Will taking Feb LSAT hold your apps? Forum

[CordeliusX]

This seems to be the million dollar question.

I sort of know the answer, but still... I must inquire. I'm told that schools do not see registrations, only the scores after you've taken the test. Even if they do, would they hold your apps?

I can only see good coming out of taking a February test: cancelling or doing worse probably won't hurt you because most schools will have decided by late February when scores come out. If they don't want you then, they probably won't want you later. You could withdraw if you hear back before the test itself. And if a score is improved, it might help you later if you're waitlisted.

What am I missing here? It seems like you shouldn't retake more than once...

[EarlCat]

This seems to be the million dollar question.

I sort of know the answer, but still... I must inquire. I'm told that schools do not see registrations, only the scores after you've taken the test. Even if they do, would they hold your apps?

I can only see good coming out of taking a February test: cancelling or doing worse probably won't hurt you because most schools will have decided by late February when scores come out. If they don't want you then, they probably won't want you later. You could withdraw if you hear back before the test itself. And if a score is improved, it might help you later if you're waitlisted.

What am I missing here? It seems like you shouldn't retake more than once...

Schools will hold your app for a Feb score if you ask them to. The risk of holding for Feb is underperforming and having merely delayed your application. The risk of not holding is getting rejected before getting a great Feb score back.

[BenJ]

This seems to be the million dollar question.

I sort of know the answer, but still... I must inquire. I'm told that schools do not see registrations, only the scores after you've taken the test. Even if they do, would they hold your apps?

I can only see good coming out of taking a February test: cancelling or doing worse probably won't hurt you because most schools will have decided by late February when scores come out. If they don't want you then, they probably won't want you later. You could withdraw if you hear back before the test itself. And if a score is improved, it might help you later if you're waitlisted.

What am I missing here? It seems like you shouldn't retake more than once...

Schools will hold your app for a Feb score if you ask them to. The risk of holding for Feb is underperforming and having merely delayed your application. The risk of not holding is getting rejected before getting a great Feb score back.

I believe some schools will reconsider a rejection if you greatly improve on the LSAT... although perhaps not as late as February/March. You're unlikely to receive a rejection before March anyway, though.

[Thirteen]

A couple of schools e-mailed to ask if I wanted them to hold my apps until the February scores are released, but I told them to submit the apps for review. I'd rather have them look now, and take a chance on rejection. Waiting until the first week in March seems risky, especially since I'm a low-GPA splitter.

[davisuga]

So, i have a 163/170/3.3. I should get into UGA. I sign up for the feb lsat tonight before midnight to avoid the late fee. UGA sees that I have an upcoming lsat when I turn my apps in almost a week or two from now. They automatically admit me regardless? Or they see my 167 lsat average, hold the decision on my app, and then reject me when i bomb the thing and hit a 160?

[existenz]

So, i have a 163/170/3.3. I should get into UGA. I sign up for the feb lsat tonight before midnight to avoid the late fee. UGA sees that I have an upcoming lsat when I turn my apps in almost a week or two from now. They automatically admit me regardless? Or they see my 167 lsat average, hold the decision on my app, and then reject me when i bomb the thing and hit a 160?

I have the same two scores - 163/170.

Here's the deal -- right now, most schools will give much more weigh to the 170 since you made a big jump. But if you come back with a 166-168 or something, they will think that mid-to-high 160s is a more accurate score for you. So anything under 170 hurts. Hell, unless you actually show improvement (171+) a retake would not really be helpful.

Were you scoring 175+ on preps? Are you positive you could improve, or are you just stoked from the 170 and want to go even higher? I'm pretty sure I could beat my 170, but the hassle of contacting schools, studying more, all on the outside chance of a 2+ point jump in score just doesn't seem worth it to me. If I thought I could definitely get a 175-180, sure, but at some point reality comes into play.

[davisuga]

Consistently scored mid to high 160s. Sprinkled in a decent amount of low 170s, but nothing i would call consistent. I just still feel like with a month of solid studying i can go higher. RC on both tests has been garbage...on the other hand I'm -1 combined for both tests. I just feel like not taking the test the max amount of times is such a waste when i honestly feel i could improve by a couple points.

[jocelyne]

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[CordeliusX]

So is it the consensus that schools who will NOT hold your apps for Feb score unless you tell them to?

This is the question I'm curious about. FWIW I don't think I will re-take as of this particular moment. Could change

[jocelyne]

...

[tommytahoe]

I thought I'd add my two cents:

I applied late in the cycle because of a retake in December. Numbers are 163/3.78, and I am registered to sit the test a third time b/c, well, the horses are already on the track, and I honest-to-God know I can do better. I reserve the option of canceling, which may not look good, is not the end of the world, so I hear.
I applied to a bunch of schools: safe bets plus slight reaches, plus absurd reaches like Boalt and UVA.

I thought about the same dilemma, and decided that, b/c I applied so late in the cycle (first week of January), the odds that I would hear rejections before the end of Feb. when the scores are released is much less than if I had applied at Thanksgiving.

So, with schools I feel certain I will get rejected at, I may end up sending them a message letting them know I am taking the LSAT a third time. With all the other Accept/Waitlist schools, I'm gonna let it happen of its own accord, and update them with the new test result when it is released.