Retake & Reapply Question

[IJustDontKnow]

I was told by Andrew via phone that the best place to ask advice is the forum.

Basically, I am very anxious at the moment and I am hoping one of you can give me some advice. I have taken the LSAT 6 times and scored a 159 - 158 - 162 - 158 - 159 - ??? (July 2019 pending). I applied to law school this year with the first three scores on record and received a good scholarship (2/3rds) to the University of Houston. I like the school well enough and it is in one of my target legal markets, but I really had my eyes set on UT Law...I am supposed to start at UH in several weeks, but I am trying to decide whether or not I should retake and reapply. I am afraid/very anxious of the worst possible outcomes of this strategy, however.

I see four possible outcomes if I decide to retake and reapply:

1. I do very well (165+)
2. I do middling well (162 again, 163, 164)
3. I do the same or slightly worse (160, 161, 162)
4. I perform as I have been performing (in the high 150s

I am deathly afraid of falling into categories three or four and how law schools will perceive 7, 8, or even 9 LSAT attempts on my record. Frankly, unless I fall into category 1 or maybe 2, I think I will look sad and a little desperate. I know that if I were an adcomm and saw that many takes with no improvement, I would consider the applicant less favorably. Also, UH would probably not even consider me next cycle if I were to withdraw.

I would have to change my test taking strategy again, which, you know, isn’t the end of the world...I’m just so nervous and anxious about taking this route.

I have been vacillating between going to UH and retaking/reapplying, and I would love your perspective. Thanks.

Edit: this is especially concerning when you factor in the new retake rules!

[Zach Foreman]

Hi,
I would recommend that you attend Houston and consider transferring to UT:

https://law.utexas.edu/admissions/trans ... admission/. This would motivate you to do your best in the first year at Houston and a top rank in 1L would probably have more weight than a marginal LSAT.

Have you taken or considered taking the GRE? UT Law accepts the GRE and if you may score markedly better, it may be a good option.

Of course, it is possible that you July score will be a 165+ then the point is moot. Or you can see if you can defer your admission without losing your scholarship. I would definitely advise against rejecting your admission.

Further info could help as well. What were your highest practice test scores? Having 5 actual test scores clustered so tightly together would seem to rule out that you are underperforming but I suppose it is possible if you are testing higher on practice tests.

[IJustDontKnow]

Hi, Zach. Thanks for the reply.

I have considered transferring, but I understand that it is a fairly risky proposition. I have enough faith in myself to take the chance; however, a number of factors outside my direct control could hinder me if I pursue this option. As for the GRE, I was under the impression that law schools had to report an applicant’s LSAT score if they had one on file? Wouldn’t a subpar LSAT effect their numbers no matter what?

My highest practice test score was a 164; I began consistently hitting the low 160s before the June exam, which is why I was so disappointed with my result. I tightened up logic games, but not to 100%...and RC has always been something of a crapshoot. I love science topics because the answers are so much clearer to me than in humanities passages. For this reason, I feel like I did better in July than I did in June, but I won’t know for a few weeks. LR is anywhere from -3 to -7 for me. No real pattern as to question type missed, at least not one that I can readily perceive.

I will contact admissions and ask about deferral options; I tried to negotiate scholarship money with them from a few higher ranking schools, but they wouldn’t budge. So, I am definitely interested in their overall position.

Thanks again for the response.

D

[Jeremy Press]

Hi,

It is true that if you have an LSAT score on your record, your highest LSAT score will have to be reported and will play a role in admissions decisions. A GRE score could provide a modest bump to your application, but I agree it seems unlikely to move the needle much.

Overall, I am in full agreement with Zach. Since you have a sure thing in Houston, and since, as you say, Houston would likely look unfavorably on a subsequent application after you've already been admitted (and, I assume, put down a seat deposit?), I would plan on moving forward with that option and really buckle down as a 1L and perform as well as you can to put you in possible position for a transfer. Do look into the possibility of deferral. I wouldn't rely on July's score coming back as higher than any practice test you've taken previously. It does occasionally happen that students outperform all prior practice tests on test day, but that is very rare and not something to put all your eggs in one basket for.

I hope this helps!

Jeremy