LSAT advice

[sfern203]

Hi there,

I need some advice. I just took the Nov LSAT yesterday. To give a background, I had been scoring about a 160 in every practice test for about the past month. After a week of trying to really crank down what I can do to improve my score, my last test before the official one, I received a 170. I was extremely happy, because I felt as though I really became more comfortable with the test, and it provided much necessary confidence for test day.

I plan on applying to public universities in my state, and the average LSAT for admission was never difficult, ranging about a 155, which I had surpassed a while back (my diagnostic was about a 148). However, my minimal score I wanted to receive was about a 159, since I am aware that it is above the percentile, and it can allow me to be in the run for a scholarship.

My strong suit from day one of studying was Logic Games. I started averaging consistently on every practice test -1 or -2 (even on the tests that had those difficult, unusual games). I had always felt confident with this section, and never had to worry about it. I really focused a lot of my studying time in LR, since that was where I needed the most improvement.

Ironically, yesterday, when I took the exam, LG was the first section. I felt comfortable and not necessarily too nervous. However, as soon as I began the exam, I blanked. Everything I practiced and studied just left me. I started panicking. I am extremely disappointed, because I know looking back at the games, that I could have dominated the section. I have never experienced such a "blank" state of mind in a test before in my life. Somehow, I got through the section, only having to flat out guess on one problem due to lack of time. However, I know my mindset was 100% not the way it has always been when I do that section. Nothing was confidently registering for me.

I allowed myself to have the full minute before I began section 2 (RC), and I instantly noticed I became more comfortable and focused. I finished both the RC & LR section on time, and I believe for the most part, I felt strong and confident in it.

Well, my point now in this post is the fact that if I do not receive a 160 (or higher) in the test, due to the setback of the first section, I will have to retake in January, due to the fact that I do not want to send out a score that does not reflect what I am capable of, and reduce the chances of getting a scholarship. Do you recommend I already register for the Jan LSAT, even though I do not know my score yet?

I am aware the deadline is Dec 2, and scores are not released until Nov24, and I am terrified of receiving a score I am not happy with, and the slots are filled up, and I cannot retake in Jan. However, if I do receive a 160+, i will not have to retake, and I am not sure how refunds are handled with the exam.

Thanks for the help...

[sfern203]

Side note as well: if I do have to retake, (and I’m sure you get this question all the time), is the January LSAT too late to be considered for scholarships? I’m very concerned and frustrated because this may delay my whole application plan.

[KelseyWoods]

Hi sfern203!

First, I wouldn't panic just yet about your November test score. Yes, you had a bit of a hiccup and you didn't feel as confident as you normally do on games. But you made it through the section and you were able to regroup and prevent what happened on the first section from affecting you on the subsequent sections. I think you handled things very well and it's entirely possible that you scored a lot better than you're anticipating.

I think you can wait until you receive your November test score before deciding whether or not to register for the January test. Registering early was more important when the test was in-person because specific testing sites would fill up so the nearest available site might be miles away. The Flex doesn't have the same physical constraints. (But if you haven't already, make sure you complete the LSAT Writing ASAP to make sure there are no delays in getting your LSAT score!) There will likely be a spike in January test registrations after November scores are released.

As far as scholarships are concerned, that depends on the specific schools you are applying to. You can contact their admissions offices to ask if there's a deadline to be considered for those. But ultimately if your score on the November test was abnormally low for you, you'll need to take it again in January regardless so I wouldn't stress too much about it.

I know it's difficult, but try not to beat yourself up about your November performance. You don't actually know how you did. I know this because I've had students who swore to me that an LSAT was their worst test ever or that they completely and irrefutably bombed a section and they still ended up scoring in the 170s. So think positively until you know for sure otherwise!

Use these next few weeks while you're waiting on your score to work on the rest of your application. Write some killer personal statements. Get all the other pieces in order so that the only piece of it that you might still have to deal with in January is the LSAT. Have everything else ready to go so that if you ended up doing better on the November test than you think, you'll be able to apply as soon as you get your November score!

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey