Is it worth it to wait and reapply? Forum

[Ginger1492]

I was just wait-listed at my top choice (Texas) with a 165, 3.9. I'll stick out the wait-list but I only have so much faith left (rough cycle). I have other options right now but I am contemplating re-taking the LSAT and re-applying next cycle. Does anyone have any experience/advice about this? Should I just work with the options I have or follow the dream? Also, I am worried that next cycle may be even more competitive than this one.

[CardinalRules]

I was just wait-listed at my top choice (Texas) with a 165, 3.9. I'll stick out the wait-list but I only have so much faith left (rough cycle). I have other options right now but I am contemplating re-taking the LSAT and re-applying next cycle. Does anyone have any experience/advice about this? Should I just work with the options I have or follow the dream? Also, I am worried that next cycle may be even more competitive than this one.

It depends what your options are and how much you could improve (realistically) by retaking the LSAT. If you think that the improvement would be marginal, it probably isn't worth it.

That said, there is no stigma to re-applying.

[thickfreakness]

I got wailisted at my top school last cycle with almost those exact stats. I retook the LSAT and got in to my top choice from last year and tapped into the T10. I could have settled last year for a school that would've been okay with me, but not somewhere that I was gung-ho for and genuinely excited about. I think you need that kind of hunger and desire to perform your best and be happy in what's going to be an intense 1L year. Now all of my options are places that I'm really excited about attending and my decision has worked out wonderfully. If you have an opportunity to work over the next year and study a lot for the LSAT, then go for it. With a GPA that high schools are really hoping that you get the LSAT they need to admit you.

[Ginger1492]

Thanks for the quick advice. Some more info...

To be honest, I crammed for the LSAT with only about 3 weeks of intense study. Bad call, I know. However, in that time I went from a 152 to a 165. I think that with more time (which I have) I could really pull up my score.

My other options right now are George Washington (sticker), Baylor (full tuition), Lewis and Clark (1/2 tuition), Houston (sticker). I'm still waiting on W&M and BU, but I have been waiting a long time so it may not be good.

How much higher does my LSAT need to go for Texas?

[CardinalRules]

Considering your options, I'd wait and reapply next cycle. You can do much better than those schools if you concentrate on preparing for the LSAT. Three or four more points should get you into Texas.

[nyyankees]

retake in june, decide after you get your score

[thisguy456]

3.9 is good for just about any school. Bump up the LSAT score and you can get $$$ at Texas or get in at another school.

[Ms. Art Law]

I would reapply,which is what I plan on doing( I didnt really study for LSAT like I should have) another year will give more time to prepair to get into your top school and you can do extra work to spice up your app.

[Shaggier1]

retake in june, decide after you get your score

+1

You are just on the cusp; if you answer even 2-3 more questions correctly on the LSAT, you will have a very different cycle.

I first took the LSAT in 2007 and was dead-set on applying that year. I decided to wait and retake, though, and now I am heading to my dream school. Undoubtedly worth the wait in my case, and I think it could be in yours as well.

[tinyone]

I'd re-apply. I was in your position last year, I didn't do as well as I could on the LSAT and my GPA is OK. I was wait-listed or denied almost everywhere except GSU. I knew I could do better so I decided to work as a paralegal for the last year and a half and I re-took the lsat and moved from the 87th to the 93rd percentile. Not only did the increase in LSAT help my app but so did the work experience. I feel like law schools are really starting to reward work experience on apps. You also get a chance to really think about law school and make sure you want to take on the debt and where you'd want to live/apply. If you're like me I was too busy in undergrad to seriously consider these factors so it was nice to apply this year and do it with certainty. Long story short I am 4/5 on my apps this year all with good scholarship options, just waiting to hear back from one. So I am a big believer in the wait and re-try if you know you can improve route.

[poprox]

I was just wait-listed at my top choice (Texas) with a 165, 3.9. I'll stick out the wait-list but I only have so much faith left (rough cycle). I have other options right now but I am contemplating re-taking the LSAT and re-applying next cycle. Does anyone have any experience/advice about this? Should I just work with the options I have or follow the dream? Also, I am worried that next cycle may be even more competitive than this one.

Even if it is, YOU will be a more competitive candidate if you raise your LSAT score even 3 points. If you score a 168-169, you'll probably get offered some good scholarships at TX/Vandy/UCLA, and I know for a fact that plenty of 169/3.9ers are getting nice $$ offers from Duke this cycle (and historically they do give a lot of money to high GPA 169-170 candidates).

Think about how badly you want this, and remember that 1 year is not forever. A few more months of LSAT prep could potentially be worth tens of thousands of dollars in addition to acceptances to top schools. Good luck to you.

[Ginger1492]

Thanks for the good advice and encouragement. I think I am going to wait and re-apply when I have a better LSAT score. It will give me more time to think about my career plans, de-stress after undergrad, get some work experience and it might save me money in the long run. Plus, the idea of moving to DC or Boston made my boyfriend cringe. He's a true Texan and can't imagine giving up his comically oversized truck for public transportation.