LSAT Addendum

[harrisjj2]

Hi! I originally took the LSAT last summer of 2019. However, due to extenuating circumstances I needed to take a gap year to help with family matter (without going into too much detail here). I was working full-time and essentially a caretaker, which did not give me time to retake the LSAT or do much besides that and working full-time. Do I need to write an addendum for this as I had only taken it once (scored average) and was unable to prepare retake again before applications are sent off? Thanks for any help regarding this!

[Adam Tyson]

I see no reason for an addendum here, harrisjj2. These circumstances are not at all unusual, as lots of people take the LSAT a year or more before they apply to law school, and lots of students take it only once (although we generally recommend taking it at least twice, because almost any score increase is worth it). Addenda are for truly unusual circumstances that might raise some eyebrows at the admissions office and raise questions that need to be answered. That might include having several cancelled scores in your record, or a very large score increase (some schools want to know what happened, others don't care and just focus on the high score). In your case, there's nothing that would make anyone think twice, so no need to make a big deal out of it. It probably felt like a big deal to you, but it won't look that way to anyone in admissions so there's nothing you need to do about it.

Good luck with your applications! And good for you for taking care of family in a time of need! I've been there, and I know how hard it can be. That shows real character and dedication. Perhaps something to talk about in your Personal Statement?

[ncolicci11]

Hi Adam..

I have a follow-up question. I am applying with an LSAT score that I believe is not indicative of my ability to succeed in LS. I have a 3.91 cumulative GPA and a 4.0 degree GPA. I wanted to address how low SAT/ACT scores were not predictive of my ability in undergrad. Is this a worthwhile addendum?

[Dave Killoran]

Yes, that is worthwhile, especially if you can show a similar track from high school to college. A very useful track for this purpose looks like this:

• High school grades: high
  SAT/ACT scores: relatively lower
  College grades: high
  LSAT: relatively lower

That strongly suggests tests don't show your ability, and that's worth pointing out to the adcomms