Stressing about the June test Forum

[Dakota89]

I need advice. I had plans to take the June LSAT, however, I am not yet hitting my goal of mid to high 160's. I am now PTing around 160. Should I not risk scoring too low on the June LSAT and just wait for the October sitting instead? I would hate to have to drag on my studying through the summer, but I just feel like I am going to unrealistically push myself really hard in the next 5 weeks to only be left disappointed. I feel so much pressure from family and friends to take the LSAT already which makes me feel even more torn.

So my question is this:

Should I aim for June or just not take the risk and study until October?

Any advice is much appreciated!

[Sugar Lumps]

I wouldn't take the risk. I didn't feel totally ready and ended up scoring twelve points below my average. TWELVE. And now that won't fall off of my record until 2016. Don't be like me.

How long have you been studying?

[Dakota89]

I have been studying off and on since the end of last year. I am in my last year of undergrad so I had to keep my focus on school too so my GPA wouldn't slip. So, if I accumulate the time spent, I would say about 4 months worth of studying.

[ajitdp]

Take the Oct administration. The most important element in scoring well is familiarity. Do as many practice tests as needed until you feel you could teach the test to someone. And on test day, keep moving forward even if you feel you could have done better on a section - second guessing yourself and obsessing over a single question will kill your score. Above all, remember it is just a test, and, if you don't do well, you can always cancel or retake. Best of luck!

[Dakota89]

Thanks for the advice!

As silly as it seems, I know logically the best thing would be to wait until October, but I feel like I am somehow letting myself down for not focusing enough on studying for the LSAT and like I am letting down people who are excited about me taking the test in June.

[jhw219]

Thanks for the advice!

As silly as it seems, I know logically the best thing would be to wait until October, but I feel like I am somehow letting myself down for not focusing enough on studying for the LSAT and like I am letting down people who are excited about me taking the test in June.

do not do not do not take in June. I made the mistake of taking the test when I wasn't really ready and got a score that wasn't detrimental but at the same time, definitely not what I was going for. Took it again after studying much more, feeling much more comfortable, PTing where I wanted to be, etc. and nerves got the better of me and I only scored 1 point better than I did the first time. My cycle didn't go the way I wanted to so I'm retaking in June and reapplying next year. I'm trying not to be as stressed out about it this time since I'm still PTing where I want to be and feel alright about it, but when it comes down to it, had I not taken the test when I wasn't ready, this would only be my 2nd score versus my 3rd, and of course if things don't go well this time I don't have another chance.

ONLY TAKE IT WHEN YOU FEEL READY especially because you never know what's going to happen on test day

[TyrionLannister]

Thanks for the advice!

As silly as it seems, I know logically the best thing would be to wait until October, but I feel like I am somehow letting myself down for not focusing enough on studying for the LSAT and like I am letting down people who are excited about me taking the test in June.

do not do not do not take in June. I made the mistake of taking the test when I wasn't really ready and got a score that wasn't detrimental but at the same time, definitely not what I was going for. Took it again after studying much more, feeling much more comfortable, PTing where I wanted to be, etc. and nerves got the better of me and I only scored 1 point better than I did the first time. My cycle didn't go the way I wanted to so I'm retaking in June and reapplying next year. I'm trying not to be as stressed out about it this time since I'm still PTing where I want to be and feel alright about it, but when it comes down to it, had I not taken the test when I wasn't ready, this would only be my 2nd score versus my 3rd, and of course if things don't go well this time I don't have another chance.

ONLY TAKE IT WHEN YOU FEEL READY especially because you never know what's going to happen on test day

Thanks for this^^^. I too was debating June vs. October. Perfect reason to wait, especially since it has no effect on applying next cycle. Good luck in round 3!

[bp shinners]

While postponing to October if you don't feel solid about June is good advice, you still have a month left to prep. I'd wait to make the call until closer to the test date.

[djchach]

Thanks for the advice!

As silly as it seems, I know logically the best thing would be to wait until October, but I feel like I am somehow letting myself down for not focusing enough on studying for the LSAT and like I am letting down people who are excited about me taking the test in June.

do not do not do not take in June. I made the mistake of taking the test when I wasn't really ready and got a score that wasn't detrimental but at the same time, definitely not what I was going for. Took it again after studying much more, feeling much more comfortable, PTing where I wanted to be, etc. and nerves got the better of me and I only scored 1 point better than I did the first time. My cycle didn't go the way I wanted to so I'm retaking in June and reapplying next year. I'm trying not to be as stressed out about it this time since I'm still PTing where I want to be and feel alright about it, but when it comes down to it, had I not taken the test when I wasn't ready, this would only be my 2nd score versus my 3rd, and of course if things don't go well this time I don't have another chance.

ONLY TAKE IT WHEN YOU FEEL READY especially because you never know what's going to happen on test day

Wouldn't it be a good idea if OP just studied his/her ass off and took it in June? I realize it takes 1 out of the 3 chances away from you but at least you get the experience of taking it and can retake in October if needed. One month is still a lot of time if you put in the effort.

[jhw219]

Thanks for the advice!

As silly as it seems, I know logically the best thing would be to wait until October, but I feel like I am somehow letting myself down for not focusing enough on studying for the LSAT and like I am letting down people who are excited about me taking the test in June.

do not do not do not take in June. I made the mistake of taking the test when I wasn't really ready and got a score that wasn't detrimental but at the same time, definitely not what I was going for. Took it again after studying much more, feeling much more comfortable, PTing where I wanted to be, etc. and nerves got the better of me and I only scored 1 point better than I did the first time. My cycle didn't go the way I wanted to so I'm retaking in June and reapplying next year. I'm trying not to be as stressed out about it this time since I'm still PTing where I want to be and feel alright about it, but when it comes down to it, had I not taken the test when I wasn't ready, this would only be my 2nd score versus my 3rd, and of course if things don't go well this time I don't have another chance.

ONLY TAKE IT WHEN YOU FEEL READY especially because you never know what's going to happen on test day

Wouldn't it be a good idea if OP just studied his/her ass off and took it in June? I realize it takes 1 out of the 3 chances away from you but at least you get the experience of taking it and can retake in October if needed. One month is still a lot of time if you put in the effort.

OP obviously doesn't have to decide today whether or not to take it in June. I would keep studying and see how you're feeling closer to the test. However, I disagree with the idea of "taking it for the experience and retaking it if necessary." If you're only scoring around a 160 and you know you would be unhappy with that score, why would you waste 1 of your three chances when you know that you're going to have to take it again AND that law schools are going to see it? If you just want experience, Kaplan and other test companies offer mock tests that are almost identical to the real thing complete with proctors, booklets, etc. If you see yourself improving in the next month and feel that you might be able to achieve the score you want, then go for it. But if you're feeling shaky and you're not consistently scoring around your target score, i absolutely would not.

[99.9luft]

While postponing to October if you don't feel solid about June is good advice, you still have a month left to prep. I'd wait to make the call until closer to the test date.

This is true, I am waiting for May 18th (last day to change the test date - which, btw entails an $80 fee - such rip-off!) to pull the trigger.

A common problem is people who postpone to Oct don't resume studying until late July/August, which is cutting it close to the test. So, my advice is, if you are going to study this summer, study the WHOLE summer by at least drilling various sections each week (starting in June). You don't want to reschedule and be marginally better by Sep. On the contrary, you want to blow this test out of the water!

[sanjola]

As most people have already adviced, wait to take the October test. I was in a similar situation in December when I felt pressured, after 3 months of studying, to take the December test. However, I was practice testing the mid-150's and did not feel like I reached my full potential.

Fast forward 5 months later, and I am now practice testing in the mid-160's and feel much more confident going into the June LSAT.

You have to follow your instincts and if you feel even a small morsel of doubt, you should put off the test.

[AAyala]

Yeah, postpone. You and I (along with a few others I am sure) are in the same boat. My senior thesis kicked my butt these last few months so my studying habits haven't been the best.

I figure we have Oct & Dec (if we need to retake)...not that bad

[bp shinners]

A common problem is people who postpone to Oct don't resume studying until late July/August, which is cutting it close to the test. So, my advice is, if you are going to study this summer, study the WHOLE summer by at least drilling various sections each week (starting in June). You don't want to reschedule and be marginally better by Sep. On the contrary, you want to blow this test out of the water!

This is a very important point. If you postpone the test, it's really easy to say, "OK, I'm going to take the next week off." Then, you fall into a habit of not practicing the LSAT. Don't let that happen - you'll be worse off than you are now.