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Related Discussions
Retaking the LSAT
thayray
Free Trial Member
I'm scheduled to take the November test, but today I am real dissatisfied where I'm scoring. I'm starting to seriously consider the January test. Or .. even the March test? But March seems such a late date for applying for 2019. How much could I expect to raise my score in the 3 months till the January exam or 5 months to March exam?
And if I decide to do this, should I wait to apply to competitive schools only after the second attempt?
Comments
January is late for this admissions cycle and March is REALLY late. I think that it sounds like postponing would be your best option, but you need to understand that that would probably mean delaying law school for a year, especially for "competitive" schools.
Rough estimate of my score yesterday was 162. I would like to get into the 170s. "Competitive" I suppose means a school that would require such a score.
Another option is to spend the first year in a less competitive school then apply for transfer. Are there any disadvantages I need to know?
It can be really difficult to transfer. You'll need to be at the top of your class and have recommendations. Most schools don't take a ton of transfer students. It's a lot harder to be at the top of your class in law school than it is in undergrad. The people at your law school will all be at a similar level academically, so there's no guarantee at all. It's usually recommended that you don't start at a school that you wouldn't be happy graduating from if transferring doesn't work out.
The world is tough. You can't have your pie and eat it too. You simply won't get into schools that need 170 with a 162. So even if you take the november test, there will be no point in applying to those schools anyway. The the only choice you have is to take it later.
Now, can you get an 8 point increase in 3 months? Yes, yes you can, but that'll be hard, and you have to balance that with the fact that applications in January have a market disadvantage compared to applications earlier in the year, and even more so for the March test.
In conclusion, you have two scenarios, one, if you have an LSAT score that is good enough for some schools that you want to attend, then apply ASAP to those schools; two, if you don't have an LSAT score good enough for some other schools, then you have to retake, and apply to those schools later, whatever later means. For some people, that later means 3 years, for others, it means 1 month. So try to keep your options and mind open.
I would say it's quite unlikely you will get from low-160s to 170s before the November test. You may be able to get to mid- or high-160s though.
Do keep in mind that the latest scores top law schools (which seem to fit your definition of competitive law schools) will take is the November administration. January is very late. I believe most top schools' deadline is in February.
And for God's sake, don't even think about transferring. You will be competing against students who are approximately as intelligent, accomplished, and driven as you are. And there will be people who are dead set on transferring. If you opt for a less competitive school and fail to get into the top 10 percent (which I believe is the minimum requirement for successful transfer applicants), you are stuck with that school.
Thank you for what sounds like very knowledgeable advice. But suppose I'm not testing at my target range by November, am I hurting myself by taking the test anyway, then retaking later? Or would I be best to just put it off for now till I've got a good chance at my target score?
I say this as an applicant with multiple LSAT attempts: Take it only when you are 100% ready to kill it. Assume there will not be any flukes.
How much time are you able to (realistically) dedicate to studying each day? If you can pull off 8 hours or more per day for most of the 22 or so days before the November test, you may be able to raise you score 2 to 4 points. In that case, it may be worth taking and hoping for a 165+. You may not get into any T6 schools, but if you have good softs, you could aim to be one of the below median acceptees of at least one T14.
Also something to consider: If you get a 165-166 in November, you may get into a school you want, but you score will likely be too low for scholarship $$$. If you take in Jan/March, it's likely too late to get any substantial $$$ without a really great 170+ score. Therefore, you need to consider how heavily scholarship money (or the lack thereof) will impact your overall decision of an acceptance offer. If it is not a major factor, I think you should take November. If you don't get the score you want, then you'll end up taking Jan/March anyway. If you get a borderline score, you have the option of applying before Christmas instead of super late in the cycle. At the very least, schools can process you application before Christmas and review immediately after your Jan. score comes back. Best case, you pull off a great score and don't even need to retake next year.
Lastly, multiple scores seem to not matter for most admissions offices. In fact, when I asked at the LSAC fair, all of the 8 or so T14 schools that I talked to said they don't look negatively upon multiple retakes unless your score goes down instead of up. So, taking it even 3 to 4 times, or in you case, Nov + Jan, is nbd (except for you wallet haha).