Should I Take the LSAT Again?

3 Responses to Should I Take the LSAT Again?

1. Mark Diamond says:

   December 28, 2009 at 4:14 pm

   Matt’s video “should I take the LSAT again” addresses taking it AGAIN in December. However, I took it for the FIRST time in December, and feel very sure I am capable of a better score. My question is, if I take it in again in February, am I late in applying for the fall session?

   Thx,
   Mark

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3. Jeff says:

   June 29, 2010 at 3:11 pm

   I feel I have a fairly unique scenario to offer as someone admitted for Fall term based on scores obtained in February (ie, well passed the due date of most schools’ applications).

   For people who, like me, fell short of where they expected their scores to be, do not be overly concerned with application timing, but don’t dismiss it either. Retaking the LSAT had some important impacts on my cycle that I’ll outline below.

   The three best schools to which I applied (and I mention this for the sake of someone who could correct or supplement what I am saying here) were UVA, Duke, and UChicago. I took my first administration in December, which was already late for applying this cycle. Though disappointed a bit in my score, I was happy enough with it. I was convinced to retake it in February simply because I knew I could do better, so it was more for my own edification than anything else (I did not plan for/realize that this score would be considered for regular admission).

   The upside: I ended up improving my score by 8 points, which was good enough to get into UChicago, my dream school, and receive a sizable merit scholarship.

   The major caveat/downside: I did not factor in the fact that most schools would not offer me a decision until my February score came it, which meant that I would be very late in getting said decisions (earliest decisions from schools that waited were in late March). As such, I didn’t get into UVA, though I can’t say whether this wasn’t also partially due to my out-of-state/low demonstrated interest status. I haven’t even heard back from some schools to which I applied, and some only as recently as May (which were largely denials from lower-ranked schools), though I imagine the likelihood of my turning down their acceptance somewhat affected this.

   If you are very sure, like I was, that you can do much better, I think retaking the test, even as late as February, might help you get in, either regular admissions or waitlist. But also realize that the risk/reward scenarios become much higher stakes. For me, it worked out.

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