You get your LSAT score back and it’s lower than you anticipated, what should you do now?
You are not alone. My first time taking the LSAT, I scored lower than on my practice tests because of test anxiety. Very frustrating. My first score was good enough to get into my safety schools but not into my top choice. I simultaneously applied with the first score to the schools where I fell safely within their GPA/LSAT range and signed up for the December LSAT. Before I took the test again, I had two acceptances in hand. This took pressure off of the second LSAT because the only thing I feared more than a rejection from my top choice was not being a lawyer at all. On with the saga. My second score was high enough to get more money from the schools that already accepted me but still not sufficient for my reach. I (begrudgingly) took the LSAT a third time in February and scored high enough.
Why did I put myself through that? While the process was exhausting, I wanted to know that even if I slightly missed my target score, I did everything I could to try to attain it. After all, you can’t give more than 100%. Years later, I have a J.D. from my top choice and the LSAT is just a bad dream. Assuming your personal circumstances allow for it, you will be happy that you pushed yourself even when you thought you couldn’t.
I want to note that I went straight from college to law school. I took my first exam in the fall, again in December and then on the tail end of the admissions cycle in February. If you decide to take the exam in February and want to attend law school that fall, make sure your application to your reach school is ready to go and you can submit once you get your February score. Also remember that if you take the test again and fall below your desired score, you can always transfer after your first year, it is more common than you think. I would not have delayed law school for another year to get into a better school for that reason. Finally, even if you do end up at your safety school, you can work your tail off and land at the top of your class. Depending on the year of course, in New York City, the job opportunities for the top 10% at each of BLS, St. John’s, NYLS, Fordham, NYU and Columbia are within punching distance of each other. I will cover those job-related nuances in a different post.
Don’t give up!
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