Okay, I’ve taken my previous LSATs at my alma mater. It was great. Huge desks in a room I’ve had classes in on a campus I know intimately in a city I call home. What more could anyone ask for? Well in their wisdom, they’ve decided not to administer the test in September. I’m pretty sure they’re only doing it to screw with me, but regardless, I’ve got to find a new center.
I’m like, okay, well I’ll just have to do it in Oxford. Whatever, no big deal. Wrong. Big deal. It occurred to me (thank god) to check the football schedule and sure enough, there’s a home game that day- and an SEC conference game at that. There is no way I’m taking the LSAT in that environment.
So I’m just going to leave.
My question is, where should I go? I’ve been thinking of cities like San Francisco, NYC, DC. I can go anywhere. But I think what I’m really wanting is something small and peaceful like a little village on the Pacific coast like with cliffs, a small independent B&B, and probably a dark secret of some kind (those little towns always have something like that going on, right?). Or maybe like somewhere tucked away in the Rockies near a mountain lake. Some kind of serene shit like that, you know?
So, any suggestions?
Comments
Speaking more generally, I get that being comfortable in the testing center is important and that you should try to find the best center possible (within reason), but I don't think it's nearly as important as people here make it out to be. Your studies and test prep are far, far more important, and you've had over months or years to work on that. I think that if the testing center is causing that much anxiety, you're not as confident in your LSAT prep as you should be. Before my exam, I felt like I could take the test on a crowded NY subway train and be just fine because I was confident enough in my abilities that the testing center was a negligible consideration for me.
while you may be right to some degree.... have you ever experienced an SEC tailgate? There is a 0% chance that ANYONE would perform up to their potential with that sh** going on even hundreds of yards away. (SEC alum here).
Anyway, @"Cant Get Right" You should take it in Boston so we can take it together on my inevitable retake. :')
Everybody I know that’s been to Pittsburg has been blown away with how a cool town it is, but probably not for the reasons I’m looking for on this trip. I’ve thought about both Boston and Denver actually. I’ll be in Boston in July though, so too recent. Denver could be a contender though.
For that reason, I'd advise against traveling far (anything necessitating air travel) for an alternate test location--because it'll be that much more difficult for you to go scope it out in person. Also, traveling for your test could exposes you to a number of risks (though improbable) outside of your control that could very be to your detriment (like getting sick--planes can be viral cesspools, delayed/canceled flights, lost/stolen luggage, bad accommodations leading to poor rest, etc.)--all of that is not worth the risk in my opinion.
So I guess the moral of the story for me is this: if you can't be at your ideal test location, then the next best thing is to pick a center [within driving distance] only after doing your due diligence and it should DEFINITELY be a place that you've personally traveled to and scoped out for this very purpose. This will give you a level of familiarity with your test center on test day, and that should hopefully translate into some degree of confidence. Hope this helps.
I am starting to dig on the idea of Denver though. Even if it’s just to vacation afterwards. Have you seen the testing center at U Denver @rachel ?
Don't add in the distraction of being in a big exciting city to your experience. This is your last take. Don't mess around with it. Go somewhere boring where you'll have an optimal testing experience (and with a short flight).
Dallas is so boring that it warrants merchandise (McKinney is many shades of boring beyond Dallas):
I can't really suggest a testing center. However, I will say that if noise is going to be a problem, I would stay out of Southern California. Most of the universities that offer the LSAT are near major highways. If they are not, you can bet that there's going to be construction going on somewhere nearby.
@quinnxzhang Everyone is different. While noise may not affect you, it can others. Often, it has very little to do with confidence, and more to do with how easily an individual becomes distracted.
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Just offering a small town option to your national search:)
Hopefully I’ll get on a role with updating my old threads with good news and bring back the GPA issue next!