October 1 Applications vs. Late October Applications Forum

[Ocean64]

I have a question for you guys, I'm new and don't know much so bear with me. my question is...

How big of a difference would it make if i were to take the LSAT in June vs. October 1 from applications stand point?

given the fact that it will only be a few weeks of difference in submitting my application, because the schools i wanna apply to pretty much all start processing applications in October, and I'd still be eligible to at least some ED programs with the October test.

Also..if i have everything ready by the time my October score comes back (such as personal statement, LORs, Resume, etc..) how long would it take me to fully complete my application? how much of an advantage would i stand to lose at that point vs. the June LSAT?


Thanks in advance to anyone who will be kind enough to advice this noob lol....any opinions would help!

[tdicks]

i'm new to this as well and had a similar debate with myself. from what i've read though, even though schools might not start processing applications until october/november, they process them in the order they were received. i'd check to see if you could find out how important applying early is at the schools you're looking at.

i guess the more important point to consider would be if you're ready to take the june lsat? if you took it in june you'd have time to retake in october. but if you take it in june and bomb because you were underprepared, and then do way better in october after sufficient prep time, my impression is that you'd be better off only having the october score.

fwiw, i decided on the june test.

[flexityflex86]

1 POINT ON THE LSAT > 30 DAYS

[Ocean64]

so then... 2 points on LSAT > 60 days and so on?...jk lol

what frustrates me is that I can't know for sure how much better i would be after 4 more months of practice...granted I was pretty weak to begin with and I've already been absent to the december LSAT cuz i just wasn't ready then, and i wouldn't wanna do a cancellation or even a retake, i just feel like my record is already tarnished enough lol

[YaSvoboden]

Do you have a goal for your LSAT score? Are you consistently PTing near that goal? if so go for the June, otherwise wait til Oct.

I am currently in a bit of a debate on this myself. I was just aiming for Oct because I started real practice late, but my last few tests have been around what I set as a goal. So I am considering just powering through the next month and taking the test and maybe being done with it, but if I can pull an extra 2-3 points by waiting til Oct, that would probably mean $$$ or getting up to the next tier of schools. I have only done 7 tests though, and everything on here says to do 30 or more. I am happy that I saw that jump, it is just confusing.

So I may not follow my own advice above. But if you are where you want to be and have put in ample study time, I say go for it and have it done in June. From what I understand, having them in by Nov 1 is early enough to get essentially the same benefit as an Oct 1 app.

[krasivaya]

On a different note, can you have all your stuff ready and then decide *not* to apply if your October LSAT isn't adequate? Can LSAC just hold your LoR's and transcripts until the next cycle?

[bp shinners]

On a different note, can you have all your stuff ready and then decide *not* to apply if your October LSAT isn't adequate? Can LSAC just hold your LoR's and transcripts until the next cycle?

Of course.

As to the original post, if you expect a higher score with the October LSAT, take that one. Just make sure that all of your other materials are good to go on the day they release the scores. Most people apply around Christmas Break, so you'll still be ahead of the curve.

[Ocean64]

I've studied plenty but I just haven't taken nearly enough timed PT's just like the poster above, and I seem to inch my way slowly the more timed sections i do. with about a month to go till the June test is it possible or advisable to do a full 5 section PT everyday?

...this question has been on my mind for a while, I think i should make a new post about it in the LSAT section of the forum in case others are also wondering.

[bdubs]

Will you apply to the same schools regardless of how your score comes out? If the answer is yes (which it shouldn't be in most cases), then its fine to take in October and have all of your things ready. If the answer is no, then I still think you should take in October but be realistic about getting your applications in between late October into November.

[Xifeng]

This thread has information from last year about people's application times/when they heard back, if that would interest you at all: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=137012

[Ocean64]

thing is I feel like my potential has been capped and sealed by my GPA, so a better LSAT may give me more $$ but I'm not sure about being able to move up through school ranks....btw which GPA do law schools use from LSAC....the "Degree (Summary) GPA" or the "Cumulative GPA"?.....I transferred to university from a community college, so I'm wondering.

[glitched]

thing is I feel like my potential has been capped and sealed by my GPA, so a better LSAT may give me more $$ but I'm not sure about being able to move up through school ranks....btw which GPA do law schools use from LSAC....the "Degree (Summary) GPA" or the "Cumulative GPA"?.....I transferred to university from a community college, so I'm wondering.

cumulative.

[northwood]

I've studied plenty but I just haven't taken nearly enough timed PT's just like the poster above, and I seem to inch my way slowly the more timed sections i do. with about a month to go till the June test is it possible or advisable to do a full 5 section PT everyday?

...this question has been on my mind for a while, I think i should make a new post about it in the LSAT section of the forum in case others are also wondering.

NO. doing that many pts most likely will lead to burnout. plus you will be just turning and buring and most likely not reviewing each test effectively ( and thus not be able to see your mistakes and learn from them). I advise a max of 2 per week. that way you can review and fine tune your weak areas on non test days- and you will be able to rest if you feel burnt out. Also- if you do have to re take you will be saving material for later use.

[czelede]

The important questions are:

1. How close to your goal are you PT-ing now?
2. Is it imperative that you attend this cycle

For me, June is ideal to take the test because you can retake in October and not have to sit out a year. If you aren't ready for June, however, just wait until October, give it your best go, and either adjust your expectation of schools, enjoy the results, or retake and reapply the following year.

FWIW, in the last month before LSATs I did about 3 tests per week. In the last two weeks I did 5-6 per week. Converse to TLS wisdom, I did a PT the day before my actual test. But this isn't necessarily what most people should do - the point is here to figure out what works for you. How many you can do per week will depend on what your weak spots are and whether what you are trying to improve on can be done with brute practice alone. It's hard to tell any of this without knowing your current PT score, your diagnostic, and your goal. Different things work for different people, so its important that you understand your optimal method of learning with the LSAT.

[Ocean64]

my PTs are in the low 150's now, and I'm certain I can do better with more practice, so instead of burning out or blowing through PTs, I've decided to wait till October. come test day I wanna feel like I did everything i possibly could, regardless of the outcome.