Not sure what to think about my score

[alinzmeier1]

After receiving my LSAT score yesterday, I wasn't sure how to feel about it. I missed my goal of 168 by 2 points after studying every day for 6 weeks, following the 6 week study plan...for the most part. (Registering for February was sort of a last minute thing, since I was accepted to a summer program and now cannot take the June administration). I used the Bibles and the recommended PTs since I knew I wouldn't have time to complete everything that was recommended.

Before I started studying, I took 2 PTs at my university, going in cold and getting a 156 and a 159 on the first and second tries, respectively. I thought that I would be able to improve to at least a 165, which I did, but barely. When I started taking PTs in January through the study plan, I went up at first: 162, 163, 165. Then I began to slump, especially after moving back to school and having to take the tests on back to back days because that's all my schedule would allow: 164, 161, 161, 161. I was able to take a break for a few days and hit my high point of 166, which is what I actually scored, and my last one was a 164. When scoring the experimental sections, I did hit 168, but since they were taken at different times I wasn't sure how to interpret that.

I know that a 166 is a good score, and I'm in the range for most of the schools that I plan to apply to (Case Western, UW-Madison, IU-Bloomington, OSU, to name a few). My GPA is a 3.86. However, my top choice is University of Michigan, and I'm really not sure if I can get in with a 166. But, I don't know how much I'll be able to improve in order to boost my chances, especially with having to balance studying with a full-time internship and transitioning into my senior year.

Any advice on where to go from here would be helpful, since I really don't know what to do and I'm feeling like I failed myself by setting an unrealistic goal for such a short amount of time to study.

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi alinzmeier1,

Thanks for your post, and welcome to the forum!

Let me get this straight. Your diagnostic score was 156. While prepping for the February test, you were scoring between 161 and 166, with an average of (what it seems like) 163. You only got 166 on a single practice test (scoring the experimental sections individually doesn't really have any predictive validity, so I'm inclined to discount the 168). All in all, your performance in February was the absolute best score you could have hoped for, given your performance to date. Considering most students underperform by 2-3 points on the actual test due to nerves, this outcome is even more impressive. Frankly, I am baffled by the mixture of defeat and resignation in your post. You should be getting hammered right about now

Alright, I understand Michigan is your top choice, but with a 166 and 3.86 you still stand a decent chance of getting in. LSAC puts your chances at roughly 35%, but keep in mind applications are down across the board this year. If the rest of your application is top-notch, your chances of admission might approach 50/50. You are virtually guaranteed admission at all of the remaining schools you listed, most likely with a significant amount of merit-based aid at some of them.

If I were you, I'd be sending in my applications right now. Also, consider adding a few more top-14 schools to the mix. You have strong numbers, and I'd be surprised if you didn't get into at least one national law school. Cornell, Georgetown, Duke, and Berkeley would be my top choices with these numbers. Add Northwestern to the mix as well, especially if you have solid work experience under your belt (unlikely considering you're still in school, but I wouldn't know).

I realize some of the admissions deadlines have passed, but you can still get your application considered - trust me on that one! (If you can afford to wait for a year, you will have an even better shot applying for entry in the Fall 2017). Either way, you might end up getting on some waitlists at the T-14 schools, which means - don't burn those LSAT bibles just yet. An outstanding score in June is perhaps the surest way to turn a WL decision into an admission.

Hope this helps a bit!

[alinzmeier1]

Nikki,

Thanks for the response! Since I won't graduate until May 2017, would you recommend a retake in September? If so, what course of action should I take? Also, since I have a tour and admissions appointment scheduled with Michigan in about a month or so, would it be a good idea to ask their reps about my chances?

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey alinzmeier1,

No, I wouldn't ask the Michigan rep about your chances. It looks desperate, and you won't get any valuable information. If you can wait for a year and apply for entry in Fall 2017, then yes - do that! In fact, I'm wondering why you're applying this year at all, given that you won't be graduating until May 2017. Am I missing something? Either way, you can't withdraw the applications you've already submitted, so whether you decide to re-take the test or not will depend on whether (and where) you get in.

Anyway, if the plan is to re-take in September, there are a lot of things you can do. Which course of action you take will depend on how much time you'll have over the summer (though I wouldn't wait until then to start prepping), how much resources you're willing to invest, etc. If I were you, I'd even attempt a June retake... I know you said you were enrolled into some sort of summer program, but I still see no reason why bumping your score into the 170's should take another 6 months. Then again - you never know. If I were you, I'd plan for June... and if I'm not hitting my target score consistently by then, then put it off until September. Check this blog post out:

Y'all Should Take the June LSAT (but probably wont)

Assuming you'll be re-taking in September, the best thing you can do is take an actual, Full Length LSAT course (whether online or in person). You've already made a lot of headway with the Bibles, which is awesome and will help kickstart the whole process. Full Length courses are a lot of work, so take one when you feel like you can devote at least 20 hrs/week to test prep. Going from the mid-160's to the low-170's is perhaps the hardest "jump" to make, and it will take a lot of work (some of which will seem redundant at first). The key will be to automate your approach to ensure maximum efficiency without sacrificing accuracy. Tutoring is another option, particularly for students in your position, but obviously it's a bit more of a commitment.

If you'd rather study on your own, check out these study plans:

PowerScore Self-Study Site

Let me know what you decide to do!

Thanks,