3.8/167 - Chances at GULC, Cornell, Duke and Northwestern? Forum

[outlawscr10]

I have similar numbers as OP and work and Peace Corps experience. I have already been accepted to Duke and GULC (and Michigan), so I would say that OP has great chances. Scholarship money, however is yet to be determined. Oh, I also had an interview with a Northwestern Alumni, which went pretty well.

I guess I am feeling this pressure too to retake, retake, retake! This is my second cycle, although I only took the LSAT once. I scored a 166, which was average to high for my practice tests. I took a live course and studied all day every day for over two months. I was not working, and for the last month I was not in school. I just don't have the luxury of that kind of time anymore.

I also have a need based LSAC waiver which granted me two free LSATs, which I applied to after the peace corps when I had only a few hundred dollars to my name. Thanks Lsac!

Would it be worth it to retake in February, hold onto my acceptances, try for more money if I score higher, or just not report scores if I score lower? I forget how it works if schools automatically know, but they wouldn't revoke an acceptance if I got a 165 lets say on the retake.

My main concern is that I really felt like I did my best on the test the first time (in 2009). I am PI oriented and very debt adverse.

Any thoughts/advice?

Would be interested in hearing advice on this as well. If you've already been accepted and the school only accepts December LSAT at the latest, would it be of any benefit to them if you had a higher LSAT than what you applied with?

[Ti Malice]

Would it be worth it to retake in February, hold onto my acceptances, try for more money if I score higher, or just not report scores if I score lower? I forget how it works if schools automatically know, but they wouldn't revoke an acceptance if I got a 165 lets say on the retake.

Yes, give it a shot. You have nothing to lose and potentially much to gain. No school would revoke an acceptance, but schools are desperate for higher LSAT scores, and they will negotiate scholarship money with you all the way into summertime (though you'd want to start right away once you had your higher score).

Also, while two months of uninterrupted study time is very good, a lot of people need more time to reach/come close to their potential.

[outlawscr10]

Would it be worth it to retake in February, hold onto my acceptances, try for more money if I score higher, or just not report scores if I score lower? I forget how it works if schools automatically know, but they wouldn't revoke an acceptance if I got a 165 lets say on the retake.

Yes, give it a shot. You have nothing to lose and potentially much to gain. No school would revoke an acceptance, but schools are desperate for higher LSAT scores, and they will negotiate scholarship money with you all the way into summertime (though you'd want to start right away once you had your higher score).

Also, while two months of uninterrupted study time is very good, a lot of people need more time to reach/come close to their potential.

Would an LSAT score that isn't listed in the application have any effect on a school's numbers?

[hichvichwoh]

I said I wasn't retaking because I have a graduate exam in German comprehension scheduled on the same day as the December LSAT. And waiting for the next cycle isn't an option. I thought that stating that I wasn't retaking would have been enough, sheesh.

and you thought wrong. retake in February, use score to negotiate scholarships.

[outlawscr10]

I said I wasn't retaking because I have a graduate exam in German comprehension scheduled on the same day as the December LSAT. And waiting for the next cycle isn't an option. I thought that stating that I wasn't retaking would have been enough, sheesh.

and you thought wrong. retake in February, use score to negotiate scholarships.

Yeah. Seriously considering that.

[BigZuck]

I said I wasn't retaking because I have a graduate exam in German comprehension scheduled on the same day as the December LSAT. And waiting for the next cycle isn't an option. I thought that stating that I wasn't retaking would have been enough, sheesh.

Retake

[outlawscr10]

Anybody have any personal experience using a Feb LSAT score to negotiate?

[Ti Malice]

Would it be worth it to retake in February, hold onto my acceptances, try for more money if I score higher, or just not report scores if I score lower? I forget how it works if schools automatically know, but they wouldn't revoke an acceptance if I got a 165 lets say on the retake.

Yes, give it a shot. You have nothing to lose and potentially much to gain. No school would revoke an acceptance, but schools are desperate for higher LSAT scores, and they will negotiate scholarship money with you all the way into summertime (though you'd want to start right away once you had your higher score).

Also, while two months of uninterrupted study time is very good, a lot of people need more time to reach/come close to their potential.

Would an LSAT score that isn't listed in the application have any effect on a school's numbers?

Schools only have to report the highest score, so they won't care if you end up with a lower score.

[Ti Malice]

Anybody have any personal experience using a Feb LSAT score to negotiate?

I don't have personal experience with it, but dozens of people on this site do it with success every year. There are some long threads on negotiating scholarships in some of the other forums. Find them with the search function.

[Fiero85]

Would it be worth it to retake in February, hold onto my acceptances, try for more money if I score higher, or just not report scores if I score lower? I forget how it works if schools automatically know, but they wouldn't revoke an acceptance if I got a 165 lets say on the retake.

Yes, give it a shot. You have nothing to lose and potentially much to gain. No school would revoke an acceptance, but schools are desperate for higher LSAT scores, and they will negotiate scholarship money with you all the way into summertime (though you'd want to start right away once you had your higher score).

Also, while two months of uninterrupted study time is very good, a lot of people need more time to reach/come close to their potential.

Would an LSAT score that isn't listed in the application have any effect on a school's numbers?

If I'm not mistaken, the schools report the stats of their students as of matriculation in the fall. Any changes before August 20XX are reflected in the school's numbers for ranking purposes. So in short, yes, an LSAT score after the application is complete still counts.

[BigZuck]

Anybody have any personal experience using a Feb LSAT score to negotiate?

I don't think I even started negotiating until March at their earliest and it got pretty hot and heavy closer to May and into the summer.

Eta: DAT LEVERAGE

[jbagelboy]

Some schools wont consider February for admissions purposes, but they will for scholarships - last cycle, I even saw people using June LSATs to negotiate well into the summer

[Ti Malice]

Yes, people with June LSAT retakes were going from peanuts/WL to full rides at WUSTL even in July, for instance.

[Oldmanriver]

Anybody have any personal experience using a Feb LSAT score to negotiate?

As mentioned above, most if not all of the schools will not use the feb LSAT for your INITAL evaluation for acceptance. However, if you are waitlisted, a high Feb score will most certainly play into the process and could give the boost you need for admission. Also, the score can also be used as leverage for a great scholarship. Sometimes the school (particularly if it is a public institution) will indicate that it is low on funds for scholarship that late in the game blah blah blah. Bottom line is that if they want you, they will cough up some cash. Do well enough, and maybe it will get you bumped from the wait list WITH a full ride.

With declining numbers of applications, a high lsat score can be like a brick of gold to these schools. A friend of mine with a 180 and 3.8 was arrested SEVERAL times over the course of a month AFTER he had been accepted to several T14s. All but one school did not retract their admission offer. Yes folks, even blood stained bricks of gold are gold nonetheless.

[BigZuck]

Anybody have any personal experience using a Feb LSAT score to negotiate?

As mentioned above, most if not all of the schools will not use the feb LSAT for your INITAL evaluation for acceptance. However, if you are waitlisted, a high Feb score will most certainly play into the process and could give the boost you need for admission. Also, the score can also be used as leverage for a great scholarship. Sometimes the school (particularly if it is a public institution) will indicate that it is low on funds for scholarship that late in the game blah blah blah. Bottom line is that if they want you, they will cough up some cash. Do well enough, and maybe it will get you bumped from the wait list WITH a full ride.

With declining numbers of applications, a high lsat score can be like a brick of gold to these schools. A friend of mine with a 180 and 3.8 was arrested SEVERAL times over the course of a month AFTER he had been accepted to several T14s. All but one school did not retract their admission offer. Yes folks, even blood stained bricks of gold are gold nonetheless.

Your friend sounds kind of amazing

[Fiero85]

Anybody have any personal experience using a Feb LSAT score to negotiate?

As mentioned above, most if not all of the schools will not use the feb LSAT for your INITAL evaluation for acceptance. However, if you are waitlisted, a high Feb score will most certainly play into the process and could give the boost you need for admission. Also, the score can also be used as leverage for a great scholarship. Sometimes the school (particularly if it is a public institution) will indicate that it is low on funds for scholarship that late in the game blah blah blah. Bottom line is that if they want you, they will cough up some cash. Do well enough, and maybe it will get you bumped from the wait list WITH a full ride.

With declining numbers of applications, a high lsat score can be like a brick of gold to these schools. A friend of mine with a 180 and 3.8 was arrested SEVERAL times over the course of a month AFTER he had been accepted to several T14s. All but one school did not retract their admission offer. Yes folks, even blood stained bricks of gold are gold nonetheless.

Your friend sounds kind of amazing

Normally I would think "wow this guy blew it" but Mr. SEVERAL seems like he just knows how to game the system. Props.