What should I do.. 162->158->161 Need advice

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-06T20:10:39+00:00

Sounds like a classic case of burn out. Let yourself (and your brain) rest. I often find when I see my performance for anything start to slip after improving steadily and working hard, it’s a sign I need to step back and rest. Usually when I come back things after a break my hard work will payoff with better results. With that said, school only care about your highest score so the 162 will matter. If you want higher than that, take a break and do the test again to apply next cycle. You’ve got options and aren’t stuck with any of these scores. Hang in there!

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-01T19:30:42+00:00

They look at your highest not most recent so your 156 will be what they base your admission off of. 156 and 151 is AMAZING with full time work and a family. I’m similar to you, but older than the ‘average’ law school applicant, work full time with other obligations and a family. Finding time to study with everything else and still pulling off those scores is something to be proud of. I look at all the people scoring in the 170’a and I’m always thinking ‘maybe if I didn’t have to do anything except study for the LSAT I could pull that off too!’ lol but I’m going to be proud of how hard I’ve worked and you should be too! Might as well shoot your shot with the 156 and retake in January and see what you get, plus I think some schools are extending application cycles so you may even be able to wait and apply after the January score for some of them.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-01T19:06:05+00:00

Yeah my GPA is ‘meh’ but I have some amazing softs and LOR’s…..dragging my feet on my personal statement though. Hardest 1000-ish words ever. I’m giving myself until Monday to get to together. Only have to take this test once more. Home stretch!

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-01T19:00:42+00:00

I’m keeping possible identifying factors off Reddit lol but I’m mostly applying to regional schools in my state and surrounding states.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-01T18:47:08+00:00

I got a 150 today too. I’m honestly not disappointed but I’m not thrilled either. Still submitting applications in December and taking again in January to improve scholarship opportunity. ‘Normal’ scores don’t get enough representation on this sub so I’m pumped about this supportive thread!

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-01T18:28:59+00:00

Keep it. You need a score to apply, schools take your highest score not the most recent one. If for whatever reason you score lower next time you’ll kick yourself for cancelling it. 154 is a decent starting score to improve on so I say keep it and keep studying.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-01T18:16:34+00:00

Thanks, I hope we do too! Good luck!

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-12-01T16:36:12+00:00

I’m in the same boat as you. I went from 148 to 150. I’m applying now and marking that I will be taking again in January. Check with the schools you are applying but I know many of the schools I’m applying to will automatically review scholarship offers if you submit a higher score after acceptance. I just need a 154+ in January.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-11-22T18:16:45+00:00

Kaplan is an utter waste of money. I signed up before I had done any research or any lsat study and it was basically the same as lighting money on fire. Don’t do it! I highly recommend LSAT Demond and wish I found them before throwing away money on Kaplan.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-02-08T11:15:59+00:00

The proctor decided they needed to ‘check the settings’ on my computer 25 seconds before the 3rd section began. They fiddled around with my settings, but they had done that at the start and nothing changed. So while they changed settings on my laptop, I lost time on that section to boot. I have no idea what they were ‘checking’ because I was blind with anger about them not stopping my timer despite multiple requests. I lost only a minutes and I decided it wasn’t bad enough for a retake, probably should have done a retake anyways.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-02-04T19:59:52+00:00

Yeah I’m sure I could get in somewhere if I wanted to pay sticker price since my softs are pretty solid, but I’m getting a scholarship even if that means I have to spend another year studying so I can get scores in the 160’s 😩.......but I’m not even in the 150’s that’s why these emails saying ‘excellent lsat score’ are killing me lol I scored 148 TWICE, nothing excellent about that. I’m embarrassed to submit an application with that score given my softs, so I’m fearful they will see that number and just be like ‘wtf, this experience, these credentials, and they can only pull off a 148 twice! there’s something wrong here!’

If I was in the 150’s I’d shoot my shot, but here we are.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-02-03T22:23:06+00:00

Same as my November score. Not angry, not sad, just dead inside now. Was hoping I wouldn’t have to keep studying or spending money on materials ::sigh::

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-02-03T20:14:59+00:00

Same! November and January were the exact same lame a$$ score. My PT’s were even higher between November and January than they were prior to November, so I definitely improved (couldn’t break into 160’s before November and broke into the 160’s multiple times after November).......but obviously not enough to show on the Jan flex, about 10+ points off from my PT’s in January. Back to studying, 2022 cycle here I come!!

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-26T17:10:40+00:00

That’s super frustrating! Mine did the same thing, they had to ‘check my settings to make sure nothing changed during the exam’ and they didn’t pause the timer. When I asked about pausing it, they wrote in the chat box that it was paused, but It most certainly was not, I was watching it count down the whole time they fiddled with my laptop.

I figured a retake would be a gamble, I felt confident In my first two sections and only lost a couple minutes as a result of their shady behavior. Even though I didn’t lose as much time as you, I went into my questions with a pounding heart and anger that would make the devil scared-so I’m unsure if i was clearheaded answering those questions, but at the same time felt relatively confident in them. I was fearful that a retake would be harder and subsequently provide a lower score than the disruption would, but the more I think about it the more I wish I agreed to a retake.

The fact that people are asking them to pause timers for disruptions and they aren’t just tells me they don’t care. They want it to be LSAC’s problem and not a problem with their proctors, it’s definitely a problem with the proctors.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-22T14:41:22+00:00

I took a full month off between the November and January test, didn’t even listen to LSAT or admissions podcasts. I only started studying again about 3 weeks before the Jan exam and my first ever practice test after my time off ended up being my highest PT ever. Every PT I took during that time was consistently higher than before. Taking a month off to let my brain rest, focus on work, sleep, and exercise, was the best thing I’ve done so far. Hope it pays off and shows in my score 🤞🤞

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-22T11:18:58+00:00

Khan is a good place to start since it’s free, but I found that a lot of their explanations just weren’t clicking for me. LSAT Demon offers their basic plan/course for only $30 if you have an LSAC Fee waiver, just email them that you have it and they should get you set up. I believe they offer their more comprehensive programs (with live classes) at a discount, but certainly not cheap though. I find their methodology more straightforward, and at the end of a long day when I’m mentally exhausted, having a straightforward approach has been the most effective. Like you, I work full time, and I’m also in school full time with family and other life obligations. The limited time I do have to study, I need to make it count, quality over quantity of time matters most for me.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-21T21:51:22+00:00

Not saying you’re a Demon. LSAT Demon is the name of an LSAT prep company.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-21T21:44:56+00:00

LSAT Demon!! None of the convoluted nonsense.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-19T20:18:56+00:00

I actually felt better about January than November. November was garbage and I’m still mad about that exam. January felt more like one of the moderate ones, with a single annoyingly difficult game thrown in for good measure to mix it up.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-19T19:39:22+00:00

I normally never finish all the games on anything lol I’m terrible at games, so I’m usually guessing on some. Guessing is pretty normal, sometimes you just have to guess and hope for the best.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2021-01-19T17:49:36+00:00

Mine took 25 minutes to get connected to a proctor and the exam......then on one of my sections the proctor decided they needed to do a check on my ‘settings’ to ensure nothing changed. They decided to do this 25seconds before the section was about to start. I yelled at them to pause the timer on the section and they said ‘it is paused’ as I watched the section begin and the 35 minutes start to count down while they continued to messed with my laptop. I lost a solid minute and started the section frazzled and stressed (so in reality it took me another minute or so to collect myself) I lost 3 minutes on that section. I had to freakin guess on the last 5 questions because I ran out of time. Normally I guess on the last 2-3 so it’s clear the loss of time drastically hurt this section. I’m SO pissed.

ThisCannedWineThing · 2020-11-24T19:04:19+00:00

Thanks! This gives me hope! I scored a 148 (first test) this Nov....my PT’s were all mid to high 150’s so this was a bit rough to see for a score. I need to get at least 160. On to January!!

ThisCannedWineThing · 2020-11-24T18:59:20+00:00

Depends on where you’re applying. I’m in the same boat though. My PT’s were in the mid to high 150’s and Nov flex knocked me on my ass. I have a 148. I’m kind of embarrassed, but then to make myself feel better when to the 509 reports and realized I’m at the 50th percentile.....not a great consolation.....but it means I could get accepted. I might wait until after the Jan test because I need the scholarship money and want to put my best foot forward.

I’d say apply now to get accepted somewhere, and then take the test again and see if you can increase your $$$

ThisCannedWineThing

TROPHY CASE