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Do I retake the LSAT if I want T20?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:57 am
by born4law
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Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:23 am
by paratactical
Dude. Seriously. Wait a year and retake the LSAT. What it will mean to your lifetime earning potential will totally eclipse whatever difficulty it posses now.
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:34 am
by Ernert
Your softs wouldn't get you into into the T20 cali schools you really want. However a retake of high 160s/low 170s (I'd personally wait until June or even next October so you can be absolute sure you're ready) + applying early next cycle would radically change that and give you great chances at UCLA/USC, plus possibly a good deal of the mid/lower T14.
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:18 am
by topper10s
Definitely don't retake in February. There's no reason to rush it, especially if it would be your third one. Take it next June so you have lots of time to study for it, get a 166 at the minimum, then go on to bigger and better things at a school you like. Pursue your interest in entrepreneurship in the gap year.
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:49 am
by Errzii
Don't place too much stock in your softs, there are very few softs aside from URM that can carry a 161 into a top Cali school and yours are only slightly better than average at best. I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear but your best option is probably to wait, retake, and apply next cycle. Don't sell yourself short and don't rush it. Plan and prepare accordingly for the time between now and the next cycle and you will have a lot better options. I guarantee it.
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:08 am
by sunynp
What is neuro-law?
Also, FYI, you have probably made yourself easy to identify. If you care about anonymity you might want to edit out some details.
You should study and retake in June if not later.
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:32 am
by mattviphky
Do I retake and wait ANOTHER year? Is it worth waiting? That higher score may or may not show up in February.
You should. Yes. If you're not confident then postpone.
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:02 pm
by born4law
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Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:36 pm
by TheWatch
prepare, retake in june, reapply in the fall.
If you're desperate you can apply this year and hope for some WL/admits and maybe get admitted or increase $ with your June retake.
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:52 am
by born4law
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Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:14 pm
by apollo2015
For this cycle go ahead and apply to Hastings/Davis. If you do not get in to either of them, consider what your options are. Are you in a position to do anything else for a year while you wait for the next cycle, or would you be putting your entire life on hold while hoping you score better next time?
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:00 am
by born4law
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Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 4:26 am
by mountaintime
were you consistently testing at 167-168? i agree with the other posters that you should wait until june, but you need to examine the way you are PTing. are any of them repeats? are you strict as fuck with the timing? maybe even consider giving yourself one fewer minute for each section. are you doing all 4 sections (or 5, i guess, if you're one of those people) in a single burst? are you changing up your location (don't just PT at your house where you're confortable)? you need to figure out why your PT performance isn't translating to real test performance. it's something. either you aren't being strict enough or you just get really flustered. 168 to 161 is a really big drop. what are we talking about, 15 questions? figure out what you're doing wrong, or you're just going to do it again.
edit: and, no, don't go to those other schools. With a 3.77 in Econ from Berkeley, you have better opportunities now that you will from those schools unless you really kill it in 1L (which all rational people will tell you is a huge gamble... not purely luck, but also far from totally in your control... basically everyone is smart at T1 schools, a lot of those smart people get pwned by the curve)
Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:19 am
by born4law
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Re: 3.77 from Berkeley / 161 (reverse splitter)
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:57 pm
by mountaintime
Try different public libraries in your area, they should have study rooms (you may also find some non-study room locations in the libraries that are good for PTing). I did most of my PTs at two different libraries in addition to two different rooms in my small apartment. As test day got closer, I only did PTs away from my house. You can also try random lecture halls at your university (or other local university) on weekends. You don't want to PT in a silent location because the real test won't be silent. You don't want to PT at a really distracting location, but there needs to be some stuff going on in the background. You want your PTs to be in locations that can potentially be semi-stressful, because test day is stressful. The first time I took a PT at the library, stupid discussions people had just outside of my study room really stressed me out. After 3 or 4 tests there, it was like I had tunnel vision. I was aware of distractions, but they didn't distract me. I also took a full PT in the exact lecture hall my real test was in. I went in there the Saturday before, and just rocked it out. I'm damn glad I did because it was a weird room with terrible, terrible little folding desks. It really was just an awful place to take the LSAT (desk was basically the size of a single sheet of paper. I even went into that lecture hall a couple times during the week while there was a small class in the first few rows (place seated probably 500-600) and would do a section or two with the class going on in the background. I hope that helps you. Just change it up. Make sure you can take an LSAT in any decently quiet location. That will help you a lot.
edit: also, it sounds like you're just now ramping up into the high 160s. remember to figure out what you did wrong on questions you missed. practice the hell out of LGs, they really should be automatic. they are so learnable.