Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter Forum

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shutterbug

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Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by shutterbug » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:14 pm

Longtime lurker here. Thanks for everyone for the invaluable advice up 'til now. I feel compelled to ask for some direct advice on what to do.

- I am in my early 40s
- My LSAC GPA is 4.0; schol GPA is 3.92
- December LSAT is 156, BUT

I made a HUGE tactical blunder on the December LSAT and misbubbled the last 12 answers on one of the LR sections, and ended up with a 156. I ended up with 10 out of those 12 "correct", but officially "wrong" because of the mis-bubbling. I was practicing in the mid 160s. I figure my score should have been a 162 if I did not mess up with the bubbling.

Decided after 15 years working that I want to attend LS part-time in NYC, and originally had my heart set on either Fordham or Cardozo.

I really want to apply this cycle (not getting any younger), and it appears with this score, the best I could do is St. John's PT program. Not the end of the world for me, as I live only 10 minutes away. I need to stay in NYC and it has to be PT. I've already sent out my app to St. John's and am contemplating Brooklyn now as well.

In my position, would retake? I am not getting any younger, and will be 44 entering LS if I wait out another cycle. But if I retook, I at least have a shot at Cardozo PT or Fordham PT.

Would greatly welcome your thoughts. Thanks & happy new year to all.

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hannah87

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Re: Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by hannah87 » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:15 pm

shutterbug wrote:Longtime lurker here. Thanks for everyone for the invaluable advice up 'til now. I feel compelled to ask for some direct advice on what to do.

- I am in my early 40s
- My LSAC GPA is 4.0; schol GPA is 3.92
- December LSAT is 156, BUT

I made a HUGE tactical blunder on the December LSAT and misbubbled the last 12 answers on one of the LR sections, and ended up with a 156. I ended up with 10 out of those 12 "correct", but officially "wrong" because of the mis-bubbling. I was practicing in the mid 160s. I figure my score should have been a 162 if I did not mess up with the bubbling.

Decided after 15 years working that I want to attend LS part-time in NYC, and originally had my heart set on either Fordham or Cardozo.

I really want to apply this cycle (not getting any younger), and it appears with this score, the best I could do is St. John's PT program. Not the end of the world for me, as I live only 10 minutes away. I need to stay in NYC and it has to be PT. I've already sent out my app to St. John's and am contemplating Brooklyn now as well.

In my position, would retake? I am not getting any younger, and will be 44 entering LS if I wait out another cycle. But if I retook, I at least have a shot at Cardozo PT or Fordham PT.

Would greatly welcome your thoughts. Thanks & happy new year to all.
request hand scoring via LSAC's website.

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Kohinoor

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Posts: 2641
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:51 pm

Re: Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by Kohinoor » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:17 pm

hannah87 wrote:
shutterbug wrote:Longtime lurker here. Thanks for everyone for the invaluable advice up 'til now. I feel compelled to ask for some direct advice on what to do.

- I am in my early 40s
- My LSAC GPA is 4.0; schol GPA is 3.92
- December LSAT is 156, BUT

I made a HUGE tactical blunder on the December LSAT and misbubbled the last 12 answers on one of the LR sections, and ended up with a 156. I ended up with 10 out of those 12 "correct", but officially "wrong" because of the mis-bubbling. I was practicing in the mid 160s. I figure my score should have been a 162 if I did not mess up with the bubbling.

Decided after 15 years working that I want to attend LS part-time in NYC, and originally had my heart set on either Fordham or Cardozo.

I really want to apply this cycle (not getting any younger), and it appears with this score, the best I could do is St. John's PT program. Not the end of the world for me, as I live only 10 minutes away. I need to stay in NYC and it has to be PT. I've already sent out my app to St. John's and am contemplating Brooklyn now as well.

In my position, would retake? I am not getting any younger, and will be 44 entering LS if I wait out another cycle. But if I retook, I at least have a shot at Cardozo PT or Fordham PT.

Would greatly welcome your thoughts. Thanks & happy new year to all.
request hand scoring via LSAC's website.

No1ustad

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Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:23 pm

Re: Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by No1ustad » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:18 pm

I would definitely suggest you sit out this round, though as a regular splitter, you entering this cycle will possibly open the door for someone like me, I feel like hitting the mid-160s with your GPA will definitely offer many more opportunities next cycle as well as after graduation as well... no offense, but if you've waited this long, what's another 9 mo?

i don't think hand-scoring will change anything. fact is, bubbles are wrong. what he "meant" to bubble in, i don't think will be accounted for... but i guess it wouldn't hurt to try.
Last edited by No1ustad on Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

shutterbug

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Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:17 am

Re: Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by shutterbug » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:23 pm

Thanks, all - about scoring by hand: unfortunately, I filled in all bubbles, but DID NOT SKIP ANY, so there is no apparent misbubbling to anyone who looks at it. Do you think I can appeal to LSAC by saying I messed up and please look at my answers to questions 16 to 27, and treat it as if they should be answers to 15 to 26?

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JazzOne

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Re: Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by JazzOne » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:28 pm

Get a hand score. If it doesn't improve your score, sit out a cycle. I now it's hard, but it's already late in the cycle. I'd rather retake. You can get some nice scholarships if you bump the LSAT up. You'd be wasting your GPA, IMO, if you roll with the numbers you have now.

robertsmanta

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Re: Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by robertsmanta » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:39 pm

Addenda are awesome....use one! You have strong soft factors with your experience in life (you're not the average mid-20s applicant). This will draw postive attention to your application. An honest (yet not exessive on the excuses) addendum that explains the situation will do wonders.
Plus, with most law schools now taking the highest of multiple scores, you can always retest and reapply next year if it doesn't work out.
I see no reason to not apply this year with an addendum. Chase your goals...not the perfect application.

vsg211

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Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:54 pm

Re: Tragic Mistake & Now an Extreme Reverse Splitter

Post by vsg211 » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:47 pm

I know someone who did the exact same thing as you. Unfortunately, he couldn't get it hand scored because, as you said, there is not apparent misbubbling. What he did though was go to WUSTL for a year and transferrred to NYU (his top choice when he was originally applying) for his 2L. Of course this is much riskier than just sitting out a cycle and waiting (esp if you're consistently scoring in the 160's) but it's an option if you're dead set on starting LS this fall.

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