Take the plunge now, or hold off for a 4th LSAT (Dec)? Forum

[RickyMack]

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basic stats: 3.06 GPA 156, 157, 159.

main point:
got into hawaii and mcgeorge, 98% going to hawaii. would i fare better next cycle with a 4th lsat score?

in depth discussion on my situation for those who need more info:

the two year mark for me will hit in Dec. first test i was definitely not properly prepared and was practice testing in the high 150s, second test my pts were mainly 165+ then i hit a 173 on PT 41 and burnt out a week before the test, last test being the extremely lucky guy i am i started a new job just when they started a temporary mandatory 12 hour work days for 20 days in a row which ended the friday before the test. i ended up getting my LORs completed after Feb 1, and turned in most of my apps at the last possible date with a not as polished as i'd have liked PS.

i got into u of hawaii with no scholly money and mcgeorge with 12k (per year with the top third renewal bs). i decided to go to hawaii, funding it through federal loans. while i know i'm a "big boy" now and can make my own decisions, my folks are understandably concerned about debt and job prospects. i'm not interested in big law at all and would like to work non profit or government also i am entertaining the thought of doing JAG (navy brat, dad was a drill instructor and i did AFJROTC in hs so i'm a little familiar with the military) all three of which would qualify for the debt forgiveness if i stick it out for 10 years (though getting rid of it in less than is obviously ideal), i do acknowledge the low pay and potential for burn out.

i've looked at cost of living, salary figures, employment prospects and have mentally prepared myself for the not completely worst case scenario. essentially, i've tried not to delude myself into thinking my degree will be ultra mobile or i'll make top 10% percent and transfer. i'm thinking i'll be on the islands for at least 5-8 years and i was comfortable with going until my parents brought up their reservations.

would a more polished PS, earlier application complete, and better lsat (considering it's the 4th) open up more doors? i've heard that 4th lsats raise questions (understandably) and of course with my testing history i know a super big jump is in no way guaranteed. i've also been reading the stories of folks complete back in nov and still waiting to hear from schools, so i understand an earlier app will not secure a spot. my main concern is that holding out i won't be able to get into hawaii next cycle considering how notoriously selective they are in their applicants, i think my living in honolulu as a child played a part in my acceptance.

[sjk]

Don't take a 4th LSAT. It's probably going to hurt more than it's going to help.

[mugrad06]

i'm kind of in the same boat as you, but my scores are much lower than urs. I have yet to break the 150. Last test I took was 2 yrs ago. Some people on here say is possible to bump my score up 8 pts with some hardcore studying with powerscore bibles and taking 20-30 pts. I'm concerned with how taking the lsat for a 4th time will look even if I can bump it up considerably.

[Havaianas]

Don't take a 4th LSAT. It's probably going to hurt more than it's going to help.

+1

[TTH]

Fuck it, dude. Enjoy living in Hawaii for three years.

[CMDantes]

Fuck it, dude. Enjoy living in Hawaii for three years.

It's probably not going to get better for you than the three years you'll live in Hawaii.

[arh8426]

I am interested in some opinions on this, since I am in a similar boat, unless I get off some waitlists.

My apps went complete March 3rd, due to a Feb lsat re-take( got the same score). I am thinking about working a year and re-applying very early in the cycle with essentially the same app.

Any chances I will have more acceptances by resubmitting essentially the same materials, just very early (ie within a week of the opening of 2011-2012 cycle)?

[RickyMack]

It's probably not going to get better for you than the three years you'll live in Hawaii.

Thanks to those that opined, realism is what I was looking for and i'm glad to have gotten it.

i'm kind of in the same boat as you, but my scores are much lower than urs. I have yet to break the 150. Last test I took was 2 yrs ago. Some people on here say is possible to bump my score up 8 pts with some hardcore studying with powerscore bibles and taking 20-30 pts. I'm concerned with how taking the lsat for a 4th time will look even if I can bump it up considerably.

You have a more considerable gap than I have, my most recent test was Dec 09 (i only missed 1 on the dinos w00t!) If you have good work experience you can possibly argue you're a more mature individual now and with that different perspective you were able to refocus your efforts utilizing better time management skills (learned with your work experience) and more effective methods of studying. From my understanding, some schools while taking in the 5 years of test history only utilize the past 3 years, they'll typically have it up on their admissions FAQs page under multiple scores.

My apps went complete March 3rd, due to a Feb lsat re-take( got the same score). I am thinking about working a year and re-applying very early in the cycle with essentially the same app.

Any chances I will have more acceptances by resubmitting essentially the same materials, just very early (ie within a week of the opening of 2011-2012 cycle)?

I think this depends on whether your scores were in the 25-75%. The myth seems to be that if you're boarderline you're more likely to be accepted if you turn it in early cause they'll be likely to take a gamble on you as they haven't filled seats yet, I disagree with this. Aside from the time issue, there could be a multitude of reasons why an applicant on the boarder who submitted their application later was rejected. Some schools state they look at apps according to date complete, some seem to utilize their index numbers prior to looking at the more borderline applicants. I also applied to USD and in that waiting thread there were people who went complete back in Nov and had yet to hear a decision up to last week.