Need advice; please help!

onecallthatsall

Okay so September scores came out today and congratulations to everyone who did well. I unfortunately am not one of those people. My diagnostic was a 150 and after 21 PT's and 4 months of studying my average of my last 5 tests was a 160. With my last 5 tests being 160, 161, 160, 156, 162. I scored a measly 153 on the S16 LSAT.... just three points above my diagnostic and 7 points below my average. To get into all
If the schools I want to go to (regional, reach and safeties) I NEED a 160. I got 3.5 hours of sleep the night before and test day nerves completely got to me. I knew I did horrible but got tripped up on stuff I usually do well on. Shockingly, I got every single virus game question right and only went -2 on Eileen Gray. I usually always, ALWAYS go -5 on LR. I got -10 on both sections. Even with my abysmal -14 on RC (usually go -8), I would still would have gotten a 159 if I scored how I normally do on LR. Here is my question.

I am already registered for December. Is it possible to see my 160 average be my actual score for the Dec LSAT?

At this point, I am honestly considering taking a gap year, taking the June 2017 LSAT, and applying September 1st of the next admissions cycle. Perhaps by that point I could see a 165? Maybe?

Or perhaps despite whatever average I may achieve, test day anxiety always gets to me and I will still score far below what I wanted. Any thoughts?

My softs are super strong. 5 years in the military, currently working st law firm. GPA is a solid 3.53.

So is it possible to see my 160 in December? Or do I wait for june and push my entire lives plans back another year?

Thank you beloved people!

Kateryna

i would say its possible since u were hitting 160 multiple times on pts

Alex

@onecallthatsall said:
I am already registered for December. Is it possible to see my 160 average be my actual score for the Dec LSAT?

At this point, I am honestly considering taking a gap year, taking the June 2017 LSAT, and applying September 1st of the next admissions cycle. Perhaps by that point I could see a 165? Maybe?

Hey onecall,

I actually have a pretty extensive history of taking standardized exams. With that I will say that one of the most important and overlooked aspects of these tests is your ability to perform under pressure. Think of doing well on the LSAT as akin to doing well in an Olympic sporting event. Not only do you need to master your craft and practice a ton, but you also have to control your mind and body under pressure. Sometimes external forces like a cold or lack of adequate sleep can be a factor, though other times, we need work on your skill sets and habits.

I would recommend taking a gap year. I don't really ever think giving yourself more time to prep and build your resume up is a bad idea. I've had friends who have taken gap years after undergrad decide against law school all together and they are happier for it. Others have studied and been accepted into the top law and medical school programs in the country!

Better to have a 165 and apply on November 1st of 2017 rather than apply in January with a 160. I can tell by your post that you know your potential is at least a 165... So don't settle for anything less. You previous section score breakdown show me that you absolutely have what it takes to beast this test! You even murdered Virus Games! One of my buddies on TLS got a 173 and guessed on all but 1 of the virus game questions...... Think about that!

inactive

Your title made me anxious, I don't like being yelled at. :c

Also bumping so more people can see!

Stephanie57049

You could absolutely get a higher score. I originally scheduled to take the June LSAT but was terrible at staying focused under normal timed conditions. So I paid the $90 fee and postponed til September. It definitely helped my score.

I think working on handling the stress of the lsat would do alot a good and you could definitely get a better score.

I think the decision of having a gap year depends on your situation. I have a 5 year gap and tried out an entirely different career path. I think it was great experience for both work and life. It also opened up doors that wouldn't otherwise be there.

bjphillips5

My two cents:
I think if you are comfortable with it, take a gap year. It's a year longer and you could probably get upper 160s if not higher in that time. And the benefits a higher score typically outweigh the demerits of waiting another year. If you MUST apply this year, I definitely think it is possible to get a 160 in December. But if you can wait a year and study smart, I don't see why not

If you take in December, biggest thing is to learn from your first take! Where should you focus for the next month and a half and what habits do you need to really work on solidifying?

If you wait a year, your average will likely be higher, leading to less pressure on test day and worry about a test day drop.

Also, super impressive softs. Super impressive. Thanks for your service.

onecallthatsall

Thank you so much every one who commented. I read each and every single comment out loud to my wife because I was so blown away at the response. All words of solace and advice are highly valued and I ponder about them all the time. I took the December LSAT on Saturday and am awaiting my score. Depending on that score, I will decide whether I am waiting for June & taking a gap year, or if it is 160+ I am applying. I could get into all of my target schools with a 160.

THANK YOU 7SAGE COMMUNITY!!