Withdrawing From June 2013

[pateljay.osu]

Hi guys,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this, but it seems relevant! I have been studying for the LSAT without any lessons. I do use some books such as MLSAT Logic Games and PowerScore. I only have been studying for 2 months and I am regretting it.

The current highest score I can get on practice tests is a 162. Do you guys think it is worth withdrawing from the LSAT (which is 4 days from today!) and study for rigorously for the October one? I will be applying to law school for the Autumn of 2014.

Please don't take offense, but I am looking for an unbiased answer haha! Let's assume that if I do study all through the summer I will get lessons from Kaplan and not MLSAT (Just to keep it unbiased. Don't worry though if I get lessons this summer it will be through MLSAT. You guys are awesome.)

One last question: Would withdrawing before the deadline one June 9th reflect badly on my LSAC account or on my applications? Thanks for your time!

[ohthatpatrick]

I actually would suggest that you still take the June test.

Schools no longer average your LSAT scores, so there's really nothing to risk from taking the test twice.

I think there's a lingering notion that top 10 schools are more likely to accept you if they just see one sterling 99th percentile score on your transcript rather than [shudder] a 90th percentile score such as a 162.

While it's easy to picture a stuffy admissions office at Harvard Law, drenched in the smell of rich mahogany, glasses of expensive brandy swirling as monacled elders review your application, I think this is just a crazy caricature.

In reality, if your eventual application has the right quantitative marks to keep the school's rankings where it needs to be, then you're going to be considered. From the admissions panels I've listened to, they don't look down on multiple scores as long as there is improvement from score to score.

It's only when someone takes it 3 times and gets essentially the same score that it begins to reflect poorly on that applicant's judgment.

So, from what I've heard, there is really no downside to taking the test now (with the full intention of probably needing to take it again in October).

What's the upside? You get the wacky experience of sitting for a real LSAT under your belt. Sometimes the weirdness of the testing center experience throws people a bit. It might make you more confident, come October, to already have a familiar picture of what the whole experience is like.

It may even expose you to weaknesses you didn't realize you had (maybe you'll get really distracted by a mouth-breather in the room and find that over the summer you want to take your practice tests in a library where it's quiet but not silent).

Also, since the pressure is off you (thinking that this is just a 'practice test'), you may actually have such a good outing that you're okay with the score you get.

Finally, tests are supposedly equally difficult, but students definitely sometimes feel like "Wow, I lucked out with the Games on my test" or "Man, I got screwed with the Games on my test".

So by taking the test twice, you better your odds that one of those two versions plays more to your strengths.

There is definitely "poor reflection on you" if you decide to withdraw from this test, though. Given that LSAT is arbitrarily on only four dates per year, there are THOUSANDS of legitimate reasons why someone would have to cancel an appointment for a test. No one will be assuming, "Clearly, this person wasn't intellectually ready for the June test".

Anyway, this is all just food for thought.

In case you're surprised at how hard/slow LSAT improvement is to come by, just realize you're not alone. Whether you self-study or take a class, it normally takes people 5-6 months to reach their peak LSAT performance.

Good luck and have fun!

[pateljay.osu]

Thanks for your response! It was very useful. I still think, personally, I may be better off taking the October test and,if necessary, take the December test. I am more likely to have a higher score by then if I do take studying seriously. I cannot get a clear answer about whether or not Law Schools take averages or top scores. I have been getting mixed reviews from everyone, including my pre-law advisor.

Distractions have not been much of a factor for me. I can take the test at a cafe, library, with the tv on, and in silence as well. My score still hovers around 162. It's just a calculative decision to try and improve that number and take the LSAT once. If these things do interfere I still have the December LSAT.