Retaking A Third Time? Forum

[RamTitan]

Question - Should I sit for a third take in December, and see what happens, or save my final take for June of 2017 in case this cycle does not end with good results?

[RamTitan]

Bumping for the lunch rush

[RamTitan]

Additional Info - For the 70 practice tests I took, I did 5 sections and all of them (except the first few) were taken in a crowded public library. Mental fatigue was not an issue; I felt sharp throughout both official tests.

[Voyager]

Sounds like you have a ton of data to validate that a 169 is your score.

Don't do this to yourself.

169 is a fine score.

Apply to law school.

[RamTitan]

Sounds like you have a ton of data to validate that a 169 is your score.

Don't do this to yourself.

169 is a fine score.

Apply to law school.

Haha, no doubt. Like I said, I'm a glutton for punishment it seems. I submitted my apps last night. I figure having a retake up my sleeve for June 2017 in case this cycle is a disaster is better than busting my ass for December.

[Voyager]

Sounds like you have a ton of data to validate that a 169 is your score.

Don't do this to yourself.

169 is a fine score.

Apply to law school.

Haha, no doubt. Like I said, I'm a glutton for punishment it seems. I submitted my apps last night. I figure having a retake up my sleeve for June 2017 in case this cycle is a disaster is better than busting my ass for December.

Ah, well then mission accomplished.

Celebrate with a fine scotch. Macallan 18 if you can afford it; the 12 if you are on a budget.

Let this LSAT thing go, friend. You worked hard and did your best and got a decent score. Alea Iacta Est!

You will find plenty of mental torture your 1L year. Give yourself a break now and rest easy knowing that it was super unlikely that you were going to raise your score any higher and, in fact, quite likely you would have scored worse...

[sweets91]

You started with a 146 diagnostic and ended with a 169. Be proud of yourself and move on!

With your GPA and LSAT score, you're going to get into a school that will give you plenty of opportunities. I'm assuming you're aiming for biglaw? In any event, your new goal should be to kill it 1L year and to do well during OCI.

The endgame here is really to get a good job, and like I said, your current score and gpa isn't going to get in the way of that

[RamTitan]

Sounds like you have a ton of data to validate that a 169 is your score.

Don't do this to yourself.

169 is a fine score.

Apply to law school.

Haha, no doubt. Like I said, I'm a glutton for punishment it seems. I submitted my apps last night. I figure having a retake up my sleeve for June 2017 in case this cycle is a disaster is better than busting my ass for December.

Ah, well then mission accomplished.

Celebrate with a fine scotch. Macallan 18 if you can afford it; the 12 if you are on a budget.

Let this LSAT thing go, friend. You worked hard and did your best and got a decent score. Alea Iacta Est!

You will find plenty of mental torture your 1L year. Give yourself a break now and rest easy knowing that it was super unlikely that you were going to raise your score any higher and, in fact, quite likely you would have scored worse...

Definitely going to be doing some "celebrating" this weekend...just feels less than bittersweet after putting that extra work only to go down a point. Oh well, thanks again for the advice and pick-me-up!

[RamTitan]

You started with a 146 diagnostic and ended with a 169. Be proud of yourself and move on!

With your GPA and LSAT score, you're going to get into a school that will give you plenty of opportunities. I'm assuming you're aiming for biglaw? In any event, your new goal should be to kill it 1L year and to do well during OCI.

The endgame here is really to get a good job, and like I said, your current score and gpa isn't going to get in the way of that

I'm not even sure if big law is for me...I really want to be a litigator of some kind. But I'd like to have many options available to me as possible, especially for what region I can practice in.

But thank you for the compliment. I'm starting to feel better...putting in that extra 4 months for September hurt, but I probably would have regretted never knowing what I would have done on a retake.

[theothercat]

You're not alone! I have two 169s under my belt right now, and they were both painful, the second one more so for sure. My range was 169-175, and, like you, test day found the low end. It really sucks.

But I've thought about it a bit, and a 169 is honestly a score to be proud of. I'm not retaking; I honestly think it might be torture if I were to fall short again. Seems like you've already decided not to retake, but I figured I'd tell you that I feel your pain. We'll be fine.

[proteinshake]

sounds like you've made your mind up. even with you current score, I'd say you have a great shot at Cornell with substantial $$$. a 3.66 probably isn't going to hurt you as bad as you think it will.

[RamTitan]

You're not alone! I have two 169s under my belt right now, and they were both painful, the second one more so for sure. My range was 169-175, and, like you, test day found the low end. It really sucks.

But I've thought about it a bit, and a 169 is honestly a score to be proud of. I'm not retaking; I honestly think it might be torture if I were to fall short again. Seems like you've already decided not to retake, but I figured I'd tell you that I feel your pain. We'll be fine.

That's pretty much exactly how I feel. I don't think I could mentally torture myself again...honestly enjoy the process of studying (which is why I ended up not being bitter to retake), but the waiting for the score and learning of the disappointment was horrific.

[RamTitan]

sounds like you've made your mind up. even with you current score, I'd say you have a great shot at Cornell with substantial $$$. a 3.66 probably isn't going to hurt you as bad as you think it will.

That's good to hear, since Cornell is one of my top choices!

[DKilloranPowerScore]

Hey Ram,

Thanks for asking me to comment on your situation. I don't have all the relevant facts, but I have had a chance to read through that thread and grab a few facts on your situation (such as your LSAT score and top choice school). My instinct here is to suggest that not retake the LSAT in December and instead hold that retake until June, if it is needed. Here's why:

1. 169 is a solid score. Not much more needs to be said here. If you were talking a 164 and looking at the T14, I'd say retake December. But 169 is very competitive for schools like Cornell.

2. December isn't that far away, and that leaves you very little time to regroup, restart, and make changes. You'd be rushing it, and that doesn't feel necessary here when you already have a 169.

3. If you do get in with the 169, you are gold and you don't have to spend another minute with the LSAT. If you get waitlisted, you can then use that June test to improve your situation (see http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/the-law ... -june-lsat). And if for some reason you get rejected everywhere (which seems unlikely but then again I don't know your GPA, etc), same deal, you can use that later LSAT to make a second run.

So, there are no perfect answers here, but I don't like the idea of rushing into December when you already have a great score--it feels haphazard. Thus, I lean towards keeping that last take in reserve. Hopefully you won't ever need it!

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

Edit: just saw your GPA. I still say go with what you have.

[RamTitan]

Hey Ram,

Thanks for asking me to comment on your situation. I don't have all the relevant facts, but I have had a chance to read through that thread and grab a few facts on your situation (such as your LSAT score and top choice school). My instinct here is to suggest that not retake the LSAT in December and instead hold that retake until June, if it is needed. Here's why:

1. 169 is a solid score. Not much more needs to be said here. If you were talking a 164 and looking at the T14, I'd say retake December. But 169 is very competitive for schools like Cornell.

2. December isn't that far away, and that leaves you very little time to regroup, restart, and make changes. You'd be rushing it, and that doesn't feel necessary here when you already have a 169.

3. If you do get in with the 169, you are gold and you don't have to spend another minute with the LSAT. If you get waitlisted, you can then use that June test to improve your situation (see http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/the-law ... -june-lsat). And if for some reason you get rejected everywhere (which seems unlikely but then again I don't know your GPA, etc), same deal, you can use that later LSAT to make a second run.

So, there are no perfect answers here, but I don't like the idea of rushing into December when you already have a great score--it feels haphazard. Thus, I lean towards keeping that last take in reserve. Hopefully you won't ever need it!

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

Edit: just saw your GPA. I still say go with what you have.

Dave, just saw your advice, and I really appreciate it! I definitely agree with your June sentiment, and that is what I'm saving that take for. I got into my first law school a couple of days ago, so I'm feeling better about my situation.

[RamTitan]

Bumping this, because now I'm seriously considering a retake in February.

I've been waitlisted at two of my top three choices, and I was just laid off from my job, so I feel like maybe retaking is in the cards.

Here are my reservations:

I'm not in love with those three schools. It'd be great to get in, but idk how much an extra point or two would affect my scholarship package and if they'd even be feasible to attend. I did get virtually a full ride from a school in the 16-19 range, and have gotten into Georgetown, so I'm not dying for options. I also really like Cornell and Michigan, as well as the schools in the 16-19 range.

Also, I have no idea how to study for this test. Over a year of studying had left me without any material for studying for the second retake, and as you can see, redoing problems over and over did not lead to a score increase.

[RamTitan]

What just sitting for a third take without studying very much be a terrible idea? I really don't know how to study for the test at this point. Maybe I should just let it be.

[klaudiaxo]

Sounds like you have a ton of data to validate that a 169 is your score.

Don't do this to yourself.

169 is a fine score.

Apply to law school.

Haha, no doubt. Like I said, I'm a glutton for punishment it seems. I submitted my apps last night. I figure having a retake up my sleeve for June 2017 in case this cycle is a disaster is better than busting my ass for December.

Ah, well then mission accomplished.

Celebrate with a fine scotch. Macallan 18 if you can afford it; the 12 if you are on a budget.

Let this LSAT thing go, friend. You worked hard and did your best and got a decent score. Alea Iacta Est!

You will find plenty of mental torture your 1L year. Give yourself a break now and rest easy knowing that it was super unlikely that you were going to raise your score any higher and, in fact, quite likely you would have scored worse...

Definitely going to be doing some "celebrating" this weekend...just feels less than bittersweet after putting that extra work only to go down a point. Oh well, thanks again for the advice and pick-me-up!

Hi,

I'm curious how you raised you score from 149 to 169?

[proteinshake]

What just sitting for a third take without studying very much be a terrible idea? I really don't know how to study for the test at this point. Maybe I should just let it be.

how did you study last time?

[RamTitan]

What just sitting for a third take without studying very much be a terrible idea? I really don't know how to study for the test at this point. Maybe I should just let it be.

how did you study last time?

Tests and drilling problems, same as anyone else. The problem is that I've done those problems many, many times. In some cases over 4x or more. I tried redoing problems for my second take, and as you can see, there was no improvement.

[RamTitan]

Sounds like you have a ton of data to validate that a 169 is your score.

Don't do this to yourself.

169 is a fine score.

Apply to law school.

Haha, no doubt. Like I said, I'm a glutton for punishment it seems. I submitted my apps last night. I figure having a retake up my sleeve for June 2017 in case this cycle is a disaster is better than busting my ass for December.

Ah, well then mission accomplished.

Celebrate with a fine scotch. Macallan 18 if you can afford it; the 12 if you are on a budget.

Let this LSAT thing go, friend. You worked hard and did your best and got a decent score. Alea Iacta Est!

You will find plenty of mental torture your 1L year. Give yourself a break now and rest easy knowing that it was super unlikely that you were going to raise your score any higher and, in fact, quite likely you would have scored worse...

Definitely going to be doing some "celebrating" this weekend...just feels less than bittersweet after putting that extra work only to go down a point. Oh well, thanks again for the advice and pick-me-up!

Hi,

I'm curious how you raised you score from 149 to 169?

Actually started at a 146 haha. I will give a comprehensive post shortly

[blackmamba8]

What do you have to lose from a third take? It'll cost you ~$150 and a Saturday morning, but maybe you'll get lucky and get a test that is favorable for your skill set. What were the score breakdowns for your first two takes? Dense reading material could help if RC is a weaker section for you

[klaudiaxo]

Sounds like you have a ton of data to validate that a 169 is your score.

Don't do this to yourself.

169 is a fine score.

Apply to law school.

Haha, no doubt. Like I said, I'm a glutton for punishment it seems. I submitted my apps last night. I figure having a retake up my sleeve for June 2017 in case this cycle is a disaster is better than busting my ass for December.

Ah, well then mission accomplished.

Celebrate with a fine scotch. Macallan 18 if you can afford it; the 12 if you are on a budget.

Let this LSAT thing go, friend. You worked hard and did your best and got a decent score. Alea Iacta Est!

You will find plenty of mental torture your 1L year. Give yourself a break now and rest easy knowing that it was super unlikely that you were going to raise your score any higher and, in fact, quite likely you would have scored worse...

Definitely going to be doing some "celebrating" this weekend...just feels less than bittersweet after putting that extra work only to go down a point. Oh well, thanks again for the advice and pick-me-up!

Hi,

I'm curious how you raised you score from 149 to 169?

Actually started at a 146 haha. I will give a comprehensive post shortly

That would be really great I started at 149 and am in the 160's range right now. Thank you!

[ManoftheHour]

When can you take a 4th time? If you can take a 4th time in October, then you still have that retake up your sleeve.

[RamTitan]

What do you have to lose from a third take? It'll cost you ~$150 and a Saturday morning, but maybe you'll get lucky and get a test that is favorable for your skill set. What were the score breakdowns for your first two takes? Dense reading material could help if RC is a weaker section for you

First time was -3 RC, -2 game, and like -6 LR I believe

Second time was -5 RC, -1 games, and -6 LR again

Hard to study RC with passages you've done before. I am considering just signing up for February and seeing what happens