To take or not to take Forum

[LastManStanding]

Getting a lot of conflicting information on the subject, would appreciate some advice. Im currently signed up for the Sept LSAT - however my scores are not where i want them to be. There is still time, im increasingly leaning towards bumping my test time to December. My question is, if I decide to take the Dec test, should I sit for the Sept LSAT anyways? I imagine the pros of taking the Sept in any case are 1) get a feel for the environment, and 2) maybe Ill outperform get the score I want. I imagine the cons are: 1) not all schools take the highest score (some still avg) and 2) its less impressive to schools to see 2 takes vs just 1.

Is there a big downside to taking the exam in Sept, if I think my scores arent there yet and I plan to take the Dec exam in any case?

[LawSchoolNJ2018]

Need more info. How far off are you from your goal? What is your goal and where are you?

[Slippin' Jimmy]

Getting a lot of conflicting information on the subject, would appreciate some advice. Im currently signed up for the Sept LSAT - however my scores are not where i want them to be. There is still time, im increasingly leaning towards bumping my test time to December. My question is, if I decide to take the Dec test, should I sit for the Sept LSAT anyways? I imagine the pros of taking the Sept in any case are 1) get a feel for the environment, and 2) maybe Ill outperform get the score I want. I imagine the cons are: 1) not all schools take the highest score (some still avg) and 2) its less impressive to schools to see 2 takes vs just 1.

Is there a big downside to taking the exam in Sept, if I think my scores arent there yet and I plan to take the Dec exam in any case?

I think this is going to depend on how far off your PT average is from your goal score. If you are say 5-6 points below, you have plenty of time to get your average up to that level, and even if you don't this is close enough that there is a not insignificant chance you still score your goal. Now if you are 10+ points off of your target about a month from now, then I would strongly consider delaying until December.

[LastManStanding]

Thanks for the great responses so far. Been studying for about 2.5 months. My goal is still pretty far off - im scoring 162-165 and my goal is 173+.

So what im getting so far is that: 1) I shouldnt take it unless im consistently somewhat close to my goal; and 2) the cons outweigh the pros if my score is significantly below my goal.
Meaning, I shouldnt just take it for the experience - i need to have a solid shot at my goal. Would that be fair?

Again, thank you for the solid responses so far.

[Slippin' Jimmy]

Thanks for the great responses so far. Been studying for about 2.5 months. My goal is still pretty far off - im scoring 162-165 and my goal is 173+.

So what im getting so far is that: 1) I shouldnt take it unless im consistently somewhat close to my goal; and 2) the cons outweigh the pros if my score is significantly below my goal.
Meaning, I shouldnt just take it for the experience - i need to have a solid shot at my goal. Would that be fair?

Again, thank you for the solid responses so far.

I would agree with this, however you still have plenty of time to get closer to your goal. If you can get into the high 160s/low 170s I'd say take it.

[detwings123]

Thanks for the great responses so far. Been studying for about 2.5 months. My goal is still pretty far off - im scoring 162-165 and my goal is 173+.

So what im getting so far is that: 1) I shouldnt take it unless im consistently somewhat close to my goal; and 2) the cons outweigh the pros if my score is significantly below my goal.
Meaning, I shouldnt just take it for the experience - i need to have a solid shot at my goal. Would that be fair?

Again, thank you for the solid responses so far.

I've been studying for around the same time and testing in a similar range. I would say that I was more worried about carelessly taking the test bc of how much it costs, but if you take the digital pilot you can take December for free. I guess I have always had trouble with standardized testing the first take. If you read enough of these forums on the topic then it becomes clear that you should take when you are comfortable with your PT range, but if you have had previous trouble with testing pressure then I would definitely want the option to retake in December if you plan on attending in fall of 2018.