Debating whether to retake in Feb or wait till June

judith630

Hi 7Sagers,

I am looking for some advice on how to plan things out for this year.
I started 7Sage CC in 2017 May and took September LSAT, cancelled the score,
and then got 160 on December LSAT.
Leading up to December test I have been scoring inconsistently between the range 163~168 on PTs
and I have used up almost all of the available PTs at this point.

I had set my goal as 168+ and I am not sure with my December score if I will
get what I want in February with just over a month left.
I know I can take the LSAT as many times as I want, so a part of me tells me to sit for
as many exams as possible to train myself;
but another part of me knows that all scores will be reported when I apply and I want to be prudent with the records I make..
I guess I am afraid that my score might go even further down and I will completely lose faith in myself.
I think the test day anxiety and pressure really affected me and I am not feeling so confident about this test right now.

I have been working on PS and some other essays but it seems like delaying a cycle is inevitable.
Even if I apply this cycle and tell schools I am sitting for February exam, I feel like the 160 from December really limits where I can apply (and I cannot reasonably expect myself to all of sudden score 10 pts higher in a month time).

What do you guys think?
Getting as many test experience under my belt (go for Feb) vs. being careful to only take tests when I feel very ready for my target score (wait till June)?

Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts!

Alex

@judith630

Hey! I think it is always best to only take tests when you feel like you have reason to believe you have improved. Otherwise, you truly aren't getting as much as you can out of PTs and you're wasting immense energy and time on taking full PTs when there are areas you can drill that you know you can improve on. I'd recommend maybe getting a 7Sage tutor to help pinpoint your weaknesses and try to work on getting your score more consistent. I think by June you could absolutely be scoring in the 170s. The only exception is when you are already at/above your target score and just trying to maintain that level.

Habeas Porpoise

I think it's more prudent to take the test only when you're ready and scoring where you want to be. Delaying a cycle is a tough decision, but I recommend applying next cycle and taking the June exam. The February exam is undisclosed, so if you don't score what you want, it's hard to see where the mistakes were made.
If you plan to take the June exam you'll have enough time to possibly take a couple weeks off. From your post it seems like a break would be beneficial. I started studying around the same time as you (May), and took my first 2-week break in November when I was feeling frustrated with my progress. My score jumped after I had some time to step away from all things LSAT, and I came back even more motivated to reach my goal score.
Also, if something happens and you're not happy with your June score, you have a couple more chances to retake in September and December and still applying next cycle. The June exam is disclosed so you can see exactly how you did on each question/section.

goingfor99th

Take your time. Plan for June, score high, write really good essays, then apply to schools with a better chance for admission/scholarship next cycle.

LauraC829

I'm on the same boat as you my friend. I had all of my essays ready and was considering taking the Feb. exam and still applying this cycle but it doesn't seem favorable at all when compared to studying more (possibly improving my score) and then applying really early in the next cycle. It was a hard choice to make because I would like to leave my job and start school already, but it's such an important factor in our careers that I accepted it wouldn't be smart to rush it. Best of luck!