California T2's...advice needed! Forum

[Great Satchmo]

That's the other piece.

If for whatever reason, you have a bad test, or a test that is not representative of the practice tests you take, you may very well score about the same or even worse.

I'd be pretty unhappy if I scored the same or worse, or even just 1 or 2 points higher for another year off.

If I was 100% sure I'd get a 175 next time, I'd take the year off, but I have no idea what my score could be. I have faith I could do a lot better, but there are too many variables to take into account.

Also, with the application cycle going as it does, it looks like someone with a ~160 then a 170 aren't being considered at the level that I would presume that should be (as someone who can score a 170).

[nahgems]

FWIW, I applied last year with similar numbers (3.7/158). I work in the Bay Area and wanted a program that would allow me to keep my job which limited my options to Santa Clara, USF and GGU. I was accepted at all three, then decided to retake the LSAT and increased my score 163. I petitioned for additional scholarship money. Apparently 5 LSAT points was worth an additional $1250/year to Santa Clara, and *nothing* to USF. GGU bumped me from 15k to full tuition.

In the end I was left with a similar decision to yours: is a T2 in Cali (Santa Clara) worth almost sticker? I decided it wasn't and went with GGU for free. I'm happy with my decision. I've been impressed with the faculty and the opportunities so far. And I don't have the crushing debt - so if things don't work out for me, I'm not stressed. I can't tell you what the correct decision for you is, but it was the right decision for me.