Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- 33.4K All Categories
- 28.1K LSAT
- 17.1K General
- 5.2K Logical Reasoning
- 1.4K Reading Comprehension
- 1.7K Logic Games
- 70 Podcasts
- 191 Webinars
- 11 Scholarships
- 194 Test Center Reviews
- 2.2K Study Groups
- 112 Study Guides/Cheat Sheets
- 2.5K Specific LSAT Dates
- 31 November 2024 LSAT
- 18 October 2024 LSAT
- 9 September 2024 LSAT
- 38 August 2024 LSAT
- 28 June 2024 LSAT
- 4 April 2024 LSAT
- 11 February 2024 LSAT
- 22 January 2024 LSAT
- 38 November 2023 LSAT
- 43 October 2023 LSAT
- 14 September 2023 LSAT
- 38 August 2023 LSAT
- 27 June 2023 LSAT
- 30 Sage Advice
- 5K Not LSAT
- 4K Law School Admissions
- 13 Law School Explained
- 10 Forum Rules
- 641 Technical Problems
- 286 Off-topic
Related Discussions
Need some advice on reapplying
determinedpugrat
Member
As this cycle draws to a close, I can't help but feel a little disappointed with my outcomes. I applied right before the deadline, so I am wondering if applying this coming cycle as soon as applications open would make a substantial difference. According to 7Sage's admissions calculator, my chances nearly double with an October submission versus a March one.
While I am happy with my two A's, I can't shake the feeling that another shot at the application process would yield better outcomes. My two A's were my top safety's, but I do feel like my stats could take me a little further under the right circumstances. I'm also considering retaking the LSAT to get one or two extra points. I'm curious to hear what others would do in my situation.
Stats: 169, 3.7(High) from top 10 school + STEM Major, 4 years WE, T3 softs
A's: UC Irvine ($$$), ASU ($$)
WL's: USC, UNC, Fordham, UT, Vanderbilt
R's: Penn, NYU, Berkeley, UCLA, Columbia (technically a hold, but preparing for an R)
Top choices: UCLA + Berkeley (I'm from CA originally and interested in pursuing a career in environmental law).
At this point, if I got off the Wl at USC, UT, or Vanderbilt, I'd go, but I am not sure how likely that is. I'm crossing my fingers, but want to come up with a plan B.
Comments
If you’re willing to delay a year and put in the work over the summer and into the early fall, I think adding 1 to 3 (or more) points to your LSAT could be a game changer. With your stats, as it seems you know, UCLA and Berkeley aren’t totally out of the picture, but I really think bumping your LSAT into the 170s would help a lot. LSAT scores have been up across the board the past couple of cycles and getting above a 170 almost seems like a necessity to get into the T14 at the moment, particularly when your GPA isn’t above their 75th percent.
@"Matt Sorr" thanks for the feedback. I definitely agree that even one extra point would make a huge difference
Getting back to California is really important to me, and so I do feel like waiting might be the right choice!!
If you're asking the question, I would say wait, my friend. Law school isn't going anywhere, give it your best shot!
@Hhaleyh in it for the long run! Thanks for the advice
just out of curiosity is this GPA from your LSAC academic summary report?
@determinedpugrat What do you think? Are you leaning towards waiting a year or not?
@gabehasastory yes my transcript + UGPA were the same
@"Matt Sorr" I think so, yes...Like you wisely pointed out, I think the biggest factor will be the LSAT. I was averaging a 172 before scoring my 169, so I do feel like there are a few points left on the table... I think I'm going to put down my deposit and start studying for a month to see how I feel about the test. If I do think that improvement is possible, then I might wait till the next cycle. If studying is like pulling teeth, I think I'll just take the A and attend in the fall.
I am worried, though, that this will be my fourth time taking the test. I was really impatient with how slow my improvement was and feel like I rushed taking the test to make the deadline for this cycle, which is another reason why my gut is saying to wait and try again.
I scored a 161 in August'21 (which I should have canceled, but like a moron, I didn't), a 167 in November'21 (but I lost about 5 minutes of time on a non-experimental section) and then a 169 in January'22 (again had a technical difficulty, but it was only like a minute of lost time).
@determinedpugrat If you’re happy attending and paying for whichever school you’re placing a deposit for, then it sounds to me like it’s a great decision. The LSAT, as you obviously know with your experience and how long you’ve been studying, isn’t exactly a blast to prepare for. And ultimately the only things that matter are your happiness and your peace of mind with whichever school you attend.
If you’d be attending the school begrudgingly or don’t want to take out the loans you’ll need (if you have to) to attend, however, I’d definitely urge you to wait another cycle. You have already proven you have room for major improvement with your 172 average, and if you study for the next few months there’s no telling what your ceiling is. Regarding your hesitancy to take the test a 4th time, I totally understand. But from what you said, your score has gone up each time you’ve taken the test and your average is 3 points higher than your highest official score. Additionally, you’ve had some unfortunate circumstances with each test administration that may have hurt your score.
I’m not sure sure if you’ve heard of him, but @canihazJD said in his 7Sage podcast that he took the LSAT 7 times and he now attends Cornell. This isn’t to say your hesitancy to take the test again is unfounded, just that I think even a single extra point would help you far more than having taken the test 4 times would hurt you.
Again, though, what ultimately matters is what works for you. I’m sure you’ll figure it out and make the right choice.
@"Matt Sorr" thanks for the tag.
@determinedpugrat instead of posting twice, I think my response in this thread is basically what I'd write here: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/comment/194185
Feel free to reach out if you want to chat!
Edit: I think I just read you applied last month? While a higher score would definitely help the most for the range of schools you applied to, you should also expect better results just from applying as soon as the cycle opens as opposed to when it's winding down.