Should I ask for hand grading?

cleveron

So I got my scores yesterday for the February LSAT. I ended up with a 172 which was on the lower end of my PT range, but still great of course. On the final section (non-experimental) I misbubbled a couple of questions toward the end. I noticed I had done so and had to change 4/5 answers. The bubbles had been filled in very thoroughly so they were difficult to erase. I wrote a note to myself after the exam to inquire about hand-scoring, however I was hoping it wouldn't be relevant. What I'm asking of more experienced people is this: what are the chances my score will go down? I realize the chances aren't 0, and that my current score is pretty good. So what do you think? Is it worth the risk?

stgl1230

Hey @cleveron CONGRATS! That is an amazing score.

I don't know if anyone knows the chances of your score going down. There isn't a lot of precedent here.

I really don't know if it's worth the risk though. A 172 is a perfectly good score for HYS, assuming that you also have a high GPA. If this was your first take and your PTs are higher, I would maybe consider just leaving your score and studying for a retake.

Sprinkles

@stgl1230 said:

I really don't know if it's worth the risk though. A 172 is a perfectly good score for HYS, assuming that you also have a high GPA. If this was your first take and your PTs are higher, I would maybe consider just leaving your score and studying for a retake.

Yup! and Congrats on the 172....holy crap, that's no easy feat.

Mo Zubair

172 makes you competitive at best of the best schools. Why would you risk it?

Big Congrats! This is a big achievement.

Moosader

First of all thats awesome! If you're up to it, I would love to hear about how you studied and any advice you have.

In regard to your question:
"If the handscoring results in a score that is different from the original machine scoring—higher or lower—the revised score will be mailed to you and the law schools to which you apply." - LSAC

Given that 172 is the lower end of your range, it seems that the answers in question are most likely right. I would ask for grading by hand, and decide on a retake from their if you're confident you can score higher. However, if you want to enroll this fall, I would leave it at the off chance your score goes down.172 is still highly competitive.

Source:
http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/handscoring

cleveron

Hey guys, sorry to bump a thread with so little general application but I really appreciated the input. Here's what I've decided to do: First, I'm going to ask for the hand-grading. I think there's a very strong possibility everything remains the same, but given my doubts I would rather be sure. I think the chances of my score going down, given how thoroughly I tend to bubble my intended answers, are extremely low. Second, I'm going to sign up for the June test regardless. I wasn't planning on applying for this cycle anyway so another exam can't really hurt me and doing a bit better will make a huge difference given my GPA (3.65).

Moosader--I don't think I'm qualified to give advice to anyone, but I spent nearly 100 percent of my time doing actual tests. If anyone did ask me for advice I would tell them I agree with JY about time (taking about a year to study, I mean) being more important than one probably realizes.