Many students call us for advice about what to do once they’ve received a low LSAT score once or twice.

To be clear about our terms, we’re talking about scores <145. (This post won’t be for students who expected a 170 and ended up with a 165). That cutoff is a good metric because it tends to be the lower quartile of Tier 4 schools. To be clear, that means that some Tier 4 schools will accept at least a few students under that mark, but you’d better have an outstanding GPA (and be willing to pay full price at one of the nation’s lowest-ranked schools).

Retaking the LSAT

Most importantly, you need to think about what you can do to raise your LSAT score. If you scored 3+ points lower than you’d scored in practice, you might be able to raise your score just by working hard between now and the next test and having a better test day performance.

But if you were practicing in the 140 range and scored a 140, you need to think about what else you can do. You can consider professional prep; for example, Next Step has helped hundreds of students with one one-on-one tutoring program make the jump from the low 140′s to the high 140′s or 150′s.

Just know that if you keep doing what you did before, you’re likely to get the same results. Yes, this means that if you took a prep course and it didn’t help, re-taking the class, even for free, will likely not help. (We know this from experience, not just common sense).

If you’ve already taken the LSAT multiple times and did your best to study, it’s time to have a serious discussion with yourself about your future plans. Even if it were possible to sneak into one of the lower-ranked schools, you would be coming in towards the bottom of their class.

Conditional Programs

Some schools have conditional acceptance programs. Often, this means that you’ll be required to attend some kind of summer institute, from which they will admit some of the students that do well. These programs are a good-faith effort by the law schools to find students that could succeed in school despite poor scores, but you must still be careful.

First, make sure to find out how many students are admitted from these programs. If it’s something like 20% (which we’ve heard from many programs), please, please be honest with yourself that this means that you in particular have a 20% chance. We see far too many students certain that they’ll be the #1 student, only to find out that everyone else has that intention as well.

Waiting a Year

This is an option that too few students seriously consider. In particular, we see many students that rush to take the LSAT because they either did not plan ahead or decided at the last minute to go to law school. (Neither of these are good ideas, by the way). If you did not spend 3-5 months studying intensly for the LSAT (10+ hours per week), you probably did not get the score you might have.

Going to a good school for the right price is incredibly important. You should very seriously take a year off to work and prepare for the test.

However, we’ve seen people take this too far as well. The best way to prepare for the LSAT is to study intensely (10+ hours per week) for 3-5 months. If you don’t get the score you want, work hard for 2 more months and retake. After that, you probably have the score you’re destined to receive. We’ve spoken to students who claim to have been studying for over 4 years — don’t let that be your fate.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for about the price of a crowded lecture-style prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

Students starting their LSAT prep often have questions about what their scores actually mean, including:

• What is a good LSAT score?
• What do all the scores reported mean?
• How do I know what law schools think of my score?

Your LSAT score is made up of 3 components sent to you on your score report.

Raw LSAT Score

Raw LSAT score is simply the number of correct responses across the 4 scored sections, added up. Generally there are 99-101 questions on any particular LSAT, so this number is very close to your percentage of right answers.

Scaled LSAT Score

Scaled scores are on a band from 120-180. When people refer to your LSAT score, this is the number they are talking about. The LSAT applies a formula that differs slightly on different test forms to convert raw scores to scaled scores. (When you hear LSAT nerds talk about “the curve,” this conversion is what they mean.)

LSAT Percentile Score

Your percentile is the percent of test-takers that scored lower than you on that particular form.

What do LSAT Scores Mean?

Here is an example scoring scale; as mentioned this differs from test to test, but only slightly. If you got 55 questions right, your score would be 151, and 48% of students would have scored lower than you.

151 is generally the average score. It’s important to note that the LSAT is scored on a standard bell curve. Most students will score between 140 and 160, each a standard deviation from the mean of 151. Note that while many students start with a goal of a 170+ score, only very few students can accomplish that goal in a given year.

How do School Interpret My LSAT Score?

Here’s a list of Chicago-area law schools. All of this data is available from the Law School Admissions Council and on the websites of particular schools, so do some research on the schools you are targeting.

Let’s take the University of Chicago, a top-ranked school, as an example. For this year, the 75% LSAT was 173. This means that 75% of students scored 173 or lower (and 25% scored above 173). Similarly, the 25% LSAT is 169, meaning that 25% scored 169 or below. Therefore, the middle 50% of their class was between 173 and 169. To be competitive atChicago, you would want to have an LSAT in that range. Do note that 25% of their class had below a 169, but these students likely had a combination of near-perfect GPAs and very outstanding soft factors.

GPA numbers work in a similar way; the middle 50% of Chicago’s admitted class was between 3.84 and 3.63.

One note on GPA. You’ll often hear GPA discussed as “UGPA,” with the U standing for undergraduate. The LSAC determines this number, including your grades from all institutions you attended. LSAC also weights the GPA slightly (though it’s hard to say exactly how). Your official UGPA, then, will often be slightly different from that reported by your bachelors-granting institution.

Graduate GPA is not taken into account in determining this number. However, law school admissions committees will certainly examine your graduate school performance. Excellent marks in a MA program are likely to at least somewhat balance lower grades in undergrad.

Hopefully that gives you a good idea of what scores mean. The best place to start is to take a practice exam and see where your score falls related to your goals. For a link to a free practice test, email us at lsat@nextsteptestprep.com with “Practice Test” in the subject line and your name and year in school in the body.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for about the price of a crowded lecture-style prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

LSAC just announced a modification on the long-standing “3 in 2″ policy — students generally cannot take the LSAT more than three times in any 2 consecutive test cycles (June through February). However, students used to be able to ask specific schools to petition to LSAC. No longer. Here’s the official policy:

We also have a change in the policy related to applicants who wish to take the LSAT more than three times in two years. Applicants may not take the LSAT more than three times in any two-year period. This policy applies even if the applicant cancels their score or if the score is not otherwise reported. LSAC reserves the right to cancel the applicant’s registration, rescind their admission ticket, or take any other steps necessary to enforce this policy.  Previously, candidates could request a waiver of this policy from law schools.  That no longer will be possible.  Instead, in exceptional circumstances only, candidates can ask LSAC directly for a waiver of this policy.  More information about the limitations on test taking is available here:http://www.lsac.org/JD/LSAT/about-the-LSAT.asp

So, LSAC is getting more serious about enforcing this rule. Don’t bank on being one of the students in “exceptional circumstances.” To be clear it’s never been a good idea to try to take the LSAT more than three times, but now it’s looking to be nearing an impossibility.

Just another reason to study smart and be completely ready to take the test just once.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for around the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

Deciding when to take the LSAT is more complicated than it looks at first. We definitely want students to take the June LSAT when possible. When that’s not possible, it’s very important to plan for the October LSAT. This is fresh in my mind because we’ve recently had several students call in planning to start studying in early summer for the December LSAT so they could “have more time to study.” This is a bad idea. Here’s why you should take the October LSAT when you have the chance.

• Law schools roll their admissions. This means that the earlier you have your applications in, the better. That said, students that apply in mid-to-late November are definitely fine. This means that taking the October LSAT is probably ok. And, really, taking the December LSAT is probably not too late except that…
• Retakes happen for all sorts of reasons. Students should plan to take the LSAT only once. Nevertheless, there’s certainly a  possibility that something will go wrong even for the most prepared students, such as illness or personal emergency. These events can’t be prepared for, btu they can be planned around. It’s critical to take an LSAT that leaves you the opportunity to retake of something doesn’t work out.
• February is too late. Yes, schools will tell you that they’ll accept your applications up to a deadline in March or April. What they don’t tell you is that the vast majority of their seats have been filled by that time.

All that said, students who don’t start studying until August won’t have much of a choice. Again the December test is not a deal-breaker; you just hve to make darn sure to not come down with the flu that week.

One of the classic mistakes of LSAT-takers is to chose a test date, then let studies slip because you can technically take a later test. This is a terrible LSAT affliction that needs to be overcome. Pick an early test, take the test, once, get a great score, and apply to school.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for less than the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

LSAT testing dates have been released for the 2012 to 2013 test cycle for those of you planning ahead.

LSAT Test Dates

Monday, June 11, 2012: 12:30 PM

Saturday, October 6, 2012: 8:30 AM
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 (Sabbath observers)

Saturday, December 1, 2012: 8:30 AM
Monday, December 3, 2012 (Sabbath observers)

Saturday, February 9, 2013: 8:30 AM
Monday, February 11 (Sabbath observers)

If you’re planning this far ahead, here’s why you should plan to take the June LSAT.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for less than the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

Or: The case for waiting a year

Most readers know that the February 2011 LSAT is the last stand for those looking to start school in Fall 2011. For those of you who receive a great score on this exam, as always, is congratulations! For those of you with a borderline or disappointing score, here are some considerations:

• Waiting a year is often a great option. In fact, for many it could be an only option as admissions can be tough to come by this late in the cycle. A year off can give potential applicants a great opportunity to not only improve their LSAT but add some great work experience as well. Applying for 2012, you’ll have the opportunity to prepare for the June test for several months and get applications in at the begining of the application season rather than the very end, a big advantage.
• The June LSAT should be out as an option for those looking to apply in 2011. It just isn’t going to happen for accredited, full-time applicants that aren’t already on a school’s waitlist.
• June LSATs can sway wait list decisions, but don’t count on it. Last year Next Step had a student that was wait-listed at UNC Chapel Hill. He was able to improve his LSAT by several points on the June test, and the week after scores were released he was in with a partial tuition grant. However, this is the exception rather than the rule.
• That said, one great strategy would be to prepare for the June test with the intention of applying for 2012, and just keep in your back pocket that if you are on a few wait lists, a great score might put you over the top.

It’s hard to overestimate how important hitting the right time in the admissions process can be. We’ve seen dozens of students that are crushed by the idea of waiting a year to go to school. However, in the current legal hiring market it’s even more important to make sure you go to the highest value (prestige/cost) law school you possibly can. Waiting a year won’t kill your career, and it can make a big difference in your law school options.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for less than the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

Image credit: talesofrachael

Many students over the years have asked whether they should take the June or September (this year, October) LSAT.  My suggestion is that generally June is better, but it’s worthwhile going into detail as there are some exceptions. This is assuming that the student wants to apply in 2011 for 2012 admissions.

June LSAT Pros

• Maximum flexibility. This is the big one.  Students who take the June test have the option of re-taking the text in October if need be, and still having applications in early in the admissions cycle. Students who first take the test in October and must re-take in December are behind in the admissions cycle.
• Afternoon exam. The June test begins in the afternoon, the only test to do so. If you are legitimately not a morning person, this can be a great advantage.

June LSAT Cons

• Other obligations. A pre-law adviser at a top-10 university told me that she doesn’t recommend that her students take the June LSAT because it’s administered in the middle of their exam period (they are on the quarters system). If you are taking a demanding class load, it may make sense to wait and do prep over the summer.  (The caveat to this — some people are just “always busy.” If you’re one of these people, it’s still better to take it early all else being equal.)
• Do or die. A student told me that her pre-law adviser always recommends that students take the September test. He believes that students who take the June test don’t put forth maximum effort because they can “always retake in September.” I think this is bad advice.  The reason students should take the June test is exactly that.  A lot of things can go wrong on an LSAT other than students’ being too lazy to study.  If you plan to take the October test and your car breaks down, you get the flu, a relative falls ill, etc you can really hurt your admissions chances for that year.

So, unless you have an incredibly demanding schedule the next 3 months, the June test is the way to go.

Of course, either option is better than taking the December test — here’s a post on why.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for less than the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

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Bonus: picture of a kitty.

We all know that waiting for your LSAT score to be released is incredibly difficult. LSAC hasn’t helped students out this year by still holding back scores as of the AM of January 6. However, it’s critical to use this time effectively in moving towards admissions.

The challenge, of course, is that it’s hard to finalize your final target schools list without having your final LSAT score. This holds true both for students who were first-time December takers and those hoping for a significant score increase on a retake. However, it’s pretty likely that you’ll be able to figure out part of your list, and there are other things you can be doing as well.

• Finalize your personal statement. In recent years, schools have started asking for a wider variety of statements from students, including personal statements, professional statements, specific essay requirements (the Yale 250 being the most well-known), diversity statements, and various option addenda. However, most students will still need to draft
• Prepare admissions material at for-sure schools. Let’s say your last score was a 165 and you’re freezing with us here in Chicago. You’re in great shape for schools like Loyola or Chicago-Kent, but are on the low end for Northwestern or U. of Chicago. You might as well get everything finalized at the schools that are now mid-range schools but will become safety schools if your LSAT improves.
• Finalize recommendations. If you haven’t done this, make certain that your professors and bosses are well on their way to getting their recs in.
• Plan campus visits. Especially if you don’t have to book airfare to local schools, this is a great time to think about or actually go on campus visits to a few of your prospect schools.
• Read nerdy law school prep books. I’m talking One L and Paper Chase, not your future Torts book.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for less than the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

Image courtesy Eye of Einstein

December LSAT scores should come out in late December or very early January. Here are some thoughts for how to interpret those scores once released.

For those students who were happy with their scores, congratulations! Hopefully you’ve been perfecting your personal statement and other application material so your LSAT score is the last piece to fall into place.

For others, there are some tough decisions to make. The challenge for December test-takers is that the application schedule becomes a challenge. Waiting for Februrary test scores can really put a damper on your admissions chances. So, there are four choices:

• Apply with your disappointing score and hope for the best
• Apply with your current score but plan to re-take the test in February
• Wait to apply until February scores come back
• Wait until next year

Option 1: Apply with your lower-than-expected LSAT Score

This is a personal call. You’ve reviewed the numbers at your target schools, right? If your LSAT score doesn’t stack up, you simply can’t expect to be admitted there unless there’s something fabulous in your application. It may be time to re-evaluate your list of schools. Would you be happy going to schools one tier lower than you’d expected?

Option 2: Apply with your current score but plan to re-take

This involves submitting your application, but informing admissions offices that they should expect an updated score your application until they receive the updated score. The challenge here is that you’ll still be towards the bottom of the pile. However, if you’re applying to a school that simply wouldn’t admit you with your current score, this is likely the only strategy for being admitted this year.

One aspect that students often miss is considering how much they can expect to improve in the scant month or so between December scores coming out and the February LSAT date. If you feel that your performance was due to a particularly poor showing, illness, or the like, you likely can improve significantly with a retake. However, if you were simply not prepared in December, a month is likely not enough to help you reach your maximum score.

Option 3: Wait to apply until February

This one is a challenge. You’re really pushing deadlines and putting yourself in contention for very few available seats. The move here is to call admissions offices and ask how they interpret February scores. Chances are they’ll say they accept them but prefer earlier scores. You should take that advice seriously.

Option 4: Wait until next Year

If you really think there’s still room to improve on the LSAT, it’s very likely worth your time to step back and re-evaluate. If you wait, you’ll have the chance to prepare completely for the June test and apply early in the application season.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for less than the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.

Scores from the October 2010 LSAT are likely to be released this Friday and over the weekend. For those of you who got the scores you wanted, congratulations! (You’re also probably not reading this). Students that were disappointed in their scores should consider a retake. Here are the key factors that go into that decision.

How do you know if you should retake?

• There was some extraneous circumstance, like you were shorted on time, ill, or misbubbled (and for some reason you didn’t cancel)
• Your score was significantly lower (>2 points) than the average of your final 3 full prep-tests
• You didn’t devote yourself to a complete course of study (i.e. you worked through LSAT for Dummies and took one full real practice test)

If you got a score that’s comfortably in the range of your past prep tests and you devoted 3+ months to studying the first time, you probably shouldn’t retake. Students that have a vague sense that they “could do better” rarely improve much, and it’s probably time to get on with the admissions process with the score you have.

You should also consider how taking the next test will position you in the admissions cycle.  For those who took the September 2009 test, having to wait for a December score could put you at a serious disadvantage in the rolling admissions cycle of very competitive schools if you plan on entering in 2010.  That said, if you are able to raise your score by even 2-3 points, you’ll on net have a better admissions portfolio

If you simply weren’t prepared, well, work harder! But for students that thought they were ready for the test, make sure you think about your retake studying strategically. Looking through the same books again or re-taking a prep course is unlikely to help much in our experience.

Next Step Test Preparation provides complete courses of one-on-one tutoring with an LSAT expert for less than the price of a commercial prep course. Email us or call 888-530-NEXT (6398) for a complimentary consultation.