Need advice on retaking and waitlisted.

Qiran_catran

Hey guys! I hope you are doing well! I have a question that really needed some advice!
I scored 173 last August and am applying for the 2022 cycle. I have multiple scores on my official record. I still have one last chance to retake the LSAT if I want to.
I am thinking about retaking the LSAT because I was waitlisted and rejected by all of the schools I am applying for. Although I am still waiting for the last three schools, I am worried.
I read on some discussion forums and blogs that for Asian who has a lower GPA and is aiming for T15 Law schools, the LSAT needs to be 175+.
If I retake, and my score is lower than my previous, it will get ugly. On the other hand, how much better off if I have a 175+? It seems very risky, but I really don't know anything else to do now. For the schools that waitlisted me, I don't have many updates. I saw many people with higher GPA and LSAT than I were also waitlisted. I am afraid I won't have much chance with a slight update on my resume.
So I am really frustrated and hoping someone can give me a suggestion on whether to retake or not? And other than retaking the LSAT, are there any other soft factors that can improve my chance of getting in?

Thank you very much for your help! Good luck studying the LSAT and applying for law schools.

canihazJD

What exactly do you think the risk is in retaking? Schools see you as your highest score. It is against their interests to do otherwise. IMO if you are sub median GPA, you want to be comfortably above median LSAT. For a T14 that means as high a score as you can get.

Also, don't neglect the other portions of your app. Whatever you wrote, you can make it better, and if you are reapplying that's lots of time to add more substantive experience to differentiate from other applicants.