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My tablet froze during section 5 of the October LSAT. I submitted a test center complaint and LSAC ruled in my favor. I ended up with a 156. I have been scoring in the low 160s on my LSAT practice tests.

LSAC will be including a letter with my October score saying that they confirmed that my tablet froze and that I was unable to complete section 5 as a result.

My dilemma is: Do I submit with this score? Or do I take it in January and apply late in the admissions cycle? Or -- worst case for me -- do I wait till next cycle?

I have already delayed my applications by one year. I am a URM and also a non-traditional student/applicant with a very strong CV and 3.75 undergrad GPA from an Ivy League.

It is challenging to study for this test, as I work about 60 hours per week, travel quite a bit, work weekends, blah blah blah. But I wouldn't mind taking it again in January -- I'm just worried that I would actually have an even worse chance of admission because it would be so late in the cycle, and of course there is no guarantee that I would score much better. My target score was modest to begin with -- low 160s.

Any feedback is helpful.

dr.van.nostren wrote:

As tough as it is, I'd strongly recommend waiting 'til next cycle. Law schools will still consider you as having a 156 LSAT. The LSAC letter will help around the margins, but you're not going to be treated as if you had a 165 instead. And, as you correctly observe, applying with a January LSAT score is never a good idea due to law schools doing rolling admissions.

So, as painful as it is, you should sit out this cycle and get all your ducks in a row so you can apply at the beginning of the next cycle. You have a 3.75 - you should not settle for applying with a 15x LSAT, especially when you're already PTing 10 points higher. Waiting a cycle should also have the benefit of taking some of the pressure off of your retake.

(Incidentally, this is why I was appalled by LSAC's decision to abruptly move to tablet testing. I know paper's so passé, but there's really something to be said for good old-fashioned reliability.)

QContinuum wrote:

dr.van.nostren wrote:

As tough as it is, I'd strongly recommend waiting 'til next cycle. Law schools will still consider you as having a 156 LSAT. The LSAC letter will help around the margins, but you're not going to be treated as if you had a 165 instead. And, as you correctly observe, applying with a January LSAT score is never a good idea due to law schools doing rolling admissions.

So, as painful as it is, you should sit out this cycle and get all your ducks in a row so you can apply at the beginning of the next cycle. You have a 3.75 - you should not settle for applying with a 15x LSAT, especially when you're already PTing 10 points higher. Waiting a cycle should also have the benefit of taking some of the pressure off of your retake.

(Incidentally, this is why I was appalled by LSAC's decision to abruptly move to tablet testing. I know paper's so passé, but there's really something to be said for good old-fashioned reliability.)

Thanks. I am beginning to accept this as a reality. But just wondering: What would the downside be of submitting this cycle just to see where I might get in? I'm applying to outside the T14.

Might be a waste of money... But more importantly to me is -- Would being a re-applicant worsen my chances if I do indeed retake the LSAT and re-apply next cycle?

Art_Vandelay_ wrote:

QContinuum wrote:

dr.van.nostren wrote:

As tough as it is, I'd strongly recommend waiting 'til next cycle. Law schools will still consider you as having a 156 LSAT. The LSAC letter will help around the margins, but you're not going to be treated as if you had a 165 instead. And, as you correctly observe, applying with a January LSAT score is never a good idea due to law schools doing rolling admissions.

So, as painful as it is, you should sit out this cycle and get all your ducks in a row so you can apply at the beginning of the next cycle. You have a 3.75 - you should not settle for applying with a 15x LSAT, especially when you're already PTing 10 points higher. Waiting a cycle should also have the benefit of taking some of the pressure off of your retake.

(Incidentally, this is why I was appalled by LSAC's decision to abruptly move to tablet testing. I know paper's so passé, but there's really something to be said for good old-fashioned reliability.)

Thanks. I am beginning to accept this as a reality. But just wondering: What would the downside be of submitting this cycle just to see where I might get in? I'm applying to outside the T14.

Might be a waste of money... But more importantly to me is -- Would being a re-applicant worsen my chances if I do indeed retake the LSAT and re-apply next cycle?

No