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.

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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.

Is there a case to be made for taking the February test as a first-time test-taker?

There’s a general consensus that to be fully prepared for the LSAT and to have a score in hand at the most advantageous time during the admissions cycle that June is the best time to take the LSAT. That’s certainly our position for most students; here’s why.

However, there may be good reasons to consider studying and taking the February test. The majority of February test-takers are those looking to raise their scores from the December test or VERY last-minute applicants. But there’s nothing wrong or different about taking the February test the year before you intend to start law school. (To be clear: if you’d like to start law school in 2011, the February 2011 LSAT would be a poor choice; I’m making the case that it might be worthwhile to take the February 2011 LSAT to matriculate in Fall 2012).

Here’s why you might consider the February exam:

• The June exam falls right in your finals week or the week before finals. Many schools on the quarter system fall into this trap. If that’s the case, it would be much better to take the February exam than the October exam (for the same reasons it’s better to take the June exam rather than February).
• You’ll be travelling over the summer or will be otherwise indisposed in the months leading up to June. I’m not one to believe that LSAT prep cannot be worked into busy schedules, but if you just know April-June will be packed, might as well get the test out of the way.
• You want to take advantage of the winter break if you’re a student. Those 3 weeks of freedom can be incredibly helpful. Hint: this only works if you actually study over winter break. We’ve seen many students promise to knock out hours of study a day only to be caught up with family activities.

There’s still plenty of time to prepare for the February test as of mid-October; however, if this is an option you’d like to consider you should begin prepping no later than mid-November. You can’t let February LSAT prep slide until winter break.

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.

Photo credit jamesjordan under a Creative Commons license.

Editors note: Please click to our updated post if you are looking for 2012-2013 LSAT dates.

For those intrepid test-takers planning ahead, the dates for the 2011-2012 LSAT cycle have been released. Supplementary dates like registration deadlines or location-change deadlines won’t be released until December according to Chris at LSAC.

Upcoming LSAT Dates:

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.

The real truth? Maybe Harvard isn't right for you.

Survey says no.

A fascinating article was just released that should help 0L’s as they think through their law school choices. In short, the paper argues that it’s rarely a good idea to attend a law school to which you just barely got in. The reason is that grades are of relatively more importance than prestige in predicting future career outcomes.

This makes sense intuitively as long as the spread between schools isn’t too wide; no one would recommend choosing a third-tier over Harvard. But a student who just barely got into the #10 school might be well-advised to consider that financial aid offer from the #20 school. Top students from nearly all law schools will have interesting options for their first job; much better to be top 10% at Boston College than bottom 10% at Georgetown, according to this research.

In order to accept this advice, potential law students will have to let go of one misconception I see all the time–that they are virtually guaranteed to be in the top 10% of their class. As you think through your school decision, just remember that at the best school you were admitted to, most of the students will have higher GPA’s and LSAT scores, and most will be just as hardworking.

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.