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If you want HLS, I would probably retake and aim for 173+. There aren't a ton of candidates who get in with 3.8/170s. Your numbers as they stand are below both medians. There are significantly more applicants who get in with 3.8/173+. If you pulled off 3-4 more points, you'd be at or above the LSAT median which helps a lot at schools that are as numbers-heavy as HLS.

And yes, schools would care about a small improvement because they're generally concerned about their medians. They would rather admit a person in March with 3.8/173+ than a person with a 3.8/170.

What do you have to lose? If you get in before February (and that's possible depending on the strength of your resume, essay, and recs), you could always not retake the test. If you don't get what you were shooting for, at least you gave it a shot. It's not like you have a 175 and might shoot yourself in the foot by gunning for something better.

Thanks for the response! Should I email schools now and let them know I'm taking the February LSAT? Or hold off until February?

Hm this is a tricky position, because you could risk it and not tell them you're retaking and possibly get in without the retake. But you could also get a waitlist in January if they aren't aware that you're taking February.

If it was my choice to make, I'd probably not tell them, knowing that the chances of getting a straight rejection in January are low with a 170. If a Hold or Waitlist does happen, at least you'll have a solid LOCI update in a new LSAT score in February

lastsamurai wrote:Hm this is a tricky position, because you could risk it and not tell them you're retaking and possibly get in without the retake. But you could also get a waitlist in January if they aren't aware that you're taking February.

If it was my choice to make, I'd probably not tell them, knowing that the chances of getting a straight rejection in January are low with a 170. If a Hold or Waitlist does happen, at least you'll have a solid LOCI update in a new LSAT score in February

Rejections in January for people who submitted in October do happen, although it looks it's mostly people with worse numbers than you on one of the scales.

Bear in mind, though, that it's not just January that's relevant, it's also February, since you won't be able to send your score until several weeks after the test.

I think I will hold out on telling them, retake, and then, if I feel confident in my score, let them know that I have a score coming.

To be honest, I'm not incredibly interested in HYS, I mostly just want $$$ from CCN. Paying sticker in NYC?