the feb lsat...to be or not to be? Forum

[npodlask11]

i have a question for seasoned lsat takers/anyone who can offer some insight/advice. due to sudden changes in future and current plans i was "forced" to sign up for the February lsat about 3 weeks ago--definitely not a cerebral move. having never looked at an lsat question before that fated day 3 weeks ago i am now questioning whether i should really take this for a number of reasons:

1. i am scoring on the 157-160 range on practice tests and i want to score in the 164-170 range she o that i can have a better chance at getting into some of the T25 schools. i have a 3.6 GPA at Notre Dame. i feel that i am reasonably intelligent, and that if i had more time to prepare i could do better on the exam--especially, more time to improve on the damn logic game section. im not a great standardized test taker, but i feel my 2 weeks of real preparation that i have under my belt thus far have not been sufficient.
2. i know schools average your scores. as i have the opportunity to take the june exam before time and commitments permit me from taking any more exams i considered this, however i am wary of having a low(er) average than i would have had if i just took the exam in june.
3. i have heard that many schools have the mindset that unless you are sick or almost die before/during the exam you should be absolutely ready to take it and submit the score.

so my question is should i cancel this score after i take the exam or cancel taking exam all together given the aforementioned concerns?

any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

[runrabbit]

don't take the test in february. to do so would be a colossal waste of your time. moreover, better to have one good score than one bad and one good score.

[Pricer]

It is too late for him to cancel. He can't just not take it.

As far as advice for the OP, I have none. I am taking it for my first time this Saturday and I have just started preparing in the past few weeks.

[PoliticalJunkie]

Too late to cancel the test so you might as well attend, take the test under real timed conditions and immediately cancel your score before leaving. You'll at least get a feeling of what to expect when game time arrives.

[leftofthedial]

just don't show up. you'll lose that $120, but it doesn't count as one of your three in two years, and admissions people don't care about a no-show. several no-shows maybe, but not one. do it in june.

[SOCRATiC]

Most schools take your highest LSAT score. Good luck.

[UTexas]

Just to clarify things, you have two options other than taking the test and keeping your score. You can take the test in order to experience a real LSAT administration and then cancel your score, or you can decide not to show up for the test. In the first instance, "cancel" will appear on your score report; in the second, "absent" will be recorded on your report. Contrary to what you've heard, one cancellation or absence will not hurt you at all.

A cancellation will count toward your limit of three tests within a two-year period whereas an absence will not, but taking the test and canceling affords you first-hand experience of LSAT gameday, which might help you relax a bit in June. If you don't want to use up one of your three chances to take the test in the next two years, you should take the absence.

The bottom line, though, is that you have not prepared enough and should not take the test with any plans of keeping your score.

[npodlask11]

thanks for the advice. i wasnt aware of the being absent option. i think i am going to take it then most likely cancel my scores. though, what is this about schools taking your higher score? i was under the impression that most took an avg?

[abbas123]

there's been debate on this before...check out the search function at the top of the forum

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =6&t=97647