Retake LSAT or Apply

[Andrew1995]

I just got my score back from the October LSTAT. This was my second time taking the exam - and I dropped 5 points from my first exam (164 --> 159). I was scoring in the upper 160's in my PTs leading up to the test. Am I better off retaking for a third time for the November exam or just applying with my first score? I felt confident that I could improve on my first score leading up to the October exam, but now I'm questioning whether or not a third exam is going to help, and I only have an additional month of prep if I were to take it again.
Relatedly, would it harm my application applying with my first score now that I've dropped on my second exam?

My dream law school is G'town; with a 164 LSTAT (undergrad GPA is 3.96), my chances don't seem that high. Now that I have this 159, I imagine it will only hurt my odds further, even if I apply ED. I do think if I test a 3rd time, I'll score higher than the 159, but now I'm not sure if it will top the 164. Do I cut my loses and apply with my 1st score as is (and aim for some lower tier law schools in the application process). Or test 1 more time and hold off on applying anywhere?

Any advice is much appreciated.

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your question! First, let me assure that for admissions purposes, the fact that your second score was lower than your first will make no difference. Schools are evaluating you based on your highest score, whenever you achieved that.

Second, while I know it's discouraging to see a score drop (especially after the much higher practice test score history you mention), you should take a detailed look at what you missed on the September exam and try to determine with as much specificity as possible what caused that drop. At bottom, what you want to determine is whether this was just an "unlucky" bad day, or something more fundamental that requires a change to your prep process. The former is definitely possible. And if that's the case, the chances are good that with a new take, and new test content, you would be able to see substantial improvement. If you decide there's something fundamental that's been missing in your test prep process, then you have to ask whether you can fix that before October. It's possible you could, but that's something I won't be able to answer for you without more information.

Your GPA is outstanding, but I agree that if you're aiming for Georgetown and similar schools, it would be better to have a higher score on your record. A 164/3.96 might be enough for a successful ED application at Georgetown, but all things considered (especially if you analyze your September LSAT performance more deeply and realize there's substantial room for realistic improvement) a retake is probably your best bet. It could be well worth it to engage a tutor for a couple focused sessions to review your testing and preparation history and design a "crash course" study schedule to ensure you're ready for the October 28 exam.

Let me know if this spurs any more follow-up questions for you. I hope this helps for now!

Jeremy