Hey all, First off, thanks to all of you in this great community for being such an awesome resource and support network for this process of getting to law school!
So, I just sat for the December LSAT, and like others who are posting, Logic games 3 and 4 were a bit difficult (disappointing, because games are usually my -0 to -2 section). I ended up having to semi-blind guess on at least five questions in that section. On top of that, I really let anxiety get to me and didn't get much sleep at all. I felt nauseous all up until the experimental games section (3rd section for me) which ironically calmed me down by being so difficult that I was sure I was just gonna cancel.
My PT range for my last five tests were all in the 168-171 range, so I was pretty hopeful about being able to at least have a shot at my goal school of Cornell, but now I'm really not so sure. Honestly RC and LR are a blur for me, I could've knocked them out of the park, I could've failed miserably. SO, I'm considering a February re-take, with an emphasis on mental heath, but, are my chances for Cornell dashed? They have a deadline of Feb. 1st. However, they say that after this point, they will still accept apps, but admissions will be on "available seats only". This sounds like T14 language for, "98% chance sorry too late". My other schools will work for a February LSAT, but I'm still nervous even for them because of all i've heard about February being so late in the cycle.
I really don't think I can wait another cycle, doing so would cause some major family drama and involve making some really tough choices financially. So, thoughts?
Comments
That said, I went in having ridiculously emphasized the test day mental health stuff. What I did is I imagined my perfect test day (and night before) and constructed a schedule based on that. Up at 5:30, a jog, coffee, a big protein and carb packed breakfast, etc. I scheduled it to the minute. Then I set alarms on my phone to indicate when I should be doing everything. And I lived that day like it was Groundhog Day. For months I treated every day like it was test day. By the time the real thing came around, that morning was nothing special; I just did the same thing I did every day. Being able to fall into my routine was an enormous psychological lifeline. I recommend developing--and living--such a routine to anyone who is as subject to nerves as I am. It really helps.
However, if you know you can score higher on the LSAT, you should retake. Law school is an expensive and often risky financial decision to make. If taking a year off means tough financial choices and family drama, then so be it. Going to even a top 14 for sticker can cause you financial problems and family drama for the rest of your life.
Good luck!
Also yeah, @"Alex Divine", @desire2learn and @onecallthatsall considering that even longer term financial situation is a really good point, thanks for brining it up. I wasn't really thinking about that in this immediate post-test phase. There is much to consider.
Sorry @DEC_LSAT , I don't really keep track of my bubble patterns, I get psyched out by that kind of thing occasionally, so I've learned to just fill-in and go. I also had to guess for a few on the last logic game, so i don't really think my feedback there would be particularly valuable.
According to Google, Cornell's mid-range LSAT is 164-168.