Withdraw ... or not?

jtd12345jtd12345 Member
in General 30 karma

This is killing me, so I had to share and see what others think. I got a 169 in October (with around 3 months of studying) and a 171 in June (a few more months of studying). My PT average going into the June test was around 173ish, with some 178/176 (BUT those tests were in the 70s, not 80s because I stupidly did most of those early; however, most of those early scores were also low 170s). LG was my worst section originally, but I've improved drastically (thanks, JY!).

I'm aiming for the best school that will give me a lot of money. (Like, a lot.) My GPA is lower than the median for all the T20, so I feel I need a higher LSAT to balance it out.

Final note: I messed up my alarms on the day of the June test (nightmarish, I know) and woke up literally five minutes before my test start time. No coffee, no food, no warm up or other prep. I had gotten the room ready the night before, thankfully.

I've been debating over the past few weeks whether I should just be happy with the 171 or take the August next week and risk a lower score if I have a bad day. I've done two PTs this week - one from the 60s (180) and a redo of 89 that I hadn't looked at since late last year (got a 171 this time, 168 originally). However, my drills have been going fairly poorly this week and I'm kind of freaking out. I'd appreciate any thoughts anyone has.

Comments

  • whatsmynamewhatsmyname Member
    edited August 2021 606 karma

    backtrack a bit please... how on earth are you acing entire RC and LR sections? You must be trolling.

    If you're getting 180s then you should have no problem topping a 171

  • jtd12345jtd12345 Member
    30 karma

    @whatsmyname Sorry, I should specify I'm not always acing LR or RC - my average for both is around -2. Part of my concern is that my highest scores have been for older tests. I realize this may seem like a stupid thing to be freaking out about, but my results this week have been low across the board and I've felt like my heart is beating out of my chest all week lol.

  • rizmollyrizmolly Member
    16 karma

    I think you should be able to top a 171 if you're comfortably PT'ing in the high 170's. But it's hard to predict how difficult this test will be compared to PT 89 for example.

  • jtd12345jtd12345 Member
    30 karma

    @rizmolly Yeah, that's my concern - if it is like 89, I wouldn't be surprised at another 171 or lower. And lower would be far from ideal, obviously.

  • whatsmynamewhatsmyname Member
    606 karma

    Of course, but if you have it in you to go perfect, I wouldn't be too concerned. Does the school you're looking to go to average your scores?

    Keep in mind I found 84-86 particularly difficult. And if you pumped them out day after day, you are likely to perform worse - I imagine key neurotrasmitters (like acetylcholine) get depleted, which is why taking a few days off before your exam a good idea.

    Personally, even if I somehow magically manage a 170 on this LSAT, I intend to retake it until I max out.

  • sarakimmelsarakimmel Member ⭐
    1488 karma

    Congrats! I would take the 171 and run. If you get a lower score, that will look really bad to the AdComms, it's just not worth the risk, IMHO. I'd apply with the score you have, I doubt you'll have trouble getting good offers.

    IF you were consistently scoring 175+ on the newer tests, that might be a different story, I think. You never want to feel like you know you could have done better, but it'd be worse if you think you might be able to and then fall short.

    Sounds like at present you are teetering on the edge of burnout, if you were planning to take August, I would DEFINTELY at least defer till October.

    Best of luck!

  • Riddled Basins of AttentionRiddled Basins of Attention Member
    edited August 2021 114 karma

    Take August. And if you're not happy with your score then take October too. I know people who have gotten into HYS with 5 takes on their record. Your highest score is what counts most.

    ETA- August scores come out after the October registration deadline so you should plan on taking October either way.

  • jtd12345jtd12345 Member
    30 karma

    @sarakimmel Thank you for your insight. I actually saw your comment after the deadline for withdrawal, and did end up taking August - though to be honest I don't think I would have withdrawn regardless. I think that you were right and I was getting burnt out - I took a few days without much drilling or PTs before the test, and felt fairly good going in (much more relaxed than with the drills). I just don't think that I would get much funding with my GPA (3.7low) and a 171 (with no particularly interesting softs). I entirely understand that a lower score would look terrible, but I knew I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try.

    @"Riddled Basins of Attention" - Thank you for the comment! Did end up taking - like I said above, couldn't have lived with myself otherwise. I didn't realize that the October deadline was so close, however, so thank you for that - I wish they had done like they did with August, making it after the June score return date. I'm seriously considering taking your advice and signing up now, just in case. LSAC has already taken so much of my money, why stop now?

    My 7sage subscription expires in early September, and I probably won't renew for that month in case I do get a satisfactory score. So if I don't comment again after that, it turned out alright! I wish the absolute best of luck to both you on your journey.

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