Retake a 4th time or go to law school? Forum

[Ben Franklin]

But i think what would be the BEST option is to NOT go to law school at all.

Don't listen to this guy. Retake and shoot for the moon. @ 160 you are already scoring higher than 80% of test takers, and every point above 160 is important. 160 back to back shows you probably have one concentrated weak area, so focus on that and crush it.

[Lasers]

But i think what would be the BEST option is to NOT go to law school at all.

Don't listen to this guy. Retake and shoot for the moon. @ 160 you are already scoring higher than 80% of test takers, and every point above 160 is important. 160 back to back shows you probably have one concentrated weak area, so focus on that and crush it.

meh, i kinda agree with dre, here.

3 times is already quite a few times. certainly, if OP didn't prep well the other times or has a clear weakness to address, then a retake is definitely the correct choice. but if there isn't a clear weakness, and OP was prepping thoroughly before and doesn't have a clear plan for the 4th time around, there probably won't be a worthwhile increase.

[chadbrochill]

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[hephaestus]

Where are you guys hearing that 4 takes doesn't matter? It varies by school but I have strong reason to believe that the top schools absolutely care even without rankings incentive

Outside of HYS, LSN shows this is demonstrably false.

[chadbrochill]

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[BlueDiamond]

Do not pay sticker at BC Law.

[mattviphky]

do what you need to do to kill the lsat. The money you lose from quitting can more than be made up for in scholarships. Having said that, only go to a top law school, or a top law school in your area with a huge scholarship.

[JamMasterJ]

I quit my $60K consulting job to study for the LSAT. Studying for the LSAT the right way is impossible while working a full time job. I would quit 4-5 mnths before your LSAT date to focus it. Give it your best shot. All you can do is try your best and let the chips fall where they may. TLS has rided me real hard for quitting my job to focus on the LSAT. You have to do what is best for you. I don't know how other people were able to balance the two. That shit sucks. There is so much material to cover.

nope.
Study 5 hrs/day on Saturday/Sunday, 2-3 hours/day on three weekdays.
Works unless you're working 60+ hours per week.

[hephaestus]

Where are you guys hearing that 4 takes doesn't matter? It varies by school but I have strong reason to believe that the top schools absolutely care even without rankings incentive

Outside of HYS, LSN shows this is demonstrably false.

What does LSN have to do with it? If you don't have the numbers you won't have a chance but even with them four takes is different than 3, 2 or 1

I mean that if you comb through piles of LSN data am look for people's self reported number of takes, there won't be a significant difference. I dug through many, many profiles two years ago before I took a 3rd time to see if it made a different. 2,3 or 4 takes seemed to make no difference.
What is this strong reason?

[chadbrochill]

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[mindarmed]

Yes OP, I think you are correct about this issue. Despite the downturn of 170 scorers applying to law school, T14 schools are still scrutinizing applicants. You might as well forgo your law school dreams and stay in your current job.

[J-e-L-L-o]

If you're that set on going to law school, drop some dollars on a prep course. You've already taken the test for a score twice on your own. A class might do you wonders.

[Ben Franklin]

Yes OP, I think you are correct about this issue. Despite the downturn of 170 scorers applying to law school, T14 schools are still scrutinizing applicants. You might as well forgo your law school dreams and stay in your current job.

Here is some good 'ol TLS snobbery in action. A 160 is still a better score than 80% of test takers. With that being said, BC @ sticker might not be a good idea, but a 3.77 with a 160 carries the possibility of $$$ at other schools. These might not be the best schools out there, but outside of HYS you should strive to attend the best school you can for as little as you can. So unless BC is your absolute DREAM school, apply elsewhere. Even a partial scholly somewhere else is better than paying full sticker @ BC.

[Dr. Dre]

Yes OP, I think you are correct about this issue. Despite the downturn of 170 scorers applying to law school, T14 schools are still scrutinizing applicants. You might as well forgo your law school dreams and stay in your current job.

Here is some good 'ol TLS snobbery in action. A 160 is still a better score than 80% of test takers. With that being said, BC @ sticker might not be a good idea, but a 3.77 with a 160 carries the possibility of $$$ at other schools. These might not be the best schools out there, but outside of HYS you should strive to attend the best school you can for as little as you can. So unless BC is your absolute DREAM school, apply elsewhere. Even a partial scholly somewhere else is better than paying full sticker @ BC.

armedwithamind had TCR

[Ben Franklin]

armedwithamind had TCR

No, he didn't. Not even close. First off, an LSAT score is by no means an accurate predictor of if that person will find a job, or be a successful attorney. While a lower LSAT score might send you to a school with a lower likelihood of getting a job, there is no way to predict what side of that fence OP will be on. Plenty of people do just fine in law school after scoring lower than what OP scored, and still find jobs. Stop trying to fit in Dre

[mindarmed]

armedwithamind had TCR

No, he didn't. Not even close. First off, an LSAT score is by no means an accurate predictor of if that person will find a job, or be a successful attorney. While a lower LSAT score might send you to a school with a lower likelihood of getting a job, there is no way to predict what side of that fence OP will be on. Plenty of people do just fine in law school after scoring lower than what OP scored, and still find jobs. Stop trying to fit in Dre

Please stop giving bad advice. OP has a 3.77 GPA. To waste that on a 160 is a horrendous idea

[AP-375]

Hey OP,
Former 4th time retaker here, so I sympathize with you. That sucks so much. But GO for it. I'm incredibly glad that I did, and there can be a huge difference in ultimate outcome (where you get a job and how much you owe), as I believe was the case for me.
My impression was that having 4 freaking LSAT scores did not hurt my application. Strictly by the numbers, I got in, WL'd, and dinged exactly as expected.
Go for it.

[Ben Franklin]

Please stop giving bad advice. OP has a 3.77 GPA. To waste that on a 160 is a horrendous idea

It might be somewhat a waste when looking at the 3.77, but OP still has plenty of options with those numbers if he feels he is at his ceiling with a 160. I would advocate for the retake before I would advocate for not going at all. With that being said, even a 4 or 5 point increase will put OP in a much better position, assuming he isn't set on going to BC and BC only.