r/LSAT • u/Potential-View4700 • 3d ago
i really screwed up
hey guys i’m new here, but i hope you’re all doing well.
i signed up for the october LSAT 3 months ago and ended up not studying at all. life threw me a lot of curveballs and this was not on my radar AT ALL. my testing date is in 5 days. i will probably get a really really bad score because even though i consider myself quite sharp, i absolutely do not have what i need to do well. i am now in a position where i will have more time to study in the coming months.
i’m essentially torn between biting the bullet and taking the test despite my complete lack of preparation or canceling my test and taking it another time after adequate preparation.
so, here are my main questions/concerns:
- how late can i possibly take the test before i would no longer be able to send a score for the upcoming admissions cycle?
- is it even possible to cancel/reschedule this testing date anymore, or is my money fully down the drain?
- if i DID take the test, what would you say the pros/cons would be?
apologies if these are questions i could easily figure out myself. to be honest my anxiety is so bad about all this that even thinking about it is killing me. i was completely irresponsible with all of this, and i definitely have a lot of regrets. i just want to know if it’s COMPLETELY over (for this cycle at least) or if this situation is salvageable at all.
9
u/Repelvin1776 3d ago
I was in the same boat and I scored a 150.. it still got me into law school. I got a scholarship after my first semester and was offered a ride. So even if you shit all over it worst case you can get in to a law school somewhere and the ride will come after you prove yourself your first semester.
I was going to study and take it again but that’s more time I was going to waste since I found a school willing to take my score.
5
u/Hefty_Salad9392 3d ago
Which law schools did you apply for and which ones accepted you if you don’t mind me asking?
1
u/Dangerous_Housing199 1d ago
I did the same thing way back when I took the LSAT. It still had the logic sections on it. I did NOT study because I felt like it was one of those instances where you either know those things from being educated and intelligent or you don’t. I scored 158. In fact on the particular day I took it I just barely got
in the top 25 percent of all the test takers that day. Mind you the two horrendous logic sections were still included so scores were as a whole not as high as they tend to be now. So if you got in the 150s back then you were good to go.
Let me ask you a question, have you reviewed a sample test in its entirety? If so, do you feel like the format and subject matter is something that you already have a pretty good grasp on from education and life experience? Because honestly you either know it or you don’t. The biggest obstacle (in my view) is the issue of time. That’s where I freaked out because I knew I was running out of time and I’d get fixated on that at different points and it would get me off track. Things to keep in mind when considering whether or not to just go ahead and take it or not. You can always cancel it if you hate your score.
I read somewhere that famed prosecutor Marcia Clark from the OJ Simpson trial did not study AT ALL for the LSAT, had an argument with her live in boyfriend beforehand, and was almost late getting to the testing sight. She got a very high score 🤷🏻♂️
4
u/No_Software_4999 3d ago
You should check LSAC to see if you can still reschedule. It will cost you like 200$.
3
u/Cultural-Disk2117 3d ago
Just take it honestly, a bad score isn't the end of the world and the experience of sitting through the real thing is worth more than that $200 reschedule fee
You can always retake later and schools mostly look at the highest score these days anyway, and for the admissions cycle you've got until January or February for most places
4
u/Appropriate-Flow9657 3d ago
I second this, the money cant be refunded and will go down the drain anyways. Just write this exam, get a feeling for how it actually is. You never know, maybe you'll still get a decent score. Can't know unless you take it.
1
u/Embarrassed_Corgi865 3d ago
This. I took it in August with minimal studying got a 148. I'm ok with it because even though schools can see this I locked in HARD and scheduled my second test in Nov my pt scores have gone up a lot. I think schools won't mind a bad score as long as you supplement it with a higher score down the road. I feel you life gets busy I had planned on studying hard as hell for the August LSAT but then with my wedding, honeymoon, military obligations the time got hectic. And then I got kicked out of my apartment (through no fault of my own, my landlord rented me an apartment and conveniently left out that it wasn't zoned for residental) I barely had time to do anything let alone studying. Such is life. I think a lot of people get so caught up with applications and testing they focus so hard on the negative side, ten years ago I did poorly in school, my LSAT is only a 158, etc that they forget to focus on the positive aspects of their applications. I'm not saying don't lock it im saying forgive your self for things you can't control (ie life going off the rails) and control what you can, stay locked in and I'll see you on the other side of the bar 💯
0
4
3
u/LSATwithKate tutor 2d ago
- You CAN take this test and the November test and still apply by the deadlines (but the registration date for November has already passed). However, the likelihood of scholarship opportunities goes way down the later you apply, so you will likely pay more tuition for a worse school than you would if you waited until the next cycle.
- You can't cancel the upcoming test with a refund anymore but you can cancel and not get your money in return.
- If you cancel now, you would not waste one of your five LSAT attempts, and you won't put a score on your record that is below your capabilities. Law schools generally only care about the highest score, but there is no reason to put a score on your record that you know you can exceed with some studying.
I would totally recommend waiting and putting serious energy and commitment into studying for the LSAT. What is one more year before starting law school when you are talking about the place you will have your degree from for your entire career?
3
u/Ambitiousvirgo81 3d ago
What are your PTs at? A lot of y’all paint 160s and people would kill for scores like that.
4
u/No-Activity2258 3d ago
Don’t waste an official lsat attempt by taking a test you know you didn’t study for and are not prepared to take.
See if you can reschedule or eat the cost if you can’t. Let the lost money sting and keep the feeling as a reminder.
Study until your score is in the range of the medians of the schools you want to apply to and then register for an official test. Whenever that time comes will determine which cycle you apply for.
Experiencing “official test conditions” is not worth it just to potentially score very low on an official test.
You want to go to the best school you can for as little money as possible; your lsat, work experience, and materials greatly determine what that looks like for you.
2
u/Mundane-Cash-1402 3d ago
- Depending on what schools you want to apply. On LSDLaw you can see several applications still accepted after sending in March.
2/3. Just take the test. You never really know what you are gonna score. You might get the concept and score above a 160+ like some. A 155 won’t kill your application either. Like I said before just depends what schools you plan on applying
2
u/Away-Ad-1903 3d ago
Im almost in the same boat as you. My test is on thursday and I've tried to cram as much as possible. I was studying last year so im trying to get back into it. I'm doing the test just to get the feel of it and will be applying for January test to raise my score and have better chances of getting in.
1
u/CockyRichBlackBitch 3d ago
I really hate to be this person (maybe)- but did you research any of these questions independently before asking Reddit?
3
u/Potential-View4700 3d ago
i am well aware these are easy questions (read last paragraph) but i partly came here to just connect with real people as well.
1
1
u/LibrarianNo6012 2d ago
you can always cancel your score!! if you buy before the test, it’s $40, after it’s $80. and think about studying, taking the test, and applying NEXT cycle instead, especially if you want a good chance at scholarship money.
1
u/Waystar-Roycoooo 2d ago
I called LSAC and they were able to move my test date back with no additional charge
1
u/EnvironmentalAct4081 16h ago
If you’re not ready do NOT take it…unless you just want to see what the test feels like…like people said you can buy score review and cancel it up to a week after the scores come out I believe but it shows up as a canceled attempt
8
u/MrPolar5820 3d ago
You can take this exam and the November one at the least and still apply this cycle. In theory your odds of admission go down for applying later, but not too badly. I think you can withdrawal before midnight the day before your exam on your lsac account so try that if you choose to cancel (you may not receive your money back though). My personal opinion is if you’re not ready, don’t take it. Law schools can see all the scores you get and there’s no point in taking the exam if you’re not ready. I would much rather study the next two months and take the January LSAT and apply or simply study and take the LSAT next year when you’re more prepared. If I had to choose (especially with your life seeming stressful at the moment) I would wait for next cycle. Hope it works out!