Just how bad is it if I am absent for Saturday? Forum

[ss701bm]

For a whole host of reasons, I am coming to the conclusion that it's best to not take Dec 2010, just wait for the next cycle and go for June 2011. I am happy with this decision and think it's for the best. My score is okay, but not good enough to get into my top school and I have a pretty solid GPA. I am not up for retaking (and especially not in Feb). I want to take it once and do well.

I've searched on here for topics about being absent, but most seem pretty vague and not very definitive. I know it doesn't count towards your 3 tests and according to the woman I spoke to today from LSAC "law schools generally do not take it into consideration" Keyword, generally. That's what made me nervous.

I guess what I'm asking is, just how bad is it? Will most schools not take notice? Or to the extreme, would it prevent someone from getting into a T1 school? I am just trying to gauge here feelings on what it says to admissions and about me as a person.

Thanks!

[glitter178]

For a whole host of reasons, I am coming to the conclusion that it's best to not take Dec 2010, just wait for the next cycle and go for June 2011. I am happy with this decision and think it's for the best. My score is okay, but not good enough to get into my top school and I have a pretty solid GPA. I am not up for retaking (and especially not in Feb). I want to take it once and do well.

I've searched on here for topics about being absent, but most seem pretty vague and not very definitive. I know it doesn't count towards your 3 tests and according to the woman I spoke to today from LSAC "law schools generally do not take it into consideration" Keyword, generally. That's what made me nervous.

I guess what I'm asking is, just how bad is it? Will most schools not take notice? Or to the extreme, would it prevent someone from getting into a T1 school? I am just trying to gauge here feelings on what it says to admissions and about me as a person.

Thanks!

it'll be fine. better than having a bad score on file. it's december-- worst case scenario if a law school asks you to explain your absence, you say you were sick.

[Mrs. Jack Donaghy]

I spoke to an adcomm today (from one of HYS) and was told that an absence was better than going to the test to end up canceling. She said to write an addendum.

[benito]

This was was something I did a lot of research on and talked to a lot of people at various schools about when I was deciding whether to be absent or cancel or risk a poor score last June. The final consensus: One absence or one cancellation is basically considered nothing, an addendum is good but the committees figure since they don't have the time to investigate everyone's reasons they will basically treat that one time as a get out of jail free situation. Anything after that though establishes a pattern and is an issue, so if you have one absence you don't want to cancel it the next time if you think you did poorly. As far as deciding whether to go with an absence or a cancellation the first time the opinion on this was a little more split but fell more favorably on the side of being absent, since you were ostensibly never exposed to the test. Hope this helps.

[ss701bm]

This was was something I did a lot of research on and talked to a lot of people at various schools about when I was deciding whether to be absent or cancel or risk a poor score last June. The final consensus: One absence or one cancellation is basically considered nothing, an addendum is good but the committees figure since they don't have the time to investigate everyone's reasons they will basically treat that one time as a get out of jail free situation. Anything after that though establishes a pattern and is an issue, so if you have one absence you don't want to cancel it the next time if you think you did poorly. As far as deciding whether to go with an absence or a cancellation the first time the opinion on this was a little more split but fell more favorably on the side of being absent, since you were ostensibly never exposed to the test. Hope this helps.

This is really helpful! I know it's not idea and I want to present myself in the best light, but I am consistently not getting the score I want for the school I want to. I think there are some techniques I need to review and work on more. Logically it seems best to postpone it, I just don't want it to hurt me.

What did you decide to do in your situation last June? Absent, cancellation or take it?

[ss701bm]

I spoke to an adcomm today (from one of HYS) and was told that an absence was better than going to the test to end up canceling. She said to write an addendum.

Ah! Cool, this is helpful. Does this addendum just get attached to your main application? Is it even necessary unless investigated? I am sick at the moment, so saying I am sick isn't fibs, but if they don't ask is it necessary to tell?

[Sandro]

it goes on your PERMANENT RECORD

[well-hello-there]

This was was something I did a lot of research on and talked to a lot of people at various schools about when I was deciding whether to be absent or cancel or risk a poor score last June. The final consensus: One absence or one cancellation is basically considered nothing, an addendum is good but the committees figure since they don't have the time to investigate everyone's reasons they will basically treat that one time as a get out of jail free situation. Anything after that though establishes a pattern and is an issue, so if you have one absence you don't want to cancel it the next time if you think you did poorly. As far as deciding whether to go with an absence or a cancellation the first time the opinion on this was a little more split but fell more favorably on the side of being absent, since you were ostensibly never exposed to the test. Hope this helps.

If you are quite sure you did poorly, I think it would be better to have an absence and then a cancellation rather than an absence and then a bad score.

[SupraVln180]

100 percent, take an absence. You will still have 3 tries at the test. If you show up and cancel, you blow one of your chances.

[ss701bm]

100 percent, take an absence. You will still have 3 tries at the test. If you show up and cancel, you blow one of your chances.

This is comforting to read. Thanks!

[SupraVln180]

100 percent, take an absence. You will still have 3 tries at the test. If you show up and cancel, you blow one of your chances.

This is comforting to read. Thanks!

Sorry if that came off like you're going to do bad or something. All I meant was if you're not ready, take an absence, always better than a cancel.

[ss701bm]

Sorry if that came off like you're going to do bad or something. All I meant was if you're not ready, take an absence, always better than a cancel.

Huh? No, not at all! I never felt like you were insinuating I was going to do badly! Did my response seem sarcastic? What I was saying is that it's nice to have someone reconfirm what you were thinking by saying 100% take an absence. I know that applying is so competitive and I don't want to shoot myself in the foot with a low score, but I also don't want to poo poo on my chances by having an absence so perhaps that explains my sort of about all this.

You're taking the test tomorrow? Good luck!

[pppokerface]

I read anna ivey's thing on absence vs cancel, and while she seems to favor absence, she goes back and forth on it and adcomms also seemed a bit unsure (they wrote emails back on how they felt)
so do whatever is best for you if you can't take it in your best condition.

[northwood]

I talked to a few admissions officers about this when I was debating the June test. Their response was, if you are 100% sure that you are not fully prepared, take an absence. Since you have to make the decision 3 weeks before the test, they are more lenient. thye look at a cancel as, 1) either nerves got the best of you, 2) you were unprepared and decided to see what the test was about, or 3) never had the intention of keeping the score, and wanted to see what the actual conditions were. however, they only forget one cancel or absence. If you do this, you have to keep the score, or else you will start to give the impression of being a flake, or noncommitial.

absence doesnt count against you

cancel counts as taking the test 1/3 chances

either way, you should write an addendum to explain why you were absent or decided to cancel.

[ss701bm]

I talked to a few admissions officers about this when I was debating the June test. Their response was, if you are 100% sure that you are not fully prepared, take an absence. Since you have to make the decision 3 weeks before the test, they are more lenient. thye look at a cancel as, 1) either nerves got the best of you, 2) you were unprepared and decided to see what the test was about, or 3) never had the intention of keeping the score, and wanted to see what the actual conditions were. however, they only forget one cancel or absence. If you do this, you have to keep the score, or else you will start to give the impression of being a flake, or noncommitial.

absence doesnt count against you

cancel counts as taking the test 1/3 chances

either way, you should write an addendum to explain why you were absent or decided to cancel.

What did you decide to do in the end?

[northwood]

was absent for june used the time in june to tweak my resume and start my personal statement, took the october test( used the time after the test to finish up all applications). recieving acceptances now!

[ss701bm]

was absent for june used the time in june to tweak my resume and start my personal statement, took the october test( used the time after the test to finish up all applications). recieving acceptances now!

That seems wise. How did you explain that in your addendum? I have been not feeling 100% but it's not worth going to the doctor over, leg aches, fever, coughing (flu like) etc, but generally overall I know I could not achieve the score I want with my GPA (I went to British university, so the conversion is tricky, I am in the 'above average' range). I am not quite sure how you explain that, so I am just wondering how you phrased it.

If you mind me asking, where have you received acceptances? Congratulations!

[northwood]

I just said that i was absent due to illness.

so far ub and west virginia gave decisions. Im still waiting for 12 more schools to respond.lol

[CanadianWolf]

If you are in Minnesota, then it's fine.

[kazu]

If you are in Minnesota, then it's fine.

[well-hello-there]

they only forget one cancel or absence. If you do this, you have to keep the score, or else you will start to give the impression of being a flake, or noncommitial.

I would rather cancel and give them the impression of being a flake, than not cancel a score that I am sure is a bad score (If I indeed thought I did bad.) and then get that bad score and prove to the adcomms that I don't measure up. They're not going to forget about a bad score either.