Am I crazy? Forum

[kentee15]

I have a 169 and a 3.1 Ive been accepted to WashU with 10,000/yr scholly but I underachieved on the LSAT would it make sense to take a year off and retake. Would my options if I applied in September of next year be significantly better with a 172 and a 3.1?

[BenJ]

If you have a good job in the mean time, a 172/3.1 could get you into Northwestern. But the question is really whether you think you can (a) get good work experience and (b) be very likely to get an improvement on your LSAT retake. WUSTL will always take anyone with a 170+, so even if you improve only a single point you'll easily get the same offer or better next year.

A year off also might not be a bad idea because it means graduating a year later, giving the economy an extra year to improve.

[ec2xs]

I have a 169 and a 3.1 Ive been accepted to WashU with 10,000/yr scholly but I underachieved on the LSAT would it make sense to take a year off and retake. Would my options if I applied in September of next year be significantly better with a 172 and a 3.1?

In a word, no. Wash U's scholarships seemed to be really reliant on subjective materials (that is to say, your numbers didn't guarantee you any sort of money). I'm sure you read the WUSTL thread; people with high numbers got less than they expected, some with lower scores got more than they expected. And there's no guarantee that you'll be able to score above a 169, which is already a really solid score.

If you're looking to apply all over the country, then I suppose you could consider it. If you're just out of undergrad, even more so. But if WUSTL is your goal, then I wouldn't risk it. Just try to negotiate for more scholarship money.

[kentee15]

I view WashU as a decent option but I was really hoping for USC or Cornell, I know with my GPA those will both be tough to get into but if I improved on my LSAT would I have a chance?

[ec2xs]

I view WashU as a decent option but I was really hoping for USC or Cornell, I know with my GPA those will both be tough to get into but if I improved on my LSAT would I have a chance?

Ah, if you're aiming for other schools then sure, it's worth considering. Especially if you can pick up some good softs during the year off (work or volunteering with law-related organizations).

I still think it's a crapshoot adding to a 169, but if you aren't happy with your choices and you are young enough to add some resume fodder, go for it.