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I'm planning on taking the LSAT on October 9th. On my last 8 practice tests, every other score has been a 180, but the other scores are all in the low 170s. Yeah, I know that even a 170 is nothing to bitch about, but 7 or 8 points is an awful lot of variation from one test to another, and I feel like I should be able to control this better (and, the amount of financial aid I receive may be what ends up determining if I go to law school).

The lower scores have typically resulted from feeling rushed or distracted, but I'm not sure how to control this. In particular, if I notice I'm falling behind on time, what should my "catch up" mode be? (Example: On the PrepTest I just took, I took a bit too long on the first logic game, figured out how the second one was pretty easy, and then rush through the questions, making several stupid mistakes on that game just because I wasn't taking my time.)

disclaimer: i have never scored a 180 before so my ideas might not apply to a person like yourself.

i do believe though that mindset is very crucial. a strong performer can do poorly if distracted or rushed. taking timed sections can be helpful to achieve a consistent mindset. another bit of advice coming from your specific example is: take the games out of order. are you really good at grouping? or sequencing? do that one first. you'll feel great when you finish it early and then you have much more time on those other ones. same w/ RC, if RC is a problem for you. do you take longer on the Native American passages? do the ones you're good at first, then you have more time for the weaker ones.

hope this helps and if you could transmit some of your super skill to me telepathically, that would be appreciated.

Take the most recent practice tests if you havent already done so. These are markedly different from the ones of the 1990's and early 2000's. Not necessarily harder, just different. People have reported decreases in their scores after taking these. So, to get a good idea of where you really are Id recommend taking these if you havent done so.

In any case your score is good and you'll end up with a good score. Just relax, take it easy and understand that if youre scoring as high as you are, you know what youre doing. At this point its just a matter of keeping yourself composed.

Good luck!