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Help--Score Dropped by 5

karenliulbjkarenliulbj Alum Member
in General 28 karma

I'm devastated now. I scored a low 170s in the October test, and I screwed up the November test and got 5 points lower. I am aiming for T14s with a decent GPA and have already sent out my applications at the beginning of December. Will that drop significantly affect my chance? Should I provide an addendum to explain? Any suggestions would be helpful pleeeeeease!

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  • lexxx745lexxx745 Alum Member Sage ⭐
    3190 karma

    Hm, generally they take the highest score anyway so I dont think so? I wouldnt write an addendum either, 5 points still brings you to the high 160s which is great.

  • Lucas CarterLucas Carter Alum Member ⭐
    2804 karma

    There is data to pretty confidently conclude that no law school averages and they all consider the highest score. This has to do with their incentive to maintain the highest possible LSAT medians to achieve a high US News ranking.

    Here is some more information regarding this: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/do-law-schools-average-lsat-scores-or-use-the-high-score/

  • JerryJerry Alum Member
    176 karma

    I think it’ll just be understood as natural variance. I wouldn’t write an addendum unless it were something compelling, otherwise I hear that admissions officers don’t like reading “filler” paperwork.

  • studyingandrestudyingstudyingandrestudying Core Member
    5254 karma

    Very few schools do anything except just take the highest score. It could happen the other way around as well and would probably be viewed in much the same way given admissions information we've been told. Don't worry. You made one of the top score bands.

  • taschasptaschasp Alum Member Sage ⭐
    796 karma

    First, regarding the addendum: I would only provide an addendum if something extraordinary happened that resulted in the lower score. If it was just because the test didn't go as well as it could have, there is no need for an addendum.

    Second, regarding whether the drop will "significantly affect" your chances. I concur with others that they care most about your higher score. But for T14 schools, if you want a straight answer, I don't agree that having a second LSAT score that is lower couldn't affect your application at all. Most T14 schools will look at your scores holistically in the context of your entire application and that means applying with a 171 is different from applying with a 171 plus a 166. The rankings incentives are important but they aren't everything (otherwise, they would just use an algorithm to determine your acceptance based on your scores...).

    But the important thing isn't so much whether it matters, but how much it matters. And I think with that, the extent to which it matters may vary from school to school from absolutely negligible to maybe the slightest possible impact on your application. Moreover, there isn't anything you can do, so it's not worth stressing over it. But -- also having submitted apps recently and knowing how it feels to be anxiously waiting for the results -- I know that it is easier said than done!

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