritize full PTs! And doing a very thorough BR after each PT. Drills are fine if you want to do something light in between PTs, but it's really the full length PTs that help bring your score up. Gotta practice sitting still for a long time and test fatigue

Honestly, I would be a little cynical because of how late in the cycle they sent this (full disclosure, I applied to Stanford and have no beef with them). Especially considering that Stanford is a school that has stated that timing of application matters to an extent. Yale sent similar application packets to "diverse" candidates but sent them in the fall (also, at Yale, timing of application doesn't matter). Sending it this late feels like a flat out cash grab, versus a genuine encouragement.

@ said:

According to LSAC statistics, applicant LSAT scores are way up this year, so I’m guessing that the shorter test is preferable to most people.

This might also be because people had more time to study (no social life due to covid and internships, study abroads, etc being cancelled). It might also be that people don't necessarily perform better because the test is shorter but because it is taken from the comfort of home, rather than at a test center where other people in the room are coughing and sniffling.> @ said:

Wow, I had never thought about the adrenaline part but that's a great point. I have no doubt that for so many people, the LSAT-Flex taking place in the controlled, familiar environment of one's home really helps to reduce test anxiety and improve performance. But OP, I think I'm in the same boat as you; I love the adrenaline rush and the acute pressure brought on when the high stakes are palpable. I really think that it makes me read faster, think sharper, and perform better. Too bad that I can't replicate that feeling while taking the LSAT at my desk.

I'm not sure if you have taken the LSAT yet or have just taken practice tests, but it's definitely possible to feel the adrenaline/sharpened focus at your desk when it's a real test! I felt pretty relaxed while taking all of my PTs but felt heightened adrenaline and shakiness on the test day on the Flex, which I think helped out my score

Keep in mind the Yield Protect implications of retaking a 172. You are above or at all of these schools 75th percentile class scores I believe. If you retake a 172, schools may assume that you are gunning for HYS (who have medians above 172) and be more inclined to hand you a WL on the assumption that you aren't interested in them. People with your stats tend to fare better at schools like Michigan and Virginia than people who scored 175+.

Yes drill Misc games! Drilling Misc games helps you with "normal" games because you better understand how to tackle a confusing rule or twist in the game.

I don't recommend any studying the day before or the day off. For both burnout and for your confidence. Even if you do light drills, if you struggle with them or get them wrong, it may throw off your confidence the day before or the day of the test.

Ultimately, the LSAT isn't a memorization based test. There is really no need to "refresh your memory" or anything right before the test.

Also good luck!!! :) :)

I really think do both if you can. Full time studying is most likely to lead to burnout, I don't really think someone can productively study for 40 hours per week. Internship and work experience is definitely valuable for many reasons: trying to figure out what you are interested in (both work field and what kind of tasks you like to do), saving up money (if paid), having things to talk about in future law school/law job interviews, being more competitive in your law application, etc. It's true that internships aren't required, but if you're applying to enter law school directly after undergrad with no time off for work experience, internships will help demonstrate that you have experience outside of the classroom.

I would recommend retaking regardless of your goal school. Even if your goal school has a median of 150, retaking and scoring higher would put you in the running for a lot more $$. There's no reason to take loans and pay full price when you can put yourself in the running for much more $$ through drilling more logic games and whatnot.