Re-take my 173? Forum

[woodsjm]

I have a sub-3.0 gpa and have gotten a half-ride to a T25 and have been wait-listed/held by half of the T-14 (bottom half).

I read recently that re-taking in June for the current cycle can be quite beneficial. I have no problem going 'balls to the wall' in studying for the June administration with the hope that I can increase my score a bit. My only worry is whether a lower score would negatively affect my chances on any waitlists or getting more scholarship money (later in the summer). Is this a legitimate concern?

Any help is appreciated.

[052220151]

I have a sub-3.0 gpa and have gotten a half-ride to a T25 and have been wait-listed/held by half of the T-14 (bottom half).

I read recently that re-taking in June for the current cycle can be quite beneficial. I have no problem going 'balls to the wall' in studying for the June administration with the hope that I can increase my score a bit. My only worry is whether a lower score would negatively affect my chances on any waitlists or getting more scholarship money (later in the summer). Is this a legitimate concern?

Any help is appreciated.

Pull your apps and reapply next cycle. Apps should be down a bit more and you get a little bit of a boost by applying early. How sub 3 is your gpa? Like 2.9 or 2.1?

[PDaddy]

Don't pull your apps. What good would that do? Wait out the cycle and see how it goes. Don't retake in June unless 80% of your practice scores are 178-180.

Make your school, deposit decisions as late as you can. Keep your options open.

[Thelonious Kwiggz]

In the same boat and I am studying for June, I would say don't risk it. The reason I am retaking is my GPA is sub 2.5. Anything can happen test day and even if you are averaging in the 178-180, a couple shitty LR questions could give you the same score. What I would do is focus on making personal connections at your ideal schools, visit, set up meetings, talk to reps and explain your situation. Make yourself more than just a splitter kid who is a risk. Sometimes a smile and a face to face hello can take you a long way. Also go on a epic journey for a few months to make your PS more interesting, being a splitter is about the intangibles.


Hope this helps

[northwood]

when did you send you applications out? If you were to retake in June, score a point or 2 better, and then set out you applications out in September- AND you sent your applications out for this cycle late (after the New Year), then you may see better results

[mindarmed]

OP, PM me. we are in similar situations. i currently have a 2.7x/177 and i decided not to retake this june. will likely be up to a 2.9x when i apply

[052220151]

Don't pull your apps. What good would that do? Wait out the cycle and see how it goes. Don't retake in June unless 80% of your practice scores are 178-180.

Make your school, deposit decisions as late as you can. Keep your options open.

He definitely should pull his apps. His chances for money will be better for money if he applies early next cycle.

Downside of not pulling them: he gets accepted at a decent school (e.g., Gtown) at sticker and decides he doesn't want to wait because he is antsy, even though his chances at admissions to better schools and schollies would have been better had he waited until the next cycle.

[ManOfTheMinute]

OP, PM me. we are in similar situations. i currently have a 2.7x/177 and i decided not to retake this june. will likely be up to a 2.9x when i apply

Why the hell would you retake?

With a gpa under 3, there is no difference between a 173 and a 180 to schools. The 173 shows that you can handle law school exactly as much as a 180 would

[Clearly]

OP, PM me. we are in similar situations. i currently have a 2.7x/177 and i decided not to retake this june. will likely be up to a 2.9x when i apply

Why the hell would you retake?

With a gpa under 3, there is no difference between a 173 and a 180 to schools. The 173 shows that you can handle law school exactly as much as a 180 would

Eh, I disagee. It may not effect the 75th any more then a 173 would (provided the 75th is higher then 173), but it still says something to an adcomm when they see a 175+ score. Provided your GPA is set in stone, if you have the power to change the lsat for the better, its worth doing.

[woodsjm]

OP here. I am above most of these schools 75th. I was thinking that there is a possibility that if I increased my score by more than 1 or 2 points a lower T-14 school might throw an admit (w/money) at me later in the cycle. If there will be no negative effect to me scoring lower than a 173 in June, then I don't see why I shouldn't re-take in June and see what happens. I have the time to both study and work on making myself more attractive to adcomms (e.g. visits, LOCI, pad resume somehow, etc.)

I applied over Thanksgiving break. I plan on riding out all of the waitlists/holds in this cycle and if nothing sufficiently reasonable comes my way I will re-apply in Sept.

[woodsjm]

Also, GPA > 2.6

[052220151]

OP here. I am above most of these schools 75th. I was thinking that there is a possibility that if I increased my score by more than 1 or 2 points a lower T-14 school might throw an admit (w/money) at me later in the cycle. If there will be no negative effect to me scoring lower than a 173 in June, then I don't see why I shouldn't re-take in June and see what happens. I have the time to both study and work on making myself more attractive to adcomms (e.g. visits, LOCI, pad resume somehow, etc.)

I applied over Thanksgiving break. I plan on riding out all of the waitlists/holds in this cycle and if nothing sufficiently reasonable comes my way I will re-apply in Sept.

I assumed you applied late in the cycle. My bad. If you don't like how your cycle turned out, you should sit a cycle or two, get more WE and distance yourself a bit from your GPA. If you already have good We, hailmary ED NU

[Thelonious Kwiggz]

Why the hell would you retake?

With a gpa under 3, there is no difference between a 173 and a 180 to schools. The 173 shows that you can handle law school exactly as much as a 180 would

At most schools T25 and down you are right, but when applying to T14 schools the competition pool is so high they need to see what makes you an exceptional applicant. 173 is a great score, but a 175+ is becoming increasingly more rare. If you make a 180 you are in a group of about 25-50 people a year, if you make 173 a few thousand share the same score range.



It is a good question, I hope you make the decision that benefits you the most.

[Dr. Dre]

The 173 shows that you can handle law school exactly as much as a 180 would

Also, with a 180, schools would think you're some awkward dood.

[CyanIdes Of March]

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[ManOfTheMinute]

Why the hell would you retake?

With a gpa under 3, there is no difference between a 173 and a 180 to schools. The 173 shows that you can handle law school exactly as much as a 180 would

Eh, I disagee. It may not effect the 75th any more then a 173 would (provided the 75th is higher then 173), but it still says something to an adcomm when they see a 175+ score. Provided your GPA is set in stone, if you have the power to change the lsat for the better, its worth doing.

Maybe, but at the schools that he can get into with that GPA, the adcoms see both a 173 and a 177 as:



Both demonstrate that you likely have the intelligence to thrive at their educational institution. The rest of the decision depends on if they think that you WILL in light of your low GPA. Also, PS/LORs/WE/ECs/etc.

[Clearly]

I follow the median-75th mentality, and I concede that numerically a 173 would have the same effect on a schools numbers as a 175, but keep in mind, 1400 people a year score at or above 173, only 700 score at or above 175... to imply it doesn't make a difference isn't true, it cuts the number of people with your score by half, but it won't likely bring a pronounced change to your cycle.

[cahwc12]

OP, PM me. we are in similar situations. i currently have a 2.7x/177 and i decided not to retake this june. will likely be up to a 2.9x when i apply

Why the hell would you retake?

With a gpa under 3, there is no difference between a 173 and a 180 to schools. The 173 shows that you can handle law school exactly as much as a 180 would

This post is right on the money. The only schools that have 75ths of 173+ are HYS CCN and he is out at HYS and unlikely to be admitted at the others even with a 180 unless they decide they are fighting to maintain medians. It could give him an advantage, but everywhere else that 173 will be worth the same as 180. He is much better off using your time/effort on something else.

The 173 gives OP a shot at the rest of the T14, but wherever he goes he will be taking out huge loans, so his options right now are mid-lower T14 (if he gets in) at sticker or some insular regional if one exists in his area. Otherwise don't go.

OP's circumstances are one of the rare instances where the retake axiom doesn't apply. It might make you feel good to crush the test even more, but it won't have any effect on your admissions chances unless you truly believe one of CCN will clamor for your LSAT score, and that's IF you can improve that score. Doing worse won't affect you at all, but neither will doing better.

I also think the wait-and-see approach advocated above is good as well. If you strike out, reapply in September.