Taking the LSAT for the 4th time Forum

[LeSabre25]

Hello, everyone.

So this past October, I took the LSAT for the 3rd time and made a 159. (First two were a 156 and then a 157). I had no intention of taking it another time, and started applying. I got into Wake Forest, Howard, Suffolk, South Texas College of Law. Waitlisted at Boston College, Baylor & George Washington. My GPA is a 3.1 and I'm a URM. I ultimately decided to go to Howard Law and started planning a move to D.C.

However, with this coronavirus going around and a severe medical condition I have which causes a depressed immune system, I have been advised by my parents and health professional not to attempt to go off to law school this fall but to wait another year. I am really struggling with this, but I also know that because of my health, it is something to consider. So, my thinking was if I'm going to wait another year until all this passes, the least I can do is make the most of my time and take the LSAT again, apply earlier in the cycle and see what happens.

My question is: Will a 4th test take adversely affect my chances? Will law schools look unfavorably upon that? And if I explain in an addendum what I've talked about here, is that a good enough reason?

[antelope]

If you're able to improve your score it won't matter. Sign up again only if you're hitting 160+ in timed practice, though, don't just sign up and "hope" to improve. You then can do a brief addendum if you want, but don't bring up your health if it doesn't affect the score itself, just say that you prepared more, increased your score, and the highest one's more representative. With that gpa, your lsat matters way more

[LeSabre25]

If you're able to improve your score it won't matter. Sign up again only if you're hitting 160+ in timed practice, though, don't just sign up and "hope" to improve. You then can do a brief addendum if you want, but don't bring up your health if it doesn't affect the score itself, just say that you prepared more, increased your score, and the highest one's more representative. With that gpa, your lsat matters way more

Thank you! Towards the last couple of weeks before I took the test this last time, I was making 160+ with the highest being a 163. Test day, though, I didn't do so well. But now that I have a great study method and thinking about taking the LSAT in August so I have plenty of time to prepare, I think I'll do okay. I was mostly just worried about 4 times for the LSAT looking excessive.

[antelope]

It sounds like you're on the right track here, OP. If you keep the upward trend, you can get better options for school when you reapply, especially with the URM boost. Best of luck in this process, you got this