3.3(x) 171 retake worth it? Forum

[Dr Clifford Huxtable]

I was consistently PTing at 174 (last 7-8 exams or so before the test, throw in a statistically anomalous 178 in there) but ended up getting woken up at 1AM the night of the exam by a neighbor and was unable to fall back asleep. I'm aware that a few point drop during the real deal seems to be the norm however, during the exam I really felt the effects of the lack of sleep and would wager that it did a -1 to -2 point damage.

What do you guys think? Is it worth the retake to try to bring it up two or three points? Or is the detriment of a lower score(I'm out of fresh PTs so I don't have an accurate way to gauge a score on a new exam) not worth it.

It seemed to me like the 172+ makes a difference in the T14 for splitters.

[BigZuck]

I'm not sure that a retake would necessarily help you. What schools are you targeting?

[Dr Clifford Huxtable]

I'm not sure that a retake would necessarily help you. What schools are you targeting?

Hopefully somewhere in the sweet sweet bosom of the T14.

I'll be applying next cycle BTW.

[BigZuck]

I'm not sure that a retake would necessarily help you. What schools are you targeting?

Hopefully somewhere in the sweet sweet bosom of the T14.

I'll be applying next cycle BTW.

I feel confident saying that you'll get at least 1 T14 unless there is something glaringly wrong with your application.

[manu6926]

...

[Dr Clifford Huxtable]

Thanks for the input. Do you guys think if I were to retake and there was a drop in score that it would be very detrimental?

[BigZuck]

Thanks for the input. Do you guys think if I were to retake and there was a drop in score that it would be very detrimental?

Not at all. If it was like a 150 or something you might have some explaining to do on an addendum but all they care about is the highest score, so no.

[Crowing]

Could be beneficial for CCN

I probably would retake

[BigZuck]

Could be beneficial for CCN

I probably would retake

Yeah, you were who I was thinking of when I read his post.

He made it sound like any old T14 would do so I wasn't sure what to say.

[2014]

I think you will be fine at NYU as you are now, depending on how badly you want Columbia and Chicago in play I think a retake would be useful. The problem is you are going to get waitlisted at both no matter whether you retake and what you score. If you don't see yourself as wanting to have your decision made by April 15 or whenever, then I wouldn't bother. I think Columbia and Chicago represent a tangible employment boost over the other options so in your shoes I would retake and prepare to deposit elsewhere and ride some WLs.

[koalacity]

I am afraid retaking from 171 may not be worth it. From 170 on wards, it's mostly down to luck, since the scores are generally differentiated by single points from that point. Besides, there's not much of a difference between 171 and 172 (the top 1 percent cutoff score)

And I think you have a good shot for Cornell, Georgetown, and some of better ranked schools. Just blanket T-14 and see what happens.

No offense, but I disagree with this advice. Since you're a splitter, and most importantly, because you're applying NEXT cycle, I think you should retake if you're looking at CCN or trying to get $$ in the lower T14. If you were applying this cycle and only had a month to study until February, it might not be worth it.

If you're applying next cycle, study up and retake in June. A lower score won't hurt you, and there's a very good chance you can move above 171 between now and June if you were already PTing at 174.

This is mylsn on automatic search for 171/3.3/ED included:

and this is mylsn on auto search for 174/3.3/ED included:

As you can see, you have basically no shot at NYU with your current stats, but with a 174 you're around 70%.

[Tiago Splitter]

NYU keeps getting easier and easier to get into, so the graphs above may not tell the whole story. That said, definitely retake. A good day alone could get you 3-4 more points, which make Columbia much more likely.

If you believe scores above 170 are all about luck (which of course isn't really true), it should make you MORE likely to recommend retaking, not less. There's no downside to retaking, so you might as well roll the dice.

[stickershocked]

I would definitely retake. I had a lower gpa than you but a 176, and got several t14 acceptances this cycle before ultimately withdrawing (ED). edit: not a brag, just trying to indicate that you are capable of more than 1 t14 acceptance with your gpa.

As a splitter you want to put yourself above the LSAT median for whatever school you want. Top half of the T14 has medians of 171-173, so, personally, I think you could benefit from a retake.

[shifty_eyed]

I had a very slightly lower GPA, and a 170. Retook got a 170. Retook got a 172. I was PTing higher consistently before my retakes, but just couldn't pull it off. I was rejected from NYU fwiw (didn't apply to CC). I don't think the retakes made a difference in my admissions outcomes.

[RhymesLikeDimes]

3.6 GPA. I retook a 170, and wound up with a 173. I was PTing 178-180 for weeks before both, so I felt very confident that I couldn't do any worse. The jump from 171 to 173 is pretty huge, especially if you're a splitter looking to get into CCN. If you feel confident you can go up a couple points, and have the time to invest in preparing for a retake, I would go for it.

[furrrman]

I think a good nights sleep is worth at least a few points. I would retake.

[iamgeorgebush]

Probably worth it.

But if you do retake, please don't just retake without studying again, figuring you'll just do better this time. You should study again for at least another hundred hours. Identify your weaknesses, target them, and aggressively beat them into submission. I was in a similar position as you for my first take: averaging mid-170s on PTs, scored a few points lower on the real thing. On my retake, I studied my ass off until I was averaging 178 on PTs...and proceeded to score a few points lower (mid-170s) on the actual test.