Withdraw and keep studying (again!) or quit while ahead?
Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:42 pm
I'm looking for some advice on how to proceed...
Background: I graduated in 2010 from UG and have since done a one-year AmeriCorps term and am currently working full-time. My LSAT diagnostic score was a 158. I have been studying for the LSAT seriously (on average 20-25 hrs per week) since August, originally preparing for the October test. In preparation for the October test, I used the Powerscore LRB and LGB. About 3 weeks before the October test, I realized that I wasn't going to be ready, and decided to postpone until December. I continued to prep during the month of October using the MLSAT LR book, of which I have read the entirety. Mid-way through that book, I took a few PTs from earlier years (30s-40s) and saw my score jump into the upper 160s-lower 170s.
For the past 10 days, I have been taking PTs (all strictly timed) that have been more recently administered (55-62), but can't seem to get anything higher than 164. My major issue is timing, on RC I can never get to all 4 passages, which typically leaves between 6-9 questions not even looked at. On LR, I typically am only able to hit about 18-20 of the questions. On LGs, I have pretty much no issues at all with speed or accuracy. When I take LR/RC sections without timing, I get maybe 1-2 wrong at most.
My goal was to get into one of the T14, obviously more towards the top if possible. My GPA is only a 3.54 so I know that in order for that to be a solid possibility, I must increase my score to a 170+.
So, my questions are:
-- Should I withdraw from December or go ahead and take it to see how I do?
-- Do you think the fact that I haven't seen any major improvement basically beyond my diagnostic after using both Powerscore and MLSAT demonstrates that more than likely I am just not capable of getting into the 170+ bracket?
Thank you for any and all responses! Any suggestions on how you think I might be able to improve (like take a class, private tutor...anything) are greatly appreciated as well!
Background: I graduated in 2010 from UG and have since done a one-year AmeriCorps term and am currently working full-time. My LSAT diagnostic score was a 158. I have been studying for the LSAT seriously (on average 20-25 hrs per week) since August, originally preparing for the October test. In preparation for the October test, I used the Powerscore LRB and LGB. About 3 weeks before the October test, I realized that I wasn't going to be ready, and decided to postpone until December. I continued to prep during the month of October using the MLSAT LR book, of which I have read the entirety. Mid-way through that book, I took a few PTs from earlier years (30s-40s) and saw my score jump into the upper 160s-lower 170s.
For the past 10 days, I have been taking PTs (all strictly timed) that have been more recently administered (55-62), but can't seem to get anything higher than 164. My major issue is timing, on RC I can never get to all 4 passages, which typically leaves between 6-9 questions not even looked at. On LR, I typically am only able to hit about 18-20 of the questions. On LGs, I have pretty much no issues at all with speed or accuracy. When I take LR/RC sections without timing, I get maybe 1-2 wrong at most.
My goal was to get into one of the T14, obviously more towards the top if possible. My GPA is only a 3.54 so I know that in order for that to be a solid possibility, I must increase my score to a 170+.
So, my questions are:
-- Should I withdraw from December or go ahead and take it to see how I do?
-- Do you think the fact that I haven't seen any major improvement basically beyond my diagnostic after using both Powerscore and MLSAT demonstrates that more than likely I am just not capable of getting into the 170+ bracket?
Thank you for any and all responses! Any suggestions on how you think I might be able to improve (like take a class, private tutor...anything) are greatly appreciated as well!