Score Jump

ahoneyc

Hi 7Sage community! I have a quick question for you guys:

I took the LSAT for the first time two and a half years ago and I really didn't do my best. However, I sat for the December 2014 LSAT and my new score is 6 points higher than my old one. So I know that law schools will be able to see both scores, but I've heard that they really consider the highest score. How true is that? I mean, should I be applying to schools with LSAT ranges that include my higher score or will I have to shoot a little bit lower?

jdawg113

unless ur shooting for YLS or SLS(i think, also not sure about canadian schools) its the highest that counts

ahoneyc

Just for clarification, in case anyone else has this question, most top law schools' websites say something like this:

"The LSAC report for an applicant who has sat for the LSAT more than once will show every score or cancellation, as well as the average score. The ABA requires law schools to report score information based on an admitted student's highest score, and therefore, that is the score to which we give the most weight. We do, however, consider the average score as well, because data provided by the Law School Admissions Council suggests that it has the greatest predictive utility. The average score becomes less useful, though, as the disparity between two scores increases; for that reason, if you have a significant disparity between scores (six or more points), it would be very helpful to address any explanation for the difference in an optional essay or addendum." (University of Michigan)

jdawg113

tl;dr: only care about highest score, if you have a big increase between takes add an addendum