Top Law Schools

Hey everyone,

Thanks for reading before hand, I know there are a lot of cancel threads. Just needed some quick advice before it's too late.


I know 100% I will be retaking in October. The last RC destroyed me. I would expect up to -15 truthfully. I had a goal of 165 which I had gotten on PTs before. But after that RC section and my normal averages on LR (around -5) I don't think it's possible. I assume I got perfect or -1 max on my LG as I had a lot of time to spare and was able to check most of my answers.


Anyway, what is more relevant is that I'm a splitter applying to the T20s-T40s. I know how competitive HYS and schools in the T14 can be, but since I am not really in that situation, I was wondering if a low first score would really hurt me.

I looked up most of the school's policies online regarding multiple takes and they were across the board (UC Davis, Hastings, Loyola, a few others). Some just look at top score, others say only the first score unless it changes by 5 points or more in which you will have to write an addendum.

Overall I am 100% retaking, it's just the matter of whether or not to cancel a potential 156-162 score. I don't really like the idea of putting all my eggs in one basket and taking in October. I always worry that if some crazy shit happened in my life or I got sick or something, I'd be totally screwed. But on the same token, it's not like I could fall back on a mid to high 150's score to get me into where I want to be anyway.

Thoughts?


Also, I was starting to show a lot of improvement a few weeks before the test. Doing single timed individual sections I was pulling my best scores yet. EX: did 2 solo perfectly timed RC sections and missed -2. Did LR sections and got -2 to -3. But putting it all together was something I needed to practice more. I have confidence I could breach a 170 by October.

bump

darkatillam2 wrote:Hey everyone,

Thanks for reading before hand, I know there are a lot of cancel threads. Just needed some quick advice before it's too late.


I know 100% I will be retaking in October. The last RC destroyed me. I would expect up to -15 truthfully. I had a goal of 165 which I had gotten on PTs before. But after that RC section and my normal averages on LR (around -5) I don't think it's possible. I assume I got perfect or -1 max on my LG as I had a lot of time to spare and was able to check most of my answers.


Anyway, what is more relevant is that I'm a splitter applying to the T20s-T40s. I know how competitive HYS and schools in the T14 can be, but since I am not really in that situation, I was wondering if a low first score would really hurt me.

I looked up most of the school's policies online regarding multiple takes and they were across the board (UC Davis, Hastings, Loyola, a few others). Some just look at top score, others say only the first score unless it changes by 5 points or more in which you will have to write an addendum.

Overall I am 100% retaking, it's just the matter of whether or not to cancel a potential 156-162 score. I don't really like the idea of putting all my eggs in one basket and taking in October. I always worry that if some crazy shit happened in my life or I got sick or something, I'd be totally screwed. But on the same token, it's not like I could fall back on a mid to high 150's score to get me into where I want to be anyway.

Thoughts?


Also, I was starting to show a lot of improvement a few weeks before the test. Doing single timed individual sections I was pulling my best scores yet. EX: did 2 solo perfectly timed RC sections and missed -2. Did LR sections and got -2 to -3. But putting it all together was something I needed to practice more. I have confidence I could breach a 170 by October.

I am in a very similar boat!!!!!
I want to hear people's opinions on this.

Honestly, I don't think it matters too much. I guess since you already know where your weakness was you won't be learning much new from seeing the exam. I would cancel it. It doesn't sound like the score was going to do you good anyway, so if life gets in the way of the October test you can always wait a year to apply and take a later test.

What is your gpa? If its below a 3.7 then I would keep the score. The reason why is that many of the top 6 schools have a gpa cutoff of 3.7 or better, and unfortunately your gpa may keep you out unless you score close to a 180 ( like 177+). If its a 3.7 and you think you did that bad, then cancel. SInce you are aiming for the top 20-40 schools, many of them will take your best score, and if you end up doing really bad in June and better in October, you can explain it as a case of having a mid test bad case of the nerves. Plus with the score you can see how you perform on each section ( minus the exp) in the actual test day environment and see how much of a factor endurance/ fatigue is for you, and what question types mess you up. Keeping that score allows you to fine tune your mistakes and use it as a reference for the October exam.

Now that being typed, if your gpa is a 3.7 or better- and you honestly feel as though you bombed the test- then cancel, as alll of the schools are still targets for you. But if you honestly feel as though you might have performed better on the other sections, i would err towards the side of keeping it- but im a big believer in the idea that you perform as well as you practice, so if you were practicing at around a 167- then you should have no problem getting a 162 or better, and you may even have performed like you usually did ( FWIW I walked out of October thinking i didnt do as well, and ended up with a score within my pt range)

Hope this helps! Best of luck in October!