Question...

[Governor]

which bear is best?  jk.  I didn't do as well as I would have hoped on the LSAT.  But, in recognizing that I'm not a wizard as a test taker, I'm wondering if I should retake in Feb at the risk of getting a similar score and thereby confirming to law schools that I'm not a wizard.  Or, should it I let it stand on its own and make a case for an anomaly?  Advice is welcomed. 

[LSAT Eliminator]

It's always a tough question when you are thinking about a re-take. I guess there are a couple of questions that would be helpful to know the answers to:

    1. How far off from your target score are you?

    2. How hard did you prep for this last one?

    3. Considering that the February exam is about a month away, how much time do you have to prep over the next month?

Having some of that info would help us give some advice.

I will say that making the case for a score anomaly is tough unless you have a history of doing great in school and poor at standardized tests. Just saying you had a bad LSAT day probably won't be very convincing (they hear that more than you'd think).

Thanks!

[cbrown]

Something else to think about is that most schools only really pay attention to the highest of multiple scores (I think I read that here at one point)...so that could help if you think you can do better.

[LSAT Eliminator]

Something else to think about is that most schools only really pay attention to the highest of multiple scores (I think I read that here at one point)...so that could help if you think you can do better.

That's a good point--these days, a lot of schools look just at your highest score, so taking it again presents a lesser risk than it did in the past. They still see your average, but those schools will use your high score to compute your multiplier and rank you against other applicants.

[Ashley O]

Check the schools you are applying to. Their websites will have the high/average score info. If not, call them and ask. They will be happy to tell you their policy.

[Anne]

Something else to think about is that most schools only really pay attention to the highest of multiple scores (I think I read that here at one point)...so that could help if you think you can do better.

That's a good point--these days, a lot of schools look just at your highest score, so taking it again presents a lesser risk than it did in the past. They still see your average, but those schools will use your high score to compute your multiplier and rank you against other applicants.

Yup, that's the been the case since 2006, so taking the LSAT multiple times is not as bad as it used to be. The average is still there, like Eliminator said, but it's not typically the number they use for admissions purposes.

[Anne]

Check the schools you are applying to. Their websites will have the high/average score info. If not, call them and ask. They will be happy to tell you their policy.

And don't worry about "bugging" the schools with questions like this. They're used to it, and would rather answer your questions than have students freaking out about what they think their policies might be.

[lawdog]

It's always a tough question when you are thinking about a re-take. I guess there are a couple of questions that would be helpful to know the answers to:

    1. How far off from your target score are you?

    2. How hard did you prep for this last one?

    3. Considering that the February exam is about a month away, how much time do you have to prep over the next month?

Having some of that info would help us give some advice.

I will say that making the case for a score anomaly is tough unless you have a history of doing great in school and poor at standardized tests. Just saying you had a bad LSAT day probably won't be very convincing (they hear that more than you'd think).

Thanks!

I agree that the questions posed above are important in responding to your inquiry   . How many practice tests did you take?  It's possible that you're being overly self-critical; a lot of people decide to take the LSAT without preparing, but the truth is that "LSAT wizardry" often comes with practice and focused preparation

[Governor]

At the risk of being lambasted, I took three full practice tests and a bunch of timed sections over the course of about a month (but studying everyday).  I know that I'm not Einstein, but neither am I dumb, yet I can safely declare the LSAT free from mastery by me thus far.  Maybe I'm not studying for it properly?  Should I just pound out 4 or 5 practice tests a week for the next couple of weeks?

[StrawMan]

how exactly are you studying? just taking practice tests will not give you a better conceptual understanding of the various question types, games, etc. you need to have a method to apply constructively on a variety of questions. i wouldn't even take practice tests for the first 3-4 weeks of studying. you have to get the fundamentals down before you do that.

[bearcat]

how exactly are you studying? just taking practice tests will not give you a better conceptual understanding of the various question types, games, etc. you need to have a method to apply constructively on a variety of questions. i wouldn't even take practice tests for the first 3-4 weeks of studying. you have to get the fundamentals down before you do that.

This.

They're not called the LSAT "Bibles" for nothing. Get them. Learn them. Love them. Live them.

[EarlCat]

[girlfrombrooklyn]

I'm in a similar situation except that I choked on the test. I scored 18 points below my practice test average. As a result I have a motivation to retake the test. I didn't study as hard as I wanted to but I'm more motivated now than ever. As for taking the test and February, I'd highly reconsider. I took my exam in Dec. 2008, and am registering to take it in June. I think the difference now is that I have a plan where as before I didn't. Whatever you decide good luck, but just know it's better in most cases to spend the time studying that rush into it because you're trying to meet application deadlines, law school isn't going anywhere.