Should I Write an Addendum

[cunninghamr]

Hi Everyone,

So I took the August LSAT and did well (163), well enough to reach the top 75% in my target schools. Then I took the October LSAT and had the DREADED 4th game in the LG section that was UNBELIEVABLY hard which I think contributed to my lower score in October. My wifi also cut out a few times momentarily which wasn't a huge deal but it did take me like 20 seconds each time to regather myself. Finally, my neighbor was having a tree cut down that day. My score dropped 6 points in October to a 157. Should I write an addendum for this drop or does it not matter?

[Dave Killoran]

Hi C,

I'm torn here. While lower scores generally don't need an explanation, you do have legitimate reasons here: wifi issues and a tree being cut down (the hard game is NOT a reason, and should not be mentioned since everyone who had that section had the same problems to deal with). However, you have to be careful not to make your addendum seem like complaining. So, I'd write one, but keep it short and breezy, and if you can, try to inject some lightness or humor into it (reference the perils of being stuck at home, or something similar).

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

[cunninghamr]

Thanks Dave! I've never written an addendum before, can anyone give feedback on whether this is sufficient? Thanks!!

"I received a 157 on the October 2020 LSAT FLEX. I prepped for several months prior to the test as evidenced by my pervious August 2020 LSAT FLEX score of 163. I took the test again in October because I believed I could score a few points higher and reach my practice test average.
On test day, however, the perils of being stuck at home affected my performance. I did everything I could to ensure the integrity of my testing environment, but my next-door neighbors’ landscaping plans interfered. My neighbors hired a crew to cut down a tree in their yard on test day. The crew was actively working throughout my testing window which began late on a Thursday morning. I found myself unfocused and distracted during the test, but I powered through. I decided to wait for my score, but it ended up being much lower than I had anticipated. In hindsight, I should have canceled my score.
Given these circumstances, I believe my August 2020 Flex score of 163 is more indicative of my potential for law school."

[Jeremy Press]

Hi cunningham,

This looks good from a substance perspective. Since you mentioned wifi issues originally, I think you could include those as well (especially since they took some of your testing time away from certain sections). Maybe add an extra sentence or two to cover that issue?

A couple small nit points: LSAC labels the test "LSAT-Flex" (with the dash, and the lowercase letters), so that's how your addendum should refer to it. Also, change "pervious" to "previous." Make sure you give the final product a good hard proofread, and you should be good to go!

Hope this helps!

[cunninghamr]

Thank you for the feedback! SO helpful! I appreciate it greatly.