ideal time to take the LSAT Forum

[barberiolisa]

Alright, I am planning on applying to law school Fall 2013 and will graduate in May.

That said, I want to fully prepare for the LSAT as much as possible to achieve the greatest score that I can. Its been often said that most prepare 3-6 months before the exam, and I am going to start now, and that leaves me:

10 months for the December 2013 LSAT

8 months for the October 2013 LSAT

4 months for the June 2013 LSAT

and 1 year for the February 2014 LSAT


Many have said that if you study for 1 year and wait until next February that, that is so late in the cycle.

And people even discourage against the December LSAT, and deem it being too late.


So.....

By October 2013, with my grades in order and taking the LSAT then, lets say that I get a fairly decent (score) but not one I would like, WOULD it be a bad idea to start applying then and then retaking the LSAT for a higher score either December 13 or Feb 14?

Appreciate any thoughts....please try not to be overly negative.

[nickb285]

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[ManOfTheMinute]

I really wanted to thank you for counting all the months for me, it really saved me some valuable time.

I decided I wanted to take the LSAT in early May, and I took it in mid-June. I re-decided that I wanted to go to law school in late december, and didn't apply until early January. My cycle hasn't gone horrible, but I wouldn't worry about the dates so much. Start taking practice tests. When you feel that you are no longer getting a lot better/hit a plateau, register for the LSAT. Nothing wrong with waiting a little longer, but you should be able to do October.

I, unlike another poster above me, recommend against taking the June LSAT with the contingency of re-taking in October. I do not think it looks good...

[PRgradBYU]

And people even discourage against the December LSAT, and deem it being too late.

I took the December LSAT and have already heard back from half of the schools I applied to. Don't let people tell you December is too late; if you've got the numbers, you'll have a decent shot and shouldn't be negatively affected too bad.

February on the other hand...

[Power Clean]

I, unlike another poster above me, recommend against taking the June LSAT with the contingency of re-taking in October. I do not think it looks good...

Hmm, why's that exactly?

Edit: If retakes don't matter, wouldn't taking it in June allow for the possibility of a retake in October (in the case that you need one), while still allowing for your application to be submitted ED, EA, or simply just "early" in the cycle?

[Crowing]

If your PTs look good by June, go for June. If not, October is fine. December is really pushing it and doesn't leave you a viable retake for the cycle if you bomb it.

[Hyee]

If you value your sleep, take it in June. Most people don't sleep too well the night before the test anyway. Also, ability to retake, etc.

[bp shinners]

If you're studying now, and want to apply next cycle, I would take the test in June (assuming that you've made significant improvements from your cold diagnostic score by then), see what your score is, retake in October if necessary. Then you can see how much you improved and whether you're in a good place to apply. If you just need one or two more points, you can retake in December, or if you don't feel like you're ready by then, take the cycle off and study your ass off till February/June 2014 and apply in the 2014/2015 cycle.

This is the recommended course of action. I don't know why the post below this one said this plan looks bad; it doesn't.

June's the best LSAT because it's in the afternoon, and it allows you to retake in October (if necessary) and still get your apps out by Halloween.

December's not a death sentence, and if you're going to see a higher score there than in October, go for it. But you have more than enough time to prep for an earlier LSAT.

With this much time, don't prep for next February to apply to start later that year. Bad idea all around.

[TTH]

If you have the time to really dedicate to LSAT prep, you can prep fully for the LSAT in a month or two. I think much longer than that (certainly anything more than three months), and you'll start to plateau. Also, if you spend too much time prepping and obsessing over it, it's going to fuck with your confidence. Take the June test so that you can retake in October if you need to.