Help! Do I need to cancel my score?? Struggling!

YG_LSAT!

I just finished the 12/5 test. I don't know whether I should cancel my score.
I have two major concerns that persuade me to cancel my score:
1. I did not do well on this test at all. This is my first time taking LSAT, except for pretests. But I am sure I could do way better than this if give me more time to practice.
2. The proctors told me they had to report me because I was rewriting my name on the bubble sheet after the first 5 sections were done. I explained to them that my name was slightly erased by my hand when I filled out the bubbles, so I had to rewrite them just to be safe. They said they would send a note to LSAC and let them know I was rewriting my name instead of making marks on questions. So, they let me sign my name on the surface of the booklet, and I did. I don't know how much negative influence will this cause. I felt very upset about it.
Also, I am struggling not cancel the score, because this is the last chance for me to apply 2016 fall admission. I don't really want to take a gap year. But I do want to attend a really good law school.
So, right now, I am struggling! Really confused.
Please give me some suggestions. Also please let me know if you have any similar experiences and how you handled it! If you have any ideas about what to do during the gap year, let me know!!!!

P.S: I am an international student. I don't know how much difference will this make. So let me know if you have any ideas.

Pacifico

Your violation will be annotated whether you cancel or not. It's your first time so I wouldn't cancel. Just see how you did, get your apps ready and prep for February. If you still aren't close to your goal then take a year off, it's not the end of the world... I took ten!

YG_LSAT!

@Pacifico Thanks for your suggestion! Since this is my first time taking LSAT, so I don't know how bad is this violation just based on my own situation (rewriting my name). Will this violation hurt my future LSAT score or cause any other future problems when I apply law schools? Also, will that be very awful if I have a very low score on record, even if I can have much better score in the future? Thank you.

Pacifico

No and no. You'll likely just write a simple addendum and that will be that. It wasn't a scored section violation so it's not a big deal. And most schools only care about your highest score so just see how you did and plan from there.

lenelson2

I love Pacifico's advice...I just took the test today as well and I know it wasn't my best showing either. One, it's also my first exam and two, one of the proctor's cell phone went off all extra loud and crazy in the middle of the exam and conseuqently messed up my concentration. Before going into the exam, I humbly realized I will be taking another year off so I can really MASTER it.

But back to you- don't cancel your score. Law Schools are only looking at your highest scores like Pacifico said. But if you are taking the Feb, start studying NOW. If you really want to go to law school, you will, don't let the LSAT stress you out of style;)

YG_LSAT!

I know most school will only consider the highest score. But will a low school be big treat if I want to go to school like Harvard, Yale and Columbia in the future. If so, will it be a better chance to cancel score instead of keeping a low score?

Edward__

If you know you didn't do well, cancel your score and do it again when you can get a near-perfect score. If you 'think' you did badly on the test, you probably did way worse than you actually think. Even people who confidently are sure they did well with their answers rarely get a score good enough for Columbia. I'm guessing you haven't taken many practice tests or you would be more sure. If you are ready to pay 200,000 for law school you are ready to pay $100 for all of the practice tests.
Cancel today's score, Do them all, timed, under exam conditions using 7sage's virtual proctor.
Then do the test next year and not worry about today. Yes a bad score looks bad no matter what, and of course they look at it. Why would you even want to let the worse score be permanently attached to your name? wait until you can do 3 timed prep-tests in 1 day and get the same score in each one. Then you know on the day you will get that score. Heres the motto: Don't represent yourself as any less than you are.

Edward__

Also if you can't wait 1 year to apply for law school, you might be in for a shock when it will take you 3 years + 6 months more waiting before you are even admitted to the bar. If you can do 3 years 6 months I think a small year is worth is, especially because you absolutely will not get into those top 3 schools without a near-perfect score in each section.

Elle2015

I think it depends on how badly you think you did. Either way, it's not that big of a deal. Just study more and prepare to retake. If you think your bad score is just a point or two below your goal school's median, I wouldn't cancel. It's your first test and you'll know for sure how you did. Also, give yourself a couple days to think it over.

YG_LSAT!

The only concern I have right now is how bad will a low score affect my future possibility to very top schools, such as top 3. I am so worried about a low score will have a determinant effect that I will lose my chance for those top schools even if I may have a perfect score in the future.

Pacifico

A bad score will not hurt you at the top 3 except for the fact that Yale hates retakers. So even if you cancel you're all but screwed out of Yale because they could make a class solely out of first time test takers with a 175+. And you absolutely can get into H or S without a perfect score since only about 500 people a year out of 50,000 get a 175+ and we are talking about 800 or so slots between HYS. Also, it will help to see how well you did on game day and canceling destroys that opportunity. Take your score and then use it to gauge how much time you need to spend to get where you want to be. Say goodbye to Yale but consider yourself lucky because New Haven blows.