LSAT retake with other experiences?

[dssn2405]

Hi,

I feel in a quandary. I took the February 2013 LSAT and scored higher than I had before on previous practice exams after reviewing the LR and LG bibles carefully and the weekend course. I scored a 157, which was under my set goal of 165, but better than earlier performance. I'm not the best standardized test-taker, though.

My undergraduate GPA, from a top liberal arts college, is a 3.87 (Phi Beta Kappa). I received a Fulbright scholarship, and have had considerable work experience with a leading international NGO. My goal is to return to law school to study human rights and civil rights law / public interest.

For me, I am looking for law schools, to apply this fall for matriculation in fall 2014, based on the programs/course of study offered, clinics and programs, and in part the geographic location--not necessarily the biggest name schools, since I am more concerned about the above as opposed to getting into a big private law firm. I am also though concerned about scholarships, especially for public interest. at the same time, most of the schools that bear these characteristics are 1st or 2nd tier schools.

My feeling is that I have a lot of other academic and professional experiences that will round out my application, and demonstrate my background in the field I want to go into, that might make up for a lower LSAT. I'm not confident at this time (maybe one of the problems?? ) that I could even boost my score considerably, given my previous practice test and actual test results. Further, if schools average the two scores, then I might not even show a significant improvement unless my score increases drastically. I also don't really know where I could re-start my studying--I studied almost to exhaustion before!

That said, it would seem from looking at the LSAC website that with my UGPA I still have a lower chance of admission at the schools I'm looking at given my LSAT score.

I would appreciate any advice on this matter you have! Due to work-related issues I couldn't retake the LSAT in June, so would have to wait until October, which might be better anyway.

yours
D

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hello D,

You raise some interesting questions, which I will attempt to answer (but have some questions for you as well).

You say that your February 2013 score was lower than your goal of 165, but higher than your practice tests. Most people's later practice test scores tend to correlate closely with their actual test performance. By that measure, you did better than expected, but if your goal was 165 (and by your own account your PT scores never went above 157), it's a pretty tall order to expect an eight point improvement on the day of the test.

You also said that you studied almost to exhaustion, by reviewing the LR and LG bibles and taking a weekend course along with practice tests. This is a good start, but may not be enough to get you to a top-5 percentile score range. The score range you're hoping for typically requires not only a thorough conceptual understanding of the material, but also rigorous practice (often over several months), self-evaluation, and reliance on effective feedback. Evaluating your performance on every test is absolutely crucial, as is the ability to engage in focused practice using the types of questions and games you seem to be struggling with the most.

Your extracurriculars and GPA are outstanding, but that's no reason to settle for a subpar LSAT score! On the contrary: given how stellar the rest of your application is, it would be a shame if your LSAT score did not properly reflect your academic potential. There is a world of difference between the type of school you can get in with a 157 vs. 165, not to mention your eligibility for scholarship money at mid-range Tier-1 schools. With a 165/3.87, you'll be comparing scholarship offers, not admission decisions.

My advice here is simple: retake in October. You might consider a full-length course (live online or in class) beginning in June or July--that would give you the most bang-for-your-buck, so to speak, with access to every licensed test question out there, complete explanations for virtually every question in your homework, and - best of all - a knowledgeable instructor to provide guidance and help you avoid burn-out. Until then, you need to maintain the progress you've made so far: this can be achieved by taking a practice test every week, while thoroughly reviewing your mistakes. As you do that, don't hesitate to ask test-specific questions here on the Forum: that's what we're here for

Hope this helps... let me know if it does!

[dssn2405]

Dear Nikki,

Thank you so much for your very clear and detailed response. You made me think a lot!

I did study intensely, but perhaps one of the problems that also led to me having a very heightened anxiety was that I was rather isolated doing this studying; I didn't have really anyone to talk over questions and issues with the test, beside the close support of my family and friends.

After considering what you said, and my own gut feelings that frankly doesn't agree with you at all, I am going to retake it in October. It would be an absolute shame if this score killed my application, and I also might be stuck wondering forever "what if I had just studied more..."

I also see the value here in taking the full-length course, with a teacher who will understand my strengths and weaknesses. So I am going to enroll.

My small question for you, based on your experience: I picked out two different lie courses that would seem to work with my schedule - one that meets once a week from end of June until early October, and another that is two to three times a week, July/August, therefore leaving the month of September to study on my own. I can see pro's and con's on both sides (longer time in the material, but more spread out vs. get the bulk of the class done faster, but leaving a month without regular proctored classwork). Based on students' evaluations and your assessment, which would be better for me, do you think?

Thank you for taking the time, and I certainly will be back.

best
D

[Nikki Siclunov]

Dear D,

I guess it's my turn to say: you made me think a lot! We often neglect to consider the "social" aspect of studying for an exam; practicing for a standardized test especially can be a lonely endeavor that leads to a lot of unnecessary anxiety and stress. Having a knowledgable person by your side - be it an instructor or even a friend going through the same experience as you do - can be immensely helpful not only from an instructional, but also from a purely psychological point of view. It helps knowing that you aren't going through this alone.

To answer your question - choose whichever course fits your schedule better. Do you plan on taking any vacation this summer? If so, a course that starts later might be better. You can always make up missed classes by using the virtual recaps of each lesson, but ideally you won't have to. All else being equal, I'd probably opt for the class that has the longest duration: there is a ton of homework after each lesson, and so having to meet only once/week will give you plenty of opportunity to complete all of it (and even take advantage of the online resources, such as question explanations, supplemental homework, etc.). Furthermore, since you're an LSAT "veteran," you need not wait until the completion of the course to start taking practice tests. If I were you, I'd be taking a test each week throughout the summer. Having less homework to do each week will make that possible. You also don't want to wait until mid-July to start a course: by then, you should be well on your way towards tackling the more difficult conceptual issues you seem to be struggling with.

Does that make sense? Let me know

[Dave Killoran]

Hey D,

Let me jump in here and add some thoughts about which course schedule might be best. Nikki is right in saying that the course that fits your schedule is the best one, but I'll assume that both suit your schedule equally well since you are considering each one.

In my experience, students who start studying earlier tend to be more relaxed and also perform better on the actual LSAT. That could have a lot to do with self-selecting samples: people who start earlier are clearly motivated and the extra time allows them to study more. However, that said, courses that start in June and July are both relatively early starters, so both give you that "early" advantage.

The difference between these two courses, then, comes down to several elements: when they start, number of times they meet per week, and how close to the LSAT they end. This is where it comes down to the type of studier you are, so let's talk about each course.

There is a considerable amount of homework with the course, and a large number of practice tests that you can do, if you choose to do so. One benefit of the June/"once a week" schedule is that you will be able to get all of the HW done for each lesson, and probably fit in a number of extra practice tests during that period. Plus, since you are in a live course, you'll meet other students, and likely end up studying with them and taking additional tests with them. The pace of that course is also leisurely, and that can be nice because it lowers the stress levels.

The July course is obviously more compact in how it presents the classes. This keeps the material coming at you at a solid rate, and forces you into a consistent study regimen. I'm a person who tends to want to work ahead, and this is the kind of course where that becomes less of an issue because there are enough classes per week to keep new ideas coming. There is also the huge benefit of the month at the end. I'm a big fan of that free time because I know that I can use that time to iron out anything that's still bothering me. It gives you time to absorb the ideas and make sure you can really apply them well, and to also take a lot of practice tests. But, you have to be self-disciplined to keep up the efforts during that month off.

I've seen both courses produce excellent results in terms of scoring increases, so the question is, which type of person are you in terms of learning style? Let me know your thoughts, and we can keep discussing it.

Thanks!