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Where to go from here (back to school, work) input please? :)
Hi everyone! I am looking for some honest advice. So to start off, I have taken the LSAT four times; my most recent score was a 147 (Feb. 2018). I have severe test anxiety and had a panic attack during one of my tests - I just cannot conquer this stupid test 
My uGPA isn't bad, but it's not great either: a 3.02. I have been out of school for a little over two years now, and have since worked as a legal advocate for a domestic abuse shelter; a courtroom clerk; and I am currently the manager of a low-income family mediation program. I have four letters of recommendation, and I know they are all very strong. And then there's my personal statement, which I had two advisors review and had an expert edit; I was told it was very strong. Aside from my LSAT (and uGPA), I am not too worried about the rest of my application.
With all that aside, I am very unsure where to go from here. I applied to eight schools for the 2018 cycle, but I have received two rejections so far (not surprising), and am not confident about the rest. I will take the LSAT again, but I think I need to take some time (a year or two) for myself, and then retake. Even if I retake, I am not expecting to score that much higher. I have taken it four times already, and at this point I don't think I will score much higher than low/mid-150's. So, I am wondering what would be the best option to boost my application? I have been playing with the idea of going back to school - either another Bachelor's to increase my uGPA or a Master's... but I have read/heard conflicting things about this. Would it be better to go back to school to show schools that I am a serious student, continue to work, or I have the option to also get my mediation certificate? Other ideas or any advice? I would greatly appreciate any input! Thank you!
Comments
So any degree done after your first college degree doesn't count for the LSAC GPA. However, they see this as a "soft" factor and they will be taking those grades seriously, but they won't be in your official numbers that are used to compare schools and applicants. I'd consider getting tutoring and signing up for a course on here; it's flexible and delivered at your own pace.
I am pretty sure LSAC GPA counts up to your first Bachelors. A masters definitely wouldn't count and another Bachelors probably wouldn't boost it either. A mediation certificate might be a good way to continue doing good work in a way slightly more closely related to law. If you like your job, you could also just keep doing it right?
You definitely need to retake. I don't think giving it a few years will automatically fix anything except maybe burnout though. Studying for a few years in your time not working likely will.
What were your score breakdowns and how did you study the first several times?
For logic games I firmly believe that given a couple of months of solid foolproofing everyday (maybe like 6 at the very most) you can basically perfect the section and go -0.
For reading comp, I would recommend reading something fairly dense/academic that you are interested in on a daily basis for about the next year. I would recommend drilling LR questions by type until you can consistantly do all the types and going through the 7 sage core curriculum once you have the games from tests1-35 foolproofed.
After that maybe a year from now I would take a practice test and blind review it and see where you are.
Why did u have a panic attack? Was it because you didnt feel 100 percrnt prepared? Or is this a pre existing condition. In any case, i would focus on treating this condition first before proceeding to work through prep for a retake. Law schools is arguably more stressful, with a race horse style issue spotting exam that determines your entire grade
Whatever you do, do not take on another degree (especially another undergraduate degree) simply because you want to prove you are a serious student. Ideally, any law school applicant would be a serious student; taking on another degree to prove what should be an implicit point for an uncertain outcome seems like a rather inefficient move to me. Law schools are ultimately looking for future professionals, not student materials.
Some good comments already here. Also confirming that a second bachelor's or master's would not affect your GPA at all. So, you should only do those if you want to and think it would be helpful for your career. Not for GPA reasons.
You're going to need to come up on your LSAT to tackle this goal. What study methods have you been doing? Did you take a class? Self study? Powerscore books?
Of course many of us are pretty biased since we've taken it, but the 7sage course is really good and an incredible value for the money. If you could afford taking it, I highly highly recommend it.
What did you start off scoring at? Have you improved much? Was this 147 significantly lower than your practice test scores?
Sorry for grilling you, just trying to get a clearer picture so we can help!
@"Seeking Perfection" Yes, exactly - I don't think waiting a year or two will fix anything, except I won't be burned out. The first time I studied I self-studied with books; the second time I did an online self-paced Blueprint course; and the third and fourth time I did a live-online Kaplan course
my score actually did improve, I just freak out in the test room. I don't remember the exact test breakdown for each section, but my best section is LG with ~-5. My worst section BY FAR is reading comprehension. I'll definitely take your advice on reading dense material daily.
@westcoastbestcoast I believe I freak out in the test room because I feel like the LSAT is the only thing standing in my way of getting admitted. Sounds kind of weird, but I never had this bad of test anxiety in undergrad, and I've never had anxiety in general. To prepare for my last test I actually did a lot to help the issue (I meditated; practiced yoga & weightlifting/workout; I even took beta-blockers). It helped throughout studying, but on the morning of the test it ultimately didn't do much to help. I know law school will be more stressful, but I honestly think I'll be fine once I'm admitted. I almost don't really know how to explain why I freak out so much on the LSAT, because tests never bothered me before.
@"Leah M B" I replied to @"Seeking Perfection" answer before I saw your comment - The first time I self-studied with PowerScore books and the LSAT Trainer for roughly 3.5 months. My score on the first test was not much of an improvement from my diagnostic (139 to 142) - very bad, I know. So I then decided to put off the LSAT and law school, but then the admissions director for my state university emailed (it's a very long story), and said if I retook the LSAT that June (2017) they would accept my score. So I then decided to retake the test and studied using the online self-paced Blueprint course. I only scored a 145.
At that point I decided to take an online Kaplan course over the summer, but I started getting incredibly anxious with the process, and felt like the test was the only thing determining my fate. That's kind of when I started getting bad test anxiety, to the point of having a panic attack in the third test. (Sorry if this is confusing - unfortunately a lot happened with this admissions director, and I could write a novel on everything and why I chose to take the LSAT when I did). Anyway, I had the panic attack, debated cancelling my score, my advisor told me not to, and I unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, scored the same as I had in June (a 145). I decided to retake the Kaplan course and took certain steps to combat the test anxiety for the February test, but only scored a 147. And now I'm here, wondering what the heck to do!
My sister had extreme test anxiety in nursing school. She didn't have full out panic attacks, but would get so overwhelmed and anxious she would blank on material she knew. She started taking an anti-anxiety medication on test days and went from making C's and lower on exams to high A's. You may want to talk to your primary care provider about getting something for test anxiety.
I totally understand. My nerves prevented me from sleeping in the first few takes. Remember that retake is always an option and that the LSAT score is important but not determinative of where you will go. The cycle has become more holistic and knowimg this should tske some pressure offm
I hate to say it, but I agree with @ChapmanEC . If panic attacks are common, and prevent you from doing well on tests, it might be worthwhile to speak to a doctor. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I see a dr for thyroid issues, because sometimes our bodies betray us. No different, really. Things stop working for us, and sometimes we need help. And if medicine or therapy helps, then happy better living through science!
I know I am certainly healthier and happier.
Maybe apply for accommodations if that is a condition you have. Did you score any differently on your practice tests? How do you score untimed? If you’re passionate about something and want to pursue that degree and could see yourself working in that field, sure why not get another degree. Don’t pursue another degree just to prove something to law schools.
Only you know what you are capable of. If you think 150s is your limit then it probably is. Improving from 147 to mid 150s is not difficult. The gap is not that large so it is a matter of nailing a couple of basics. My diagnostic was 142, I am currently scoring in 166-168 range timed with 170s for BR. It took a lot of work but as someone who did struggle through every bit of this test, I can tell you that getting mid 150s is possible. To add more, with strong LORs, PS and work experience you have a chance of getting into a top 30th school (I know because I did when my official test was 154 and I did not have any work experience). There is hope but there is also a lot of hard work to do. This test is not easy and every single person struggles at some point or the other. It is mindset and dedication that makes a difference. Good luck.
It sounds like you, for various reasons, have been forced into taking official tests without adequate preparation time. It increases anxiety and ensured that your scores weren’t huge improvements on one another. So I up the accommodations rec, but I also think that you should allow yourself sufficient time to prepare for the test. Don’t take another test without significant improvement in that regard; one to two years of consistent study is not out of the question. Good luck!