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Hi,

I've posted on here a few times (usually in panic), but here's my case:

I planned on applying and potentially going to some of the schools listed above, but did not plan on having to ED to them, as I was testing MUCH higher than my actual LSAT score of 161. I definitely plan to retake the LSAT, but now that I'm within the 1 month range I may be leaning towards applying next cycle and taking it Feb. or June, as I have yet to start restudying and want to crush it.

That being said, if I could get into one of the schools listed above, I wouldn't be entirely opposed and would maybe even go directly in. But do I even have a chance at admission if I ED with a 161 and a 3.55? I recognize that they will likely want to see a second LSAT score, but hypothetically, if I took it in February and scored a 169, for instance, what would my chances be at the schools listed above, plus stretches like Cornell and UT Austin?

Also, I have a somewhat legitimate excuse (legitimate in the sense that it almost certainly contributed to a lower score, not in the sense that it legitimizes or warrants overlooking my poor score) for the LSAT, as on the eve of test day I discovered that my admission ticket and ID didn't match up. So, after calling and e-mailing that night, I called in the morning and was explicitly told that I was absolutely not going to be able to take the test. I went anyway and they let me take it...in retrospect, I wish I had waited because my first section was RC and I was still so worked up and freaked out that I absolutely bombed it. Should I write an addendum in hopes that they won't average the two, or would that paint me as an irresponsible applicant, as it shows that I didn't check the ad. ticket until the night before?

Thanks in advance

TennesseeJed wrote:Hi,

I've posted on here a few times (usually in panic), but here's my case:

I planned on applying and potentially going to some of the schools listed above, but did not plan on having to ED to them, as I was testing MUCH higher than my actual LSAT score of 161. I definitely plan to retake the LSAT, but now that I'm within the 1 month range I may be leaning towards applying next cycle and taking it Feb. or June, as I have yet to start restudying and want to crush it.

That being said, if I could get into one of the schools listed above, I wouldn't be entirely opposed and would maybe even go directly in. But do I even have a chance at admission if I ED with a 161 and a 3.55? I recognize that they will likely want to see a second LSAT score, but hypothetically, if I took it in February and scored a 169, for instance, what would my chances be at the schools listed above, plus stretches like Cornell and UT Austin?

Also, I have a somewhat legitimate excuse (legitimate in the sense that it almost certainly contributed to a lower score, not in the sense that it legitimizes or warrants overlooking my poor score) for the LSAT, as on the eve of test day I discovered that my admission ticket and ID didn't match up. So, after calling and e-mailing that night, I called in the morning and was explicitly told that I was absolutely not going to be able to take the test. I went anyway and they let me take it...in retrospect, I wish I had waited because my first section was RC and I was still so worked up and freaked out that I absolutely bombed it. Should I write an addendum in hopes that they won't average the two, or would that paint me as an irresponsible applicant, as it shows that I didn't check the ad. ticket until the night before?

Thanks in advance

Schools don't average scores.

All those schools are a terrible idea at sticker, which is what you would pay if you got in.

So what's my move? Take it in February and apply next cycle? All three (Fordham, BU, and Emory) all seem pretty legitimate to me, but again, I didn't anticipate having to apply ED in order to get in...

TennesseeJed wrote:So what's my move? Take it in February and apply next cycle? All three (Fordham, BU, and Emory) all seem pretty legitimate to me, but again, I didn't anticipate having to apply ED in order to get in...

If you get a high score on the February LSAT there's no reason you can't apply late in the cycle and get a bunch of money from schools that wouldn't offer you anything now or would reject you outright.

Applications are still trending downward, in part because savvy students are coming to recognize that paying $45K+ per year tuition for the schools you're targeting makes no sense, given the employment prospects for grads of those schools. These places are going to be desperate for highly qualified applicants next spring.

Thanks for the advice. Should I send in the first part of my applications in now, or should I wait until I get my score back? I've been told that (obviously) you want to apply with the best possible credentials, so right now I'm strongly considering applying next cycle, as my GPA could maybe (big maybe) get up to a 3.7, I'd have a better score, and I'd have the advantage of applying early. That being said, if you think I have a viable shot at good schools w/ money, I'd definitely consider applying late.

Thanks a lot for your feedback!

EDing to BU will result in a full-ride scholarship. That said, I don't think you have the numbers to get it as is.

None of these schools are worth sticker. Fordham may be worth it if you got a 80k+ scholarship, but the jury's still out. No pun intended.