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Hello there!
I appreciate anyone who can give me an honest and kind solution to my dilema. I really want to go to law school in PA, and use the degree to work in human rights. This is a long-time dream and I have volunteered my entire life to finally start making a difference. I have a GPA of 3.8 and I work hard on my studies, further, I am fluent in a few languages, and I am a female minority. However, I also have a strong ADD --meaning, I get very distracted/bored with long-uninteresting tasks, it is almost painful. I took the cold LSAT prep test (no meds, no time restrictions, no written sample) and it took me 4 hours to complete, I scored a 165. I studied for 2 weeks -while finishing my thesis and studying for my final exams- and sat for the Dec. LSAT. I decided to take my Vyvanse (meds.) to help me focus in the new setting... I hyper-focused on each question, the time was a major distraction and pressure, I felt lost and numb, couldn't concentrate at all and scored a 135 (!!) Yes, it was horrible.
I still want to go to law school, but I do not want to take this test again, as hyperventilating was not a good thing for me. The question is: Would my high GPA, great statement, and letters be enough to try? Should I be bold enough to try to best schools available? I do not want to just throw money away on the application fee (I cannot afford it). I have also looked into Foreign Affairs Schools for Policy studies, but guess what??... there's the GRE.

No, your score is not good enough for any schools worth going to.

Why haven't you requested accommodations?

Hello!

Unfortunately your 135 is just too low to get you into someplace that is going to be worthwhile (or even remotely worthwhile). You have a strong GPA, and URM status, so you owe it to yourself to give it another go! Definitely save your app fees and work on figuring out what is going to be best for your particular needs as far as under/over focusing on the questions. If you have a history of accommodations and are prepared to battle the LSAC over getting them, I would strongly suggest applying for them. It the actual accommodation received may not not be much, but that 165 proves that you have what it takes, and I imagine you can score higher than that with proper studying and individual preparation.

Maybe you should try doing some of the free Kaplan practice tests to get yourself used to the settings. I know someone who has done several of them. Your still in UG also, so maybe taking a year off to concentrate and study would be the best option. It can only help your resume, also. Your obviously capable of a 165, so you should do fine!

ADDStudent wrote:Hello there!
I appreciate anyone who can give me an honest and kind solution to my dilema. I really want to go to law school in PA, and use the degree to work in human rights. This is a long-time dream and I have volunteered my entire life to finally start making a difference. I have a GPA of 3.8 and I work hard on my studies, further, I am fluent in a few languages, and I am a female minority. However, I also have a strong ADD --meaning, I get very distracted/bored with long-uninteresting tasks, it is almost painful. I took the cold LSAT prep test (no meds, no time restrictions, no written sample) and it took me 4 hours to complete, I scored a 165. I studied for 2 weeks -while finishing my thesis and studying for my final exams- and sat for the Dec. LSAT. I decided to take my Vyvanse (meds.) to help me focus in the new setting... I hyper-focused on each question, the time was a major distraction and pressure, I felt lost and numb, couldn't concentrate at all and scored a 135 (!!) Yes, it was horrible.
I still want to go to law school, but I do not want to take this test again, as hyperventilating was not a good thing for me. The question is: Would my high GPA, great statement, and letters be enough to try? Should I be bold enough to try to best schools available? I do not want to just throw money away on the application fee (I cannot afford it). I have also looked into Foreign Affairs Schools for Policy studies, but guess what??... there's the GRE.

I have ADHD among other conditions, and I was able to finish it and did well enough to get $ to the school I wanted to attend. I studied for months, and during be actual test I drifted off a couple of times, but I didn't bother trying to get extended time. My law school gave me 50% extended time on tests though.

ADDStudent wrote:I studied for 2 weeks -while finishing my thesis and studying for my final exams- and sat for the Dec. LSAT.

Besides getting LSAC to accommodate you by possibly giving you more time (http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/accommodated-testing.asp), which I hear is very hard to do but not impossible, you should also study for the LSAT for more than just two weeks. The LSAT is not just like any other test, as I'm sure you're well aware of, especially after taking it. I would dedicate at least a good 3 months, if not more, of consistent studying, i.e. at least 15-20 hours a week. Good luck!

ADDStudent wrote:I also have a strong ADD --meaning, I get very distracted/bored with long-uninteresting tasks, it is almost painful.

So you're like every other person on the planet?

What makes you think out enjoy being a lawyer?

Accommodations involving extended time make your LSAT worthless. Might want to read this:

Do accommodated LSAT scores count towards law school ranks?

Everyone has ADD. Get over it and live your life.

kalvano wrote:What makes you think you'd enjoy being a lawyer?

+1

Also, I wouldn't recommend taking adderal or Ritalin right before taking the LSAT. If you want to, take practice tests after taking them and without taking them to make sure it actually helps you. Adderal actually worsened my score when I was studying, because it slowed me down way too much.

yupyup wrote:

ADDStudent wrote:I studied for 2 weeks -while finishing my thesis and studying for my final exams- and sat for the Dec. LSAT.

Besides getting LSAC to accommodate you by possibly giving you more time (http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/accommodated-testing.asp), which I hear is very hard to do but not impossible, you should also study for the LSAT for more than just two weeks. The LSAT is not just like any other test, as I'm sure you're well aware of, especially after taking it. I would dedicate at least a good 3 months, if not more, of consistent studying, i.e. at least 15-20 hours a week. Good luck!

Exactly this. You're gonna have to spend a whole lot more time on LSAT prep. Btw, precisely what kind of minority are you? (not that it would save your 135, but for future retakes)

Also, is English your first language? Reading your post, it sounds like your English isn't great. That might be the bigger issue than the ADD. I think English as a second language students score lower

ey everyone. Came across this interesting news and thought I'd post it on here to see if anyone knows more info about this. According to a new CALIFORNIA education code, it is now illegal for the LSAC to report that you took the test with accommodations. Does anyone have more info on this?

On October 18, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted an order allowing the Justice Department to intervene in a lawsuit against LSAC by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing Employment and 22 prospective students. With the order, the lawsuit is expanded to a class action on behalf of all prospective law students with disabilities nationwide.

LSAC administrates the LSAT, the standard test required for admission into all American Bar Association-approved law schools.

The lawsuit takes aim at LSAC’s practice of “flagging” prospective law students whom received accommodations when taking the LSAT.

Specifically, when sending information to law schools regarding students’ testing scores, the LSAC includes a cautionary statement: that the results “should be interpreted with great sensitivity and flexibility.” LSAC also does not include a percentile rank for these students scores, furthering distinguishing these students from their peers solely on the basis of their disabilities.

For the DOJ, these practices violate the Americans with Disabilities Act by unfairly stigmatizing students with disabilities and increasing the likelihood that their scores will be viewed as illegitimate.

“As a result, LSAC has denied prospective law students with disabilities a full and equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and aptitude and to fairly compete with educational and employment opportunities for which the LSAT is a prerequisite,” the DOJ stated in its complaint.

With the exception of the Medical College Admission Test, the SAT and all other major standardized tests ended this flagging practice a decade ago, according to an article in the National Law Journal. On September 26, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill, set to go into effect January 1, outlawing these flagging practices in the state of California.

The lawsuit alleged accuses LSAC of consistently failing to provide proper testing accommodations, such as screen readers and loosened times and location restrictions. Students denied requests for accommodations are frequently given cursory responses, providing little guidance for them to modify or appeal their requests.

Additionally, LSAC requires students requesting accommodations to provide “excessive documentation,” even when they have a documented history of similar testing accommodations.

“LSAC’s discriminatory policies in the administration of the LSAT adversely impact people with disabilities nationwide. This is a systemic problem with serious consequences that echo throughout such individuals’ academic and employment careers, and it needs to be addressed as such,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, in a news release.

In February 2012, the ABA’s House of Delegates unanimously passed a resolution urging LSAC to modify its procedures for accommodating students with disabilities.

The original lawsuit survived a motion to dismiss by LSAC in September, according to the National Law Journal article.
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Nope.

LSAC filed a lawsuit against this "law" from the California legislature. It's enforcement has been stopped due to a granted injunction by the judge. The same judge says LSAC will probably win it's case and CA legislature will need to think of something else.

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Be prepared to fight an uphill battle if you do go through with the attempt to get extra time. A perfect LSAT score is manageable with extra time and that is a reason why they fight against extra time. What they do ot want is getting a diagnoses from a doctor, filling a script and then demanding extra time (not saying you are doing this, many people have and this is in part why it is so hard to get accommodations) You will have to go through a fairly rigorous process to get this time and will likely have to show a history of required testing accommodations.

you took vyvance and did poorly?

it more sounds like you weren't ready for the test. most people study for more than 2 weeks.

a 3.8 in UG only means that you went to class.