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Going into October 1, 2011 LSAT i felt pretty solid on all of my sections. I was diag-ing in the 170 - 176 range pretty consistently for 2 weeks leading up to the exam and felt my best strategy was -0 on logic games and just hope for the best on RC and LR.

As it turned out I got LG first and I don't know if it was the panic, the actual difficulty of the game, or the fact that I kept thinking it was the experimental, but certainly underperformed on this section. I normally miss 0 on this section (-1 at the worst) and let RC/LR determine my score. On this test I had to make an educated guess on about 3 LG questions and flat out guess on another 1. So, at worst, i'm hoping for -4.

I felt pretty strong about the RC and LR and finished both sections with time to go, plus I know I am capable of doing really well on the RC and LR, but I still am really reluctant to take that chance. I am set on getting in the 170 range because I know I am capable, but I am going crazy over whether or not I should cancel.

First off, there is still a chance that I got in the 170 range, but I am not exactly banking on that because I know how it feels when you finish a 170+ test and quite frankly I don't have the feeling.
In the event that I do get a 165 (the lowest I expect to get) I would at least have the peace of mind in seeing my score, which I think would alleviate some of the stress of a December test.

I guess when it comes down to it, I am faced with this hypothetical situation:
A) Receive a 165, retake it in december and hope for a 170+
B) Cancel my score, retake it in december and hope for a 170+


I am half mexican, have a 3.81 GPA, and I'm and Econ major at UC Berkeley. With a 170+ I think I am a pretty good candidate at any top 14 school. Will those chances SIGNIFICANTLY change if I have a 165, instead of a cancel? I know its BETTER to have a cancel, but in my case how much worse is a 165 considering I at least get to see my score.


PLEASE help me out because the cancellation deadline in friday and I am seriously TORN over this decision.

I was going to say don't cancel until I saw you're HYS material. The only reason to cancel would be the concern of someone averaging your scores, and the only schools that do that are in the HYS territory, so for you it might be worth it. Otherwise, if you're really expecting a 165 but confident in a 170+, it shouldn't be a problem. Most schools say that 6+ points between two scores is reason enough to take the higher score alone.

thanks for the response. anyone see it the other way around?

I'm a little spooked, as I am in the EXACT same situation as you.

- Half-Mexican, 3.8 from UCLA, been PTing 170+
- Got LG first, freaked out a little, then regained composure for the rest.
- I think 165 is worst case for me - 170 is possible, but not probable.

I decided to not cancel the score. What did you decide afterall?