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Crazy to retake?

Liz L 123Liz L 123 Free Trial Member
in General 73 karma
Hi guys,

I scored a 174 on the June test (woo!) but was hoping to score in the upper 170s where I was PTing (average for last five PTs was 177). I realize that a 174 is a great score, but I can't help thinking I can do better. I screwed up on the experimental logic games (misread a direction in one of the games) and so was distracted and anxious for the second half of the test. That said, none of my scores on the individual sections were outside the range that I normally miss. I just hit the top of the missed questions range for everything except logic games. Should I retake? I am aiming for HYS ideally (though I know it's a bit of a crapshoot). I have a 4.03 GPA and good softs (good WE, fulbright scholar). Retake or let it ride?

Thanks in advance for your advice!
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Comments

  • 7sagelsatstudent1807sagelsatstudent180 Alum Member
    932 karma
    You'll definitely get one of HYS... Over both medians plus elite softs usually means "in" for Harvard... I would say you're a lock for CCN though.
  • joecarterruskeyjoecarterruskey Free Trial Member
    166 karma
    Let it ride unless you're deadset on Yale; even then you still may get in
  • stepharizonastepharizona Alum Member
    3197 karma
    I'd apply with the 174 and then if waitlisted go for a later test to get off of it.
  • Nicole HopkinsNicole Hopkins Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    4344 karma
    @"Liz L 123" said:
    Retake or let it ride?
    Wow, are you kidding me? Do NOT retake OMG.
  • Nicole HopkinsNicole Hopkins Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    4344 karma
    I think you're very competitive for Yale. Friend of mine was 3.95 from Princeton, also Fullbright, in at Yale with 170 in 2007 when it was WAY more competitive.
  • msvanie90msvanie90 Free Trial Member
    4 karma
    I still haven't gotten my score!! What can be the issue? My tabs have been grey since 5pm today.
  • Nicole HopkinsNicole Hopkins Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    4344 karma
    @msvanie90 said:
    I still haven't gotten my score!! What can be the issue? My tabs have been grey since 5pm today.
    It's not midnight on the east coast yet even. Sorry, it'll happen sometime soon. Check your spam folder. (And no need to post the same comment multiple times in multiple threads :) )
  • msvanie90msvanie90 Free Trial Member
    4 karma
    Thanks for responding Nicole. Excuse me. Anxiety is setting in.
  • Liz L 123Liz L 123 Free Trial Member
    73 karma
    Thanks, guys! I am leaning toward keeping the score. @stepharizona good point about retaking to get off the waitlist. That would be what, the February exam? June?
  • BruiserWoodsBruiserWoods Member Inactive ⭐
    1706 karma
    girl if you don't getcho.....

    jk

    don't take this test again. congratulations on an amazing score. now go get them coins.
  • kazrahkazrah Alum Member
    158 karma
    Don't do it lol your stats are insane. Focus on your application and have fun at HYS, whichever one you pick
  • MrSamIamMrSamIam Inactive ⭐
    2086 karma
    How about you just contact LSAC and ask if you can give me your score. I'll be more than happy to take it off your hands :).
    In all seriousness, I would apply with that incredible GPA and LSAT.
  • Nicole HopkinsNicole Hopkins Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    4344 karma
    @"Liz L 123" said:
    Thanks, guys! I am leaning toward keeping the score. @stepharizona good point about retaking to get off the waitlist. That would be what, the February exam? June?
    I'd be very surprised to see you waitlisted. Make sure your app isn't mediocre. You are up against the best of the best and scores are merely a necessary but never a sufficient condition for top schools.
  • mikhail11mikhail11 Member
    23 karma
    Please excuse my ignorance but could you explain what you mean by "experimental logic games"? Were there 2 logic games sections? I'm new to this test...
  • stepharizonastepharizona Alum Member
    3197 karma
    @mikhail11 said:
    Please excuse my ignorance but could you explain what you mean by "experimental logic games"? Were there 2 logic games sections? I'm new to this test...
    There is always a 5th sections on all of the real tests, that is called the "Experimental Section" this is an ungraded extra part of the test. It could be an extra LR, RC or LG section but you will NOT know what section it is.

    Your LSAT tests only come with 4 sections, so as you practice, you will "add in" a 5th section to replicate true test conditions. You usually do this towards the end of your LSAT studies.
  • inactiveinactive Alum Member
    12637 karma
    @mikhail11 said:
    Please excuse my ignorance but could you explain what you mean by "experimental logic games"? Were there 2 logic games sections? I'm new to this test...
    All LSATs have an experimental section, though the sections are different between test centers. So one person might have two LG sections, another 3 LR, 2 RC, etc etc. The experimental section is not scored, but you won't know if it's experimental or not.
  • mikhail11mikhail11 Member
    23 karma
    Thank you for this clarification. I thought the experimental section on LSATS were strictly LR.
  • Liz L 123Liz L 123 Free Trial Member
    73 karma
    Ok, ok, I won't retake! Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys. I appreciate it. @"Nicole Hopkins" don't worry, I definitely will be putting every effort into my app!
  • cmelman95cmelman95 Alum Member
    730 karma
    @"Nicole Hopkins" while I think I agree with your recommendation not to retake, if this person hits 177, they're very likely going to get a Hamilton at Columbia and/or a Rubenstein at Chicago, versus a half ride at one or both. That's a $100,000 difference.
  • Liz L 123Liz L 123 Free Trial Member
    73 karma
    Thanks, @cmelman95, good point. And if anyone is still following this thread at all...I just realized I made a bubbling error!!! I went back to erase my answer to godd*mn babbler question (putting the correct answer) and accidentally changed the section over. Which brought me down from a 177 to a 174. Anyone with infinite patience care to update their advice? Still let it ride?
  • stepharizonastepharizona Alum Member
    3197 karma
    Thats the WORST!!!! I made a bubbling error on my test too to devastating results. Personally I would focus on apps get them in and if maybe retake in Dec? If you hit 177+ and they dont offer you a better package, sit out a year, but I doubt that would happen
  • Liz L 123Liz L 123 Free Trial Member
    73 karma
    Ugh thanks @stepharizona. But why not just take the September exam if I'm going to retake? I could submit my application in September, let them waitlist me if they want, then have the second score come through in October (if they even get to my application before then). Excuse my ignorance if I'm missing some pieces here...I've had LSAT tunnel vision, so I'm just starting to worry about these logistics.
  • stepharizonastepharizona Alum Member
    3197 karma
    Well if you can study and put together an amazing application but I really think Nicole is right here.
    @"Nicole Hopkins" said:
    I think you're very competitive for Yale. Friend of mine was 3.95 from Princeton, also Fullbright, in at Yale with 170 in 2007 when it was WAY more competitive.
    A better score wont guarantee anything more. You already have the 4.0 you have a 174 you have great softs, but it matters how you package them, how early you get in and how soon they process your app. Lets say you retest and get a 175 and your app could have been better but is already in. You can test again, but your app is set.

    Thats why I would wait, but thats me.
  • quinnxzhangquinnxzhang Member
    edited July 2016 611 karma
    I also debated retaking, but what ultimately convinced me not to was that the risk of getting a lower score far outweighed the benefits of a higher score. If you're aiming for scholarship money, your cost-benefit analysis may be different from mine. But judging from your post, it sounds like you'd pick an HYS over a scholarship at CCN; if so, I'm not sure a few points higher would increase your HYS chances so much that it outweighs the risk of scoring lower.

    Moreover, as far as I can tell, most people score a few points lower on the real thing than they do on their PTs -- this was certainly true for me, and it sounds like this was true for you as well. It was a bubbling error this time, but maybe next time it'll be a reading passage that doesn't jive with you, or a LG that doesn't click, or one of the other myriad reasons people do worse on the real exam. Unless you start PTing consistently higher than before, I also wouldn't be so sure that a retake would yield a higher score.
  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27900 karma
    That's a bummer man. That's a bummer.
  • Liz L 123Liz L 123 Free Trial Member
    73 karma
    Thanks for your updated input, everyone. @quinnxzhang you are probably right that I shouldn't assume I'd get a higher score. That's a good point. My thinking was that I'd have three more months to prep, but how much good will that really do when what screwed me up was a bubbling error? It's probably not realistic to expect to improve my testing average substantially from a 177. Anyway, I'm going to mull it over a bit but will probably at least apply and see what happens.
  • Liz L 123Liz L 123 Free Trial Member
    73 karma

    Hey all, I'm reviving this thread to say thanks to you guys! I didn't retake, and I got into Harvard, Stanford, and Chicago, and I got the Hamilton at Columbia. I was waitlisted at Yale, but that's a real crapshoot anyway. So you all were right. Thanks for talking me down when I was at my craziest! I'll be attending Stanford in the fall and can't wait. Good luck to you all! And feel free to message me if I can help with any questions about the application process (for anyone still in it).

  • inactiveinactive Alum Member
    12637 karma

    @"Liz L 123" said:
    Hey all, I'm reviving this thread to say thanks to you guys! I didn't retake, and I got into Harvard, Stanford, and Chicago, and I got the Hamilton at Columbia. I was waitlisted at Yale, but that's a real crapshoot anyway. So you all were right. Thanks for talking me down when I was at my craziest! I'll be attending Stanford in the fall and can't wait. Good luck to you all! And feel free to message me if I can help with any questions about the application process (for anyone still in it).

    Grats!

  • TheoryandPracticeTheoryandPractice Alum Member
    1008 karma

    @"Liz L 123" omg congrats!

  • Not Ralph NaderNot Ralph Nader Alum Member Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    2098 karma

    @"Liz L 123" congrats!

  • JustDoItJustDoIt Alum Member ⭐
    3112 karma

    @"Liz L 123" so exciting! Congrats! Hope to be in your position at this time next year :blush:

  • Mellow_ZMellow_Z Alum Member
    1997 karma

    @"Liz L 123" said:
    Hey all, I'm reviving this thread to say thanks to you guys! I didn't retake, and I got into Harvard, Stanford, and Chicago, and I got the Hamilton at Columbia. I was waitlisted at Yale, but that's a real crapshoot anyway. So you all were right. Thanks for talking me down when I was at my craziest! I'll be attending Stanford in the fall and can't wait. Good luck to you all! And feel free to message me if I can help with any questions about the application process (for anyone still in it).

    Those are all awesome outcomes! Congrats! Yale is literally a toss up regardless of your stats once you hit their medians, so nothing you can really do to guarantee a particular outcome with those tricksters. Hail Stanford!

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