167. Retake? Forum

[ek5dn]

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[landshoes]

I don't see a downside to retaking in June.

[Meursault]

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[ek5dn]

I don't see a downside to retaking in June.

I guess it would just mean that I would have to wait a year to go to law school. Is a 167 low enough to weaken my chances at the T14?

[ek5dn]

I retook a 167. Could not have possibly paid off more. That said, you can always see how your cycle plays out, and withdraw if disappointed.

I'll probably end up doing that. Would I be able to use the same LORs and personal statements if I end up reapplying?

[ILoveYou]

Retaking would be your best option with that GPA.

That said, you're really not in bad shape with a 167. I had numbers pretty similar to yours and ended up deciding not to retake. Neither choice is necessarily the "wrong" choice, depending on your goals. A 167 can get you into most of the t14, but probably won't be good for a ton of funding. At that score, 3-5 more points could translate into a lot of scholarship dollars. Especially since you applied later in the cycle, you may not get many good scholarship offers this time around anyway.

So, my best advice:

See what offers you get, and if you like one, take it. If you don't get as much funding as you were hoping for, what's the harm in taking a year off, retaking the LSAT, and probably getting way more money next time around?

[InTheHouse]

You can basically "earn" $50-100k next year if you can push that LSAT up 3-5 points. Is the shot at $50-100k in lesser debt worth waiting a year to start law school?

[star fox]

Absolutely re-take. Difference for me in re-taking a 167 was not getting into a school to a 170 where I was offered a full ride.

[ticklemesilly]

Yes I would say re-take because your dream schools are NYU/Columbia and not Cornell/Georgetown or other lower T14. Columbia/NYU put a lot of focus on the LSAT (much more so than GPA). If you get your LSAT up to their medians (172/170 respectively) you are in pretty good shape (even with the lower than median 3.7 GPA). And with a 170-172 LSAT, you are looking at decent money from the lower T14s rather than having to pay sticker price. And honestly, those people that got into T14s with a GPA lower than the medians usually have higher than average LSAT scores.

You're at that borderline number where even a 2 point increase could open up a ton of opportunities.

[landshoes]

You can retake even after putting down a seat deposit, and if you did well enough you could withdraw and aim higher. Or you could negotiate for more money. Or you could get a 164 and stick with the results of this cycle. Retaking doesn't force you to wait, it just gives you more options and more information about your capability to get different results.

[Mack.Hambleton]

yes

[Rigo]

Would I be able to use the same LORs and personal statements if I end up reapplying?

Yes.

[Mack.Hambleton]

Would I be able to use the same LORs and personal statements if I end up reapplying?

Yes.

schools prefer different or tweaked PS

[CanadianWolf]

Why Duke ? Because NYU & Columbia said no.


Retake if you're serious about NYU & Columbia.
Write & submit a "Why Duke ?" essay if serious about Duke.

Are you concerned about the cost of law school ? If so, then retake.

[pamphleteer]

If you get into a school worth attending (and at a price point that makes it feasible), deposit there but still retake. If you hit 170+, withdraw and enjoy NYU next cycle. If you score a 168 or 169 try to use that to get off a waitlist or negotiate for a better scholarship at the school you deposited to, using the leverage of sitting out the cycle and reapplying. If your score doesn't improve then obviously go wherever you deposited.

[ek5dn]

Would I be able to use the same LORs and personal statements if I end up reapplying?

Yes.

schools prefer different or tweaked PS

Thanks for the advice! So just to clarify, I wouldn't have to ask my professors for another letter, right? I can just use the letters on my LSAC account?

[Rigo]

Would I be able to use the same LORs and personal statements if I end up reapplying?

Yes.

schools prefer different or tweaked PS

Thanks for the advice! So just to clarify, I wouldn't have to ask my professors for another letter, right? I can just use the letters on my LSAC account?

Correct.

[ek5dn]

Thanks to everyone for all the advice/helpful comments Nothing left to do now but anxiously wait for responses from law schools

[CanadianWolf]

Consider writing the "Why Duke?" essay even though you're on their priority waitlist if you're still interested.

[ek5dn]

Retaking would be your best option with that GPA.

That said, you're really not in bad shape with a 167. I had numbers pretty similar to yours and ended up deciding not to retake. Neither choice is necessarily the "wrong" choice, depending on your goals. A 167 can get you into most of the t14, but probably won't be good for a ton of funding. At that score, 3-5 more points could translate into a lot of scholarship dollars. Especially since you applied later in the cycle, you may not get many good scholarship offers this time around anyway.

So, my best advice:

See what offers you get, and if you like one, take it. If you don't get as much funding as you were hoping for, what's the harm in taking a year off, retaking the LSAT, and probably getting way more money next time around?

If I do end up taking a year off, would I have to do something noteworthy so that law schools don't look at that year as a bad thing? Or does it not really matter as long as my LSAT score goes up? I'm guessing I would have to write an addendum, too, correct?

[pamphleteer]

Retaking would be your best option with that GPA.

That said, you're really not in bad shape with a 167. I had numbers pretty similar to yours and ended up deciding not to retake. Neither choice is necessarily the "wrong" choice, depending on your goals. A 167 can get you into most of the t14, but probably won't be good for a ton of funding. At that score, 3-5 more points could translate into a lot of scholarship dollars. Especially since you applied later in the cycle, you may not get many good scholarship offers this time around anyway.

So, my best advice:

See what offers you get, and if you like one, take it. If you don't get as much funding as you were hoping for, what's the harm in taking a year off, retaking the LSAT, and probably getting way more money next time around?

If I do end up taking a year off, would I have to do something noteworthy so that law schools don't look at that year as a bad thing? Or does it not really matter as long as my LSAT score goes up? I'm guessing I would have to write an addendum, too, correct?

You should probably get a job. Not only will it be looked upon favorably by many schools (especially Northwestern), it allows you to save up so you can pay some of your COA in cash rather than debt-financing the whole thing. No addendum necessary.

[03152016]

you're in that narrow band where every point actually does matter for t14
it would be 100% worth retaking even if you only bumped up to a 168

if you're open to taking a year off, take a year off
not only will more work experience help during recruiting, but getting the apps in early improves your chances, and you'll have plenty of time to study for the retake