Necessity of addendum for low LSAT Forum

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danidex

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Necessity of addendum for low LSAT

Post by danidex » Sun Sep 05, 2021 12:00 am

Hi, I need some advice about whether I should do an addendum for a low LSAT score (157). I am 14 years out of university and have had a consistent professional career. When I was studying for and taking the June LSAT I was having some neurological medical issues: fatigue, inability to concentrate, dizziness, foggy brain, tingling in chest, and extreme anxiety over these symptoms. It took a while to diagnose the problem, I don’t have the ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food, and thankfully was easily treatable, a B12 shot every few months, and I’m all good now. I had planned to continue studying and signed up to take the August LSAT, but I became pregnant (on purpose) in June and had an extremely rough first trimester (one and done for me!) and there was no way to concentrate on anything other than how sick I was feeling and I withdrew from the test within the appropriate time frame. Is this worth mentioning in an addendum or does it just sound whiny and like I’m making excuses? I have no idea how academics would take this. Would it be negative to admit that I am pregnant? Thanks for the advice!

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cavalier1138

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Re: Necessity of addendum for low LSAT

Post by cavalier1138 » Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:18 am

Although I think you have a good reason to believe that you can score higher, an adcomm reading any addendum is going to have the same question I do: Why don't you take the LSAT again without all the health issues?

danidex

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Re: Necessity of addendum for low LSAT

Post by danidex » Sun Sep 05, 2021 2:17 pm

Thanks for responding! Good point, my answer to that would simply be that I want to apply to September applications opening and also the money factor of paying for a 3rd test.

nixy

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Re: Necessity of addendum for low LSAT

Post by nixy » Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:08 pm

Writing an addendum won't help here because adcomms won't know what you *could* accomplish while healthy. They can't just magically add points to your score based on your physical/medical conditions. If you took a 3rd time, got a 175, and wanted to explain why the score was so much higher, then you could write an addendum like the one you propose (I don't think it would be really necessary, but I could understand why you might). But right now, it doesn't help adcomms evaluate you effectively. Okay, 157 wasn't your best shot - but what is? Would you have got a 160? 163? 180? Who knows?

(The only circumstance I can think of where an addendum for a lower LSAT might possibly be useful is if you're someone who has a demonstrated history of low standardized test scores, paired with academic excellence in every other context, and ideally some kind of diagnosed issue that helps explain the disparity, and you've taken the LSAT enough times to be certain that you've reached your max, and you want to explain all that. It might not make any difference, but I can understand offering the explanation. Otherwise a lower LSAT is just a lower LSAT. An addendum is more relevant for someone wanting to explain a poor UGPA since you can't go back and redo that. So if you'd had the neurological issues and/or pregnancy during college and wanted to explain a GPA that way, sure. It doesn't work the same for the LSAT because, as cav points out, you can always retake it.)

Access

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Re: Necessity of addendum for low LSAT

Post by Access » Sun Sep 05, 2021 4:38 pm

danidex wrote:
Sun Sep 05, 2021 2:17 pm
Thanks for responding! Good point, my answer to that would simply be that I want to apply to September applications opening and also the money factor of paying for a 3rd test.
I know this isn't what you came to ask, but I gotta say this is a very shortsighted view of things. A higher LSAT score will get you better scholarships and/or admission to a better school, which will long term benefit your career. If this is the real reason. If it isn't, then don't write an addendum.

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nealric

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Re: Necessity of addendum for low LSAT

Post by nealric » Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:05 am

danidex wrote:
Sun Sep 05, 2021 2:17 pm
Thanks for responding! Good point, my answer to that would simply be that I want to apply to September applications opening and also the money factor of paying for a 3rd test.
This is incredibly pennywise and pound foolish. A few extra points could be worth tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money, or even millions of lifetime earnings. Don't forego a proper score over a few hundred bucks, even if it means waiting another year. Law school will still be there next year.

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