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“There is strength in numbers” is bullshit. Looking down at the scale, looking up to the clock, my LSAT score, numbers have always been my weakness. While my score perfectly reflects how well I did on the October LSAT, please do not take it to reveal my potential. My strengths are not in numbers, they lie in an area not assessed by the LSAT.
In the two months prior to the October LSAT, my company has been deployed to three different countries in support of the Global War on Terrorism: Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. Only one other unit in the expeditionary U.S. Army has completed this logistically demanding feat in such a short amount of time. In conducting security operations, loading shipping containers, and establishing forward operating bases, I watched the number of hours for my LSAT studying dwindle.
Since my unit withdrew from Iraq I have been assigned as the Operations Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge. This assignment reflects the confidence my commander has in my capabilities. I orchestrate movements of soldiers and equipment, coordinate with intelligence agencies and ministries of defense, and track the progress of our ongoing missions in both Kuwait and Afghanistan. I deal with issues from mass media relations to pregnancies to deaths. My performance in this position is a better evaluation of my ability in multi-variable equating than the LSAT's scheduling questions.
I am retaking the LSAT in December in an attempt to score in a range more indicative of skills. However, we are still working long days here, and I will not return to United States until the same week the December LSAT is administered. The movement guarantees a number of obstacles to my LSAT preparation endeavors, including additional stress and an increased demand from my position as the Operations NCOIC.
In January, I am attending one of the most physically and mentally demanding military schools: US Army Ranger School. It is a challenge and opportunity that will offer tremendous career prospects when coupled with my future law degree, but the price is not being able to sit another LSAT during this admissions cycle. Therefore, I have determined to apply under the early binding decision option to show the strength of my interest in Walter F. Mondale as my number one law school.

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I may have done well on the LSAT, and thist may ultimately be unnecessary, but I took the 15 minutes to type this up. I plan to include an addenda if I dont score in a certain range, but I will likely make a more succinct and eloquent draft. Let me know what you think of the approach and the ideas above. It's hard to explain the solely political purposes I have for joing the elite fraternity of the rangers, but anyone in the know will agree it has the potential to be career altering as a JAG. What do you think about explaining the future problems I may have in future LSATs? I included this because the Early Binding Decision from the U of MN is due before the December LSAT is proctored and I would love to know where I am going to law school before I am freezing my food-deprived ass off in a mountain -- the acceptance just might keep me warm.

Oh, and I know the first sentence is especially alienating, but, for now, it captures my frustration perfectly. It will change in the final.

Way, way too long.

"I didn't have enough time to study because I was protecting your ass. So let me in, bitches."

Or something similarly short.

Gut reaction from someone who has never been in the military. Not impressed. Mostly because I have known plenty of guys who have great careers in the army, but who I would never begin to think could hack it in a courtroom. Different skill sets - determination, physical endurance, precision vs. criticism, abstraction, analysis. To me it just looks like making excuses that you haven't picked up the skills.

Caveat: if you are going for the T14 and explaining away a 160, I think this approach looks much better than if you are trying to explain away a 140. One score says you have those skills but they are not developed as much as they could be. The other says that you never managed to learn and are unwilling (too committed to other areas) to try.

I also think a much more humble approach saying essentially the same thing (I was too busy serving my country to study for the LSAT) would be much more likely to get admissions on your side.

Sounds like a mild rant/personal statement. Chop it down, state the facts, issue, or point of contention.

Also, why can you not retake the LSAT's, I hope you understand you incur a one year duty obligation from the time you graduate Ranger School. (If you want to know my credentials, I graduated Ranger School Class 06-08, still active duty army)

There are a lot of great "soft" factors at play in your career and yes you are correct, the LSAT does not do justice to those skills, but that is why you have your personal statement to pull those out and showcase them. Personally, I do not think adcomms will care what your reasons are for not retaking it, they might want to know WHY the current score is low. If you can explain that, then I think that would put you in a better place than a rant about why you cannot retake.

Good luck at Ranger School, as one of my friends once said "It's the most fun you'll have, that you'll never want to have again."

RLTW!