Push back June 2022 LSAT retake? - Feeling burnout and *not quite PTing at my desired score

flavafaith

Hi everyone, I've been really overthinking this the past couple of months and decided to come on here for advice.

I took the January LSAT this year and got a 164. In community college I received a 3.9 GPA, transferred to UC Berkeley, and got a 4.0 GPA there. I really want to get into a T-14 (actually want to go back to Berkeley or get into Stanford/UCLA), I know my GPA is in pretty good standing but my LSAT score is on the lower side.

After taking the January LSAT, I registered for the June LSAT with the intention of getting above a 170.

That being said, I'm feeling really burned out after studying for a year while working a full-time job. I am still scoring in the mid 160s (but also BRing in the mid to high 170s). I've seen some suggestions on here to treat the LSAT as a full-time job and take a break from working, but my income right now is supporting two other ppl in my family so that's not an option for me at the moment I think the burnout I feel is not just because of the LSAT but because of familial obligations, getting as much OT I can at work, etc.

Anyways! I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for me? Here are my options as I see it:

• I push back the LSAT to August and push really hard to PT at the 170s range beforehand.
• Say "f it" and take the June LSAT and hope for a 170+ score.
• Apply to T-14s with what I have now and hope for the best (scholarship money is a big factor for me but maybe I'll just take the L on being in debt for some years idk).

Thanks everyone! I'll really appreciate anyone who takes the time to respond to this.

Matt Sorr

Let me first say that I sympathize with the difficulty of your decision. Studying for the LSAT is a beast by itself, but when you're working full time and your income is supporting other people, it makes it even more difficult. Your determination is impressive, and I wish you the best of luck with your study journey. With this being said, I'll try to address your question:

The answer to your question, in my opinion, is largely dependent on a few things. Nobody can make the decision for you, of course, but I'll tell you what I think and I hope it helps at least a little:

If I were in your situation, I wouldn't dare take the June test. If your goal is to score 170+ and your PT average is in the mid-160s, you're simply not ready. Everybody that I know that scored 170+ was averaging 170+ on their PTs for at least a few weeks before their actual test. The odds of you scoring a 170+ on the real test when you're not averaging a 170+ going into it are exceedingly low. Even if you started scoring in the low 170s today, about a month before the test date, the odds of you actually scoring a 170 on test day wouldn't be great.

I think aiming for the August test is far more reasonable. It sounds like you're averaging about 5 points lower than you'd like to be, and improving that much, I suspect, would take most people the full summer. I am a large advocate of letting your scores determine your test date, not vice versa.

Regarding your last point, where you mentioned the idea of applying to T-14s with what you have, I have a few thoughts. If you are a "T-14 of bust" kind of person, I think applying with your current stats is an extremely bad idea. I don't mean to sound like a jerk here, but even with a 4.0 GPA, I'd be willing to bet that you won't be accepted into more than one T-14, and it's more likely that you won't be accepted to any. As of the last admissions cycle, every T-14 school, including the ones at the lower end of the rankings, like Georgetown and Northwestern, has a 170+ LSAT median. A 164 is not just below that median, but significantly below that median. Regardless of your "soft" factors, a 164 is just too low for the T-14 in its current state. This isn't to say that it's impossible for you to gain admission to one or two T-14 schools, but it is extremely unlikely with a 164. Additionally, you mentioned that scholarship money is a big factor for you, and you absolutely will not receive any kind of merit scholarship to a T-14 with a 164. To realistically hope for any scholarship aid at any T-14, I'd argue you need at least a 172. Even then I think your odds aren't great because of how high medians are right now, so it would be much better for you to aim for a 173+.

If you're not a "T-14 or bust" kind of person, however, only you can decide if you're happy with applying with a 164. I don't mean to imply that a 164 is a bad score, by any means; a 164 is a great score that's well above average and many people would kill to score a 164. It's just not competitive for T-14 admissions. At tier two schools, you could do quite well with a 164 and a 3.9+ GPA. You could probably receive a half or full-tuition scholarship to some schools and if you're not concerned about attending a T-14 you could do very well. Only you can know if you're happy outside of the T-14, however.

So just to sum my thoughts up, if you're aiming for the T-14 (and particularly if you want a scholarship to a T-14), I'd strongly advise against taking the LSAT in June. If you're not a "T-14 or bust" kind of person, however, a 164 and a 3.9+ GPA could get you some great offers.

I hope this helps some!

flavafaith

@"Matt Sorr" Thanks so much for the advice and for taking the time to write a response. I think it's kind of what I knew all along, but I really needed to hear it from someone else, also the stats really help add some reality to my wishful thinking 😅

Since I've already dedicated a year to getting a 170+ score, I think I'm going to push back to August to give myself a little more time. Now that I'm really seeing it all laid out, I don't want to take the time to apply and leave everything to chance.

Thanks again!! Best of luck in your studies.

Matt Sorr

@fmag1234 of course! Best of luck in your studies as well. It’ll all work out!