Advice - scored lower on my second retake, are my chances ruined?

[ukohli]

Hi, I would love some advice / insight on my situation.

I am a Canadian law school applicant for the 2025 admissions cycle. My target school is UofT and their stats for 2024 were 3.91 GPA Median, and 167 LSAT Median. My GPA is a 3.86.

I took my first LSAT in August 2024, and scored a 158. This was around my average PT at the time, so I wasn't shocked. I retook the test in September 2024 and went in fairly confident. I was PT'ing 163 consistently and my last PT 4 days prior to the test was a 165. But, as soon as I started my September test I had a major panic attack - never experienced this before and it completely threw me off. I got my score back today and got a 153. I am devastated. Not only is it 10 points lower than my typical PT score, it's 5 points lower than my first score. I can't cancel it because I didn't purchase score preview & Canadian schools don't allow an addendum.

I am re-taking the test in November, and my highest PT at the moment is a 168. I know I can get myself to PT'ing in the 167-169 range, and if I can replicate this score for my November test do you think I will still have a chance at my target schools?

I know UofT takes the highest LSAT score, but I am panicking that the 153, and scoring lower on second attempt has ruined any chances I may have.

Would love to hear some thoughts!

[Luke Haqq]

Hi ukohli!

The short answer to your question is that you still have a chance as your target schools, depending on how you do on the November test. As you note, U of T takes the highest score, and that's generally how law schools operate--they're the most interested in your highest score. For example, the highest score is what a school would use in admissions materials for next year where they brag about their median GPA and LSAT scores. There's no reason why U of T would, for instance, average your scores. Rather, if you can get your score to 167, that means you're right at their median score.

So don't panic and keep studying hard! You don't want to burn yourself out, but it's important to keep studying just as diligently as you had for previous tests. Make sure you're taking multiple practice tests (ideally several each week), which will give you a good approximation of how you'll do on test day, and make sure to drill yourself on any problem areas.