When do you know that you should postpone? Forum

[mephistofeles]

I am PT-ing about 4 points below my ideal score. I have been prepping for about two months. And I am consistently getting 173-176 range. However, my ideal score would be somewhere around 177-180. Since my GPA is quite low, so I will need to extra LSAT points to compensate for my sub-par GPA.

For those of you who have taken the test - how much of an improvement can you reasonably witness in the last two weeks of prep? If necessary, I will postpone to December. But I really hope to get my apps in before the New Year.

Any advice or experience is appreciated.

[benwyatt]

Post removed.

[Blueprint Mithun]

I am PT-ing about 4 points below my ideal score. I have been prepping for about two months. And I am consistently getting 173-176 range. However, my ideal score would be somewhere around 177-180. Since my GPA is quite low, so I will need to extra LSAT points to compensate for my sub-par GPA.

For those of you who have taken the test - how much of an improvement can you reasonably witness in the last two weeks of prep? If necessary, I will postpone to December. But I really hope to get my apps in before the New Year.

Any advice or experience is appreciated.

I think you're scoring well enough to the point where even if you don't get within the upper 170s, you'll still probably end up with a great LSAT score. That's a very reassuring thing to have, in case something goes wrong while you're prepping for December, or on test day itself. So in your case, I would definitely go ahead and take it in October. If you're a few points short of where you want to be, then you'll know where you stand and be able to retake without feeling like everything's being staked on the December test. The experience of taking the actual LSAT may give you insight on how to do better, as well.

Also, no school is gonna be unimpressed with two scores in the 170s.

[mephistofeles]

Thanks guys! I am worried that if I don't get the score I want, then it would not work in my favor. But perhaps it does not matter.

[rpupkin]

FYI, a mediocre GPA + 178 LSAT does not put you in a meaningfully better position than a mediocre GPA + 175 LSAT.

Also, the only schools that care about retakes are YLS and (possibly) SLS, and you're not going to either of those schools. There is zero downside to taking the LSAT In October in your circumstances.

[pterodactyls]

FYI, a mediocre GPA + 178 LSAT does not put you in a meaningfully better position than a mediocre GPA + 175 LSAT.

Also, the only schools that care about retakes are YLS and (possibly) SLS, and you're not going to either of those schools. There is zero downside to taking the LSAT In October in your circumstances.

+1

And, you already paid full price for it and can't get any of that money back. So might as well take the chance if you have nothing to lose, rather than throw away $180.

[mephistofeles]

FYI, a mediocre GPA + 178 LSAT does not put you in a meaningfully better position than a mediocre GPA + 175 LSAT.

Also, the only schools that care about retakes are YLS and (possibly) SLS, and you're not going to either of those schools. There is zero downside to taking the LSAT In October in your circumstances.

Thanks. That is very helpful. It really puts things in perspective for me. Except for Harvard, it seems that there is bigger chance for me to have 178 + 3.6 than 175 + 3.6. So I have some reason to strive for the higher score. However, you are right to point out that Harvard doesn't care about retakes, and I should not waste the money in that case.