Scoring around 157, what are the chances of improving to 163ish in 1 month, should i push exam date?

faj.2

i take the lsat in September, I am scoring around 157 in practice testing, what are the chances of scoring in the mid 160's in 1 more month. I study about 10 hours a week and am planing on pushing that to15-20 for this last month. My GPA is currently a 3.83 and really want to get into UC Berkeley. Given this, would any of you recommend changing my test date to November?
PS. does anyone know if being Latino helps in law school admissions, Thank you

keets993

Depends on what your breakdown is per section in actual time as well as BR.

MissChanandler

Your gpa is above their median but not by a lot. Their median LSAT is 166 according to law school numbers. If you’re really committed to Berkeley, I would aim for the upper 160s rather than 163ish. With all of that said, I would say that postponing might be a good option for you.

hawaiihi

@keets993 said:
Depends on what your breakdown is per section in actual time as well as BR.

I achieved a 6-point increase in a month in time for the Feb 2018 test. However, I was getting far more wrong in LG than in any other section, and that was an easy fix. I was also BR'ing 15 points higher than my diagnostic by the time I took the test. So as @keets993 says, it really depends.

eRetaker

That's a pretty big jump in one month, but doable if you BR 2 PTs a week until the exam date. Also helps to mix in some LR and LG drilling. For your second question, yes, some Latinos get a URM status boost, but I think it's only Mexican Americans. Regardless, it can help you with writing a good diversity statement.

Ohnoeshalpme

Berkeley median will go up to 167/8 probably. More likely 168 I think, just because of the increase in high scorers and Berkeley's reputation on the west coast.

As far as that level of improvement goes, if Berkeley is really your goal, a 10 point improvement in one month isn't unheard of but it almost never happens. I'd plan on taking in November, as an app in December is still early enough so that you won't be hurt by a late admission. This will give you a better chance overall of getting in. I'd say if you haven't hit at least within 2 points of your goal score by test day, you're better off skipping the test than taking it. Study like you can make it for September because there's always a chance, but plan on probably taking it in November also.

Being a Latino does help, but you need to find a compelling way to incorporate that into either your personal statement or a diversity statement. I am not an expert on this so I would consider getting some help from either Spivey or the 7sage app people. They pay for themselves if you can afford the fee up-front.

I think that you need to make a contingency plan. Either you choose to take off a year to study and work if you don't hit the score you need by November, or, find a school that you would be more than happy to attend with a lower score.