November LSAT: Recommended?

[gam46@students.uwf.edu]

Good afternoon,

I'm writing here today in the interest of getting some opinions on whether or not I should take the November LSAT given my prior October LSAT score. Today, I received the awesome news that my score was a 172 and that I scored within the top two percent of test takers, which was, of course, amazing news! My GPA sits at a 3.99 cumulatively as well, priming a solid admissions packet. My only question now is: Should I still take the November LSAT?

A 172 was my target score, after all, but, as discussed in many podcasts (etc.) T6 admissions are highly unpredictable. I saw that for some a 172 would land just below the cusp of the 50th percentile at times. Would it be worth the risk to pursue a higher score if I am unsure what my second score will be? I thoroughly believe that I could break past 168-170 again, but I'm not quite sure if it's worth risking. I'm currently signed up for the November LSAT.

I could not be more grateful for your company's services having helped me get here by the way! My instructor, Jeremy, did a great job covering the materials in your LSAT course book despite his heated (no pun intended) opinions on propane and propane accessories. The podcasts, publications, etc. have been a great help as well.

Thank you so very much for everything,

Gaige.

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Gaige,

Thanks for the message! This is a tough question, and the usual default answer I give usually revolves around how likely it is that you will exceed 172. Is it just a hope, a real chance, or a near-certainty? If it's just a hope or a chance, then I'd hesitate on retaking. If you are near certain though, then I would go for it.

Based on what you said ("I am unsure what my second score will be"), I wouldn't think retaking is perhaps in your best interest. Getting lucky on the LSAT is not something that happens often, and it seems more like your motivation here is about just wanting a higher score vs medians as opposed to knowing you could do better.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

[gam46@students.uwf.edu]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your response! My university faculty had much the same to say on the issue, and, unfortunately, my demeanor rarely expresses the near-certainty needed here. In other words, I'm not sure that there is any case where I would feel near-certain about such an important issue, particularly the LSAT. I'm afraid my tendency to recognize my own fallibility, while sometimes helpful, doesn't do much for me here.

I suppose that, absent the surety test above, the next factor to consider is whether or not my score could be perceived as a fluke or getting lucky by admissions committees. Is this a real risk? If so, would scoring adjacent but below (170-171) defeat that misconception? To my memory, people have dismissed this idea previously.

You are absolutely right that I am concerned with reaching a higher LSAT bracket if possible, by the way. Whether that undermines my surety is something I can't quite assign a value, though. At any rate, with my current trajectory certain early admissions windows are still open, which is amazing! I'm very excited to see where my eduation takes me.

Thank you for your time,

Gaige.

[Dave Killoran]

I suppose that, absent the surety test above, the next factor to consider is whether or not my score could be perceived as a fluke or getting lucky by admissions committees. Is this a real risk? If so, would scoring adjacent but below (170-171) defeat that misconception? To my memory, people have dismissed this idea previously.

Hi Gaige,

As far as the above, they don't think of scores as flukes--if you can achieve it, they see you as having that ability. And yes, a lower score gets ignored; only the high score matters

The above tells us that a retake only hurts you in the following way: It typically delays consideration of your app by a bit (you'd still be relatively early even taking November). It would not hurt you if you scores lower, though. On the flip side, it only helps you if you score higher (and even a point is helpful in this range tbh).

So, that value tradeoff there is tough to navigate: time vs the chance of a higher score. What I do appreciate here though, is your honesty in assessing how you might perform. You appear to be under no illusions about the certainty of what might happen, and that's exactly what you need to think about this clearly--realistic understanding. I'd take a few days to mull it over and if you think there's a solid rough chance of scoring higher--say at least 25% to 35%--then maybe give it a go. You can always cancel if you don't like how it feels (and cancels are ignored).

I hope that helps!

[gam46@students.uwf.edu]

Hi Dave,

I appreciate the reply! I had one more afterthought as we approach the end of early admissions windows. Namely, I was curious if schools typically exclude applicants from their early admissions pools if they are considering taking another LSAT. I have heard that applications have been shelved for this reason in the past, but I can't speak to its truth.

If this is the case, is it required to disclose this information if a school asks for it? I imagine that it is the case, and if you were to try and downplay/exclude from consideration a future LSAT it would result in your resume being thrown out unless the school has some specific exception to that practice.

All the best,

Gaige.

[Dave Killoran]

Yes, it is common practice for schools to hold apps while waiting for a scheduled LSAT result to appear. And, you can't withhold this information from law schools: they get a regular report from LSAC that tells them you have a new test scheduled. It's out of your hands

Thanks!