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Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

Strongly disagree with the above. An increased LSAT is almost always worth the delay. A december app is not a big deal. Go get that 174

scottyboy wrote:

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

You shouldn't give anymore unhelpful and potentially damaging advice.

scottyboy wrote:

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

I hate this advise, if you could call it that. OP has no reason to rush into law school and every reason to wait. The difference even 2 points could make for them is pretty huge.

lymenheimer wrote:

scottyboy wrote:

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

You shouldn't give anymore unhelpful and potentially damaging advice.

Edit: Never mind. OP, my advice stands, but the common wisdom on TLS seems to be to the contrary.

scottyboy wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

scottyboy wrote:

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

You shouldn't give anymore unhelpful and potentially damaging advice.

OP could of course retake, which everyone on this forum always advocates. But once you pass the 170 mark, there is a good chance that your score doesn't change or goes down, and if it goes up, it probably won't go up by that much. So if the OP wants to devote a significant amount more time to studying the LSAT for the chance of an extra point or two, instead of, say, spending those hundreds of hours exercising or reading or spending time with family, then fine, but this advice is only "obvious" in the rarified world of TLS.

An extra point or two can get you tens of thousands of dollars. It'd be foolish not to go for it.

Look at the numbers. If you were PT'ing at 174, there is no real reason not to retake. 2 points could be the difference between striking out at CC and getting into both. 3 points gets you an outside shot at Harvard.

Veil of Ignorance wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

scottyboy wrote:

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

You shouldn't give anymore unhelpful and potentially damaging advice.

Edit: Never mind. OP, my advice stands, but the common wisdom on TLS seems to be to the contrary.

Veil I have pretty similar numbers as OP and my pre-law advisor said exactly the same thing as your original comment.
I'm seriously getting confused about who I should trust. Where does this TLS consensus come from anyways?

neptunian wrote: Veil I have pretty similar numbers as OP and my pre-law advisor said exactly the same thing as your original comment.
I'm seriously getting confused about who I should trust. Where does this TLS consensus come from anyways?

Actual experience applying to law school.

lymenheimer wrote:

neptunian wrote: Veil I have pretty similar numbers as OP and my pre-law advisor said exactly the same thing as your original comment.
I'm seriously getting confused about who I should trust. Where does this TLS consensus come from anyways?

Actual experience applying to law school.

+1

neptunian wrote:

Veil of Ignorance wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

scottyboy wrote:

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

You shouldn't give anymore unhelpful and potentially damaging advice.

Edit: Never mind. OP, my advice stands, but the common wisdom on TLS seems to be to the contrary.

Veil I have pretty similar numbers as OP and my pre-law advisor said exactly the same thing as your original comment.
I'm seriously getting confused about who I should trust. Where does this TLS consensus come from anyways?

I think your pre-law advisor and I are using a "regular person" perspective, which is, hey, you've got great numbers and great options, why not reduce the stress of taking the LSAT for the nth time and just enjoy the fruits of your labor. The TLS perspective is based off the fact that a higher LSAT score is always better and opens up more options. So, according to these folks, just retake until you have a 180, pretty much. I've seen people on here recommend that someone with a 173 retake, which I think is ridiculous. It's up to you and how much stress and work an extra few points are worth in the context of your life. For me, I decided before taking the test that a 171 was going to be good enough for me. It ended up being higher, but I would have stopped there regardless.

There are some people on these forums who are aggressive and sneer at those who don't share their views, but ultimately if you have a 170+ it isn't ridiculous to use your score, so just think about your goals and what matters most to you.

I had the exact same numbers last cycle. I got rejected at Yale, waitlisted at Harvard, and in everywhere else (currently a 1L at Stanford). Michigan offered a big scholarship, but everywhere else was pretty stingy.

Results may vary. I had 5+ years of pretty interesting work experience, so that's probably what helped me outperform my numbers.

Veil of Ignorance wrote:

neptunian wrote:

Veil of Ignorance wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

scottyboy wrote:

abck99 wrote:Hi - I have a 3.8 GPA and a 170 from a June 2016 LSAT, but was PTing around 174. I'm retaking in December to come to reach my PT... what are my changes at t6 or t14 with money? Is it worth retaking when it means delaying applications being complete? I'm otherwise done with apps.

Thanks!

I'd guess you're a lock for NYU, maybe 50% at Chicago and Columbia, and highly unlikely at HYS. I don't think a retake is the way to go. You probably won't get above the 170 if it was your second try, and it might actually go down, because a 170 is already a really great LSAT. You'll get nice money at Cornell, Northwestern, etc, so just apply and enjoy the results

You shouldn't give anymore unhelpful and potentially damaging advice.

Edit: Never mind. OP, my advice stands, but the common wisdom on TLS seems to be to the contrary.

Veil I have pretty similar numbers as OP and my pre-law advisor said exactly the same thing as your original comment.
I'm seriously getting confused about who I should trust. Where does this TLS consensus come from anyways?

I think your pre-law advisor and I are using a "regular person" perspective, which is, hey, you've got great numbers and great options, why not reduce the stress of taking the LSAT for the nth time and just enjoy the fruits of your labor. The TLS perspective is based off the fact that a higher LSAT score is always better and opens up more options. So, according to these folks, just retake until you have a 180, pretty much. I've seen people on here recommend that someone with a 173 retake, which I think is ridiculous. It's up to you and how much stress and work an extra few points are worth in the context of your life. For me, I decided before taking the test that a 171 was going to be good enough for me. It ended up being higher, but I would have stopped there regardless.

There are some people on these forums who are aggressive and sneer at those who don't share their views, but ultimately if you have a 170+ it isn't ridiculous to use your score, so just think about your goals and what matters most to you.

#nuance

Not sure how relevant this question is butttttt do you have any incredible softs? Are you lowkey Charles Dickens?

You've already paid for it, so what have you got to lose besides a few hours of your time? Even an increase of mere 2 or 3 points can mean much better shot at T6 and/or tens of thousands of dollars more in scholarship at schools that you'd otherwise have gone to anyway. Think of it this way: if you get an extra $20k or $30k in merit aid because your LSAT went up by that much, you'll be done with debt repayment a whole year earlier, give or take, even working a biglaw job.

And schools won't care if your score goes down on retake (except maybe Yale, but you're not competitive for Yale with your current numbers anyway).

.

Can't OP just submit his apps now and inform them she/he's retaking? This way, once the score comes everything else is already taken care of.

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