Withdraw or take expecting to re-take? Forum

[Baby_Got_Feuerbach]

Is it wiser to withdraw now (and lose the $165) and take the February sitting OR take and not be completely confident that I'll score where I want / need to be? All of my recent PTs have been about 10 points beneath my goal after one month of studying - low 160s, goal is 170+.

And of course, while there's no gun to my head making me need to apply this cycle, there an expectancy among my friends that next fall I'll be enrolled in some program and out of my boring office job. Perhaps there's nothing exclusive about taking in Feb. and still applying this year.

[Brettanomyces]

I sat for the test in October with the intention of withdrawing and ended up scoring higher than my PT average.

Just give it a shot. Pretty much no one averages, anyway.

[Baby_Got_Feuerbach]

I sat for the test in October with the intention of withdrawing and ended up scoring higher than my PT average.

Just give it a shot. Pretty much no one averages, anyway.

What made you decide to take?

[Brettanomyces]

I just figured I'd retake. I didn't think a withdraw and a score would be that bad. Then I thought, "what the hell" and kept the score. I'm glad I didn't withdraw. I went into the test already prepared to withdraw. Glad I didn't.

[Baby_Got_Feuerbach]

I just figured I'd retake. I didn't think a withdraw and a score would be that bad. Then I thought, "what the hell" and kept the score. I'm glad I didn't withdraw. I went into the test already prepared to withdraw. Glad I didn't.

Maybe you mean cancel?

How far beneath your goal score were your PTs? I'm anxious because I'm not within the 3 pt margin of my goal.

[jttoplawschools93]

if you've never hit within three points of your goal and you've only been studying for a month you should wait

[Baby_Got_Feuerbach]

if you've never hit within three points of your goal and you've only been studying for a month you should wait

I'm thinking that's best. I suppose no one has to know but it will be slightly embarrassing to not take and have friends/family inundate me with well wishes.

[boosane]

Just take it, maybe you'll do well. If not, re-take it in Feb or even June if you must.

[Jeffort]

if you've never hit within three points of your goal and you've only been studying for a month you should wait

I'm thinking that's best. I suppose no one has to know but it will be slightly embarrassing to not take and have friends/family inundate me with well wishes.

With 170+ as your goal and currently being ~10 points away and having only prepped for a month, taking it now would be a waste of a take you could potentially turn out to need down the road. Definitely wait.

It takes a lot of prep and improvement to go from low 160s into the 170s, you have to cut the number of questions you currently get wrong down by almost 75% depending on where in the 160s! You should take more time to prep well with a lot of thorough review to master the higher difficulty level questions to get to 170+. ~160 to 170s is the hardest improvement jump to make and takes more work to accomplish for most people than getting into the 160s.

I say wait until at least Feb to take it since you have a good goal that requires time and work to achieve. Don't let pressure from friends and family influence how you handle the admissions process to make them happy, that won't help accomplish your LS goals and could hurt your progress. Taking the LSAT is a very personal thing, only you decide when to take it and that should only be when you know you are prepared very well and ready to perform at your best, not before no matter what reasons other people give to push you into it when you know you aren't ready. You have to live with the results, not them.