Top Law Schools

It is actually quite embarassing to admit all this, but I will be honest and let it all out.
I have been studying on and off for LSAT for about a year.
Yes a year is a long time, and I understand that almost no one studies for the LSAT for that long.
Quite frankly, I cannot say that I have studied to my fullest, but I have tried very hard and improved a lot.

I started with a diagnostic score of 145.
I am now PTing on average of 160. So this means that I have increased my LSAT score by 15 points.
My goal is to get 165+, and I do not think that this is impossible. (On average, I am getting -4 on LG, and there is a plenty of room to improve on LR and RC)

I originally intended to take the LSAT in October12, pushed it back to Feb13, but now I am considering pushing it back again to June13.
A part of me is saying that since I will be applying for 2014 JD anyway, "rushing" the test knowing that I am not 100% ready is not worth the risk and is quite pointless.
However, another part of me is yelling at me not to postpone the test any further, just take it and rather have an option to cancel it since a single cancellation on the LSAT won't really hurt that much. This option would give me the psychological incentive of knowing that I have not delayed the test, grant me with an experience of what a real experience of LSAT is like, and give me a sense of "accomplishment" at having done the real LSAT. BUT yet again, taking the LSAT knowing that you will cancel it anyway seems utterly unreasonable..

Less than 2 weeks remaining until the test, and I am still PTing 5 points below my target score.
God knows what could happen -- I might even score lower than my average PT score.
I know that I am not fully ready, I know that I can improve, but I just hate to see myself postponing the test again.
For the past couple days, I have been crying myself to sleep looking back at how much time I have spent on studying for the LSAT and still not close to getting my target score.

I also cannot stand the pressure of my family.
I hate that look of my parents.. I mean what will they say when I tell them that I've postponed the exam again?
It's almost 3AM in the morning and I know that I am getting unnecessarily emotional, but this is how I feel and I just cannot decide on my own.

This may be a ridiculous question to many of you, but I sincerely want an honest and respectful advice from fellow LSATers.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time in reading such a ridiculously long ramble.

I will tell you this: don't take the LSAT till you feel like you are ready. You aren't applying till 2014, so what's the rush?

To deal with your parents: show them the LST website, the different law school scam blogs, articles talking about the crappy legal market, send them to TLS, etc. If they don't listen, just block them out. They'll be pissed for a few days, make some comments/taunts - you'll be alright.

Keep prepping, look for prep guidance on this board, hit up the resident LSAT tutors / geeks.

best of luck

Tell your parents to mind their own beeswax. You need to do well on this test to do what you want to do. If I were in your shoes, I would take the test in June. That still allows you the october exam date to apply in the beginning of the middle of the cycle if June does not go gloriously or if you choose to cancel for whatever reason. Just lay out a study plan and go for it!

Oh I understand exactly how you feel.

I began studying last July, effectively on my own. Took a Powerscore class, but it didn't help a whole lot because the course simply didn't help me on the places that I really needed help. I took the test in Oct, but got considerably lower than I hoped for and made me realize that the test is far more difficult/time intensive than I originally thought.

So I hunkered down for the Feb. test and took to actually using this website for guidance instead of a mere novelty when I first ran into it back in September. I basically followed NoodleyOne's guide, but realized that I had to quite literally restart my studying. So I spent Nov/Dec getting my games down and understanding the basics of the LR. Started taking PTs again a couple of weeks ago, and I'm 4-5 points shy from what I want, simply because the finer points of the LR section is eluding me.

I decided recently that taking the Feb. test would be an exercise in futility, since I could never reach my target score and asked my parents what they thought about me delaying to June. While my mom seems supportive, since she knows that the LSAT score is more or less what matters and it hardly matters whether I take it in Feb or June or Oct because I plan on applying for the 2013 cycle anyhow, my dad is upset with me on the principle that I promised to be prepared for the Feb. test, but now I'm not. He seems to think that I slacked off.

There's no clear answer that I can give you regarding your family issue. That's just what it is and it's difficult to deal with it. The only advice I can give you is to just be honest with yourself and find out what's at issue. Why haven't you studied to your fullest? What can you do to remedy that? Just be brutally honest. I made the point to myself that studying for the LSAT is basically a precursor to the brutal studying you'd have to do in law school anyhow. If you cannot handle studying material for 7-10 hours a day with only lunch rest in between, then how do you plan on dealing with the workload in law school?

As for the test- I'd say take it just for the experience. Keep in mind that retakes don't seem to hurt anyone. I fully intend on taking all three tests that I am allowed to take. There doesn't seem to be a reason not to. The LSAT literally determines my future; I'd be damned sure to squeeze out every advantage I get as long as it doesn't hurt me.

I think if you get to your target score and then take the test, you'd score considerably lower because of test anxieties. So take the test and consider it a learning experience.

Then find a way to convince your folks that you'll be retaking in June or whenever and take advantage of the great advice people have online here.

You can't worry about what others think or how long it takes to study. It's not about how long you study but the end result. Since feb and June does not have affect your application take it take it when you feel ready and confident. The added pressure will not help. I am retaking a dec I scored mid 170's and I have been studying almost a year. I will not care when I see a 180 score

First off, congrats on the improvement. 15 points is phenomenal.
What have you been using to study? Perhaps there are some other guides that could help you break 165. I only went up 11 with Powerscore, and Manhattan gave me the extra boost I needed. Do you drill or just PT? Adding drilling helped me a lot as well.

The additional months of studying can help you break the plateau. I totally understand the desire to be done with the test, but that time can be the difference between 200k of debt and a full ride. I would strongly recommend waiting until you feel ready. June is an excellent time as well, since you'll have October to retake if need be.
If you want the test day experience, look into practice exams offered at local UGs. Kaplan administers a free (real!) PT every semester with proctors and everything at my school. It could give you what you want without wasting the full registration fee.

Good luck!

Im having the same issue as you are...but Im going in for the kill in Feb...and still have a standing chance for June (since the school accepts apps till June 30)
Everyone said what you need to do...if you are not in a rush for 2013 app cycle then wait...I've been studying for a while and everyone and their mother is getting on my back about this test...but they do NOT understand what this test rest upon...I started showing the people around me what I have to deal with (ie test questions) and that usually shuts them up

Get a full-time job and study on evenings and weekends. Stop putting your life on hold for this test. It's pathetic and will make it much more difficult to tackle the psychological aspects of the test.