Delay Application for Re-take vs lose place in cycle? Forum

[GoNuggets]

Like many others, I was disappointed with my recent performance on the Dec LSAT, my practice tests ranged from the high 150s to the mid-high 160s, and my official score is a 159. GPA: 3.66. I am looking for acceptance to my in-state public university 25th-75th %: LSAT 159-165, GPA 3.37-3.75. I wanted to see if you think it would give me a better chance of admission to just apply now with my current numbers without a retake but earlier in the admissions cycle, or apply now notifying the school that I will have another LSAT reported in March, with a large delay losing my place in the cycle?

I am pretty confident that I can at the very least break 160, hopefully around 161-164. I am a non-URM. Good LORs, decent softs, 2-3 years work exp.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[rw2264]

if you take the Feb LSAT and get a better score you can notify the school in march, assuming your application hasn't already been decided on. but you can probably just wait. law schools lower on the rankings aren't under as much pressure from their stats so the boost you get from applying earlier isn't that great.

but consider that you're within the spread for both GPA and LSAT score (and on the higher end for one) so you'll probably get in anyway.

[rw2264]

also if you got a 164-5 you could probably go somewhere much better than you're aiming for with a 3.6.

[GoNuggets]

Appreciate the response, makes sense moving forward...great point that even if I re-take, being able to notify the school well after the fact in March is a better option then placing the whole app on hold.

Thanks.

[Think_lax86]

Hey when you say notify the schools in March, do you mean send out the applications now so we can kind of reserve our spot for review, and than once we get our decision on the february exam notify them? should we indicate that we are taking it again on the application? because I feel if we indicate that than they might not review it until they get the feb test which makes us run the risk of possibly (hopefully not though) not doing better on feb. and than having pushed back our applications further...

I am in almost exactly the same boat... I got a 157, gpa 3.2 and probably will end up in hofstra, st. johns... reachs are brooklyn, fordham, cardozo... When I got my LSAT score back I was happy that I had improved from the last time I took it a year ago and got a 151, but I was so bummed out that I didnt do as well as I thought I should have... I studied so much for it and was averaging around 159-162... I feel even if I dont retake it, I will probably get into the schools I am applying to, but I wanted to see if I could possibly bump it up a few more points to see if any scholarship money might result...

SO... should we send in the applications like usual, no indication that we are retaking it and than once the score comes in just let them know?

[GoNuggets]

Good point, and after thinking about it, I don't think it's possible to have our cake and eat it too. If the app is submitted as is, it will be fully evaluated on the original LSAT score, aid, admission etc... If it is submitted with an addendum referencing the new LSAT to come, that may likely delay the final review of the application until the school has the Feb. score in which case you're near the back of the rolling admissions line with a hopefully higher score...which might make sense if you know you can blow the LSAT out of the water, otherwise it might be best to keep you mostly competitive spot in line with the original score.

If you notify the school of your Feb test after the fact, I don't know how they would evaluate the application, I suspect ignoring it and proceeding forward with the original application...but I really have no good idea. Can anyone else speak to this?

[jarofsoup]

Dont delay. I talked to an admission department about this. Your score even if increased will not help you a lot if it is very late in the cycle.

But you could still retake and apply next year.

[Think_lax86]

Well than do you think it might just be a waste of time to take it again in february? Why not just take it in june if it wont help regardless for this application session? I got a 157 and I really dont see myself getting a 165 on the Feb test... I do think if i gave myself until the june test, i might be able to hit that mark and than possibly apply for the spring... but if it wont really make a difference if I got like a 160 in february or even like a 162 in feb because i waited so long than I dont see any point in taking it in feb... am i wrong in that assumption or should i shoot for the feb?

I think i might be able to pull out a 160... up from a 157... worth it to take it in feb? or wait till june and possibly get up to a 165... mind you this would be my 3rd time taking it, if that matters?

[Cosmo Kramer]

I'm in the same boat right now and from what I've gotten it varies on the schools. Some schools have told me that the application will be reviewed as is without any delay unless I request one. A few other schools automatically froze my application since I indicated I would be retaking in February, and so I had to make some moves to get it unfrozen. I also had a school say that they would look at my current score and if I was deemed "inadmissable" place it to the side until my new score comes in.

The good thing is that if your application is frozen until the feb score comes in, as soon as it does come in you are basically first in line to be reviewed. However, while you aren't now last in line, many other applications have jumped you.

[evergirl23]

I'm in the same boat right now and from what I've gotten it varies on the schools. Some schools have told me that the application will be reviewed as is without any delay unless I request one. A few other schools automatically froze my application since I indicated I would be retaking in February, and so I had to make some moves to get it unfrozen. I also had a school say that they would look at my current score and if I was deemed "inadmissable" place it to the side until my new score comes in.

The good thing is that if your application is frozen until the feb score comes in, as soon as it does come in you are basically first in line to be reviewed. However, while you aren't now last in line, many other applications have jumped you.

I have been hearing roughly the same thing. Some schools (e.g. UCLA) will not review once you indicate you are taking February. Some schools will allow you to ask them to go ahead and review. One school told me not to delay my application, because based on when I submitted (end of Dec), I probably wasn't going to be reviewed until after the scores came out anyway, and my file would automatically be updated.

All of that said, I am still torn on whether to re-take. If I do, I don't want to delay any of my applications (save one or two), but I worry that telling schools not to wait to review my application will reflect badly, especially since my score from December is good enough for my safeties. I have been agonizing over this since I got my score in December. I have been studying but haven't actually signed up - I figured the extra $66 was worth the additional 10 days to decide.

I definitely think I can do better than my December score of 167. But I also need to be able to get financial aid. So the debate rages on...

[Cosmo Kramer]

I'm in the same boat right now and from what I've gotten it varies on the schools. Some schools have told me that the application will be reviewed as is without any delay unless I request one. A few other schools automatically froze my application since I indicated I would be retaking in February, and so I had to make some moves to get it unfrozen. I also had a school say that they would look at my current score and if I was deemed "inadmissable" place it to the side until my new score comes in.

The good thing is that if your application is frozen until the feb score comes in, as soon as it does come in you are basically first in line to be reviewed. However, while you aren't now last in line, many other applications have jumped you.

I have been hearing roughly the same thing. Some schools (e.g. UCLA) will not review once you indicate you are taking February. Some schools will allow you to ask them to go ahead and review. One school told me not to delay my application, because based on when I submitted (end of Dec), I probably wasn't going to be reviewed until after the scores came out anyway, and my file would automatically be updated.

All of that said, I am still torn on whether to re-take. If I do, I don't want to delay any of my applications (save one or two), but I worry that telling schools not to wait to review my application will reflect badly, especially since my score from December is good enough for my safeties. I have been agonizing over this since I got my score in December. I have been studying but haven't actually signed up - I figured the extra $66 was worth the additional 10 days to decide.

I definitely think I can do better than my December score of 167. But I also need to be able to get financial aid. So the debate rages on...

I've been torn about it too. I performed significantly below my average (try 8 points) but still have the numbers to get into my safeties. I told the safeties and targets to go ahead with reviewing and will hold out on my reaches until February. I also haven't ruled out reapplying next cycle depending on how I do this cycle/on the feb test so for now I play the waiting game...

[ryguy]

When exactly is the stated score release date for taking the Feb. LSAT? Because that time is what you should consider. It takes time after that date for the LSAC to prepare the score reports and enter them. Then, the school receives either paper or image. Paper is not received for 8 to 10 business days. Image is about two days. Then, these reports need to manually be placed into your files. Then, reviewed.