Harvard & Multiple LSATs Forum

[TennesseeBob]

Does anyone on TLS have any experience with Harvard and multiple LSATS? I've heard from some sources that Harvard averages but others have told me that they no longer effectively do this. Can anyone shed some light on this/ have some experience here?

[Lovely Ludwig Van]

I got in this cycle as a reapplicant with a 170, cancel, 173. I really do think that they are holistic when it comes to your testing history and do not use a hard average. One score will not make or break you. That said, all things equal, a single high score is still probably better than a high score after multiple tries.

[2014]

At least as of last year their FAQ section said something to the effect of "Applicants need not take the LSAT more than once, one time is a sufficient indicator" but plenty of people make it in with a retake. They might scrutinize more than others but if you retake and do better it can be nothing but a positive.

[Br3v]

Imagine no harm done with higher retake

[LargeNinCharge]

Deleted.

[Br3v]

I'm gonna bump this again. Right now, I'm a cancel, 170. But my preptests were averaging a 174/5, and I didn't prep in between the two tests. With a 3.9 and good/great softs, whether Harvard averages will play a big role in my decision to take a third time.

i'd take, especially with a 3.9 it could allow you practically free range. But, beware it is common to drop about 3 points on the day of actual lsat so your score seems consistent with that trend

[TennesseeBob]

So, even if Harvard averages, if someone has a 170ish score and then say a 175, they might seem to be in contention for admission from a purely numerical point...but if someone has a mid-160s lsat score is it even worth a retry or would they be out of the running for all intents and purposes (since the only way to bring the average up to a HLS worthy score would be to get close to 180)?

I'm a bit lost on what the right path to take would be, since the website clearly indicaes averaging but other people have claimed this to be false in other threads

[Tiago Splitter]

So, even if Harvard averages, if someone has a 170ish score and then say a 175, they might seem to be in contention for admission from a purely numerical point...but if someone has a mid-160s lsat score is it even worth a retry or would they be out of the running for all intents and purposes (since the only way to bring the average up to a HLS worthy score would be to get close to 180)?

I'm a bit lost on what the right path to take would be, since the website clearly indicaes averaging but other people have claimed this to be false in other threads

Even if you can't get Harvard you bring lots of other great schools and big money into play by retaking and improving a few points. And I seriously doubt you'd be shut out of Harvard with a 167-177.

[freestallion]

I got in with a 167 and 173. It is definitely possible if you can improve to at least a 173. It is totally worth it for your cycle as a whole - you'll pull in ton more scholarship money. Give it a try!

[cloudhidden]

What's the consensus about schools that don't average? I have heard that outside HYS, they only care about highest score. But websites for the T-14 indicate differently.

[defrutamadre]

164/172 here. I was really worried about that first score when I sent in applications, but it seems to not be a dealbreaker--even for schools that supposedly average (I've gotten into all the T-14s I've applied to, with the exception of yale).

I also went back and forth about how to write an LSAT score addendum and what I should include--how to explain what went wrong when the only explanation I had was uhhh, I screwed it up? some schools explicitly request one if the gap is 6/8+ points, so I ended up sending it in with all my apps. it was literally two sentences about how I altered the way I approached the test after a disappointing first run. there are definitely circumstances that warrant a longer explanation (death in the family, medical emergencies, severe emotional trauma, etc) but in my case, it was the simple fact that I effed up the first time--I didn't make any excuses, focused on the fact that I learned how to do better, and good news is they didn't seem to penalize me for it

[LargeNinCharge]

Deleted.

[JohnV]

I got in with a 167 and 173. It is definitely possible if you can improve to at least a 173. It is totally worth it for your cycle as a whole - you'll pull in ton more scholarship money. Give it a try!

Mind sharing your stats? GPA, URM status, Softs? I only ask because I'm wondering how strng a 173 is in the Harvard application pool.

[Shooter]

In my experience, they don't average multiple test scores. They "take both scores into consideration," but that doesn't mean a whole lot because, frankly, they take your entire application into consideration. Especially now that the total number of applicants has been on a steady decline, this is not something to worry about at all.

[lastMinuteGuy]

I applied with a Cancel/167/170 and was rejected, got a 174 on a 4th LSAT and got in on my 2nd application. At worst they might view you a little worse than if you got the high score on the first time out, but I don't think they really view it as a true average.

[JohnV]

I applied with a Cancel/167/170 and was rejected, got a 174 on a 4th LSAT and got in on my 2nd application. At worst they might view you a little worse than if you got the high score on the first time out, but I don't think they really view it as a true average.

Damn you were committed lol.

[LargeNinCharge]

Deleted.