Be real with me please

victoriapadilla1140

Alright, I already took and canceled my July 2015 score and registered for the October test. I have been studying all summer and I am now taking PTs. I am at PT 58 and I plan to go up to PT 74. I still cannot seem to finish any of the sections in time (I usually need like 3-5 more minutes for each). And to top it off, I consistently score at 159 and BR at 168. I'd like to score in the 170s.

I know I put it in a way that already sounds bad but, in all honesty, do you guys think I should postpone for December? It would be great if I could at least touch 170. But honestly, is it humanly possible for me to do it in the October one? If not, I should probably know soon to alter the study schedule I have set up.

LSATisland

Does "at" PT58 mean you've taken all 58? There's still over a month left, so I'd continue shooting for October, and would postpone if you are not hitting goal score closer to test date, unless there is reason why the postponement decision needs to made now.

lsatblitz

I'm scoring and BRing at about the same range as you.

Don't take the test until you're consistently scoring at the score you want. We've still got a couple weeks until we have to withdraw from the test and be refunded our money, so I'm going to continue to practice test and BR and make that decision when the time comes.

I have heard though that taking in December and applying late is not necessarily beneficial to those with low GPA's. I'm not on that boat, but maybe someone here can attest to how true that is.

nicole.hopkins

@lsatblitz said:
I have heard though that taking in December and applying late is not necessarily beneficial to those with low GPA's.

You wouldn't be applying late. And the worst thing for those with low GPA's to do is to apply with a low LSAT score. So don't do that.

nicole.hopkins

@victoriapadilla1140 said:
And to top it off, I consistently score at 159 and BR at 168. I'd like to score in the 170s.

Let me be real with you, as you request.

You're not even BR'ing in the 170's at this point, so expecting to score in that range is a bit premature. You and I have the same goals. I've been prepping for a year and the average of my last 5 PT's is 172. My solo BR scores are 177-180. I'm feeling like I'm *just now* ready to take in October and get anywhere near my goal score (173) and I have accepted the reality that I might be retaking in December. I haven't had trouble finishing sections since March.

Your situation is, obviously, very different from mine. But just to give you a sense of someone else's gauge of readiness and expectations, who has your same goal score ... I might not even get there in October, and I've been going hard at this rodeo for a danged long time.

Feel free to have a radically different experience from mine, but prepare yourself for that goal being a bit farther off than October 3rd.

ENTJ

@nicole.hopkins Truth. Can't disagree with any of that.

jyang72

@victoriapadilla1140, BR is an integral part of your improvement in the LSAT. If you cannot reach 170s in BR, then it is almost impossible for you to get 170s. If you can't get 170 with unlimited time, how can you score 170 under timed pressure? I would say you need to postpone to December if your goal is that high. The cold truth is, a late good score is better than a early bad score. Try retaking some PTs if you are running out of fresh PTs. Good luck. LSAT is a lot of hard work.

nicole.hopkins

@jyang72 said:
BR is an integral part of your improvement in the LSAT. If you cannot reach 170s in BR, then it is almost impossible for you to get 170s. If you can't get 170 with unlimited time, how can you score 170 under timed pressure?

Superb points by @jyang72 here!

Don't get down on yourself, @victoriapadilla1140 . It's ok that you haven't been able to reach this goal yet. It really is. I know a lot of people say the kind of success you're working towards on this test can be achieved in short periods of time. The reality is that for many of us, that's not the case. It certainly hasn't been the case for me, and I ain't no dummy! And I've been working hard at this with my whole heart for a damn long time now. And I ain't earned the prize yet. I've still got work to do. It sounds like you do too. And that's ok. Believe me. You're worth the effort you're putting into this test.

And hey, look on the bright side—if you cancelled your June score, I assume that means you sat for the test. And you're already ahead of a lot of us—you've got gameday experience!

nye8870

@nicole.hopkins said:
And you're already ahead of a lot of us—you've got gameday experience!

If that counts for nothing then I'll eat my hat. First time sucked!

jyang72

@nye8870, I have the same question as well. How did you feel about the real LSAT?