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I'm a little confused on the timeline. I will be a junior at a UC here in California next Fall (2015). Is that when I begin the timeline, in January 2016? Meaning, do I begin studying for the LSAT at that time, so I can apply in Fall 2016, for a Fall 2017 admission? Just wanted to be sure I still have a year before I need to start the LSAT studying process. Thank you for the help, hope it made sense.

You would start ideally during the beginning part of your Junior Spring semester.

RCSOB657 wrote:You would start ideally during the beginning part of your Junior Spring semester.

I took the test junior year in Feb and then in June so I'd be ready to apply by the beginning of my senior year for law schools. However it seems most people take the test September/December of senior year and then apply. Does this help you OP? Really it comes down to taking the test when you're ready, leaving time to retake if necessary, and scoring as high as you can.

RCSOB657 wrote:You would start ideally during the beginning part of your Junior Spring semester.

I would say Junior Spring at the latest (assuming you want to go right after you graduate)

If you're not opposed to an undisclosed test (which honestly I'm not sure why so many people are), I would try studying in the Summer before Junior/Junior Fall - take the Feb LSAT with June as a backup and then spend Summer before Senior year studying for another retake, personal statement etc. I would aim to be done in September - aim early because things will inevitably go wrong (LOR comes in late, etc.) and this way even if you are later than what you are aiming for you're not actually late. Don't forget to ask for things like LORs early!

Good luck

ChemEng1642 wrote:

RCSOB657 wrote:I would aim to be done in September - aim early because things will inevitably go wrong (LOR comes in late, etc.) and this way even if you are later than what you are aiming for you're not actually late.

One of my LOR took 13 weeks from when I asked her to when she submitted. It was 3 weeks after the soft 'deadline' I gave her. This is wise information.

Thanks for the help guys. So if I apply in my senior year, so I can go right into LS after I graduate, do LS's consider your Senior grades when calculating the GPA?

O.J. wrote:Thanks for the help guys. So if I apply in my senior year, so I can go right into LS after I graduate, do LS's consider your Senior grades when calculating the GPA?

I applied with my transcript ending in June of my junior year, but I'm going to update them as I get more grades. They obviously see your junior year grades and will likely make a decision, even if a preliminary one, before you get senior year grades. Besides, it's unlikely your GPA will rise too much (let's hope it doesn't bottom-out though).

Hmm, Well it seems I might wait an additional school year and apply late in my senior year. I really need them to calculate my senior year grades, because I'm dealing with multiple W's from a community college several years back. Since then, 3.8. But those W's will kill it, so my senior grades will knock me back up, hopefully.

Thanks again for all the help, guys.

If you're at a UC you're probably on the quarter system and won't have any second or third quarter grades to apply with, as app deadlines will hit before winter quarter grades come out. Your best bet is to get straight A's the rest of the way and apply the year after you graduate. Find anything to do in the meantime.

imKMart wrote:

ChemEng1642 wrote:

RCSOB657 wrote:I would aim to be done in September - aim early because things will inevitably go wrong (LOR comes in late, etc.) and this way even if you are later than what you are aiming for you're not actually late.

One of my LOR took 13 weeks from when I asked her to when she submitted. It was 3 weeks after the soft 'deadline' I gave her. This is wise information.

Yeah I approached my LOR writer in April with a deadline of September 1st and didn't get it until early October or something...

Hey guys, quick update with a question.

I just found out I can finish my upper division courses to graduate next Spring, 2016, a year early (dropping my minor). This of course changes everything. I originally thought I would graduate in 2017. However this also means I have to take 16 units per quarter this year, leaving me little time to cram for LSAT.

What do you think is the best approach for me now, considering I haven't even began to study for LSAT yet, let alone anything else in the process I should have started in January? Am I way behind the gun, or is there a way to map out a reasonable plan to study and nail the LSAT while taking 16-18 units per quarter?

Thanks for the help! I'm thinking of buying the LSAT Trainer this week and just diving in before my upcoming Summer courses.

Take a year or two off

Nope. I'm a non-trad, already taken too many years off in the past, lol.