Advice about Canceling

[Garrett K]

Hello PowerScore,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice....So I just took the LSAT yesterday and I am thinking about cancelling my score. I have already taken the LSAT twice before including this past September. I received a decent score mid 160s in September but I wanted to retake the test again to see if I could score higher (the first time I took it I didn't study). So I signed up for the December test. I was convinced that the compounding pressure got to me in September, therefore I barely studied for this test....I took about a practice test a week and was scoring in the low to mid 170s. But yesterday I felt that it went terrible for my first few sections. I don't think I even finished each section (LR-LG-LR) which has never happened to me before. The last two sections I think I did fine on (RC-LR). So considering that one of the LRs was experimental, there is a possibility that I did better than the September test.

So my question is this, should I cancel the score because of the chance of being lower than my previous score, which would look bad for law school admissions even though the cancellation itself looks suspicious. Or should I just see what I get even though I will be gambling that I will receive a lower score?

any advice is appreciated

[Dave Killoran]

Hey Garrett,

There's really no way to know what to do, because it all hinges on your actual performance yesterday. If it was close to or higher than your last score, then keep it. If it's significantly lower, then you don't want to keep it (even though they don't average anymore).

I'm afraid that advice above isn't all that specific (sorry about that), but the main reason I wanted to answer was to mention that cancelling your December score after posting a prior score won't look "suspicious." Adcoms don't really care about a single cancellation (even if it's after a recorded LSAT score) because they don't know why you cancelled. Maybe you got sick, or the room was loud. They don't automatically assume that you cancelled because it was bad performance. Now, if you cancel three times, yeah, that looks suspicious. But that's not what is happening here, so you shouldn't factor that into your decision.

Thanks and good luck!

[Jon Denning]

Hey Garrett,

To echo Dave's advice, it really is a tricky situation and tough for us to give absolutist advice, although I certainly wouldn't be hesitant to cancel over fears of it appearing suspicious.

What I suppose I'm curious about is whether you plan to retake the LSAT (say in February, or some time in 2015) if you cancel this score or it's lower than you'd like, or if you'll be applying with the September score and going from there.

The reason I ask is that there are two additional factors you might also want to think about moving forward if you are planning (or open to) a retake. The first is that, if December was your third attempt, then depending on when you first took the LSAT you may have to wait a bit before you can take another one. There's a "three times in two years" rule that LSAC has and, while you can get around it with a note/exemption from a school requesting that you be allowed another attempt, it's kind of a chore. Not to mention there's further study involved, which I can't imagine is too appealing It could be well worth it certainly, but your mentality, and a realistic assessment of the likelihood of continued work, are important.

Another consideration that may factor in is based on where you're looking to apply and how those schools treat the February LSAT, were that to be the retake attempt. For instance, if most (or all) of the schools to which you're applying accept the February test for the same calendar year, that should reduce the "penalty" of canceling and retaking the next administration. On the other hand, if taking the February test might hold you back an extra year because schools don't take it, then the possibility of a potentially higher score in December could outweigh the risks/cancellation.

Anyway I hope that helps you a bit in the decision--thanks again and keep us posted!

Jon

[Garrett K]

I am actually applying to law schools this year. My apps are ready to go. I just wanted to wait and retake the LSAT. I think I am going to keep my score, because even if it is worse I don't think it will be by much. Plus there is always the possibility of doing better than I did in September....Either way though I do not plan on retaking the LSAT. Thanks for your advice and help. I will definitely recommend PowerScore to anyone that asks!

[Dave Killoran]

Hey Garrett,

Thanks for the follow up info! It sounds like you are making a good decision, and I hope it turns out to be an even better score Please keep us posted on that.

I'm glad we could help, and thanks much for the recommendations—it is greatly appreciated!