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I just took the LSAT, and completely screwed up timing on LG, leaving three questions as guesses, one game rushed, and the rest of the test to be taken sans confidence. I'm predicting, at best, lower 170s. After a lot of prep, near-perfect PTs, and a consistent track record of -0 on LG, I'm understandably shaken, especially considering my goals of HYS.

Thus, my question: I'm already planning a retake. Would HYS look more favorably upon a lower score or a cancel for the first test? I don't want to invoke any suspicion via cancel (and I am curious), but I don't want anything to bring a second (hopefully much better) score into question either.

Thanks in advance.

If you think it's still going to be a good score in the 170s there is no reason to cancel. Those schools like all scores in the 170s, heck, everyone does. I cannot imagine any good reason to cancel a 170s score unless you are in the prep biz and trying to establish a track record of perfect 180s.

If you think your troubles in the LG section were more significant and really hurt your score by pushing it down into the 160s, that would be different, but still not a big deal if you pull out a mid to high 170s score on your next take. Schools don't infer anything negative about you due to one cancelled score on record, so if you want to play it safe with Harvard due to the mystery of what they really do with multiple LSAT scores, there is no harm from cancelling other than a wasted take without a score. They don't get suspicious of an applicant because they cancelled an LSAT score.

Sounds like you'll probably be fine either way so don't agonize about it too much, just make sure you are ready to nail it in Dec.

Have a similar question. I'm shooting for HYS and CCN. I already took the test in June but was sick, so cancelled my score mid-way through. I retook the October today, but choked pretty bad due to nerves. Unlike OP though, I'm not sure if I'll get even a 165. Should I cancel and retake, given my June cancellation, or just retake??

paperrev wrote:Have a similar question. I'm shooting for HYS and CCN. I already took the test in June but was sick, so cancelled my score mid-way through. I retook the October today, but choked pretty bad due to nerves. Unlike OP though, I'm not sure if I'll get even a 165. Should I cancel and retake, given my June cancellation, or just retake??

CCN don't care. HYS do.

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mpc347 wrote:Everything I've read is pure conjecture. Nobody knows if HYS/CCN care about retakes or average or take the highest or whatever. Lately most of what I have read is that they just take your highest.

No, sorry. http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=157233

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mpc347 wrote:

Rollontheground wrote:

mpc347 wrote:Everything I've read is pure conjecture. Nobody knows if HYS/CCN care about retakes or average or take the highest or whatever. Lately most of what I have read is that they just take your highest.

No, sorry. http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=157233

Actions and words don't always match up.

At any rate, "we do average, but also consider both scores" is a non-answer.

Agreed- it's contradictory...

H website states that they average and based on the link posted above it seems to be true. Could someone post evidence that it's not true?

jmjm wrote:H website states that they average and based on the link posted above it seems to be true. Could someone post evidence that it's not true?

Read through the Q & A thread with Mike Spivey and Karen Buttenbaum. They both used to work in admissions, KB actually worked at H up until a month ago. Although they will see all scores, nobody sends the average score to the ABA and therefore, nobody actually uses the averaged score.

After they posted that, several TLS posters responded saying that they applied with more than one score with a big difference between the two (ie, a 158 and a 170) and their cycles went exactly as they should have had they only had the highest score.

Btw, the link posted is 2 years old. The ABA only recently changed their rules re: averaging scores vs high score and it's not surprising that it has taken some schools several cycles to fully adjust as well as update their websites.