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One month before the February 2010 LSAT while I was working with emotionally disturbed children a student who was unprovoked attempted to physically assault another student. When I intervened, the student attempted to physically attack me. This incident led to severe anxiety and as a result I did not perform as well as I knew I could have. Knowing I was capable of more, I chose to sit for the October LSAT administration and earned a 158, which I feel is a much more accurate representation of my abilities.


how does this sound for an addendum? too long, too short, or any other comments are greatly appreciated.

northwood wrote:One month before the February 2010 LSAT while I was working with emotionally disturbed children a student who was unprovoked attempted to physically assault another student. When I intervened, the student attempted to physically attack me. This incident led to severe anxiety and as a result I did not perform as well as I knew I could have. Knowing I was capable of more, I chose to sit for the October LSAT administration and earned a 158, which I feel is a much more accurate representation of my abilities.


how does this sound for an addendum? too long, too short, or any other comments are greatly appreciated.

Sounds a bit fishy without more detail. The age, estimated weight & height, and maybe a description of what he did to you should make it more believable. If you want, you can post that info. here and someone could help you put it together. Also, what would provoke the anxiety? seeing pencils that reminded you of the kid? I'm just trying to make it more detailed [you wouldn't believe how many people try using this as an excuse- being specific is a key to gaining their sympathy and making it believable]

Did you undergo any therapy before the October administration? mentioning that might be helpful in showing how you recovered

Dude learned disabilities aren't communicated by touch. They will never buy that excuse.

northwood wrote:One month before the February 2010 LSAT while I was working with emotionally disturbed children a student who was unprovoked attempted to physically assault another student. When I intervened, the student attempted to physically attack me. This incident led to severe anxiety and as a result I did not perform as well as I knew I could have. Knowing I was capable of more, I chose to sit for the October LSAT administration and earned a 158, which I feel is a much more accurate representation of my abilities.


how does this sound for an addendum? too long, too short, or any other comments are greatly appreciated.

Great topic, I would actually make your PS about this. Cap is right, you have to paint the seen really well. Try to use imagery (height/weight of the kid/what he was wearing/amount of drool dripping from his mouth) I think you also definitely have tie the LSAT to directly the handicapped kid you fought.

Good luck. Post a draft here for more help

what i dont want this to sound like is an excuse. Im thinking that I have to explain the jump in score, and this is the reason, but if it sounds more like an excuse is there any other way to explain the jump?

northwood wrote:what i dont want this to sound like is an excuse. Im thinking that I have to explain the jump in score, and this is the reason, but if it sounds more like an excuse is there any other way to explain the jump?

thats why you need to add more details and be more specific. Id recommend posting the details here and we'll help you put it together.

Hope we can help! GL!

What did you score after getting between psycho Rain Man and Wopner?

northwood wrote:One month before the February 2010 LSAT while I was working with emotionally disturbed children a student who was unprovoked attempted to physically assault another student. When I intervened, the student attempted to physically attack me. This incident led to severe anxiety and as a result I did not perform as well as I knew I could have. Knowing I was capable of more, I chose to sit for the October LSAT administration and earned a 158, which I feel is a much more accurate representation of my abilities.


how does this sound for an addendum? too long, too short, or any other comments are greatly appreciated.

If you make it sound like you're a highly sensitive individual, an emotional sponge if you will, and working with emotionally disturbed, violent children affected your mental state in a significant manner, you will come off sounding like a very sensitive individual. On the other hand, you will sound a bit too emotionally unstable for a prospective lawyer.

If you try to pin it on the kid without describing the work affecting your long-term emotional state, you will sound like a dick who's trying to use some poor unstable kid as an excuse for bombing on a test. It's a bit of a thin ice, really.

Just explain that the weight of the world is a heavy burden to carry. They'll understand.

details: was helping the student a with back turned to door. studentb came rushing in ( jerome bettis style) with sharp object in hand Student b lunged at student A- missed target, started punching and kicking. went to intervene. student b turned attention to me, punching, kicking and lunging. physically restrained student b, was able to separate object from studnet and isolated rest of class until help arrived. this incident took place 2 weeks after another student in class had a hallucination episode ( not lsd related) and destroyed classroom and had to be mentally health arrested in class.

Are we talking a 3 point increase? 8? 10?

15

Definitely addendum-worthy.

Just say you had a traumatic physical assault and leave it at that.

northwood wrote:details: was helping the student a with back turned to door. studentb came rushing in ( jerome bettis style) with sharp object in hand Student b lunged at student A- missed target, started punching and kicking. went to intervene. student b turned attention to me, punching, kicking and lunging. physically restrained student b, was able to separate object from studnet and isolated rest of class until help arrived. this incident took place 2 weeks after another student in class had a hallucination episode ( not lsd related) and destroyed classroom and had to be mentally health arrested in class.

Yeah I could def see how that would cause PTSD like symptoms. I would try getting creative with your addendum and go with a solider theme. Like for example start it, "I'm solider. You won't find me in the illegal and immoral(include that, law administrations are liberal, should be helpful)wars in Iraq and Afghanistan though. But, still I'm solider. I go to war everyday in America's classroom. Little did I know on an otherwise normal January day I was going to hit an IED. An IED in the form of a child." Then go on to add the specific details and how it affected your LSAT. Maybe the pencil thing like cap said.

D. H2Oman wrote:

northwood wrote:details: was helping the student a with back turned to door. studentb came rushing in ( jerome bettis style) with sharp object in hand Student b lunged at student A- missed target, started punching and kicking. went to intervene. student b turned attention to me, punching, kicking and lunging. physically restrained student b, was able to separate object from studnet and isolated rest of class until help arrived. this incident took place 2 weeks after another student in class had a hallucination episode ( not lsd related) and destroyed classroom and had to be mentally health arrested in class.

Yeah I could def see how that would cause PTSD like symptoms. I would try getting creative with your addendum and go with a solider theme. Like for example start it, "I'm solider. You won't find me in the illegal and immoral(include that, law administrations are liberal, should be helpful)wars in Iraq and Afghanistan though. But, still I'm solider. I go to war everyday in America's classroom. Little did I know on an otherwise normal January day I was going to hit an IED. An IED in the form of a child." Then go on to add the specific details and how it affected your LSAT. Maybe the pencil thing like cap said.

If this + that LSAT doesn't get Berkeley, I don't know what will.

aschup wrote:Just explain that the weight of the world is a heavy burden to carry. They'll understand.

<3

If you are going to use this as an addendum, I would phrase it as such: (this is paraphrased a bit):

*In the weeks directly prior to the LSAT I endured two separate, and very traumatic, events in the course of my work teaching disabled students. Following both violent incidents, one of which included a direct physical assault towards me, I suffered from an abnormal amount of stress that prevented me from preparing for the exam to the best of my abilities. Additionally, I believe the stress had a major, negative impact on my test performance.

After some time passed and I recovered from the incidents, I signed up to take the test again in X 20XX. I believe my score on this exam more accurately represents my potential to succeed in Law School. Please contact me if you would like to request any documentation my employer can provide regarding the above incidents.

D. H2Oman wrote:

northwood wrote:details: was helping the student a with back turned to door. studentb came rushing in ( jerome bettis style) with sharp object in hand Student b lunged at student A- missed target, started punching and kicking. went to intervene. student b turned attention to me, punching, kicking and lunging. physically restrained student b, was able to separate object from studnet and isolated rest of class until help arrived. this incident took place 2 weeks after another student in class had a hallucination episode ( not lsd related) and destroyed classroom and had to be mentally health arrested in class.

Yeah I could def see how that would cause PTSD like symptoms. I would try getting creative with your addendum and go with a solider theme. Like for example start it, "I'm solider. You won't find me in the illegal and immoral(include that, law administrations are liberal, should be helpful)wars in Iraq and Afghanistan though. But, still I'm solider. I go to war everyday in America's classroom. Little did I know on an otherwise normal January day I was going to hit an IED. An IED in the form of a child." Then go on to add the specific details and how it affected your LSAT. Maybe the pencil thing like cap said.

LOL'd

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Corsair wrote:Bad poster gets time out. Trolling in on topic forums is unacceptable.

Buzz kill.