September LSAT - To Take or Not To Take

shaebird

Hello all -

I'm registered to take the September and November LSAT, and with the September test in just two weeks, I'm questioning my decision to take it as I do not feel prepared - I've been studying since March, starting out with the LSAT Trainer and then focusing solely on the 7Sage curriculum starting in June. While working a full-time job, it took me much longer than I would've liked to just get through the core curriculum, and now that I'm finally at the stage of drilling and prep testing, I'm receiving PT scores below my goal (I'm anywhere from a 147-154 in the timed PT, and 155-160 in BR. If I got a 155, I wouldn't be too upset, but ideally would want something in the low 160's).

I know to jump from a 150ish average to a score in the 160's in two weeks is unrealistic, however should I still take the September LSAT if I'm not feeling prepared? I know that the rule of thumb is to wait until you feel ready/your PT scores are hitting around your goal score, and I know that's not the case for me, but I want to apply this cycle and still be competitive when it comes to scholarships/admission and don't want to rely solely on my November LSAT score now that the October registration deadline has passed.

Essentially, what do I do - take the September LSAT anyway, or withdraw and take in November and potentially December? Any and all feedback would be appreciated - I know law schools primarily look at your top score, but I've seen/heard a lot of discourse about how many times you take the test, that you shouldn't take it more than twice, etc. so if I know that I don't feel ready, I'm not sure what the best course of action is regarding taking the September test.

Thank you in advance!

karias2895

I'm in the same boat, and I'm choosing to take the September test anyway. I just felt like it would help me to get the initial jitters out of my system from taking the test for real for the first time.

I'm also registered for the November test, so taking the September one is pretty low stakes/low stress for me. I also was approved for a fee waiver, so it doesn't hurt me financially to take both.

I don't buy that law schools judge you for how many times you take the LSAT, as long as you get a little better each time. It sounds ridiculous to me to think they'd care because if the expectation really was to do well on your one and only try, why would LSAC allow you to take it multiple times in your lifetime?

Regardless of your decision, good luck!

amberkelliott29

I am also taking the September LSAT and don't feel as prepared as I want to be, but I'm taking it anyway. First, because there is no way to get your money back at the point, and also because if I don't get the score I want, I will just take it again! I agree with @karias2895 - I don't believe a law school will judge you for how many times you attempt the LSAT. However, if multiple tries really bother you, you can purchase LSAT preview where you will see your score early and have a few days to determine if you want to keep it on your profile or trash it.

Either way, I say take it, you never know how good you may do! Best of luck!

tinacioust-1

As someone who took the LSAT too many times - I say sit it out, take the extra time, and then apply. Like you, I opted to take my first LSAT thinking I could take it again need be, I wanted to apply early, etc. I scored lower than I wanted, and ultimately it's taken me much more time than anticipated to get to the score I need. I also juggled work and other responsibilities, and I overestimated my abilities. Progress is not linear - you may think you need an extra few weeks, but it may not be enough. That's definitely been my experience. That's also why people say to sit for the exam you should be averaging your goal score.

As far as number of takes, that's all so school-dependent and really can change depending on where you are applying and what your score range is. I personally have only heard that multiple takes disadvantage you from admissions once, and that was in Dean Z's youtube series. She framed it as a 'judgement' call - someone taking it when they felt ready vs. throwing exam attempts to try and get a score to 'stick'. This mentality really only seems to be shared amongst the highest ranked schools. All that to say, this is really more of a generalization, and I would not let it affect your thinking too much. It's really as simple as taking the exam when you are confident and ready.

Tldr; it's better to apply with your goal score than to rush and take it September. Tune out the noise you hear online - apply when you are at your strongest, LSAT-wise! Don't let that number, which is largely in your control, shift your odds against you. Good luck, you got this!

shaebird

Thank you all for your feedback - it helped ease my anxiety immensely to know that there are others in the same boat as me. Weighing everything, I've decided to take the September LSAT as planned - my goal isn't a T14 by any means, and after attending some info sessions for some of the schools I'd like to apply to, multiple LSAT attempts don't seem to be an issue (which, as you all mentioned, was the case - I think I was getting some outdated advice there). Additionally, I don't have the fee waiver, and while my undergrad professors are screaming that it's a sunk cost at me, I can't justify throwing away roughly $250, so since I do have the opportunity to take it again in November if I'm not content with my score and it doesn't seem to penalize me that much, I'll take my chances with both tests.

Again, thank you for the responses, and for those taking the September test with me, good luck!!!

JS199999

I am the same I took the test got 143🤣 and this is the fourth attempt (I know I was dumb) now i am scoring 155s but still have almost 2 weeks I am spending min 10 hrs a day just to practice. I will be content with 155s but will aim for 160 . If I could look at my old self back I would have advice myself and now to u and anyone who is in the same position to not think of an lsat as something u can try again. This is very wrong mindset just think of it as ONE time thing. Take it once for all, there is plenty of time to practice if u got good grip on the core curriculum. Practice like it is a race. Good luck for everyone

shaebird

Hello to everyone who responded to my discussion post - it's been about a month since I took the September LSAT, and after receiving my score and taking some time to reflect, I am very glad that I ended up taking it. I've always been the type of person who does better the second time around when taking tests (if given the option), as I am an ~extremely~ anxious person/let the nerves/pressure get in my head, and taking the September test to get my nerves under control was absolutely the best course of action - during the first two sections, I was FREAKING OUT. Literal MIB mind wipe. Have no idea what happened there; however, I can say that I am very glad I had that experience and can now go into the November test with a clearer, less anxiety-ridden head. (Yes, I will be retaking it - which, additionally I am glad that I had that experience in September as opposed to November, since after the fact I realized they aren't administering the test in December this year. facepalm)

But, with that being said, my goal this time around was to get a score in the 150's, and I achieved just that - scored in the low 150's! While that's not my end goal, it showed me that while I didn't feel like I performed my best and went in questioning my abilities/preparedness levels, it really helped solidify that the hours of studying paid off, and I am capable of more than I think (which makes me feel much more confident going forward). So, if anyone in the future reads this and are thinking you may be in the same boat as I was, maybe it is worth it to take, just trust your gut and know what type of test taker you are and do what you think is best for you (and do not doom scroll Reddit....please, DO NOT DOOM SCROLL REDDIT).

Whether you read this or not, I just wanted to give an update and say thank you again to those who took the time to respond and help give me some additional perspective!