LSAT retake advice? Forum

[klipsch3212]

Hi guys I'd like to begin by saying I'm an idiot

I slept 2 hours the night before the lsat, pounded a 5 hour energy drink. First half of the exam
Is great. During the break, I pound another energy drink and put on a nicotine patch (8mg- strongest) I have never used a patch before in my life but am indeed a smoker.
I feel dizzy and nauseous during the logic games section...

I end up getting 14 out of the 23 logic game questions wrong. The section after once I'd
Removed the patch was a 23/25

I got a 158 overall. My Ptest average was a 168. Hit 175 once and low 170's a few times
3.4 GPA, 3.7 in majors (dual international business
And finance) (3.8+ for the last 2 years.. 4.0 this semester)+ perfect letters and evaluations from heads of department. Took 5 classes at Ucla summer MBA with a 3.9 gpa
My dream school is UCLA law
I will study 5 hours a day until February 7th
I will not use a nicotine patch next time.

Please tell me I have a chance at Ucla even if I have to apply for fall 2014?

Lying to me is permissible.

[Br3v]

Hi guys I'd like to begin by saying I'm an idiot

I slept 2 hours the night before the lsat, pounded a 5 hour energy drink. First half of the exam
Is great. During the break, I pound another energy drink and put on a nicotine patch (8mg- strongest) I have never used a patch before in my life but am indeed a smoker.
I feel dizzy and nauseous during the logic games section...

I end up getting 14 out of the 23 logic game questions wrong. The section after once I'd
Removed the patch was a 23/25

I got a 158 overall. My Ptest average was a 168. Hit 175 once and low 170's a few times
3.4 GPA, 3.7 in majors (dual international business
And finance) (3.8+ for the last 2 years.. 4.0 this semester)+ perfect letters and evaluations from heads of department. Took 5 classes at Ucla summer MBA with a 3.9 gpa
My dream school is UCLA law
I will study 5 hours a day until February 7th
I will not use a nicotine patch next time.

Please tell me I have a chance at Ucla even if I have to apply for fall 2014?

Lying to me is permissible.

That sounds horrible for your body. Don't do that again. The point of prepping and actual testing is that on the actual test day you should do everything the exact same way as your prep tests. You do not see runners run a 8:30 mile pace every day and then on game day chug two 5 hour energys and start at a 6:00 min pace do you?

If you don't drink energy drinks/coffee everyday, don't start on test day.

Yes, of course you have a shot at UCLA with your gpa if you score well on the test. Schools do not really "average" LSAT's anymore.

[klipsch3212]

I'm well aware that I'll die young

I actually have multiple coffees a day.. But I took the 5 hours because I
Couldn't sleep (nervousness)

My cumulative gpa is still only a 3.4 though, wouldn't that kind of scare them off? I skipped half my classes and didn't buy books my first two years(who doesn't party after high school hell).. Then I buckled down.

But thank you! I guess there's still hope

Back to studying

[klipsch3212]

The biggest point is I studied ALOT for the October exam. Some asshat told
Me since I studied that much, a 158 is all ill get.
Powerscore method and 20 pts
But conversely, I wonder if I'm making excuses.

However I don't think so because I left the test room praying that section was the experimental. Basically, I refuse to believe this exam was representative of my abilities

But for good luck I'm halfway done with all 3 manhatten lsat preps and bought 20
More ptests

I've never wanted anything this badly that wasn't a cute british girl from Cambridge university

Ucla that is.. Don't really care about the LSAT for its own sake.

[Teflon_Don]

The biggest point is I studied ALOT for the October exam. Some asshat told
Me since I studied that much, a 158 is all ill get.
Powerscore method and 20 pts
But conversely, I wonder if I'm making excuses.

However I don't think so because I left the test room praying that section was the experimental. Basically, I refuse to believe this exam was representative of my abilities

But for good luck I'm halfway done with all 3 manhatten lsat preps and bought 20
More ptests

I've never wanted anything this badly that wasn't a cute british girl from Cambridge university

Ucla that is.. Don't really care about the LSAT for its own sake.

Don't give up! I had my prelaw advisor, to whom I never spoke to again, tell me not to retake because I'd probably only improve two points and since most schools average, a one point increase won't be worth it. Screw her. I increased 9pts in 2-3 months. You can definitely do it. If you have any doubt in your mind that your 158 isn't your max, take the thing again. The closure you'll have is worth any time/money you invest, IMO. If a 158 is the best you can do, then at the end of the day you can honestly know you tried everything to get that 160+. Good luck

[klipsch3212]

Dude it was my prelaw advisor who said that too!

I was so dejected. She said "everyone gets top scores in practice and
Mucks up on the real exam and blames something"
Said maybe I wasn't cut out for law school.

It was my professor/recommender with a JD from
U of michigan who told me the 158 was terrible and I'd be an idiot
Not to retake. He also said I'd make a fantastic lawyer.

I'm already signed up for it.. But I really want to believe my prelaw advisor is just another grouchy failed lawyer.

Obviously I'm never speaking to
My prelaw advisor again

I just can't see 9/23 on lg as anything but a chemically
Induced fluke

[Teflon_Don]

Dude it was my prelaw advisor who said that too!

I was so dejected. She said "everyone gets top scores in practice and
Mucks up on the real exam and blames something"
Said maybe I wasn't cut out for law school.

It was my professor/recommender with a JD from
U of michigan who told me the 158 was terrible and I'd be an idiot
Not to retake. He also said I'd make a fantastic lawyer.

I'm already signed up for it.. But I really want to believe my prelaw advisor is just another grouchy failed lawyer.

Obviously I'm never speaking to
My prelaw advisor again

I just can't see 9/23 on lg as anything but a chemically
Induced fluke

It was a fluke dude. And even if it wasn't, you can drastically improve LGs. I got -8 in June, started studying in August and went -2 in October, only missing one on the "infamous" zoning game. Don't let any dumbass mess with your dreams. Also, use the fact that you've already taken the freaking thing to your advantage. I stayed WAY more relaxed my second time around because I had already been through the process. You have that advantage over a first timer, use it! PM me if you have any questions on my retake approach! Cheers

[klipsch3212]

Jesus you got the zoning game?? I royal flushed it after putting B for all.

But I was so flustered from the patch and ready to cry that I
Wasn't thinking straight and only had 2 minutes on it. I haven't actually looked at it again out of fear..

But that's amazing man. It looked insanely difficult.

Even if I got -3/-4 like usual on LG I'd still only have a 164 or do.. So I do
Still need to improve.

I postponed the dec lsats because I have finals
And papers next week :/ hope I don't regret that

I've read powerscore Lg and manhatten lg.. Is there anything else you'd recommend?

[Teflon_Don]

No those are the two I used. But my biggest thing was marking up games that I didn't immediately crush (missing 1 max) on them, and going back to redo them every other week or so. I think that recognition helped me on the games by combining what I learned. But yeah dude, redo any games that you don't immediately crush. Also a 164 opens up a ton more opportunities then a 158. Take it step by step. I got a 160 in June so my goal was a 163 or better for it to be worth it. I started hitting that milestone, then 165, then consistently scoring 168-171, with a 169 on the real one. Have your main goal in mind but do it as a step up process. I think that helped me not get overwhelmed. Also definitely read all the Manhattan guides and just keep redoing any questions in Cambridge/PTs that you don't DESTROY

[Nova]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=195603

[rebexness]

[klipsch3212]

Well.. The prelaw people seem to be very risk adverse. Warning us
More about unemployment in the legal community than actually helping us I'm the process.

I mean, I see their point but I made up my
Mind. Lets face it- an undergrad gets you nowhere and I will finish my bachelors debt free.

Great job on the 169 man. That's exactly my goal for February. I'm going to start doing what you do for the review process. I currently look at them
Once and toss them. It also took me 25 minutes to figure out the mauve dinosaur game (I said holy fing sheet out loud when I finally realized the inference.

My main problem in games is time.. I finish them usually.
But rush the last 7 and make careless mistakes.

LR is great. -2/-3 right now. RC needs work too

[klipsch3212]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=195603

Read the part about doing 2 practice tests back to back, and cried.

What a masochist..

[klipsch3212]

*bump*

Just to let you guys know, I got a 169 for the feb LSAT!

[Dr. Dre]

congrats!

yeah the LSAT is not like the saTTT where it's hard for you to improve

[whereskyle]

<---- 11 point lsat gain from powerscore lg bible and lg drilling.

didn't even study LR. Will do so if i decide to gun for the 180. 170 was my target "bottom" score, and man did i get my "bottom" score.

[Dr. Dre]

<---- 11 point lsat gain .

how long did you study for?

[klipsch3212]

Dre,

I did about 2 hours a day after I got my october scores back - then 6 hours a day during the winter break - then about 2-3 hours a day dropping as the exam neared.. and about 20 minutes a day during the week of the test.

I still have one retake left if my cycle doesn't go well (UCLA/USC/Irvine/Davis)

LG Bible and Manhattan Logical reasoning were my biggest improvement drivers! About 30 preptests.. LG is still my pitfall.. cold guessed 5 questions on the feb LSAT but my LR is usually -1 to perfect. (I was -15 LG on the October LSAT)

Any advice for building speed on LG? My accuracy is near perfect but i'm too slow :-/

and I submitted my applications back in december.. is there any way to do a post-application LSAT disparity addendum?