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Hi guys,

I'm quite in distress right now as I just got my September LSAT score back: 164.
I usually scored around 170/171 on my practice tests and was planning on applying to T14 schools and now I am freaking out. I knew going into the test that I would probably retake it and get a 172+ hopefully to secure spots at NYU/Columbia...but now the pressure is HUGE since I've scored so low.

Do schools (specifically T14) still average out LSAT scores or do they look at the higher score? I feel like I'd need a 175+ at this point (I'm thinking of taking them in February or June)...

Please help

You're totally fine at Columbia and NYU.
Aside from Yale and maybe Berkeley, highest score.

Thank you T.T

Can anyone recommend any special tactics? I've got the powerscore and blueprint books..

I did feel short on time during the actual test so I'm thinking of trying to prep myself to take each section under 30 minutes instead of 35.

im sure theres plenty out there but I know the 7sage proctor app has an option to adjust the section times from 35min down to like 30min

Check out the lsat prep sub forum on this site, lots of great resources. I went from low 160s to high 160s, totally doable. Feel free to sit out a cycle if need be, law school isn't going anywhere

eriedoctrine wrote:You're totally fine at Columbia and NYU.
Aside from Yale and maybe Berkeley, highest score.

ITTCR? What about Harvard?

sfoglia wrote:

eriedoctrine wrote:You're totally fine at Columbia and NYU.
Aside from Yale and maybe Berkeley, highest score.

ITTCR? What about Harvard?

You won't get a clear answer, just a bunch of people arguing

Doesn't matter, just "retake, retake, retake and see what Harvard says" is TCR

Post removed.

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lc39 wrote: From their website:

Should I retake the LSAT?
The LSAT need be taken only once. If you take the test more than once, all scores will be received but we will use the highest score in our evaluation.

I managed to miss the last part. I looked on TLS' guide, so, my bad for not checking with the original source.

eriedoctrine wrote:You're totally fine at Columbia and NYU.
Aside from Yale and maybe Berkeley, highest score.

I got a wait-listed at Berkeley last cycle with numbers not far off from OP's. The conclusion I came to was that they do seem to care about the personal statement. So if you're interested at all in Berkeley, make sure you spend extra time on their personal statement-- that way, even if they do average scores, I'm sure the school is numerically within reach if you scored that 172 on the retake.

(OP outed as never having used mylsn.info)

as far as i know, aside from yale and maybe berk, the highest score.

164 is not so bad, i know someone who ed upenn successfully with 165 and 4.0 gap.

bigtomhan wrote: 164 is not so bad, i know someone who ed upenn successfully with 165 and 4.0 gap.

What you're implying is horrible advice.
Do not do this, OP.
Retake.

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Even for schools that don't only focus on the highest score, it's faulty logic to presume they average them. They are more likely just trying to assess how much prep factored into your score. An indication there were bad conditions might lead to the highest score being considered most relevant. Your score followed by a one-seventy, followed by a one-seventy five would show it's very likely this score was an anomaly.

Your score is a good score in that the difference in five points doesn't mean you're much less likely to do well in law school. You should retake because improving five points is going to put you in a much better position than the trap school range you're currently in.