Just not ready for the December LSAT Forum

[BxBob0711]

I'm scheduled for the December LSAT and I regrettably don't feel as ready as I should. Plus on top of that I'm become sick, so I haven't been able to concentrate while trying to study. Since I can't reschedule the test I'm just going to take it and at the very least get a feel of how taking the test in that environment will be. If I don't feel confident in it I will cancel. I am aware this is the last LSAT score you can report to apply for a September 2011 term. I was also informed the more time you have to practice and familiarize yourself with the test the better you become. So I was wondering if I should schedule my next test for October since there is no rush to take it again (seeing as though I won't be able to apply till next winter anyway) and I'll have more time to study. Or do law schools generally frown upon that and would like to see you take the February or June one since they see you took and cancelled in December? Thank you very much!

[tourdeforcex]

so it seems this decision node leads to either june 2011 or october 2011.

to answer your question, i don't think law schools really weigh june over october. it's the score that counts.

the LSAT is serious. take it when you are prepared. if it's possible leave 3-4 months immediately before the test date as time that you can focus as much as possible on studying. if you're working, that's a little harder. maybe allow for 5 months.

another small thing: june exams are in the afternoon i think. all the rest, like october is at 8:30 AM.

[BxBob0711]

Thank you for answering. I am indeed working which has made it harder. I can consistently get a 160 but that is not much more than I got on my first practice test and I know I can do better. So to clarify, nothing would be held against me if I skipped over the February test even though I cancelled the December one, as long as I got a good score?

[tourdeforcex]

the aggregate wisdom on TLS, which i believe, is the score (should be shining w/ golden rays) trumps all.

it can wipe away a below-average or average GPA (representing 4 years or more of your life), it can diminish a poor personal statement and mediocre LORs. basically the score is the real deal.

and you can do better. what's your weakness? LR? LG? LG is easiest to improve on. run searches on TLS to find advice on improvement on anything.

[BxBob0711]

Well my gpa is decent with a 3.74 although it wasn't from a strong school by any means. Logic Games actually aren't that bad for me. My friend gave me a packet that he had of what was called "Killer Games." They're supposed to be the hardest logic games the people who made the packet could find, which I was able to go through and on many of the games scored 100%. My main problem is timing and consistency. I can go through a LR section and get 2 questions wrong, then I'll take another and get 6 wrong. I also have trouble in the RC grasping minor details, which would any other time be fine for me because I'm a careful, albeit slow reader. So I've been going through different tests trying out numerous note-taking techniques to find one that works best for me and allows me to answer the questions in a timely manner.

[tourdeforcex]

solid gpa.

it's great you can dominate games. i wish i were doing -0 to -2 consistently but we'll see. my suggestion for LR is to see if there is any pattern for the questions you're getting wrong. i get weaken and assumption questions wrong most. RC is hardest to improve. i actually don't write anything on my passages. sometimes, i might circle a particularly strong word or phrase to use as a marker. generally, i read for structure. then when the question asks for detail, i read that paragraph again. hope this helps.

[BxBob0711]

Thank you. Weaken questions I find to be the hardest because there are so many possible ways to weaken a stimulus. There are occasional times I'll miss an inference in the games and I will try your suggestions for RC. That is the kind of thing I did for my SATs so perhaps I can build on that. Since there are mainly problem with timing and consistency I'm hoping I can work them out with the extra time if I schedule the test for next October or something. Are you taking the December test?

[tourdeforcex]

yes sir.

[2014]

Why can't you do June? That would allow you to retake in October if you aren't pleased with it.

[lakers3peat]

It wasn't until yesterday when I was reading the FAQ about what time the test starts that I found out the June exam started in the afternoon. Depending on what kind of person you are, I would recommend taking it in June. In addition to the fact you can retake it in October, June test is disclosed, in the afternoon, and 6 months away so you have plenty of time to study.


I'm taking it in December solely because I have paid twice and not shown up once. Time to face the music and get it over with. There's always February or June if not happy with December.

[northwood]

A thought:
If you take it in June or October, use this month ( December) to get all of your LOR's sent out, and begin to think of what you want to write for your personal statements. Check online to see what schools want additional essays, and being outlining them as well. If you have more than 3 people that you want to write letters for you, consider having someone do an evaluation ( I have a feeling LSAC will start wanting more of these in the upcoming application cycles, as this is the first cycle where they have them). That way you can get these time consuming, but very necessary parts of your application done, and give you plenty of time to prep for june. Ifd you dont like your score in June, you can always re take in October, and send your apps out while waiting for that score.

[BxBob0711]

Thank you for the advice everyone! The only reason I was saying I should wait as long as possible (meaning October) is because I know law schools don't like when you have more than one cancellation. So since I may have to cancel in December I want to make sure the next time I take it will be the last.

[albanach]

I'd take it in June so you can retake in October and still have an early score.

I'm not sure why you insist on taking Dec though. If you feel you won't get a good score, you're just creating a negative on your report that you might need an addendum for later.

An single absence probably wouldn't need an addendum and also doesn't eat into your three allowable attempts.