Retake with a 170? Forum

[luckycharmz]

Hi everyone!

So I got a 170 on the December 2015 LSAT and am a little disappinted about it because I was consistently scoring 173+ leading up to the test. I'm currently debating whether it's worth it to sit this cycle out and retake the test in June. So I'm wondering what your thoughts are on retaking after scoring fairly well the first time around.
Is there's anyone here that increased their score on a retake after getting a similar score who would be willing to share their thoughts on the process with me? What was your strategy leading up to and going into the test?
My friends and family all think I'm crazy for wanting to wait another year to apply and to retake the test but I feel like they don't really understand just how much of a difference a couple points can make, which is why I'm turning to you guys
Any knowledge / help on this would be greatly appreciated!!

[somethingElse]

What are your target schools and GPA?

[luckycharmz]

What are your target schools and GPA?

NYU would be the absolute dream but honestly anything in t14 + ucla. My gpa is a 3.5 (terrible first year, but deans list every year since, if that makes a difference?)

[universityof]

Yo. I retook a 170 after PTing 176ish pretty consistently. Pulled a 172 (without drastically changing my approach) and got NYU with a similar GPA. A few points in that range is huge.

[luckycharmz]

Yo. I retook a 170 after PTing 176ish pretty consistently. Pulled a 172 (without drastically changing my approach) and got NYU with a similar GPA. A few points in that range is huge.

You've given me so much hope haha!! thank youu!! I'm definitely starting to lean towards a retake

[Mr. Belding]

I'm in the same situation. I have almost identical numbers and have chosen to retake in June. I figure I stand a decent chance at a higher score and a chance to pad the resume with one more year of meaningful WE.

[PeanutsNJam]

Yes. With a 3.5, every point counts for a lot after 170. If nothing else, it's a lot of scholarship money.

[luckycharmz]

I'm in the same situation. I have almost identical numbers and have chosen to retake in June. I figure I stand a decent chance at a higher score and a chance to pad the resume with one more year of meaningful WE.

Are you going to change your approach / use different material? The only reason I'm hesitant about a retake is that I've gone through so many PTs I'm not sure what more I can do going into another test.

[Mr. Belding]

Are you going to change your approach / use different material? The only reason I'm hesitant about a retake is that I've gone through so many PTs I'm not sure what more I can do going into another test.

I actually PMed someone in the December thread about this same issue (they were on their 3rd take), because I too have gone through most of the PTs.

My strategy moving forward is to run through untimed PTs until I can consistently get a bit above my target score. Then I will slowly limit my time until I am simulating test conditions. As I go i think I'll sprinkle in some drilling as I see weaknesses emerge. Hopefully 3 months or so out when I get into the more recent tests (50 and above) I'll have forgotten most of the test and it will feel like new.

I was a bit erratic in my study habits for my first couple of takes. I ran through the bibles then jumped right into PTs and drilling without any schedule. This time I plan to be a bit more methodical.

[tirakon]

My first LSAT, I scored a 170 after averaging 174/175 in practice. Retook one year later with little prep (just a couple practice exams so I wouldn't be rusty), and then scored a 174. Now I'm at Yale. I'd definitely retake, especially given your borderline GPA. Could make a big difference in your outcome.

[gamerish]

I had about 5 weeks between tests since I didn't study while waiting for scores but what time I did have I spent PT'ing and taking timed sections almost exclusively (very little drilling). You obviously have much more time to study than I did and if you're willing to keep up the level of studying that a 173+ requires I don't see any reason why you couldn't achieve what you're looking for.

There are tons of retakers guides on here that people have used successfully. Just use the search function and look for threads with "retake" in the title and you'll find what you're looking for.

[appind]

I scored a (number) in October and retook in Dec and got a number. Obviously my experience is just an anecdote but if you really feel you didn't perform your best with the 170 and have the finances/time to put off applying for another cycle, I'd say go for it. I had about 5 weeks between tests since I didn't study while waiting for scores but what time I did have I spent PT'ing and taking timed sections almost exclusively (very little drilling). You obviously have much more time to study than I did and if you're willing to keep up the level of studying that a 173+ requires I don't see any reason why you couldn't achieve what you're looking for.

I don't think my retake study methods will be too helpful since the amount of time I had was so different than yours but there are tons of retakers guides on here that people have used successfully. Just use the search function and look for threads with "retake" in the title and you'll find what you're looking for.

congrats!

section breakdown? how many timed pt/sections total you took between the takes?

[luckycharmz]

My first LSAT, I scored a 170 after averaging 174/175 in practice. Retook one year later with little prep (just a couple practice exams so I wouldn't be rusty), and then scored a 174. Now I'm at Yale. I'd definitely retake, especially given your borderline GPA. Could make a big difference in your outcome.

I don't think my retake study methods will be too helpful since the amount of time I had was so different than yours but there are tons of retakers guides on here that people have used successfully. Just use the search function and look for threads with "retake" in the title and you'll find what you're looking for.

Thank you both so much! I don't have any friends or family that have gone through this process so hearing from people that have been in somewhat similar situations is extremely comforting and helpful! I think I'll buckle up and study for the June LSAT since it really could be the make or break factor for my application as some have mentioned.

PS: Gamerish, not even going to lie I got a little too excited seeing you had responded to this post. After creeping the December waiters for so long it feels like a celebrity messaged me or something haha

[gamerish]

section breakdown? how many timed pt/sections total you took between the takes?

I have no idea how many timed sections I took. It's hard to keep track of. I bought the Cambridge bundle and pulled the old tests (from the late 30s and the 40s) into individual sections and took them timed rather than drill because timing was more my issue than was accuracy. I also took sections from PTs I'd already taken and pulled questions from the various drilling packets into mock sections as well. I took all the PTs from 39 to 75 with the exception of like 4 or 5 (though like I said quite a few of them weren't actually taken as actual PTs).

Between Oct and Dec, I believe I took 8 or 9 tests in the 5 weeks I had. I didn't do any PTs the first week and then started doing 2 a week until test day with the exception of the day before.

PS: Gamerish, not even going to lie I got a little too excited seeing you had responded to this post. After creeping the December waiters for so long it feels like a celebrity messaged me or something haha

Oh lol

[BroManDude]

I say go for the retake. You already have more than the fundamentals under your belt, so it'll be more about drilling weaknesses at that point. If anything, your 'studying' won't be as rigorous as it was from your diagnostic to the 170.

If your absolute dream is NYU, then taking another year off to retake is worth it. You can do it!

[ty87]

-

[shineoncrazydiamond]

.

[appind]

section breakdown? how many timed pt/sections total you took between the takes?

On Dec? -1 RC, -1 LG, -1 LR, -3 LR

I have no idea how many timed sections I took. It's hard to keep track of. I bought the Cambridge bundle and pulled the old tests (from the late 30s and the 40s) into individual sections and took them timed rather than drill because timing was more my issue than was accuracy. I also took sections from PTs I'd already taken and pulled questions from the various drilling packets into mock sections as well. I took all the PTs from 39 to 75 with the exception of like 4 or 5 (though like I said quite a few of them weren't actually taken as actual PTs).

Between Oct and Dec, I believe I took 8 or 9 tests in the 5 weeks I had. I didn't do any PTs the first week and then started doing 2 a week until test day with the exception of the day before.

PS: Gamerish, not even going to lie I got a little too excited seeing you had responded to this post. After creeping the December waiters for so long it feels like a celebrity messaged me or something haha

Oh lol

yeah dec. that lr is pretty good.
iirc in the oct study thread may be only a few weeks from the test someone posted how they were having a very hard time finishing lr sections and had like 4-5 qs remaining per section when the time expires. was it you? if so, how did you get the timing improvement and did you always finish all sections with spare time incl on the dec?

[gamerish]

yeah dec. that lr is pretty good.
iirc in the oct study thread may be only a few weeks from the test someone posted how they were having a very hard time finishing lr sections and had like 4-5 qs remaining per section when the time expires. was it you? if so, how did you get the timing improvement and did you always finish all sections with spare time incl on the dec?

No that wasn't me. I kept pace with LR pretty decently. I'd only really run out of time on the last question if I had saved up an unusual amount of parallels for the end or something.

I never got to a place where I was finishing with any significant amount of time left over on any section, maybe a minute max. With RC I generally had 5 minutes to read the entire last passage and answer all the questions. Sometimes I'd run out with only having definitively answered 3 questions (I give them all a skim when I'm pressed for time) and others I finished just in time.

[appind]

No that wasn't me. I kept pace with LR pretty decently. I'd only really run out of time on the last question if I had saved up an unusual amount of parallels for the end or something.

I never got to a place where I was finishing with any significant amount of time left over on any section, maybe a minute max. With RC I generally had 5 minutes to read the entire last passage and answer all the questions. Sometimes I'd run out with only having definitively answered 3 questions (I give them all a skim when I'm pressed for time) and others I finished just in time.

was always cutting so close to finish in lr/lg kinda a choice or difficulty? did it have impact on game days?

[Nulli Secundus]

I am an old fart but I got a 170 in October (past years not this one) and was practicing at 174+ consistently so I decided to retake. In December of same year, with literally 2 weeks of extra studying I got a 176. So it is possible to drastically increase your score, it all depends on whether you are in the zone that day. Hehe.

[PeanutsNJam]

-1 LG

Shame

[gamerish]

No that wasn't me. I kept pace with LR pretty decently. I'd only really run out of time on the last question if I had saved up an unusual amount of parallels for the end or something.

I never got to a place where I was finishing with any significant amount of time left over on any section, maybe a minute max. With RC I generally had 5 minutes to read the entire last passage and answer all the questions. Sometimes I'd run out with only having definitively answered 3 questions (I give them all a skim when I'm pressed for time) and others I finished just in time.

was always cutting so close to finish in lr/lg kinda a choice or difficulty? did it have impact on game days?

Oh I would've loved to have finished early but I was just never able to. I always took pretty much all my time on the first pass through just out of sheer necessity. I tend to handle things a bit better with the pressure of an actual test rather than a PT so in Oct and Dec I finished sections a little bit quicker than I normally do but nothing too significant.

[betterLawyerUP]

Hey gamer how much time did you give yourself for december? I didnt study while waiting and I feel like less than a month is not enough time to get back into the lsat groove. I honestly felt prepared for december but now it feels like the lsat language is not second nature as it was before, but I'm hoping that rust will wear off.

[gamerish]

Hey gamer how much time did you give yourself for december? I didnt study while waiting and I feel like less than a month is not enough time to get back into the lsat groove. I honestly felt prepared for december but now it feels like the lsat language is not second nature as it was before, but I'm hoping that rust will wear off.

I didn't study while waiting either. I started again with some drilling after a few days of wavering with whether or not I would retake. Then I went back to taking and BR'ing 2 PTs a week and taking timed sections between them for the next 5ish weeks until test day.

If it's any consolation, the first PT I took when I started studying again was like a 164 or something when I had been testing between 170 and 173 for the most part for Oct.