I had spent months preparing for the June LSAT. Since December, I had taken 30 practice tests and exhausted my resources. After the test, I felt good and anxiously awaited score release day. On the morning scores came out, I blearily logged onto LSAC and immediately felt my stomach drop. I had scored 10 points below what I had been averaging on my practice tests. I took the test again in September, and this time I still scored 8 points below my average. Finally, I walked into the October test and ended up with a score that better reflected my practice tests and helped me get into Harvard Law School.
Here's what I did to bring up my LSAT score:
1. I took a break
The final sprint up to the test can be exhausting, and the feeling of seeing a score that you are not happy with can take a toll. It is important to take care of yourself and allow yourself to rest before making a plan of action. Spend time with friends and family, recharge, and remember why you are going to law school. I found that taking care of myself before my last LSAT made a huge difference in how I felt in the testing room.
2. I made a new plan
Next, take time to think about how you want to proceed. Do you want to retake the LSAT, and if so, when? Pick a date that gives you time to study without extending it so far into the future that you burn out. Especially if you were practice testing where you want to be, you may not need much more time to study. Instead, think about other factors that may have influenced your score. Were you not feeling well, or experiencing test anxiety? Addressing those factors may be more helpful than just studying.
3. I asked for help
Sometimes, it is hard to pin down exactly what happened on test day. It is also possible that nothing in particular affected your score – sometimes the test is just hard. You may want to find a tutor to help you pin down areas that could be strengthened or another professional to address text anxiety. Asking for help allows a third-party to look at your progress and find ways to improve.
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