Reverse Splitter: NU vs. Minnesota vs. Illinois Forum

[Purple Ranger]

So here's my stats. 162 LSAT (3rd Take) and 3.99 GPA.

Career goals are Chicago Big Law.

NU: 45k
Illinois: Full Tuition
Minnesota: 105k

Waitlisted at Michigan, Texas, UCLA, Vanderbilt.

I applied later in the cycle. NU won't negotiate unless I'm accepted and offered money at a few other schools.

[grades??]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

[notsolawful]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

[grades??]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

You can always retake. We don't know when his last take was, we don't know when his next retake is available, etc. Even if his last take was in Feb, he should go work for a few more years and improve on that lsat.

I mean OP, if you get 8 more questions right, you are going to a lower t13 for free. NU for free. Get 10 questions, and you have a legitimate shot at Harvard.

[AT9]

What's your total COA at these schools?

Assuming you're financing this with loans, I'd go with Illinois. NU is a lot of $ and I'd only do Minnesota over Illinois if you'd definitely rather live in Minnesota.

Edit: if this was OP's first or second try, I'd absolutely join the retake choir. But if this is OP's highest score out of three tries, idk how likely it is that OP would improve significantly. And asking OP to put his/her life on hold for several years for a small chance of improving on the LSAT is asking a lot when s/he has a solid school at a reasonable price on the table.

[trebekismyhero]

So here's my stats. 162 LSAT (3rd Take) and 3.99 GPA.

Career goals are Chicago Big Law.

NU: 45k
Illinois: Full Tuition
Minnesota: 105k

Waitlisted at Michigan, Texas, UCLA, Vanderbilt.

I applied later in the cycle. NU won't negotiate unless I'm accepted and offered money at a few other schools.

You should wait and retake if Chicago big law is the goal.

If you are going to waste the GPA it is between Illinois and NU. Throw Minnesota out.

What will be your COA at NU? If it is over $200k I would go to Illinois

[guynourmin]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

there is no limit to how many times you can take the LSAT, only how many times you can take the LSAT in a given period. OP should definitely retake.

[AT9]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

there is no limit to how many times you can take the LSAT, only how many times you can take the LSAT in a given period. OP should definitely retake.

How likely do you think it is that OP will improve on a fourth or fifth try if 162 is the highest after three attempts? Unless OP didn't study well or much for the previous three takes, I don't really see the point of a retake.

[grades??]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

there is no limit to how many times you can take the LSAT, only how many times you can take the LSAT in a given period. OP should definitely retake.

How likely do you think it is that OP will improve on a fourth or fifth try if 162 is the highest after three attempts? Unless OP didn't study well or much for the previous three takes, I don't really see the point of a retake.

A 162 means he's getting 20+ questions wrong. That means there is systematic issues in his testing. Stuff that can be fixed. If op missed a single question on games for example, that's a stupidly easy thing to correct with free YouTube videos and practice. A 162 can easily be improved on with a month of work and practice tests.

[guynourmin]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

there is no limit to how many times you can take the LSAT, only how many times you can take the LSAT in a given period. OP should definitely retake.

How likely do you think it is that OP will improve on a fourth or fifth try if 162 is the highest after three attempts? Unless OP didn't study well or much for the previous three takes, I don't really see the point of a retake.

You have no idea how OP studied. It sounds like you want to assume they studied "well", but since most peoples study habits are terrible it seems a safer assumption that they studied poorly. We might as well ask OP, though:


OP, did you take every PT under something like testing conditions (at least, no interruptions, relatively quiet, etc. I'm okay with slightly longer bathroom breaks or grabbing a cup of coffee or whathaveyou) and spend a similar amount of time doing BR and writing out explanations, etc?

[AT9]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

there is no limit to how many times you can take the LSAT, only how many times you can take the LSAT in a given period. OP should definitely retake.

How likely do you think it is that OP will improve on a fourth or fifth try if 162 is the highest after three attempts? Unless OP didn't study well or much for the previous three takes, I don't really see the point of a retake.

You have no idea how OP studied. It sounds like you want to assume they studied "well", but since most peoples study habits are terrible it seems a safer assumption that they studied poorly. We might as well ask OP, though:


OP, did you take every PT under something like testing conditions (at least, no interruptions, relatively quiet, etc. I'm okay with slightly longer bathroom breaks or grabbing a cup of coffee or whathaveyou) and spend a similar amount of time doing BR and writing out explanations, etc?

I'd be less inclined to assume that OP studied decently if OP hadnt taken it three times already. More than that, I'm assuming that OP likely won't wait a few years to take another shot at an exam s/he's probably sick of, even IF that would be the better option. We're talking about a school with 35ish% biglaw and 80-some percent FTLT, bar-passage required jobs at a very manageable price. I just think the value of a retake and career delay is marginal here.

But you're right, and I'm probably projecting. It would be best to know how OP studied, along with career goals and all.

[guynourmin]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

there is no limit to how many times you can take the LSAT, only how many times you can take the LSAT in a given period. OP should definitely retake.

How likely do you think it is that OP will improve on a fourth or fifth try if 162 is the highest after three attempts? Unless OP didn't study well or much for the previous three takes, I don't really see the point of a retake.

You have no idea how OP studied. It sounds like you want to assume they studied "well", but since most peoples study habits are terrible it seems a safer assumption that they studied poorly. We might as well ask OP, though:


OP, did you take every PT under something like testing conditions (at least, no interruptions, relatively quiet, etc. I'm okay with slightly longer bathroom breaks or grabbing a cup of coffee or whathaveyou) and spend a similar amount of time doing BR and writing out explanations, etc?

I'd be less inclined to assume that OP studied decently if OP hadnt taken it three times already. More than that, I'm assuming that OP likely won't wait a few years to take another shot at an exam s/he's probably sick of, even IF that would be the better option. We're talking about a school with 35ish% biglaw and 80-some percent FTLT, bar-passage required jobs at a very manageable price. I just think the value of a retake and career delay is marginal here.

But you're right, and I'm probably projecting. It would be best to know how OP studied, along with career goals and all.

full ride to Illinois is a fine option for many people. I don't think its a good option when the ONLY goal they post is "Chicago BL", though.

[snowball2]

full ride to Illinois is a fine option for many people. I don't think its a good option when the ONLY goal they post is "Chicago BL", though.

I can agree that it's not the best option, but I wouldn't go so far to say it's not a good option.

[cavalier1138]

full ride to Illinois is a fine option for many people. I don't think its a good option when the ONLY goal they post is "Chicago BL", though.

I can agree that it's not the best option, but I wouldn't go so far to say it's not a good option.

If you define <50% chance at meeting your goals as a "good option", I think it just becomes an issue of semantics.

[AT9]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

there is no limit to how many times you can take the LSAT, only how many times you can take the LSAT in a given period. OP should definitely retake.

How likely do you think it is that OP will improve on a fourth or fifth try if 162 is the highest after three attempts? Unless OP didn't study well or much for the previous three takes, I don't really see the point of a retake.

You have no idea how OP studied. It sounds like you want to assume they studied "well", but since most peoples study habits are terrible it seems a safer assumption that they studied poorly. We might as well ask OP, though:


OP, did you take every PT under something like testing conditions (at least, no interruptions, relatively quiet, etc. I'm okay with slightly longer bathroom breaks or grabbing a cup of coffee or whathaveyou) and spend a similar amount of time doing BR and writing out explanations, etc?

I'd be less inclined to assume that OP studied decently if OP hadnt taken it three times already. More than that, I'm assuming that OP likely won't wait a few years to take another shot at an exam s/he's probably sick of, even IF that would be the better option. We're talking about a school with 35ish% biglaw and 80-some percent FTLT, bar-passage required jobs at a very manageable price. I just think the value of a retake and career delay is marginal here.

But you're right, and I'm probably projecting. It would be best to know how OP studied, along with career goals and all.

full ride to Illinois is a fine option for many people. I don't think its a good option when the ONLY goal they post is "Chicago BL", though.

Yeah, wow, somehow I missed that in the OP or mixed up my threads. RC fail. That makes me lean more toward exploring retake options. Illinois still isn't a bad option IMO but a T14 would help bigly. Again, depends on OP's LSAT history and prospects for doing better.

[Purple Ranger]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

I'm pretty sure it actually is a thing. Source: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... e+splitter.

On your second point. Do I have ragrets? Absolutely I wish I studied harder or got some help.

[Purple Ranger]

there is no such thing as a reverse splitter. Retake. don't waste that beautiful gpa.

He can't retake. He said that was his 3rd try.

You can always retake. We don't know when his last take was, we don't know when his next retake is available, etc. Even if his last take was in Feb, he should go work for a few more years and improve on that lsat.

I mean OP, if you get 8 more questions right, you are going to a lower t13 for free. NU for free. Get 10 questions, and you have a legitimate shot at Harvard.

As cool as Harvard Law is I'm not really interested. Dream school is Northwestern. My next available would be December of 2020.

[lymenheimer]

As cool as Harvard Law is I'm not really interested. Dream school is Northwestern. My next available would be December of 2020.

You're either bad at math, or really good at it...

[cavalier1138]

As cool as Harvard Law is I'm not really interested. Dream school is Northwestern. My next available would be December of 2020.

Unless you took all three of your LSATs in December of next year, I don't think that's true...

Anyway, Northwestern at that price doesn't make any sense, especially when raising your LSAT would mean you get to go for free.

[Purple Ranger]

As cool as Harvard Law is I'm not really interested. Dream school is Northwestern. My next available would be December of 2020.

Unless you took all three of your LSATs in December of next year, I don't think that's true...

Anyway, Northwestern at that price doesn't make any sense, especially when raising your LSAT would mean you get to go for free.

First take was December of 2015. Isn't that score only good for 5 years?

[cavalier1138]

As cool as Harvard Law is I'm not really interested. Dream school is Northwestern. My next available would be December of 2020.

Unless you took all three of your LSATs in December of next year, I don't think that's true...

Anyway, Northwestern at that price doesn't make any sense, especially when raising your LSAT would mean you get to go for free.

First take was December of 2015. Isn't that score only good for 5 years?

Right. But you can take the LSAT three times within a 2-year period. So you're actually eligible to retake this December.

[Purple Ranger]

As cool as Harvard Law is I'm not really interested. Dream school is Northwestern. My next available would be December of 2020.

Unless you took all three of your LSATs in December of next year, I don't think that's true...

Anyway, Northwestern at that price doesn't make any sense, especially when raising your LSAT would mean you get to go for free.

First take was December of 2015. Isn't that score only good for 5 years?

Right. But you can take the LSAT three times within a 2-year period. So you're actually eligible to retake this December.

Shit, I might have to look this up. If I actually am eligible this December that changes things. I thought because I had taken the LSAT 3 times and my first was December of 2015 I would have to wait until December of 2020.

Edit: You might have given me the best news all night.

[guynourmin]

YES!! get good advice and listen to it! Retake. You know it's the right choice!

[Purple Ranger]

YES!! get good advice and listen to it! Retake. You know it's the right choice!

Follow up question. Classes, books? All I used were Powerscore.

[guynourmin]

YES!! get good advice and listen to it! Retake. You know it's the right choice!

Follow up question. Classes, books? All I used were Powerscore.

Go to the LSAT forum and there are a lot of guides and opinions. I only used the Bibles and 7sage free LG videos (and every PT published). I don't think the reading comprehension Bible is very helpful but I liked the other 2. My biggest rec is blind review, but at 162 you still have some fundamental problems so BR will only help you so much until you fix those problems.
Something that is helpful is every question you get wrong, figure out why. Don't just say oh it's a instead of b, almost picked that! Write down exactly why B is wrong. Figure it out.
Doing BR every single PT is the right amount of prep imo.
Do you know what your score breakdown was on your tests? What are you getting wrong? Like, most of what I was getting wrong was LR, so I just stopped studying everything else for months and just drilled LR to no end before I returned to PTs, because it was obvious that's where I needed to improve.
Is time an issue for you?