<p>How do T14 law schools look at multiple lsats? My son is planning to take it on Monday but of course he is having doubts. Do they look at the best scores or they average them out? He might want to take it again in October. (He had one amazing score and a couple of ok scores taking practice tests.)</p>
<p>Most have a policy of taking the best one ONLY if it’s at least 3 (or might be 5) points higher. If your son doesn’t need to take it right away and is still improving in his practice tests, I would advise for him to take it in October.</p>
<p>The T14s have varying policies that can be described as follows: (a) some definitely consider lower scores if you take multiple tests against you (they don’t necessarily average); (b) for some if you retake the test and score significantly higher they will consider that second higher score as controlling if you provide a reasonable explanation for why you scored lower the first time (e.g., you were ill) and if you have none bad scores will be weighed against you; (c) for some if you retake the test and do worse, they will consider that second test as more indicative unless you have a reasonable explanation for doing worse. In other words, in most cases, you should assume that bad scores will be held against you.</p>
<p>A number of the T14 law schools will also require an applicant to state in a separate paragraph why he or she took the LSAT multiple times. From what I’ve been told, reasons other than serious illness during the test or terrible testing conditions (e.g. fire alarm going off in the middle of a section) are not looked upon favorably.</p>
<p>Most schools claim to “consider” all scores, but in reality, they usually take the highest. I know several people who have applied to law schools after retaking the LSAT. Their cycles went exactly as predicted by the higher LSAT, not by the average.</p>
<p>transfers, with all due respect to your anecdotal evidence, many of the T14 law schools state specifically how they deal with multiple LSAT scores on their websites. The OP’s question was regarding T14 schools only. All of the information that I have received from admissions professionals at these schools over the years since LSAC began requiring a report of only the highest LSAT scores of matriculating students reinforces the stated policies of averaging LSAT scores and/or asking for statements discussing why an applicant chose to take the LSAT more than once. </p>
<p>The general assumption is that a law school applicant will prepare to the best of his or her ability and take the LSAT once. If there are extraordinary circumstances affecting that first test, than that applicant may choose to take the LSAT a second time. </p>
<p>T14 schools receive applications from many, many more qualified people than the number of students who can be admitted. Most of these qualified applicants will have taken the LSAT once and received a very high LSAT score. Why in the world would an applicant wish to set themselves apart in a potentially negative way by taking the LSAT more than once?</p>
<p>sallyawp, the anecdotal evidence I provided is from applicants who applied to and are attending T14 schools. Again, their cycles went exactly as predicted by their higher scores – it was as if their lower scores did not exist.</p>
<p>Besides even if schools do average scores, then it still makes sense to retake the LSAT if you can score higher (and about 70% of students do score higher).</p>
<p>Also, many lower T14 schools such as Northwestern and Georgetown do whatever they can to ensure that their median LSATs are 170 or higher. At these schools someone with a 140 and a 170 will probably not be treated differently from someone with just a 170, and will almost certainly be treated better than someone with just a 169.</p>
<p>The facts of the matter are that retaking the LSAT and scoring better will improve your chances at any law school and that a low score that is later supplemented by a high score will have minimal effects on your cycle.</p>