Postby ChiefMango » Sun Jan 04, 2015 12:43 am
If sitting out for a cycle is not an option, study as hard as you can for February and have everything else ready to submit ASAP.
If you can sit out, here's what I'd suggest doing:
Study your butt off for February, and put the finishing touches on your application. If the test / your cycle turn out favorably, great! If not, then dedicate as much time as you need to taking the LSAT again in June / September 2015. Since that would be your last take, do not take the test until you are consistently scoring in your range. You want to be able to wake up half-asleep and sick, take the test in pen (exaggeration, obviously, since you should never bring pens or mechanical pencils to the LSAT, but you get what I mean), and still be able to score what you want, before you sit down for your last take. If it takes you until September to get there, wait until September. Then apply early and kill the cycle.
In that time off, you should be reworking your statements to perfection. Don't over-edit, since that may make them worse, but they should be the absolute best foot you can put forward. Take the time to craft a great Diversity Statement if you haven't already, and write as many "Why X" essays to maximize your chances at schools that yield protect. Send your statements around to your trusted friends, and get as much feedback as possible. I'd caution you posting statements on TLS / sending them to anonymous people, but that's just my own risk-aversion talking.
May the odds be ever in your favor.