Small point increase make difference if I decide to retake in Jan or apply now with top score?

devyn.wishon

153 on Nov which is just so irritating because my nerves from RC not going well largely influenced my later sections which were real and my timing just sucked. Also had personal matters occur the day before and despite trying to shake it off, I think my mind was elsewhere. Nov score is 3 points lower than Oct (156) which also was a bad test day because I was impacted by hurricane and I took the retest after no studying for 2 weeks bc no power and being stuck. Aug was 155 and I was happy thinking it was a good starting point and was how I had been PTing. Now with a score decrease I am just so angry because I know I can do better and underperforming is just my issue. I have mental blocks when I start to feel stuck and it leads me to rereading and timing just being so bad. I think I need to change my approach but don't know how? I have the loophole book and will probably look over the curriculum for conditional and grammar maybe? I am also just curious if it is truly possible to have a significant change if I am also getting a job since my gap months of studying are now just not proving efficient and I need to occupy my resume for admissions. All this to ask if it is worth retaking if I do not improve that much but I just have a gut feeling to retake since I feel my potential is better than all the scores I have, and it's just mentality on test day causing me issues. I'm also all over the place with PT's being high 150s and then sometimes 160s so also curious if there is a just not a "click" in studying yet (largely depends on LR score and question variety most of the time, RC is pretty consistent). if you read all this, thank u for letting me rant and also would appreciate advice. I just want a 160 at this point.

SubpoenaColada

A small point increase can make the difference between acceptance and scholarship $$$. I recommend looking at the median and 75th percentile scores at the schools you plan to apply to and see where you fit in. If you're below median, an extra point could make a difference. If you're over 75th, it might not be worth your time. I do want to caution you against using your 4th attempt without much improvement unless you're positive this is the only cycle you'll apply to (i.e. not applying next cycle). Also, you can send in your app and they'll put in on hold until you send in your Jan test score as long as you note that on your app.

Score variation is normal, but I would really emphasize reflecting on your routine (what was different from your approach in the 150s vs 160s (breakfast? meditating? time you woke up?). Try to replicate when you did your best and stick to a PT-day routine.

Given you're sometimes scoring in the 150s, there is likely a gap in your foundational knowledge, so target weak areas that stick out from PT analytics - DRILL and REVIEW!