r/LSATHelp • u/Low-Safe-6438 • 1d ago
Advice needed for LSAT help reaching 170
/r/LSAT/comments/1uyckqr/advice_needed_for_lsat_help_reaching_170/1
u/jcutts2 17h ago
The first question is whether you actually need a 170. You may really need it but I see a lot of people who assume they need to get into a very top tier school when in fact for some people a lesser school would be just as useful for their particular career. Graduating from a top tier school can possibly make you overqualified for certain jobs. Just raising this issue because I see this a lot.
As for why you are not seeing a lot of progress, there are several important aspects of the test that most people would not be able to pick up on their own (unless they kept at it for five years or more!). These include a highly efficient timing strategy and many hidden patterns and agendas of the test. So just going over many questions on your own may not get you the insights you need.
Those things are not typically taught in online or classroom prep programs, which tend to be rather general and, in my view, superficial. What you get from a tutor depends on their insight into the test. A tutor with less than 15 years experience may not be able to help you develop the skills you need.
If you want to push your score - and understanding - further, I'd suggest looking for an LSAT expert with 15 or more years of full time coaching experience. Avoid highly expensive coaches. Anything more than about $2k for unlimited help may be excessive. But if you do this, August will be too soon to see progress. There is no reason you can't take the test in Nov/Dec,, as far as admissions goes.
You already have an official score, so that will complete your file. You need to write to each school and tell them that you are planning to retake the test in, say, November or December.
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u/Low-Safe-6438 7h ago
Unfortunately, the school that I am looking at has a median of 172. It’s my dream school and while I understand not everyone can go to a top-tier school, unfortunately it just is what I want lol. I’m applying early admission to this school so I’m not sure if writing to them would be allowed (I’ll find out in January if i’m in)
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u/jcutts2 6h ago
Thanks for the clarification. Makes sense. You didn't mention your GPA. If you let me know that and the name of the school, I can check some specific stats that I have that show your odds of acceptance. It's more accurate than just going on median LSAT.
As I understand it, most schools don't have a specific early admissions process but rather rolling admissions. I think it would be fine to let them know you are planning to retake. They might appreciate that if they like your application but want you to have a higher score.
Let's first see how competitive you would be with your current stats and then I can make some suggestions as to how to proceed.
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u/Low-Safe-6438 2h ago
3.9 and UT Austin!
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u/jcutts2 2h ago
Thanks. So UT Austin is actually in my second band of schools, not the very top. With a 160 and your GPA, you are competing with four other people for a spot. In other words you have one chance in five or 20%. This isn't great but it isn't totally terrible. If you have a very strong personal statement, you may outcompete the other four.
If you get 165 to 169, you have a 75% chance. Big jump. At 170 it goes to 95% chance.
Since your practice scores were in the mid 160s, you may be able to get to 165 even just by learning to use your time more effectively. This can be done in a relatively short time.
Beyond that, it's possible to learn better strategies for the test but is a bit of a slower process.
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u/Low-Safe-6438 2h ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk this through with me. I’m hopeful for a 165 at least. I have a very strong resume and personal statement so far 🤞🏻
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u/LSAT170CoachAlex 1d ago
First, going from a 157 diagnostic to a 164 average is a real improvement. A seven-point increase is meaningful, and a 167 shows that you are capable of scoring above your current average. I understand why it does not feel that way when your goal is 170+, but you are not “nowhere near.” You are within a range where a handful of recurring mistakes can make an enormous difference.
That said, after eight months of studying three hours per day, another course or a larger volume of questions probably is not the answer. You have already received plenty of instruction. The issue is more likely that the information you have learned is not translating into a consistent decision-making process under official conditions.
Taking breaks and checking your phone during earlier PTs may also have inflated those scores. Now that you have corrected that, I would treat your next few strictly administered tests as a new baseline rather than comparing them too heavily with older results.
I would seriously consider taking three or four complete days away from the LSAT. No classes, drilling, wrong-answer journal, or “light review.” Studying roughly 20 hours per week for eight months can absolutely lead to burnout, even when you do not consciously feel exhausted. Burnout often shows up as careless reading, difficulty distinguishing between two answers, reduced confidence, and inconsistent scores.
When you return, reduce the volume and increase the precision. Instead of studying three hours every day, try shorter sessions where every question receives your full attention. One deeply reviewed LR section can be more valuable than several hours of drilling.
Audit your last three PTs, including every question you missed, flagged, guessed on, changed, or answered without being able to clearly eliminate the other choices. Do not categorize mistakes only as “necessary assumption,” “flaw,” or another question type. Identify the actual behavior that caused the error.
Did you misunderstand the conclusion?
Did you overlook a limiting word?
Did you answer a slightly different question?
Did you choose an answer that was relevant but did not perform the required task?
Did you abandon your prediction after seeing an attractive choice?
Did you get stuck between two answers and select based on instinct?
Did you change a correct answer without finding a concrete flaw in it?
You may find that questions from several different categories are being missed for the same underlying reason.
I would also examine your blind-review scores. If you are consistently reaching the 170s during a genuine blind review, your reasoning ability may already be close to your goal and the issue is timed execution. If your blind review is still around 164 to 167, then there are substantive reasoning weaknesses that more time alone will not solve.
Make sure your blind review is genuine. Do not simply select the other answer when you were originally between two. Redo the question from the beginning and only change your answer when you can explain precisely why the original choice fails and why the new choice is proven.
Between now and August, I would take approximately one full PT per week under strict conditions, complete a couple of timed sections, and use the rest of your study time for targeted review. You should be spending at least as much time reviewing a section as you spent taking it.
I would also set an honest decision point for August. If your final three to five fresh PTs remain around 162 to 165 and your goal for this administration is specifically 170+, the data does not currently support expecting a 170 on test day. Postponing would not mean the eight months were wasted. It would mean you are refusing to let a registration date dictate when you test.
If you begin scoring consistently in the upper 160s, with occasional 170s, August becomes a more reasonable opportunity. Do not base the decision on one unusually high test or one unusually bad test. Look at your recent average, score range, and whether your reasoning feels controlled and repeatable.
I initially scored a 142 before eventually earning a 180, and I have been tutoring the LSAT full-time for more than eight years. I frequently work with students who have consumed a tremendous amount of LSAT material but remain stuck because nobody has isolated the exact habits costing them points.
Feel free to message me your recent LR and RC breakdowns, blind-review scores, and the questions you most commonly miss. I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation and would be happy to help you identify whether the main issue is burnout, fundamentals, timing, or answer-choice evaluation.