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Retake disaster/need help from a mod..
James Dean
Free Trial Member
So I have now taken the LSAT 3 times, and I'm beyond frustrated. I took the LSAT for the first time OCT, 2013 after 6 months of study self-study and a 7Sage course. This first round I was studying at least 5 hours per day. At that time I was PT scoring in the high 160's and low 170's. However, I scored a 161. [RC -8, LG -1, LR 1&2 -16 (bombed LR)]
I decided to wait and reconsider law school. I decided to take the LSAT again December 2014, and after 3 months of less intensive studying (I felt I burnt out the first time) I was PTing again in the high 160's and low 170's. However, I scored a 161! I couldn't believe it. (RC -7, LG -9, LR 1&2 -10). I failed in games and knew it during the test. I neglected it as the easy section as I never had a problem with it.
So, I studied games intensively and retook it in February. Bit of a panic leading up to this test: Had a flat tire on my BMW (no spare) half way to the test center 40 miles away, thought I was going to miss the test, was able to get there 5 minutes late and still get in, and then someone got kicked out for cheating which caused a scene. However, I scored a 161!
How is that even possible three 161's?!
Should I give up? Literally give up on my dreams of going to a top law school? I can't improve my RC as it always lands around -7 to -10, I get my LR to around -2 or -3 per section while PTing, and get my LG to -0 while PTing. But I'm cursed with this 161.
I decided to wait and reconsider law school. I decided to take the LSAT again December 2014, and after 3 months of less intensive studying (I felt I burnt out the first time) I was PTing again in the high 160's and low 170's. However, I scored a 161! I couldn't believe it. (RC -7, LG -9, LR 1&2 -10). I failed in games and knew it during the test. I neglected it as the easy section as I never had a problem with it.
So, I studied games intensively and retook it in February. Bit of a panic leading up to this test: Had a flat tire on my BMW (no spare) half way to the test center 40 miles away, thought I was going to miss the test, was able to get there 5 minutes late and still get in, and then someone got kicked out for cheating which caused a scene. However, I scored a 161!
How is that even possible three 161's?!
Should I give up? Literally give up on my dreams of going to a top law school? I can't improve my RC as it always lands around -7 to -10, I get my LR to around -2 or -3 per section while PTing, and get my LG to -0 while PTing. But I'm cursed with this 161.
Comments
Make sure you rotate your prep(through all 3 sections) and if RC is a serious problem keep working to find what you can do to really get it down. If this is your dream and you SERIOUSLY want this then you dont need to give up, keep pushing and figure it out. Law School isnt going anywhere. Though of course if you start to think you may not want to do it anymore thats something to think about as well. But again, if this is what you want... go for it. Take a break, do something, and come back to this full force
@ jdawg113, you're right, I committed several of these deviations. I took most of my PT's in the evenings as I work full time. So late at night, ending around 9 pm. I did stay true to the 35 min per section, but I most of the time I only took 4 sections, not 5. And I rarely took a test early morning on the weekend because I travel to see my girlfriend. My enjoinments were rarely quiet , so I think I nailed the distraction factor. I felt confident because when I took the last two most recent tests from 2014 I scored over 170 on all of them. I'd say I've taken 60 timed PTs overall: 30 the first time around, 20 the second, 10 the last.
You're right, though, I should've committed to every Saturday at the exact time, under the exact conditions, and on campus or in a similar classroom.
Also gratz Allison!, send me some of ur smurtz plseee
I would deff suggest taking time off and taking another year off and see what you can do before even thinking of the transfer route
Right now I'm seriously considering waiting until next year, but even though i know applying this late In the cycle with weak scores isn't ideal, I'm sick of delaying my future.
That being said, the time to change your destiny is now. Once you're in law school, it's harder to go to your dream school. Your scores indicate that your capabilities are there and you have the potential to go to the school of your choice (I always believe that potential is there but, even if you believe you can tap out potential, it doesn't apply to you). That opportunity supersedes all other voices, including your own insecurities (should they exist). Don't underestimate the mental component of this test. If you believe that you're cursed forever with 161, you will be. Change your psychology, change your destiny (I know that sounds so cliche but it's true). You can destroy this test so do everything in your power to get that score you KNOW you can get to go to whatever school you want to go to.
Strategically, be honest with yourself in thinking about what has gone wrong. What contributed to your 161? Like everyone said, if really for you, it's just the psychological component ("I need to get a 170," "I can't get another 161," "OMG what if I do 'bad'?", etc), I would recommend taking tests in true conditions. I would also recommend taking tests in abysmal conditions to condition your mind to get past even the most horrifying circumstances.
Also, maybe when you begin taking PTs you should take them in the AM on the weekends (assuming u work during the week) since the Oct. LSAT is on a Sat. morning. Usually when you work all day and take a PT in the evening your scores may vary.
If I didn't truly believe it was a curse before, I'm struggling not to now. But you have given solid advice, and so has everyone else. I should've been training to cope with my test day anxiety. I think it's my biggest enemy. There's really no reason I should score a 170-173 on my last three PT's and then fall to a 161. If/when I start studying again, I will definitely take all of this into consideration.
http://mylsn.info/ej6090/
http://mylsn.info/sar7yl/
There is no time like the present
I want to focus on your LSAT situation a bit more. Starting from a -7 to a -10 every time due to RC is a tough pill to swallow when a standard 170 scale is -10 to -12. You're essentially counting on perfection in LG and LR, and under test pressure that will almost never happen. Your LG and LR results flip-flopped the first two times around, indicating that you have at least the capability to do well in those sections (obviously you want to work on them now for consistency), but the bigger issue to me is that you've never demonstrated that capability in RC, *and you seem to be okay with that*.
You're handicapping yourself by just accepting that you're going to have to eat a full RC passage worth of incorrect answers every time you take the test. You would never accept that you're just going to get 25% of each LR or LG section wrong, so why are you just lying down when it comes to RC? Take this opportunity to work on your weakest section.
If you perform among the top tier of students at a strong school, there will be really good job opportunities for you. I too have suffered from the trauma of three weird and frustrating LSATs (may still need therapy!) but have decided I'm definitely starting law school this year and already have very respectable acceptances to choose from.
Glad to hear you're planning on submitting some applications! Will want to know how they go and I wish you the best.
P.S. Isn't there a rule that you can't take the LSAT more than 3 times within a 2-year period? Would you have to wait till December 2015 to even be allowed to take the LSAT again? I'm not sure but worth checking and sorry if I'm mistaken.
Then there are certain types of questions which are standard eg. some rendition of the following: (1) what does the author mean when he uses the word "enlightened" in line 32 of the passage (you have to look at the context here) (2) what is the main point of the passage (this question is easy to get - because the wrong answers have certain patent defects eg. they are too specific or out of scope etc.) (3) what is the structure of the passage (an example of an answer for this type of question would be something like: A problem is presented, two solutions are proposed, support for each position is given and one solution is chosen over the others - proper notation helps A LOT here) (4) According to the passage some scientists/scholars/reporters/professors hold the opinion that/ have criticized (these are just a test of how well you know the passage... no higher function beyond this involved here) (5) from the passage it can be inferred that the author believes that... (now here are questions where you have to use your judgement and common sense based on what the passage conveys about the author/situation) (6) the passage provides most support for - (7) each of the following is dealt with in the passage except (8) the role of computer programmers in the passage is most analogous to (9) which of the following is dealt with in both passage A and passage B / in passage A but not passage B(10) how are the two passages related to each other
You may not be able to train for all kinds of subjects... but you CAN definitely prime your reading skills so that you look for at least some of these as you go through the passage... (1) develop a notation scheme that gets you the broad structure of the passage (2) tune your self to the different question types (3) assimilate in your prep the strategies for identifying the right answers for these standard question types. If you do this over a period of time, your RC score WILL improve. Practice some of these with passages from the economist. I was struggling with RC too before I changed my mindset....
As for your waiting a year... if you can get a great school especially a T14 of which you seem capable, then you owe it to yourself to go to the best school you can, with money if possible. I waited for 2 years to get into a school where I would be comfortable graduating from.
"A number of things, which would ordinarily be considered as personal impediments in an individual such as reclusive behavior, mercurial temperament and a struggle with alcoholism, actually had a profound effect on Jackson Pollock's style and contributed to his rise as a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement."
In an MP question, some common defects you will see is that an answer will be too narrow i.e. Jackson Pollock's mercurial personality contributed to his rise as a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement... this answer will be wrong as it is TOO NARROW... it does not make mention of his alcoholism or his reclusive nature... Some will be too broad/out of scope... i.e. Things ordinarily considered personal impediments helped made Jackson Pollock the BIGGEST figure in the abstract expressionist movement... This is wrong as it goes WAY BEYOND the scope of the passage... we don't know if Pollock was the biggest figure... all we know is that he was a major figure... if you can eliminate even a couple like this, your chances of guessing the right answer become much better... all these require you to do is to read the passage... sometimes... when you can't pinpoint the best answer, its better to eliminate the obviously wrong ones... and yes developing a system of notation actually helps in this type of question...
Definitely get the economist and deconstruct the passages... alternatively if you want we might be able to do a couple of LSAT exercises and compare notes.
James Dean,
By reading about you, your scores, background info, as well as your goals, it baffles me to read some of the stuff you have said. You're clearly an articulate individual, and you have done rather well (although not consistently) on the LSAT. You have high goals, which require hard work, and it appears to me you've given up before the battle begun.
With regards to your RC being -7 to -10 on every test, you wrote:
"... because I have been unable to improve it, I've accepted that I'm a below average reader."
Really? I am gonna call bs on that. Just because you've been unable to improve does not mean you are below average when it comes to reading. In fact, the success you have seen for LR suggests you are an above average reader. You also said "reviewing doesn't help me". Maybe you are doing it wrong, or maybe you haven't had enough practice for RC, or maybe the recent LSATs being more difficult in the RC sections threw you for a loop...
Either way, please, look at how many different people - all of whom are likely busy and facing very similar challenges as you are - came out and have offered serious insight and advice for you. To respond to them by saying 'well, poor me, it's all over now' indicates to me that you are not resilient enough for this. I don't think any less of you bc you had 3 scores of 161.
jdawg is absolutely right in everything he has said to you, and I would strongly recommend you review what he posted. You stand to gain nothing by applying now, while you stand to seriously improve your chances at any school you apply to if you recognize that a retake is your best bet.
This is likely one of the only times in your life when your own discipline and hard work in 3 months can change your professional future by quite a bit. Lift your head up, and go for it. I'll be rooting for ya.
@Nilesh S thank you, again, for all of your advice. I do need to develop consistency. It shouldn't be a coin toss on test day. Many of the suggestions presented in this thread will help that, and I will implement and review them when I resume studying. And thanks for the Nietzche reference (big fan).