Devastated by LSAT score

[Jaswell]

Hi all, so LSAT scores have been released and unfortunately I am absolutely devastated. My score dropped 7 whole points and I know for a fact I won't get accepted to any school I applied to because of how low my lsat score was. I'm now at a loss for what to do. I'm turning 23 this year and this horrible score pushed my life plan back a whole year because now I'm going to have to apply NEXT cycle. I had everything figured out and life just threw a curve ball. I feel like I'm only getting older and it's becoming too late to even pursue law school. Needless to say I just feel extremely discouraged and while all this means is that I just have to study again and try again next year I'm wondering if you have any advice for someone who just feels so defeated by the lsat. I feel like I've disappointed not only myself but my family and friends who all knew what I was planning on doing. How can I get out of this slump??? I just don't know what to do, maybe I'm just not smart enough to do well on this test... I've never had to deal with rejection or not having options when it comes to school because I've always done really well in school and I feel like that mentality messed me up for this test. I know I didn't prepare as well as I could've but I just figured it would come natural to me and everything would just fall into place. Clearly that didn't happen. Sorry for the venting, I'm just so upset but I guess my main question is just how can I move past this and feel motivated and encouraged to do better. Because right now I'm just feeling like my life is over and I'm getting too old to even pursue this dream ): any words of encouragement or anecdotes of how you got past a really difficult time would be great /:

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey Jaswell,

So sorry to hear you underperformed on the test: it happens to the best of us. It sucks, I know! Test anxiety can play a big role in such an outcome, and it's such a difficult thing to predict or account for. I'm curious, though - How many practice tests did you take? How exactly did you prepare for February? What was your initial target score, and how many times did you reach or exceed it prior to February?

Rest assured that your age is not a factor here, and it won't be for awhile. The median age for candidates entering law school is 25. The average is 26. These days, a majority of law students do not enter law school directly after college, and spending 2-4 years away from school is seen as beneficial (depending, of course, on what you do). I completely understand your desire to start law school next year, but maybe waiting it out won't be such a terrible thing after all: you'll have more time to prep for the test, and you can apply very early in the application season next year - hopefully with a score that you like. Yes, you will need to submit a new personal statement when you re-apply, along with at least one more letter of recommendation. And you'll need to do something productive in the meantime. But these are not insurmountable obstacles, so there is no reason to panic. Do you currently have a full-time job?

With all that said, the most important factor that will affect your likelihood of admission next year is obtaining a higher LSAT score. You need to take a hard look at how you prepared for February, what worked (and what didn't), and come up with a rigorous study plan for June.

Let us know if we can help in any way.

Thanks!

[Jaswell]

Thanks for the response Nikki, to be honest after taking a few days and really rationalizing what happened I definitely didn't prepare enough. I maybe took 5 practice tests total, with most of them being taken about 2 weeks before the test so honestly I just crammed. Now I know that was totally my fault and if I really want to see improvement I have to put work in when I plan to retake in June. With that said I have all the bibles which I haven't really worked in but I also took an online course and have those books which I've gone through mostly except for about chpt 6-12. Moving forward do you think my study plan should consist of just going through each of the bibles and doing practice tests since that would be "new" material for me. Or should i use the books from my course and maybe just erase all my old answers and try to go through that again?

Also, in being realistic with myself I do find myself in a dilemma. I know I said previously with my score i wouldn't be accepted into any of the schools I applied to but in actuality I do think i would get into one (Cal Western) which I was considering but its not the top school in San Diego. I was thinking if i choose to forego that option and retake the lsat and also reapply to all my schools I could take this year and actually go into a paralegal program to earn a certificate. That way I could add that to my resume and always have a fallback option in case maybe once i graduate law school it's hard to find a job as a lawyer and also I feel like having a paralegal certificate would allow me more job opportunities possibly during the summer breaks of law school because I'll have the knowledge and experience and on top of that I feel like it would make my first year of law school easier because you take similar classes (contracts, criminal law etc.) Plus with waiting I would give myself a chance to possibly score higher and maybe get into USD or at least get more scholarship money since I'd be applying earlier in the cycle as well. Do you think i should take that route or if i get accepted into Cal Western just go there and continue on my life plan of starting law school this fall? Do you have any pros and cons to either side? I know its a really personal decision but I would be interested to get some outside perspective. Thanks!

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey Jaswell,

It does sound like you didn't prepare as rigorously as you should have, and your score reflects that. No worries - there are plenty of things you can do to fix this. Let me see if I can address all of your questions:

With that said I have all the bibles which I haven't really worked in but I also took an online course and have those books which I've gone through mostly except for about chpt 6-12. Moving forward do you think my study plan should consist of just going through each of the bibles and doing practice tests since that would be "new" material for me. Or should i use the books from my course and maybe just erase all my old answers and try to go through that again?

You should do both. Go through each chapter in the Bibles, then consult the relevant chapter in the coursebooks. A lot of the methodological content will overlap, but the coursebooks will provide a lot more problem sets than what you'll find in the Bibles alone. I'd also encourage you to get the corresponding Workbooks, which contain drills you won't find anywhere else (that would be totally new material). Check out this 3-month self-study plan, and modify it accordingly. For instance, since you already have the coursebooks, you don't need to invest in the Question Type Training volumes. Just substitute the QTT problem sets with the corresponding ones in your coursebooks.

Move quickly through the material you're already familiar with. Your goal should be to get through the coursebooks by late April, so you have plenty of time to invest in the supplemental materials available on the Online Student Center, as well as take at least a dozen or so practice tests. Test reviews are a must, and can take just as long as the actual practice test. Budget your time accordingly, and follow the guidelines in the Study Plan (20 hrs/week of prep time, give or take).

Also, in being realistic with myself I do find myself in a dilemma. I know I said previously with my score i wouldn't be accepted into any of the schools I applied to but in actuality I do think i would get into one (Cal Western) which I was considering but its not the top school in San Diego. I was thinking if i choose to forego that option and retake the lsat and also reapply to all my schools I could take this year and actually go into a paralegal program to earn a certificate. That way I could add that to my resume and always have a fallback option in case maybe once i graduate law school it's hard to find a job as a lawyer and also I feel like having a paralegal certificate would allow me more job opportunities possibly during the summer breaks of law school because I'll have the knowledge and experience and on top of that I feel like it would make my first year of law school easier because you take similar classes (contracts, criminal law etc.) Plus with waiting I would give myself a chance to possibly score higher and maybe get into USD or at least get more scholarship money since I'd be applying earlier in the cycle as well. Do you think i should take that route or if i get accepted into Cal Western just go there and continue on my life plan of starting law school this fall? Do you have any pros and cons to either side? I know its a really personal decision but I would be interested to get some outside perspective. Thanks!

Don't settle for a law school that you wouldn't be thrilled to attend. Just don't do it. I have nothing against Cal Western per se, but by all accounts it's a very risky proposition, and not worth the investment of time and money unless you do exceptionally well there or get a free ride. Only about 50% of their graduates report having a law-related job after graduation. This is quite pitiful, unless you're attending for free and are at the top of your class. You can do better, and waiting for a year won't kill you. I don't particularly care for the paralegal certificate you mentioned, and I suspect most law firms won't either. You don't want to be a paralegal after law school. Trust me on this one. A lot of college grads get entry-level paralegal jobs after graduation, so if you can do that for at least a year, that could help you network and provide a much better safety blanket should you find it difficult to secure a law firm job after law school.

Hope this helps you make a more informed decision! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,