(Above the Law) As we head into March, it’s time to really focus on the June LSAT. Here are 8 things to keep in mind if you plan to take the LSAT in June:
- You should be applying to start law school in fall 2017, rather than fall 2016. Although some schools keep their deadlines open into July, applying this late in the cycle isn’t a great way to be competitive for admission unless you get an LSAT score that’s high for that school and you have an otherwise clean application (without character and fitness issues, etc. that might require additional review).
- Choose how you will prepare. Whether on your own, or with a prep course, online program or private tutor, come up with a plan and a schedule. Make sure to choose something that works with your life – avoid the class with the start time of 6 p.m. if it won’t let you grab dinner after work. Think about when you do your best thinking, how self-directed you are, how well you do on standardized tests naturally, what your schedule will allow, and – of course – your budget. There are some great online resources, including podcasts and videos, that cost nothing. At a minimum, though, invest in actual LSATs to take as practice. Remember that this is an investment – the higher your LSAT score, the better your chances at schools and scholarships.
- Start preparing now. Plan to take 8-10 full-length, timed actual LSAT exams between now and the test. Chart your progress and adjust your studies accordingly.
- Know that June is Plan A, and that the September LSAT is Plan B, and that it’s absolutely okay if you slide to Plan B. You’ll still have your LSAT score in time to apply early in the rolling admission process. So, if that chart of practice test scores isn’t progressing as you’d like, you can continue to spend the summer studying and take the next administration. (Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take the LSAT when you wish, on your own schedule, like the GRE? But, no, the LSAT is the holdout: it’s administered just four times each year).
- If the calendar tells you it’s May, and you haven’t been able to put the time in and/or you are just realizing that whatever prep method you chose hasn’t been working for you, think about waiting, withdrawing from the June test, and signing up for September, rather than making a mad dash for the June test and having the score just be a “baseline” that you’ll later need to explain to law schools.
- Don’t forget to register for the LSAT by the deadline, and to register early if you’re trying to get a seat at a popular test center.
- Don’t forget to withdraw from the LSAT by the appropriate deadline for getting a refund or no refund.
- Go in with the mindset of being “one and done” – but if the test doesn’t show your best potential on the exam, try again. There’s a reason you can take it more than once, and even more than twice. There’s no stigma around taking it three times – you may want to explain a score discrepancy in your application, but take the LSAT until you get the right score for you if that’s what it takes for you to get there.
Ann K. Levine is a law school admission consultant and owner of LawSchoolExpert.com. She is the author of The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert and The Law School Decision Game: A Playbook for Prospective Lawyers.
