Tricky Situation

bcallahan95

Hi all,

I got my Sept LSAT score back today and got a 153 (bummer) and am mulling over what to do - if anyone had any advice that would be greatly appreciated!

Here are the circumstances:
- I took the LSAT with accommodations b/c I am still recovering from a concussion from a car accident that happened a week before last year's Sept LSAT
- I had been studying like a mad dog for months and getting 155-158s on my PTs
- I need to apply this cycle but don't know if I should retake OR write an addendum to explain how even with accommodations the physical toll of taking a long test has on my pain level and therefore my attention during testing OR whether to apply to "safety" schools now, retake it in November and then send the other applications in December with a potentially higher score.
- Also, not sure how much improvement could really happen in a month of studying

SOS

bcallahan95

@"J.Y. Ping"

keepcalmandneuron

Hi there...

I've also had a traumatic brain injury from sports during undergrad and wanted to share my two cents I'm really sorry to hear about your accident. An injury like that really sucks the life out of you.

If you are still in recovery stage and your physician has advised you not to engage in intense studying or activity, it's wise, really, to give your body sufficient time to recover. You need to rest FULLY before doing anything stressful to your mind and body. A concussion like that, as I'm sure you've experienced or are experiencing right now, can have side effects like loss of concentration, mood changes, erratic sleep schedule, loss of appetite, just to name a few, and they can last a very long time if you don't take the proper measures initially to recover fully. Plus your immune system shuts down occasionally and as a bonus you suffer from all sorts of nasty headaches and ringing sounds in your ear. Basically all hell breaks loose. (4 years post traumatic injury, I'm still struggling with mild symptoms and I took time off during my studies to rest).

And even with the accommodation (I'm not sure if they give you extra time for each section or more breaks in between) it seems like the test is taking an immense stress on your physical body...I would like to advise you to hold off studying so intensely until you are physically and mentally ready to study and sit a mentally + physically gruelling exam like this.

However, if this cycle is your one and only chance to apply to law schools, well, what can we do right? I'd say if your current numbers are sitting at your safety schools' median, then no reason not to apply now with the addendum. Just to get that sense of relief that you at least have a safety net.
No harm in retaking, so study well for the next 40 days with plenty of rest in between, and aim for a higher score. Then, apply to higher ranked schools in December with a chance for scholarships. A lot can happen in a few weeks to be honest if you BR thoroughly and not cheat yourself.

eRetaker

I would say retake if Logic Games was holding you back. In one month, you can probably get close to -0 with the fool-proof method. Also mention your concussion in your addendum since that's a legitimate reason for your under-performance.

bcallahan95

@keepcalmandneuron Thank you for your two cents!

I'm a year post concussion right now and was cleared back in February to start reading/studying/exercising again and started very slowly and with caution. Starting about May/June I got into full swing studying daily for 1-3 hours and then boosted it up come July (b/c work got quiet and I was able to study there too). I felt pretty confident going into the test and had studied basically all that was possible (time wise and physically) from July until September and walked out thinking "that was tough but not in a 'I bombed it' way" and that I felt prepared. As far as accommodations I got 30% more time on sections and 5 min breaks in between which I think was sufficient to accommodate for the slower processing speed (b/c my eyes are still messed up).
My neurologist says that I'm making great progress but that it is more of a slow and steady recovery that will be one of those cases that take a while but he expects me to be on an upward trend b/c of how I'm progressing now.

Career wise I am in a job where I feel stuck and bored and have already done it a year longer than I had planned for when taking it, and I feel the longer I'm here and not using my full brain capabilities the more I'll be set back in life. I just NEED to go now or I know it'll be harder to ever go

My other idea was to apply to a school where my numbers make me a strong candidate and transfer after 1L with a great GPA.

I think I'm gonna go thru the Sept 2018 test and see if there are obvious/"easy" places to improve and focus on before making a decision (aka in a couple days before the registration date for Nov is here) and go from there.