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December 9, 2016

Should I Add an Addendum for a 2nd, Higher Score?

Sometimes students wonder what a drastic jump in LSAT score from one test administration to the next relays to admissions officers when considering applications. In this discussion on the PowerScore LSAT Forum, Dave Killoran provides advice for a student who is wondering if their score jump will raise suspicion and whether or not they should provide an addendum in their application. 

Here’s a quick preview. Make sure to check out the full thread to read the entire explanation Dave provided to this student:

The Forum posts selected for this series are chosen because they have a universal quality to them. In other words, we’ve selected posts that contain information that can be used by test takers of any background and score level. So, although the specific question posed by the students may not be one you have, when our instructors answer they have gone beyond the specific question and brought in broader elements that you can use. Consequently, these posts, and the situations therein, are virtually guaranteed to resonate with you on some level. Make sure to register for the LSAT Forum for free today, and get your own LSAT and Admissions questions answered by a PowerScore expert.

Questions or comments on the thoughts above? Let us know below!

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Posted by PowerScore Test Prep / Law School Admissions / GPA, Law School Admissions, LSAT Score Leave a Comment

  • Michael Jefferson
    December 23, 2015 at 1:41am

    If the score increase is 12 points, and the actual reason is because I received extended time accommodations, would it be best to tell them about the accommodations, or only list a more minor contributing factor that sounds plausible but which I don’t actually believe to be as explanatory as the extended time (something related to the disability)? Or is it best not to imply a disability at all?

  • Dave Killoran
    December 29, 2015 at 4:08pm

    Hi Michael,

    Thanks for the question! I’m hesitant to give an answer on this because I don’t know your admissions profile and all of the related information, and this is the kind of question that requires a complete view of your situation. So, please take my answer for what it is: a really broad and uncertain estimate 🙂

    That said, I’d probably not write an addendum about this. You aren’t obligated to explain what happened, and writing about it draws more attention to the situation. The purpose of accommodations is to level the playing field, and if you write an explanation of all that, I think you lose a little bit of that evenness. So, my unofficial, don’t-hold-me-to-it answer would be to not write a score increase addendum here.

    Thanks!

  • Nicole L
    January 01, 2016 at 3:08am

    Unfortunately I sat for the September 2014 LSAT without studying. I received a 135. However, after a lot of studying and a prep course, i was PTing in the mid to high 150s. I sat for the October 2015 test and botched the logic games section so I cancelled my score. I then sat for the December 2015 LSAT and if I performed similar to how I was PTing I should receive a score in the 150s. Do I need to write an addendum? The only reason why I did so poorly on the first LSAT is because I took it cold.

  • Dave Killoran
    January 01, 2016 at 3:36pm

    Hi Nicole,

    Thanks for the question! If you are looking at a 20 point or more increase, then I think you should include a short addendum in your applications. Seeing a jump that significant naturally invites the question of why, even if it’s just from basic curiosity.

    Are there any other reasons that your first score might have been what it was? Maybe that you were sick that day, or something similar? I mention this simply because “I didn’t study the first time around” isn’t the most compelling explanation, and it invites the reader to wonder why you didn’t prepare for such an important test (and we don’t want them to question you or your decision-making at all). Making your explanation compelling is really the key part of addenda like these.

    Please let me know if this helps. Thanks!

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