Top Law Schools

Hi all,

I'm looking for some general advice. I took the October 2011 LSAT and found out yesterday that I got a 165. I had been practice testing at about an average of 173, so I was pretty disappointed with that score, even though I was expecting it after the test day. I'm looking for advice on where to go from here. I have a 3.9 GPA from a top university and was hoping to get a mid-high 170s LSAT so that I could be competitive at a top 10 law school (possibly even a HYS). How much of a disadvantage is taking a December LSAT and having to apply late? Would most people advise waiting a year and applying for the next cycle or is that unnecessary? Also, I've heard very wide ranges of opinions on whether law schools really average your scores or take your best (I'm obviously hoping for the latter). Thoughts???

Thanks!

It depends on how much material (tests) you have yet to exhaust and how much time you have to study between now and December. If you have plenty of materials and time, definitely go for December because the concepts are still fresh in your mind and you don't have to re-learn them.

If you've got 2 scores, they'll take the best. Some of the top schools will look at both, but a 165 and a 175, say, will in all likelihood be viewed as a 175 by the schools.

If you're aiming for the top, you should definitely retake. If you think you can hit ~175 in December, take that one. If you don't think you can, then wait a year and take whichever exam gives you the proper amount of time to study. Either way, waiting a year will be beneficial to your application, as you'll be able to apply early and also get some work experience.

Most schools look at applications on a rolling basis and you won't be able to do the early decision option if you retake in December. The disadvantage is that by the time you apply, schools will have already filled a portion of their classes with accepted students.

Still, if you were ready to score a 173+ in October, I would still retake it in December. You might be at a slight disadvantage but it seems like (based on your tone) you don't really want to wait a year if you don't have to.

I feel like early in the app cycle, admissions are more willing to gamble on splitters with high LSATs and low GPAs, knowing that they have a few months to find people to fill out their medians.

They'll definitely be salivating over your great GPA at the end, so I'd say you can afford the later app.