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Apply with December and be willing to sit out if needed.

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153 is pretty low... a significantly higher score will dramatically increase your options

Typically it is better to apply early when there is a retake pending, but there's nowhere you should be applying to with a 153.

Wait until you have a score that reflects your improvement and can win you a reasonable outcome for the cycle. With your GPA, that's going to require a huge improvement, but if you can come close to hitting that 170, you'll definitely get some options that will receive TLS's blessing. Good luck!

With that GPA, you need to hit a 170+ LSAT for law school to be even a remotely reasonable option. If that score becomes apparently unrealistic for you after multiple retakes, it would be in your best interest to pursue another career path.

whitespider wrote:With that GPA, you need to hit a 170+ LSAT for law school to be even a remotely reasonable option.

This is definitely not true, contingent on OP's goals/desired market. If he's biglaw or bust then yeah I agree, but mid-160s -- even with that GPA -- should get him good money at well-placing regionals.

Shit, UIUC was tossing out > 1/2 rides to low 160s splitters this cycle, and they're a T20 for purposes of placement.

I'm in a somewhat similar position but with higher numbers (3.25/163) and only 1 retake left.

Not sure what would be better...take september+apply mid November with like a 3.25/166, or take in December and apply in January with a 3.30/167.

(GPA will be slightly higher cuz ill have my fall grades In By January).

Is waiting until December still the right move for me (even if it only gives 1 extra point versus September)?

180kickflip wrote:I'm in a somewhat similar position but with higher numbers (3.25/163) and only 1 retake left.

Not sure what would be better...take september+apply mid November with like a 3.25/166, or take in December and apply in January with a 3.30/167.

(GPA will be slightly higher cuz ill have my fall grades In By January).

Is waiting until December still the right move for me (even if it only gives 1 extra point versus September)?

If you're not ready to crush that final retake (sounds like you're not), then delay it.

At any rate, get your apps in right away.. Like, this month/October. Get processed and into their system, then have them wait to make a decision until your retake. Your grade bumps are not really going to matter much as you'll be below everywhere's 25th percentile either way.

Will_McAvoy wrote:

180kickflip wrote:I'm in a somewhat similar position but with higher numbers (3.25/163) and only 1 retake left.

Not sure what would be better...take september+apply mid November with like a 3.25/166, or take in December and apply in January with a 3.30/167.

(GPA will be slightly higher cuz ill have my fall grades In By January).

Is waiting until December still the right move for me (even if it only gives 1 extra point versus September)?

If you're not ready to crush that final retake (sounds like you're not), then delay it.

At any rate, get your apps in right away.. Like, this month/October. Get processed and into their system, then have them wait to make a decision until your retake. Your grade bumps are not really going to matter much as you'll be below everywhere's 25th percentile either way.

Is this really the best choice?

I always hear people say to just apply once you have your best LSAT score.

Cradle6 wrote:

Will_McAvoy wrote:

180kickflip wrote:I'm in a somewhat similar position but with higher numbers (3.25/163) and only 1 retake left.

Not sure what would be better...take september+apply mid November with like a 3.25/166, or take in December and apply in January with a 3.30/167.

(GPA will be slightly higher cuz ill have my fall grades In By January).

Is waiting until December still the right move for me (even if it only gives 1 extra point versus September)?

If you're not ready to crush that final retake (sounds like you're not), then delay it.

At any rate, get your apps in right away.. Like, this month/October. Get processed and into their system, then have them wait to make a decision until your retake. Your grade bumps are not really going to matter much as you'll be below everywhere's 25th percentile either way.

Is this really the best choice?

I always hear people say to just apply once you have your best LSAT score.

If you wait until you have your actual score before you press the submit button, you are typically adding a few weeks of processing until someone can review your file. Especially if you are taking the December test, that is not ideal. You lose nothing by getting it in early and having them wait to review, and you can gain some (pretty valuable) time.

Thank you very much for the responses. I can have my apps ready to go this month if submitting now is best.

My worry was that higher ranked schools may just see my current 163 and reject me on the spot without even waiting for my December take =\ If the norm would be for them to just put it aside and not review it until the newer score is added, that sounds great.

180kickflip wrote:Thank you very much for the responses. I can have my apps ready to go this month if submitting now is best.

My worry was that higher ranked schools may just see my current 163 and reject me on the spot without even waiting for my December take =\ If the norm would be for them to just put it aside and not review it until the newer score is added, that sounds great.

Yeah if you list an upcoming LSAT administration it's standard for them to wait to review. If you're nervous about it you can add an addendum asking them to wait for your next score, but they have zero incentive to ding you in such a situation.

That's great. As you said, I'm really not confident ill be ready by September. I am confident that the rest of my app will be ready this month though, so submitting that with an addendum about the upcoming LSAT sounds like a decent plan.

But if your LSAT is already super low it will probably be in your best interest to retake before applying because you may get dinged prior to the retake anyway.

Attax wrote:But if your LSAT is already super low it will probably be in your best interest to retake before applying because you may get dinged prior to the retake anyway.

Damn. I was hoping for a more reassuring second opinion lol.

What you brought up is exactly what I am afraid of...a school that I may be able to attract with a higher LSAT not even giving me the chance to prove I can score higher because they ding me as soon as they see my current #s.

180kickflip wrote:

Attax wrote:But if your LSAT is already super low it will probably be in your best interest to retake before applying because you may get dinged prior to the retake anyway.

Damn. I was hoping for a more reassuring second opinion lol.

What you brought up is exactly what I am afraid of...a school that I may be able to attract with a higher LSAT not even giving me the chance to prove I can score higher because they ding me as soon as they see my current #s.

The best you could do is call/email the admissions and ask about their policy towards retakes: if you are retaking and registered as per LSAC, will they wait until they receive your new score to give a final decision or will they give one before that?

Attax wrote:

180kickflip wrote:

Attax wrote:But if your LSAT is already super low it will probably be in your best interest to retake before applying because you may get dinged prior to the retake anyway.

Damn. I was hoping for a more reassuring second opinion lol.

What you brought up is exactly what I am afraid of...a school that I may be able to attract with a higher LSAT not even giving me the chance to prove I can score higher because they ding me as soon as they see my current #s.

The best you could do is call/email the admissions and ask about their policy towards retakes: if you are retaking and registered as per LSAC, will they wait until they receive your new score to give a final decision or will they give one before that?

Makes sense. Helps a lot hearing other suggestions. Thanks.

180kickflip wrote:

Attax wrote:

180kickflip wrote:

Attax wrote:But if your LSAT is already super low it will probably be in your best interest to retake before applying because you may get dinged prior to the retake anyway.

Damn. I was hoping for a more reassuring second opinion lol.

What you brought up is exactly what I am afraid of...a school that I may be able to attract with a higher LSAT not even giving me the chance to prove I can score higher because they ding me as soon as they see my current #s.

The best you could do is call/email the admissions and ask about their policy towards retakes: if you are retaking and registered as per LSAC, will they wait until they receive your new score to give a final decision or will they give one before that?

Makes sense. Helps a lot hearing other suggestions. Thanks.

I disagree with Attax (sorry bro). Schools have no incentive to ding OP outright when there is a chance he'll become a viable applicant; they'll simply mark his application "incomplete." I applied to about 20 schools, and every one suspended their judgement after I had already applied and scheduled a retake. But, of course, call if you're concerned, OP.

Will_McAvoy wrote: I disagree with Attax (sorry bro). Schools have no incentive to ding OP outright when there is a chance he'll become a viable applicant; they'll simply mark his application "incomplete." I applied to about 20 schools, and every one suspended their judgement after I had already applied and scheduled a retake. But, of course, call if you're concerned, OP.

In all fairness I didn't retake and just applied with one score, so I'm speaking out of speculation rather than practice so this is probably more credited advice anyway. But I think that it doesn't hurt to contact the schools just to be sure. There could easily be a dismissive reason if they're like "eh, we kinda aren't so sure but that low score so naw we won't let her in anyway" versus "well, we may not like her but at least there's some legit numbers there." First impressions are important.