Score Gaps Forum

[susanasanjuan]

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[autarkh]

If you score that much higher on a retake (ie. an increase greater than the standard deviation of the test), most schools will either take the higher score, or place significantly more weight on it. The bigger the gap, the better. Not only because you'll have gotten a higher score, but because it will allow you to argue that the first test was a fluke.

Just retake and do your best.

Plug the numbers into lawschoolpredictor and you'll get a sense of your chances.

[cavebat2000]

If you score that much higher on a retake (ie. an increase greater than the standard deviation of the test), most schools will either take the higher score, or place significantly more weight on it. Just retake and do your best.

Plug the numbers into lawschoolpredictor and you'll get a sense of your chances.

Autarkh doesn't really back this up with any evidence and my own experience suggests he/she may be wrong. Many schools will tell you to write an addendum explaining why you think you scored higher on your retake. My guess is they average your scores to see if you can take the academic rigor and if you pass that test, use the highest score as a critical component of the admissions decision, since the highest score is what they are required to report. Only a guess though.

[autarkh]

If you score that much higher on a retake (ie. an increase greater than the standard deviation of the test), most schools will either take the higher score, or place significantly more weight on it. Just retake and do your best.

Plug the numbers into lawschoolpredictor and you'll get a sense of your chances.

Autarkh doesn't really back this up with any evidence and my own experience suggests he/she may be wrong. Many schools will tell you to write an addendum explaining why you think you scored higher on your retake. My guess is they average your scores to see if you can take the academic rigor and if you pass that test, use the highest score as a critical component of the admissions decision, since the highest score is what they are required to report. Only a guess though.

I would write an addendum explaining the lower score. To a large extent, though, the higher score speaks for itself. Some places have a policy of averaging (YHS and I think Columbia), but generally schools take the highest. If you are in direct competition with someone who got the high score after one attempt, it might be a slight disadvantage, but ultimately what matters is what they have to report.

Other things equal, a 165 followed by a 173 beats a single 172 UNLESS the school averages.

[susanasanjuan]

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[autarkh]

Yeah well I went to an undergrad liberal arts school that is notorious for being rigorous and also for having low GPA's. I am just concerned that the top 14 schools see a 165 and just deny.

Reed?

[susanasanjuan]

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[autarkh]

Hehe.

At this point, there's absolutely nothing you can do about the 165 other than waiting 5 years for it to drop off your record. You're not going to do that, because it would be monumentally stupid.

Worry about what you still can control. Perform to your ability on the retake, then apply. These days, the highest score is what matters.

[autarkh]

One other thing: I'd normally recommend that you dissect your performance and see what caused you to score below your average, but this test was undisclosed.

If it was the timing or the stress of test day, you need to simulate test conditions with full-on 5 section exams.

[susanasanjuan]

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[susanasanjuan]

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[autarkh]

and did you go to Reed or do we just talk about ourselves that much?

You guys talk about yourselves that much. Hehe. I had a friend that wanted to go there.

I went to the opposite of Reed -- a huge public university (UC).