Retaking 172 LSAT now that I'm waitlisted

[bloopyblooper]

Hey all,

Currently I have a 172, and I have already sent out a bunch of applications. Unfortunately, I just got waitlisted at the two T10 schools I'd most like to attend.

Prior to getting my score, I had been consistently in the 175-178 range. And now that I'm waitlisted, I'd like to retake.


My questions are:

- If I take the June 2011 exam (and I notify schools about my intent to take the exam and hopefully stay on the WL) will those schools be able to report my June exam to the ABA this admissions cycle, hence bolstering my chances at acceptance?

- Could this score be used to negotiate scholarships/Any experiences in which a June LSAT has prompted scholarship offering?

[SisyphusHappy]

Wait, so what did you score on your LSAT?

[bloopyblooper]

172

[williammmc]

^lol.. sarcasm

[bloopyblooper]

^lol.. sarcasm

oh fail

[spacepenguin]

Hey all,

Currently I have a 172, and I have already sent out a bunch of applications. Unfortunately, I just got waitlisted at the two T10 schools I'd most like to attend.

Prior to getting my score, I had been consistently in the 175-178 range. And now that I'm waitlisted, I'd like to retake.


My questions are:

- If I take the June 2011 exam (and I notify schools about my intent to take the exam and hopefully stay on the WL) will those schools be able to report my June exam to the ABA this admissions cycle, hence bolstering my chances at acceptance?

- Could this score be used to negotiate scholarships/Any experiences in which a June LSAT has prompted scholarship offering?

+1. Curious about scholarship implications

[jamiLAW]

Sorry but this is not the right place for this thread

[thecilent]

Sorry but this is not the right place for this thread

Why would you post just to say that? Thats really annoying. The mods will move it if they want.

Sorry, op, I'm not really sure about your questions, but if I were to guess, I'd say yes to them

[booboo]

To the first question, yes, it can help. I remember reading about an anecdotal case about someone who was on the Columbia waitlist in years prior that took a June Administration exam to get off the waitlist.

To the second question... I highly doubt it. Most schools have already dispensed all of the financial aid they expect to allot in a certain year and they're just using WL candidates to fill empty spots in the class. If you score on the higher portion of your testing range, it may be worth considering reapplying.

[bloopyblooper]

Sorry but this is not the right place for this thread

hmmm, sorry. mod? please put this in the correct place. thanks in advance

[bloopyblooper]

To the first question, yes, it can help. I remember reading about an anecdotal case about someone who was on the Columbia waitlist in years prior that took a June Administration exam to get off the waitlist.

To the second question... I highly doubt it. Most schools have already dispensed all of the financial aid they expect to allot in a certain year and they're just using WL candidates to fill empty spots in the class. If you score on the higher portion of your testing range, it may be worth considering reapplying.

Hmmmmm, I'll search for a link. I'll post it if I find anything. Thanks.

Sorry, op, I'm not really sure about your questions, but if I were to guess, I'd say yes to them

Thanks for offering your opinion. Appreciate it.

[bloopyblooper]

And of course, if anyone else has experience on this matter, please do share it.

[bdubs]

You are above median at most T10 schools. Unless your WLs are at Harvard and Columbia it's probably your GPA or some other portion of your application that put you on the WL. It might help some, but it probably won't replace whatever it was they weren't so fond of.

[Verity]

Scores don't come out until July, and by then these two schools may have either accepted or denied you off the waitlist. Your best bet is to shoot them an email asking them this exact question, rather than us, since 1) we don't know which schools you're talking about, and 2) even if we did, we don't necessarily know process at each one. Just ask them, and put in a deposit at another school in the meantime.

[bloopyblooper]

Scores don't come out until July, and by then these two schools may have either accepted or denied you off the waitlist. Your best bet is to shoot them an email asking them this exact question, rather than us, since 1) we don't know which schools you're talking about, and 2) even if we did, we don't necessarily know process at each one. Just ask them, and put in a deposit at another school in the meantime.

You are above median at most T10 schools. Unless your WLs are at Harvard and Columbia it's probably your GPA or some other portion of your application that put you on the WL. It might help some, but it probably won't replace whatever it was they weren't so fond of.

Thanks fellas - Until my law school start date, I'll be productive/doing the things I enjoy, and I would like to make sure that I can provide them sufficient additional achievements to push me over the edge.

I'm basically entertaining any idea that can add incremental value to my app. :\ Tough, restless times.

[unc0mm0n1]

Scores don't come out until July, and by then these two schools may have either accepted or denied you off the waitlist. Your best bet is to shoot them an email asking them this exact question, rather than us, since 1) we don't know which schools you're talking about, and 2) even if we did, we don't necessarily know process at each one. Just ask them, and put in a deposit at another school in the meantime.

You are above median at most T10 schools. Unless your WLs are at Harvard and Columbia it's probably your GPA or some other portion of your application that put you on the WL. It might help some, but it probably won't replace whatever it was they weren't so fond of.

Thanks fellas - Until my law school start date, I'll be productive/doing the things I enjoy, and I would like to make sure that I can provide them sufficient additional achievements to push me over the edge.

I'm basically entertaining any idea that can add incremental value to my app. :\ Tough, restless times.

In the same boat sort of. I'm taking the February one though. My gpa is great but my lsat could use some help I'm hoping for 170. That would make me feel a lot better about getting cash at some of my higher ranked schools

[Ship87]

I'm not sure if it will help you get off the WL because its so late in the cycle, but if you really think you can score higher than you may want to wait and apply again next year? Also, in case anyone thinks that retaking at 172 is ridiculous, it is not. I retook a 171 and got a 177, and I'm sure that substantially changed my cycle. But I'll say the same advice I told someone a few a months when they were considering retaking in December:

Don't retake with a 170+ score unless there was something definite you screwed up on and you realized during the test. I.e., for me it was the June 2010 logic games that I knew, as I was taking the test, that I had done very bad on. The other sections I did like my practice tests, so I knew that my nerves had gotten to me. If I controlled my nerves in October and didn't lose -5 on the LG (when in practice I lost 0) then I knew I would get a higher score. So I retook, and did.

BUT, if you got a 172 and there wasn't anything that was really different (i.e. a section you definitely did much worse on than your PT could have predicted) then retaking is in all likelihood not likely to raise your score by much.

[Sandro]

Someone else said it, your lsat is already above median. There is likely some other part of your application that is lacking. You could take a year off but there might be a strong possibility you end up on that same wl with your new 174 next year.

[bloopyblooper]

@Ship87 exam jitters during section 1 (RC) messed it up

@Sandro I kinda just have nothing to do, u know? I can pretty much do everything I would otherwise be doing if I practiced LSAT twice/week. It's mostly a question of whether I want to sacrifice a lot of energy & add a ton more stress (aka forgo weekends).

Also, taking the June LSAT is entirely for getting off WLs or negotiating scholarships. (not reapplying)

[CanadianWolf]

Retake for three reasons:
1) You are going to retake regardless of what anyone recommends.
2) If you don't retake, you'll always wonder "What if...".
3) You need at least a 173 to teach for one of the LSAT prep courses.

[arism87]

3) You need at least a 173 to teach for one of the LSAT prep courses.

What course is that? Even Manhattan took my 172

[CanadianWolf]

Not certain if the standard was changed recently but it was either PowerScore or Test Masters.

[bigjinjapan]

This is an interesting question--I'm curious how the whole WL thing pans out as summer goes on.

Retaking the LSAT at this stage is a fairly low-risk proposition: it's not a ton of money and if you've got the time anyway, why not? Worst case you bomb it and cancel your score. Well, worst-worst-case you think you did really well, don't cancel and wind up with a worse score. But then, I take it you've already been accepted at schools you'd be willing to attend?

Also, I understand that some people are offered scholarship money when taken off the WL. If you think about it, schools offer a lot of scholly money to people who wind up withdrawing, so the amount of funds available could conceivably move into positive territory as summer wears on, and if most of the class has already paid their seat deposits they don't need to be bribed, do they...?

[arism87]

Not certain if the standard was changed recently but it was either PowerScore or Test Masters.

Oh I always thought the highest standard was 99th percentile which generally a 172 rounds up... hmm.. hopefully one point doesn't come back to haunt me!

(Sorry for hijacking the thread OP- good luck with whatever you decide!)

[bloopyblooper]

np, and thanks for all your input

I registered for the June LSAT, so it looks like I'm in for the rough ride.


I'll post back results in 4 months