Should I take in June or September?

FoolProofFun

Dear Community,

I have been a reader for a long time and owe a lot to the writing I've seen on the forums. I am signed up for June 2018 and was hoping some readers might be willing to provide opinions on my LSAT situation.

I took a full-fledged live course back in February, and have been practicing for about 1.5-2 months using 7sage and my copies of the tests in between then and now. I scored around a 161 in the middle of the live course. By fool-proofing, and practicing individual sections of RC and LR (based on question/passage type), I have been able to get to a point where I've scored 170 on two consecutive 5-section tests and feel ready to break towards an even higher score if I can lock down a perfect score on LG (both 170s had 5-6 LG wrong because of a minor setup mistake that screwed up one game, my LG skills improve with each test).

The "rub" is that while I'm happy with my diagnostic scores on 5-section LSATs, I really haven't taken that many full-length tests. I think I've taken maybe 7 total since starting the full live course. While I'm happy to rely on timed sections and weekly full tests for practice, the hunch I really want to test is whether there is a large benefit to be gained from taking, say, 15 more tests rather than 3 or 4 more, which is all I'll have time for with my schedule if I take June.

Basically, my options are as follows:

--take in June, have time for 3-4 more full tests, have time for 10-20 timed sections of LG plus other practice (or more tests if I can pull off taking a test after work — that is a full work day and then 3.25 hours of LSAT).
-delay to July or September, have time for 15+ additional full tests

Obviously, no one will ever turn down additional time. I fully understand the argument that "there is no reason to not take more time." My goal is to apply in the fall no later than immediately after the September test, so basically I have June, July and September. I won't be taking the test later than that unless for whatever reason I test way below what I am practicing at.

The one hunch I have is that even if full tests don't necessarily increase one's score, they do increase the chances that one is able to achieve their practice scores on test day. That is the worry that I have about skimping on tests.

Thanks, ya'll.

keets993

If your goal score is in the 170s, then I'd suggest maybe try for June but of course if you can take later, July or September would be beneficial. Most people generally score 3 to 5 points lower than their highest /average because of test day anxiety and panic. Those 5 or 6 you miss on LG can probably be brought down to -3 to - 0. Which would ensure that even if you do suffer from test day anxiety then you'll still get in the 170 range.

Related to that point is that there's not enough data. The more PT's you do, the more of a rhythm you'll develop up. I think one of the hardest things about LSAT is that while it is a learn able test, you can't be fully prepared for the content they'll throw at you. Like weird LG setups, RC and LR stimulus about duck breeding or relationship between surface area and energy levels of animals. So that 'shock' factor gets better the more PT's you do. Furthermore, people abandon their good learned habits because they end up panicking.

But ultimately, whether you do June or push to a later date, or a combination of two, you're in a great position to be. Barring any unusual circumstances, like messing up the bubbling of your sections, you're likely to get a score you're satisfied with. Congrats on the progress you've made so far! 161 to 170 is no joke.

Tom_Tango

Take it whenever you're ready. If you're considering June, you also have July..

_oshun1_

Everything you said is accurate. You either gamble on June with only a few 170s under your belt, or you take September with a solid amount of 170+s, pretty much ensuring you’ll score close to your PT range. I'm on the same boat as you. I'm thinking about taking July, submitting my apps early with whatever score I get, meanwhile studying for September, and maybe even taking as late as January. I wanna get that 170+ so I'm not trying to rush. I'm trying to push for July just bc I think i'll get lazy with my studies if I dont have a set date and I think if I'm just really calm on test day it could very well be just like another 170 PT. I think the general consensus is that you want to take at least 20 PTs before test day so it's just up to you whether you want to take a gamble or not.

Cant Get Right

Looks like your assessment is pretty good. I caution against taking before you absolutely know you're ready, but I formulated my thoughts on all this back before the policy change allowed for more than three takes, so I have a bit of an emotional holdover from that. I think that no matter what happens in June though, you will likely be meaningfully more prepared in July and significantly more prepared in September. So what's special about June? Why not push it to July, at least, and get the extra PT's in?

FoolProofFun

Hey Ya'll. Thank you so much for responding. It is such a relief to get feedback from other people as I feel I've very much been in my studying silo for a while.

@keets993 I really appreciate the positivity and you're spot on with the mindset. Basically I just want to score somewhere that makes me feel like some of my work has paid off. Can't ask for that much more given where I am.

@Tom_Tango definitely trying to adopt this mindset as much as possible.

To @"Cant Get Right" 's question about why June is so special, that is a great question. Basically, I have this mindset where I want to apply right at the beginning of the cycle, and want to give myself time to have a second shot at the test before applying if I need it. That means September would be my second, which would reasonably make June my first, although July could also be my first. I also have a significant family event smack dab in the middle of the summer (in July) that is definitely causing me to think seriously about whether I can erase the marginal benefits of a July date by just studying my ass off for the next month. It is possible I can study through the family trip, but that is just another variable.

Overall, I think I will have to sacrifice one of the following luxuries: (1) applying right in September (probably not sacrificing this); (2) having two test dates before an early cycle application (I could just study until September and take it once); (3) studying during the family event (trip to visit family I only see rarely), which would open up July.

I'm very tempted to erase luxury 2. I think telling myself I have another test I can take may actually be hurting my prep. Maybe taking it in September is what will push me to truly study as hard as I can. @"surfy surf" given that I view myself as someone who has to consistently over-prepare, just hearing the number 20 makes me think I need about 30, which would lend credence to September.

Thanks again, ya'll.

keets993

@FoolProofFun aww dude don't study during the family trip! Especially since you only see them rarely. You'll either not be able to study and feel bad because you 'wasted' time or you will study and feel bad for neglecting family.

I'd suggest either doing sept only and being so 100% prepared that nothing can rattle you and ensures your goal score. Or, you can do both june and sept. If you really think that early score will help applications; then take in june and keep in mind the possibility that you might need to retake in sept. Use your family trip as a nice refresher for your brain so you don't burn out.

FoolProofFun

@keets993 I appreciate the feedback, Keets. I agree it is a rock and a hard place situation to be putting myself in, and that is no fun. I'm just going to keep PT'ing as I approach June and see how I feel.

Simple Man

Do both! If you get the score you want in June you don't have to worry about it. If you don't, that's just another practice test in the bag for you.

FoolProofFun

@Rtwrtw8 and @"Simple Man" thanks for the feedback. Is Yale the only that people know of that averages scores? That is definitely something I thought of. But, for schools that don't average, a 170 would be something to hang the hat on and maybe call it a day with.