HELP! To Go or To Wait

[2things2]

So I have a choice to make.

As I was studying for the December LSAT, the only LSAT I've taken, I was testing in the upper 160s. If I had another couple of weeks to study I feel like I honestly could've gotten into the 170s during my practice tests. So test day comes and I choke on the first section, Reading Comp, and I get a ton wrong for no good reason and end up getting a 162 (I was surprised I did that well considering how badly I thought I blew it).

As I've been applying to schools with my 162, I've been realizing that if I could've actually gotten a 167 or a 168 like I was testing, my options would be a TON more open. Now I'm considering taking a year off, doing teach for America or working at my dad's firm, and taking the next 3 months to study religiously for the June LSAT, and aiming for a 170+. Does this sound worth it? Or should I just suck it up and go to Maryland or Temple when I know damn well I could get into a T-20 school with some hard work and patience (and a year off!)?

Edit: Instead of just voting, tell me why. I'm freaking out a bit over this (as anyone would).

[Top14Hope]

Don't make the mistake of not giving yourself enough time. What I mean is, don't take the June one, unless you have been getting above or around 170 very consistently. Just wait and take it in October when you will have had ample time to kick ass! You can do this! You're right to feel the way you do, and really going after this can, and probably will change your life for the better. If you do take the June LSAT, don't be afraid to cancel, or simply to retake. Good luck!

[Skyhook]

The answer will always be retake.
Moving up the LSAT range opens up your options, and even if you want to stay with certain schools you would get some scholarship.
Why pay more?

Lock in scores above 170 in simulated test conditions (5 section tests) and you should be fine.
June vs October? Depends on how much time you can study and study hard.
Go for June if you can give a genuine time commitment. Apply day 1 of any school opening its app.

Good luck!

[2things2]

Don't make the mistake of not giving yourself enough time. What I mean is, don't take the June one, unless you have been getting above or around 170 very consistently. Just wait and take it in October when you will have had ample time to kick ass! You can do this! You're right to feel the way you do, and really going after this can, and probably will change your life for the better. If you do take the June LSAT, don't be afraid to cancel, or simply to retake. Good luck!

The only reason I'd say June makes sense for me is that I can still put in the payment for Maryland (or whatever similar school I get into), and if I don't do well then I can still go to that school this fall. If I aim for October and blow it, its like I've wasted a year of my life for no reason. If I get a 170 in June I'll obviously reconsider and take a year off (for a damn good reason).

[Reedie]

If you really think you can get at or near 170, then it makes sense to do that. Only you can evaluate how likely that is.

[holdencaulfield]

The only reason I'd say June makes sense for me is that I can still put in the payment for Maryland (or whatever similar school I get into), and if I don't do well then I can still go to that school this fall. If I aim for October and blow it, its like I've wasted a year of my life for no reason. If I get a 170 in June I'll obviously reconsider and take a year off (for a damn good reason).

This is a great plan.

[rebexness]

[2things2]

Thanks guys.. 99 days til the June LSAT. Now I just gotta figure out what LSAT questions from the last 10 years I haven't done yet. Game on.

[Hey-O]

Definitely re-take and re-apply. If you have time then do it in June. Plus, you didn't apply until December. If you take the June test then you can apply when applications first open up and you'll have a lot of options.

[Top14Hope]

Thanks guys.. 99 days til the June LSAT. Now I just gotta figure out what LSAT questions from the last 10 years I haven't done yet. Game on.

Take the newest 20 practice exams, and spread them out with 3 day breaks in-between the exams, and make it lead up to the real one, so nothing is different. Right? Right.

[sarahlawg]

Now I'm considering taking a year off, doing teach for America or working at my dad's firm, and taking the next 3 months to study religiously for the June LSAT

Are you already in at TFA? you know it's two years and extremely difficult to get into and horrible if you're not into teaching (really into it), right?

If you're going to take a year off (decent plan), just work at your dad's firm. good luck!

[2things2]

Thanks guys.. 99 days til the June LSAT. Now I just gotta figure out what LSAT questions from the last 10 years I haven't done yet. Game on.

Take the newest 20 practice exams, and spread them out with 3 day breaks in-between the exams, and make it lead up to the real one, so nothing is different. Right? Right.

Where can I find these? This is exactly what I need.

[applepiecrust]

Thanks guys.. 99 days til the June LSAT. Now I just gotta figure out what LSAT questions from the last 10 years I haven't done yet. Game on.

Take the newest 20 practice exams, and spread them out with 3 day breaks in-between the exams, and make it lead up to the real one, so nothing is different. Right? Right.

Where can I find these? This is exactly what I need.

You can find them on Amazon (they have some kind of bundle deal, I forget exactly what), and also on the LSAC website.
Also, I'm glad you have decided to retake and reapply because that is what I would've suggested. Lock a school in now though, because sometimes retakes can get messed up (like I think I messed up on my February retake).

[2things2]

Thanks guys.. 99 days til the June LSAT. Now I just gotta figure out what LSAT questions from the last 10 years I haven't done yet. Game on.

Take the newest 20 practice exams, and spread them out with 3 day breaks in-between the exams, and make it lead up to the real one, so nothing is different. Right? Right.

Where can I find these? This is exactly what I need.

You can find them on Amazon (they have some kind of bundle deal, I forget exactly what), and also on the LSAC website.
Also, I'm glad you have decided to retake and reapply because that is what I would've suggested. Lock a school in now though, because sometimes retakes can get messed up (like I think I messed up on my February retake).

This is probably a dumb question -- I took Testmasters, and all of the questions came from actual LSATs (which was amazing). My concern is that I'm going to buy one of these preptests and it will be those same questions. Are they different? And are there more than 20?

[Hey-O]

There are about 58 PTs (maybe more). The last twenty are the most important because they are the most recent. The test had some changes that are not reflected in older tests.

[2things2]

There are about 58 PTs (maybe more). The last twenty are the most important because they are the most recent. The test had some changes that are not reflected in older tests.

I get this -- but are they the actual administered LSATS or are they literally made for practicing? I ask because Testmasters gave me all of the actual administered tests of the last 5 years, and I did all of them. I don't want to buy tests I've already done..

[arvcondor]

OP, the only motivation that I think could really compel you to go to school given what you wrote is if you were in free fall and law school was the only thing to cushion the landing (I'm in a similar situation; won't get into it here). However, given that you've still got professional opportunities in the interim (Teach for America or work for your dad's firm), waiting might be advisable. Too bad; I was hoping to be inducted into Temple's 2014 class with you

[2things2]

I'm still confused on how to study -- I've seen all of the actual tests of the last 5 years, plus the majority of questions from the last 15 years through Testmasters. I have 3 months, but I just don't know where to start. Suggestions?

[sarahlawg]

I'm still confused on how to study -- I've seen all of the actual tests of the last 5 years, plus the majority of questions from the last 15 years through Testmasters. I have 3 months, but I just don't know where to start. Suggestions?

through testmasters, did you do the tests in sections or as full length practice? I think buying them again would still be worthwhile if you did it in sections originally. For me, I noticed that I was often boiling questions down to two answers and picking the wrong one, so I analyzed questions until I saw a pattern in what made one wrong and one right. My weakness was LR though, so this worked for me. I don't have suggestions, other than the Bibles, for the other sections. You just have to commit a shit ton of time. I did not waste my time going over questions I got right though, unless I had specifically noted it as one where I boiled it down to two answers. Some people go over every question on every test, which is a waste of time, IMO. LR is really all about learning the language.

[Top14Hope]

I'm still confused on how to study -- I've seen all of the actual tests of the last 5 years, plus the majority of questions from the last 15 years through Testmasters. I have 3 months, but I just don't know where to start. Suggestions?

It doesn't matter that you did them before. This is the best way to study, period.

Go to: https://os.lsac.org/Release/Shop/PublicationDetail.aspx

Buy the 20 newest individual exams (not the book of 5 of them). Do them starting from the oldest leading up to the newest one you can get your hands on. If there is a couple of the newest 5 that you havent even looked at, then make the LSATs you have never done before come last (i.e. newPT, Break, Break, Break, Real LSAT day)

[cojsterling]

.

[2things2]

What do you guys think would be the minimum score I would need to get in June to decide to reapply? Is it 170 or bust?

[2things2]

What do you guys think would be the minimum score I would need to get in June to decide to reapply? Is it 170 or bust?

anyone?

[dr123]

fyi if you havent already applied to TFA youve missed the deadline for 2011

[flexityflex86]

What do you guys think would be the minimum score I would need to get in June to decide to reapply? Is it 170 or bust?

anyone?

In all fairness, you kind of ruined your own poll. By saying it is fact you would have gotten 5+ points higher, it's a no brainer that if in fact you WILL get 5+ points higher then you should retake.

Such an LSAT score (pending your GPA not being offensive) will result in fee waivers so reapplying will be relatively cheap.

This board has a top of the top or bust mentality, which I'm not so sure is true unless you are going into law to make six-figures out of school, have no connections and are not particularly sharp. At sticker, all law schools tend to carry at least some risk, but even at Temple Law, the risk at going sticker pales in comparison to the risk of paying 40k a year for a BA at a top liberal arts school.

To get into a top 20 school depends on your GPA. Hypothetically, you could get in with the 162 and hypothetically you could be out with a 180.