Extra Year?

Alrigtythen1

I'm in a situation that I'd really appreciate some advice on. Maybe this will help others. I'm currently studying for the October exam and have been studying for about a year (on-and-off). I've been doing serious work leading up to the June exam but canceled the day before simply because of scoring too low on multiple practice tests (upper 150s). I was going to just take it for experience-sake but I'm seriously concerned with school's averaging scores. Also, it's not worth taking the exam if I'm certain the score I would get would be low. I still feel a little stuck now and I'm considering the option of applying next cycle instead because hey who wouldn't want a full year to study (though a few extra months would do)? Despite roughly a year, I don't think I've reached my potential.

I just graduated in May and in 3 years, instead of 4, and was going to take the 1 year otherwise spent as a Senior to get a job and then continue regularly straight to law school. I don't like the idea of taking 2 years in between but it seems as though the benefits (making more money in between to even afford law school, and more time to study to potentially get into an even better law school) outweigh going on time. What's difficult is that I've sunk a lot of time and effort going with my first plan and I could conceivably just stick through it and possibly retake in Dec after Oct though, again, I don't know if I could have a better score next year. I'd really appreciate comments because I'm currently considering whether I should stick with October, see how I do, and then decide to take another year or not. Of course the problem with that is that I potentially risk having my scores averaged when I could just have a clean number next year.

Pacifico

@Alrigtythen1 said:
going on time

This is not a thing... Just take it when you're ready... Law school and the LSAT will be there until humanity destroys itself... There's no rush, and the longer you put between you and UG the more opportunity you have to become a more well rounded adult that is not like every other K-JD that is applying to law school. Averaging is also totally overblown in my opinion, even some schools that say they do it don't, so I feel like it's more of a scare tactic than anything. But definitely don't take if you'd get below a 160. What have you used to study so far and what is your BR like? If you used anything besides 7Sage or the Trainer I think you need to go back to the drawing board, and if you don't know what BR is then you've likely been wasting your time up to this point.

c.janson35

Although I think the worry about averaging scores is overstated, there's nothing to gain by taking the test before you're ready. There's still a month or so (I think, but you should check) before the withdrawal date for October, so give it some time to see how your prep goes and then reevaluate. If you find that you're not consistently scoring at/near your range then put it off until December--the only caveat of this is thay you actually use all of the time between October and December to study. That still allows you to apply for this cycle and follow the plan that you wanted to. The thing about plans, though, is that they're always changing, so if you had to take another year off then so be it. Use the time to do something cool and further improve on your skills. I know that it may seem like it right now, but there's really no rush.

jyang72

I seriously share your concern. I am going to be a senior but I've been studying for the LSAT for a year already. But I will take it when I feel ready. I am international student, it will be tough for me to get a job in the U.S, so I'd better go to law school right after college. But you are different. Don't ruin your chance.