I'm totally in the same boat. Been studying for this on and off since 2016 with a full-time job, and I'm so ready to be done with it. I know it's really hard not to get discouraged, but I imagine that you did the best you could with the circumstances you had, and everyone's circumstances are different! The comment above is wonderful... "be as kind to yourself as you would to them."

Remember how hard you've worked and all that you've accomplished, from taking the test multiple times to going through the application process. It really is something to be proud of!

Totally recommend the podcast with @ about his score jump from a 148 to a 174! This was the most recent 7sage podcast that I listened to, but really helped narrow down how different strategies are needed for different score jumps (what you employ to jump from 150 to 160, isn't the same strategy that'll get you to a 170). It was also a motivation boost considering my original diagnostic a while back was also a 148!

Hard to make this short without going into too many details... but here goes!

I applied previously for the last application cycle and got into a few school, but they really weren’t my top choices so I decided against going last Fall. I’m applying for this cycle but I’m concerned that with it being this late in the cycle, it’ll make it much more difficult to get accepted or get scholarships. I’m taking the LSAT in two weeks and while I’m close to my target score, I’m still not hitting it.

On the subject of reapplying - I’m also unsure of how much I need to modify my last personal statement, since I’ll be applying to some of the same schools. In my statement, I have basically three things I touch on that helped lead me to wanting to attend law school (one is a hobby and the other two are personal experiences). The story behind why I want to go to law school hadn’t changed, so I’m not sure where to begin modifying it. I might be able to remove one of the ideas of my personal statement and make it into an addendum, or diversity statement, but I’m still not sure :/

I’m almost considering putting off this app cycle (again), and would be really disappointed if I had to. I’ve been out of school and working full-time for several years, so time is really of the essence for me.

Any help is greatly appreciated, and thanks for hosting this David!

@ said:

Thanks for the advice. Would it look bad for law school admissions if chanced it and took the March LSAT as well as the June LSAT?

I think it could look bad because it'll seem you're taking it when you aren't ready. While there's no longer a limit on how many times you can take the test, you don't want to take it a bunch of times just for the sake of taking it. I hear you with wanting to "chance it," but it's almost inevitable that your test day score will be whatever you're getting on your PTs, assuming your score doesn't drop because of nerves.

It's tough, but I would definitely recommend waiting until you're ready to get a score that is close to whatever you're PTing.

Given that you're not scoring close to where your target is, I'd say you should probably wait until June or later and keep studying. 45 days really isn't enough time for you to get your score to jump almost 15 points, and to get it to stay there consistently. Test day usually comes with jitters as well, so even if you do get close to a 165, that score can vary by a few points when you take the actual test.

As someone who withdrew multiple times from the test for not scoring close enough to my target score on PTs, I know it's hard to put it off! I wanted to apply for Fall 2019 as well, but it's better to prepare for the score you want, rather than preparing for a certain test date. If 165 is where you really want to get to, keep going until you get a score that you're content with. That way, you can apply to the schools you're interested in and feel confident in sending your score :)

What really helps me is to think about the answer choice that absolutely must be true in order for the argument to hold. With C, for example, it could be true, but it doesn't HAVE to be. Not being able to open the windows doesn't absolutely mean that no one can break in. What if a thief breaks in by climbing through the chimney? The correct NA answer will always be one that not only CAN be true, but it MUST be.

Hopefully this makes sense or gives some guidance :)