May flex... ing for waitlists. June backup attempt?

[canihazJD]

In my last stand for this cycle, I'll be taking the May test before setting my sights on a Fall retake. July '19 (my only score) was a 158, now averaging 164 with a high of 170 (thanks Powerscore!). Aiming for mid 170s.

I don't expect to hit my goal this month, but hope to post a better score to improve WL outcomes. I'm also registered for June. Would it be worth expending 1 of 3 takes for 20-21 in another attempt to squeeze out a win this cycle? Should I just call it after May, and focus on the Fall take? Or withdraw from May and do June instead for WLs?

Additional factors:
WLs are CLS, Cornell, UCLA, USC
10 years WE law enforcement, 5 years military
GPA 3.85
No deposit, withdrawn from all acceptances this cycle.
Would have liked to start this year, but OK with an R&R.
Goals open, dream is academia.
Interests - public interest, criminal defense, government accountability, theory/critical thought/philosophy, not being poor.
Open to BL to service debt or not be poor. Would like to have the option open to me.
At least one of my WLs I'd jump on at sticker for a specific program offered.
No fall LSAT date targeted.. PT score dependent.

Bonus option: forget about May and June and altogether and focus on long term studying?

Thanks!

[Paul Marsh]

Hi canihazJD! It seems like you're extremely informed and prepared re: the application process, so at the end of the day I would say to go with your gut. But if I were in your situation my game-plan would likely be: take the May exam, skip the June one and give myself a little study break while I wait for my May score, and then ramp up the studying for a Fall exam if need be. A few considerations go into that plan.
- First, (as you mentioned) the May score is at the end of this cycle, so you're not limiting your future attempts for the coming year.
- Second, if you have the test of your life in May and get a score in the 170's, your LSAT studying days are behind you!
- Third, even if you don't knock it out of the park in May and want to re-take, I am a big believer in that having a solid benchmark score is helpful for reducing stress on future attempts. Your practice scores are consistently very good. Having an official score in the mid-160's will allow you to think, "Ok worst case I've got a good score and I already know I can get into a good law school". If you're an exam stressball like me, that's a very helpful mantra to have.
- Fourth, I'm also a big believer in not burning yourself out studying. It sounds like you've been in LSAT mode since at least July of 2019. If you're planning on continuing to study until the Fall, that's approaching a year and a half of LSAT studying. Aggressively focusing on this stuff for that long is counter-productive at a certain point. If you want to focus on the Fall, I strongly recommend taking one but not both of the May and June tests. Give yourself a break. Stepping away for a couple weeks after your May test and coming back may allow you to identify and change some sub-optimal approaches to certain question types.
- Fifth, I'm also a big believer in focusing on long term studying. If you are still trying to improve, the difference between
a score in May and June will likely not be huge. On the other hand, focusing on Sept/November gives you plenty of time to create a study plan, maybe work with a tutor, iron out any areas for your improvement, and then practice those new and improved areas ad nauseam.

To sum up, my plan would be: take the May test, since 1) it will not count against the upcoming cycle, 2) it presents an opportunity to hit your target score, and 3) offers a benchmark score to reduce future exam stress. Skip the June test, in order to wait on your May results and give yourself a break. And take the Sept or Nov test, giving yourself time to create a long-term study plan and attack any current weak points.

As a side note - nice interest list! I'm graduating from law school this month and going for a career in public defense. My experiences in public defender offices so far have been excellent; I can't recommend it enough. Feel free to reach out if you ever have any questions about any of that.

Hope that helps!

[canihazJD]

Thanks for the detailed response Paul.

I hadn't thought about the third factor you mention about having a benchmark, which makes sense. I agree that long term study is where its at and a one month increase would likely be negligible, which I guess is one of the reasons why I was indecisive about it.

I actually stopped prep altogether after July '19. Wasn't very informed at the time, and just did it with minimal prep, and ran with the score I got. Around December my cycle results started to make me realize that far better outcomes would be in range with adequate preparation, so here I am. Kicking myself for just stopping after my first take, but oh well.

After reading this and contemplating a bit more, I believe I will skip June assuming no huge disaster or emergency in May. Thanks!

I'd love to hear more about public defense... one of the most significant things I took from being in law enforcement is how impactful good (or bad) defense is on the quality of our justice system, and the course of its evolution, not to mention broad societal effects - IMO vastly more impactful than prosecution in terms the effects of attorney quality. A sadly neglected and unreasonably vilified area of law in my experience. Probably why I wasn't a good fit as a cop.