To retake or not to retake?

[jgsisco]

So I took the June LSAT and just received my score (164). I've been studying since December, and took the live online class through power score. In the month before the test, I hit up to 168 on practice tests, and had several other scores above 166. Two weeks before the test, I saw a dip in my scores and ended up averaging around a 164. So in terms of my performance directly preceding the test, my actual LSAT matched well my practice tests, but perhaps not my potential.

I have a gpa that is above the 75th percentile for every school, but I am aiming for the mid t-14(15), specifically UVA, UPenn, Michigan, etc. Because 164, while in the range for all of these schools, is low, I'm having a hard time determining whether I should retake the LSAT or not. With a gpa above the 75th for all of these schools and an LSAT within, albeit barely, their range, am I better off focusing on my personal statements, letters of rec, and getting my applications in early, or should I hit the ground running again and try to get to the high 160's?

As a side note, I want to mention that Logic Games have been my weakness, but I lucked out with this test's LG being so easy (I got a 20/23, well above my average in this section), which is worth considering in that the next test is unlikely to be as forgiving in LG.

Thanks for the advice!!

[iknowsomething]

Study intelligently, study diligently, seek advice from the right people, and definitely retake in September. Focus on your weak spots and constantly challenge yourself by trying to identify new ways you can improve.

With your GPA better than the 75th percentile at all schools, you would do yourself a disservice to settle for a 164, and schools will notice that.

[AthenaDalton]

Hi jgsisco,

First of all, congratulations on scoring a 164! That's right around the 90th percentile -- a great accomplishment!

To get a better idea of your chances of being admitted at your target schools, you may want to enter your GPA and LSAT score into a calculator maintained by LSAC:

https://officialguide.lsac.org/Release/ ... ALSAT.aspx

They collect nationwide data on law school admissions and can give you an accurate prediction of your likelihood of being accepted to a particular school. This may give you a better idea of your law school admission chances with a particular score. If you have a good chance of being admitted to several schools you are interested in attending, I'd advise you to be happy with a 164. As I mentioned before, it's a solid score.

However, if your chances at getting into the schools you want are less favorable, you can re-take the LSAT in September -- sign-ups are open until early August! I don't think that the delay in submitting LSAT scores to schools if you decide to re-take in September will hurt your chances. Most regular-decision deadlines for law schools are in February -- you will have your scores from the September LSAT well before then. The only real risk of taking the September LSAT is the possibility that your score will decrease. The good news is that your weakest section -- Logic Games -- is also the easiest to improve in. I think if you put the work in to really perfect the games section and continue to maintain high scores on the other section, you'll be a great position to boost the 164.

In either case, I wish you lots of luck!

[jgsisco]

Thank you all for the great advice! I'm leaning towards a retake at this point and will start studying now to see how it goes!