What Should My Plan Be Going Forward?

[nyclawstudent]

Hello,

I wanted to reach out to everyone on the forum and ask for any advice regarding how I should move forward regarding the LSAT. I took my first diagnostic LSAT about a year ago and received a 151. I took Powerscore's online course in preparation for the June 2014 LSAT, beginning with a score of 153 and finally reaching a practice test average of 159 (with my highest scores being a 160 and a 162). I was doing very well in the course and thought it was really helping (even though I thought my practice test average should have been higher based on how I was doing in-class and even in the homework). Today, I received my June 2014 LSAT and it was a 154.

Do you think I should retake the LSAT in September? There were no anomalies during my June LSAT - the testing conditions were fine and I was very confident. The section I thought was the hardest ended up being my best in terms of scoring. I'm really not sure that I will be more prepared in September than I was in June, just coming off of the Powerscore course and after months of studying. It is also a really risky bet that the September exam will be easier than the June one.

I know this is a little off-topic, but do you think I should consider the possibility of not attending law school? My GPA is great (a 4.0), but with my current LSAT score I am very limited in what schools will even accept me, let alone any schools with scholarship money.

Thanks so much for the advice. I am just very depressed knowing that after months of studying, I will have to commit so much more time to a test I despise with every fiber of my being.

[David Boyle]

Hello,

I wanted to reach out to everyone on the forum and ask for any advice regarding how I should move forward regarding the LSAT. I took my first diagnostic LSAT about a year ago and received a 151. I took Powerscore's online course in preparation for the June 2014 LSAT, beginning with a score of 153 and finally reaching a practice test average of 159 (with my highest scores being a 160 and a 162). I was doing very well in the course and thought it was really helping (even though I thought my practice test average should have been higher based on how I was doing in-class and even in the homework). Today, I received my June 2014 LSAT and it was a 154.

Do you think I should retake the LSAT in September? There were no anomalies during my June LSAT - the testing conditions were fine and I was very confident. The section I thought was the hardest ended up being my best in terms of scoring. I'm really not sure that I will be more prepared in September than I was in June, just coming off of the Powerscore course and after months of studying. It is also a really risky bet that the September exam will be easier than the June one.

I know this is a little off-topic, but do you think I should consider the possibility of not attending law school? My GPA is great (a 4.0), but with my current LSAT score I am very limited in what schools will even accept me, let alone any schools with scholarship money.

Thanks so much for the advice. I am just very depressed knowing that after months of studying, I will have to commit so much more time to a test I despise with every fiber of my being.

Dear nyclawstudent:

Some heavy thinking you have done here. It's good that you are trying to get advice.
Yes, the test can be "despicable", but as you review the techniques and take it again (at some point), you may despise it less, if you get better at understanding how to take the test.
So, it's your call, but I wouldn't rule out law school. Lincoln (heard of him?) didn't even go to law school at all; he served an apprenticeship or something. Plenty of famous lawyers went to not-very-famous law schools, so you can do great in the real world after law school even if you don't get into "Yarvton Law" or "Stanlumbia" or whatever.
And, you may get into one of those "fancy" schools--or if you do great at a not-as-fancy school, you can transfer into one of the fancies maybe. Keep plugging away at the LSAT, and you may be surprised at what may happen to your benefit.
As for September: I'm not going to answer that one. If you feel it may work well, then maybe. Alternately, if you feel you need a rest from the LSAT for a while, then do that. Good luck. And always feel free to write back for more advice.

Hope this helps,
David

[Jon Denning]

Hey nyclawstudent,

Thanks for the message (and David thanks for the reply)! I thought I'd also jump in here and add my two cents

I know it feels disheartening to receive a score you don't find representative of your abilities, and I know that another two months of studying for this thing sounds hellish...but I'd strongly encourage you to take it again, whether that's in September or December.

Let's consider the situation briefly. Having taken a course for June, you're both well ahead of your competition in terms of prep (most people are only now starting to study in anticipation of a Sept test date), and you've got access to all of the course resources until the September exam. So while everyone around you struggles to get up to speed, you're in a position to hone your skills and refine your approach, and you've got a wealth of material to use during that process. In other words, when you think about everyone you're competing against for admission, you're in an enviable spot! It would be a shame in my eyes not to capitalize on that! In fact, use that as your motivation--somewhere out there at every point over the next two months is someone struggling with a concept or question type for the first time, when you've already conquered it and are simply fine-tuning your technique. Advantage: you.

Secondly, I just spent the past two days working through the June test, and I can report with confidence that it was a beast. Genuinely one of the toughest I've seen in a very long time. Obviously that doesn't mean September is going to be a breeze, but it does make me think your June score may not be representative of your September one. I think you'll get an easier test, frankly. You can read my take on the Games here: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/the-jun ... y-happened

So in summation I'd say take the long holiday weekend to relax and consider your reasons for doing all of this, and, presuming they're strong ones and sufficient to motivate you through just a couple more months, at some point next week dust off this June LSAT and start working your way back through it, analyzing your performance. That'll give you a good jumping off point for digging back into the material and re-examining your weaknesses, working to improve them. I know you've probably done a lot of the content in the books but that's okay! Do it again. Focus more on the online content we provide. Work through random problem set collections on the student center. There's likely still a ton of stuff out there waiting to be explored (or re-explored)--get to it!

I promise, if law school is really something you're eager to do (and with your GPA the sky's the limit), a few more months improving on the LSAT is worth the time and effort. And if you get back into it and still feel like you've peaked in June, then perhaps then you can start to reconsider things...but I'd shelve those considerations until you've given it your all for the next couple of months. Good luck!