Sunk?

full.moon.howler94full.moon.howler94 Alum Member
in December 2016 LSAT 83 karma
Hey all, First off, thanks to all of you in this great community for being such an awesome resource and support network for this process of getting to law school!

So, I just sat for the December LSAT, and like others who are posting, Logic games 3 and 4 were a bit difficult (disappointing, because games are usually my -0 to -2 section). I ended up having to semi-blind guess on at least five questions in that section. On top of that, I really let anxiety get to me and didn't get much sleep at all. I felt nauseous all up until the experimental games section (3rd section for me) which ironically calmed me down by being so difficult that I was sure I was just gonna cancel.

My PT range for my last five tests were all in the 168-171 range, so I was pretty hopeful about being able to at least have a shot at my goal school of Cornell, but now I'm really not so sure. Honestly RC and LR are a blur for me, I could've knocked them out of the park, I could've failed miserably. SO, I'm considering a February re-take, with an emphasis on mental heath, but, are my chances for Cornell dashed? They have a deadline of Feb. 1st. However, they say that after this point, they will still accept apps, but admissions will be on "available seats only". This sounds like T14 language for, "98% chance sorry too late". My other schools will work for a February LSAT, but I'm still nervous even for them because of all i've heard about February being so late in the cycle.

I really don't think I can wait another cycle, doing so would cause some major family drama and involve making some really tough choices financially. So, thoughts?
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  • onecallthatsallonecallthatsall Member
    224 karma
    It is difficult to make an accurate assessment on your situation because you do not have your score yet. I was in a super similar situation only with Sept LSAT and Dec being my re-take. I decided if I did not get the score I wanted I would re-take, if i got what I needed I would re-take anyways just to get a higher score in the event I got waitlisted anywhere. Well turns out I completely ate shit on Sept LSAT, so I am re-took yesterday and am hastily awaiting the results. If I do shitty on this one, I am going to sit out this cycle and re-take June 2017. I know it sucks, but I would rather go $50,000+ less into debt from waiting a single year and getting a better LSAT then rushing it, paying sticker price and paying for it for the next 30 years. When scores come out, re-post this!
  • desire2learndesire2learn Member
    1171 karma
    It all depends on how important Cornell is to you and what your score really is. I also hate making decisions based on limited information. Good luck. Don't be afraid to sit out a cycle if you are capable of more but obviously that has to be balanced with real life factors as well. If you can afford to sign up for the Feb LSAT without taking it (if your score for Dec is good) I would do that but it all depends on your specific considerations.
  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27901 karma
    If it makes you feel any better, I had a similar experience on the Sept exam. I was confident I bombed LG, and I had no clue about the rest of it. So hard to speculate, but if it's a blur, I'd guess you are probably somewhere in your normal range.

    That said, I went in having ridiculously emphasized the test day mental health stuff. What I did is I imagined my perfect test day (and night before) and constructed a schedule based on that. Up at 5:30, a jog, coffee, a big protein and carb packed breakfast, etc. I scheduled it to the minute. Then I set alarms on my phone to indicate when I should be doing everything. And I lived that day like it was Groundhog Day. For months I treated every day like it was test day. By the time the real thing came around, that morning was nothing special; I just did the same thing I did every day. Being able to fall into my routine was an enormous psychological lifeline. I recommend developing--and living--such a routine to anyone who is as subject to nerves as I am. It really helps.
  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27901 karma
    And you're definitely not sunk for Cornell. You just got to make them an LSAT score they can't refuse:)
  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma
    @full.moon.howler94 said:
    I really don't think I can wait another cycle, doing so would cause some major family drama and involve making some really tough choices financially. So, thoughts?
    First, I want to second everything @"Cant Get Right" and @desire2learn said above...

    However, if you know you can score higher on the LSAT, you should retake. Law school is an expensive and often risky financial decision to make. If taking a year off means tough financial choices and family drama, then so be it. Going to even a top 14 for sticker can cause you financial problems and family drama for the rest of your life.

    Good luck!
  • DEC_LSATDEC_LSAT Alum Member
    760 karma
    @full.moon.howler94 said:
    Honestly RC and LR are a blur for me, I could've knocked them out of the park, I could've failed miserably.
    okay i feel the same way about these sections. i just have no clue and it can go either way. Do you by any chance remember if there was a pattern on the lsat logic game in terms of the answer choice letter? I just picked B's for the last 5.
  • full.moon.howler94full.moon.howler94 Alum Member
    83 karma
    Thanks for the comments and support all. @"Cant Get Right" for sure going to develop a routine for any future LSAT, and couple that with some positive visualizations, I think the opposite of that definitely got in my way this time.

    Also yeah, @"Alex Divine", @desire2learn and @onecallthatsall considering that even longer term financial situation is a really good point, thanks for brining it up. I wasn't really thinking about that in this immediate post-test phase. There is much to consider.

    Sorry @DEC_LSAT , I don't really keep track of my bubble patterns, I get psyched out by that kind of thing occasionally, so I've learned to just fill-in and go. I also had to guess for a few on the last logic game, so i don't really think my feedback there would be particularly valuable.
  • Stevie CStevie C Alum Member
    edited December 2016 645 karma
    Depending on the curve, you might be able to get 15 questions wrong and still score a 168. I don't see how -5 on LG necessarily "sunk" you.

    According to Google, Cornell's mid-range LSAT is 164-168.
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