Taking the LSAT freshman year Forum

[gopz]

Hi,

I just finished my freshman year of college at university of toronto. I have literally nothing to do this summer except for taking 2 summer courses and I'd really like to take the LSAT September of this year. I'm not going to say I'm 100% sure I want to be a lawyer, because that would be naive and obviously I may may change my mind after a few years. I know it's early, and I understand that there are no advantages at all to taking the test this early. There will also be major issues if I do poorly on the test (Will run out of PTs, score expires in 5 years, etc.). However, I'm bored, lonely and don't want to spend my summer playing video games. If I bomb the test, I'll accept responsibility for it.

So, given that I do take the test in September, and score well on said test, is there any disadvantage to having a strong LSAT score that is 3-4 years old when I apply to law school? Will I receive lots of criticism for taking the LSAT this early? I am planning to apply as a kjd or after a year of WE.

[Alexandros]

Don't do this. Find a different way to spend your summer.

Take the LSAT when you've gotten some life experience and are 100% sure you want to be a lawyer, and won't risk having it expire on you when you want to apply.

[personofinterest]

I agree you should find something else to do over the summer, but I don't see much downside in taking the LSAT if you do it on the side of something else (don't make LSAT your summer thing). You probably shouldn't take all/most of the practice tests, though. If you did 3-4 practice tests and then took the test, that would be fine. GL if you take it!

[Platopus]

If you did 3-4 practice tests and then took the test, that would be fine. GL if you take it!

This is bad advice. OP has absolutely no reason to take the test, doing so especially without adequate preparation confers absolutely no benefit. Even if schools completely and wholly disregard this first test, there is no reason to waste money on taking the test.

[Milksteak]

I would just be concerned that you might change your mind about when you want to go to law school. I planned to go to law school about 2 years out of school and am in 1L 5 years out. If I had taken the LSAT that early I would have to retake, which would really suck. If your bored, don't need to get a job and want to be productive, I would do something else, like volunteer/intern somewhere, learn to code or a learn a foreign language. If you do take it I don't think schools will really care when. They just want that high number. In any event, don't sacrifice any grades for this score. I had retake a third time because of a mediocre GPA and that was way harder that if I had just worked a little harder sophomore year of school. Good luck with your choice.

[personofinterest]

If you did 3-4 practice tests and then took the test, that would be fine. GL if you take it!

This is bad advice. OP has absolutely no reason to take the test, doing so especially without adequate preparation confers absolutely no benefit. Even if schools completely and wholly disregard this first test, there is no reason to waste money on taking the test.

Hmm. I mean, there is no good reason to take it, but OP sounds like they really want to. I figured the above advice might scratch the itch. I agree that it won't really help OP get into law school, I just don't think it will hurt (unless OP is a yale candidate or something).

[Platopus]

I just don't think it will hurt (unless OP is a yale candidate or something).

True, only Yale would really care. But spending the $, wasting fresh material, possible getting discouraged all seem to outweigh any potential upside.

[Npret]

Hi,

I just finished my freshman year of college at university of toronto. I have literally nothing to do this summer except for taking 2 summer courses and I'd really like to take the LSAT September of this year. I'm not going to say I'm 100% sure I want to be a lawyer, because that would be naive and obviously I may may change my mind after a few years. I know it's early, and I understand that there are no advantages at all to taking the test this early. There will also be major issues if I do poorly on the test (Will run out of PTs, score expires in 5 years, etc.). However, I'm bored, lonely and don't want to spend my summer playing video games. If I bomb the test, I'll accept responsibility for it.

So, given that I do take the test in September, and score well on said test, is there any disadvantage to having a strong LSAT score that is 3-4 years old when I apply to law school? Will I receive lots of criticism for taking the LSAT this early? I am planning to apply as a kjd or after a year of WE.

If you are KJD then get some work experience, volunteer do other things for your apps. You'll need a strong personal statement and a better life story then the one you are telling here to improve your app.
One more reason: school's are going to start taking the GRE for admissions. But if you have an LSAT they have to report that score. So you should wait and see if the GRE might work for you by the time you actually apply.

Harvard has a program where juniors can apply. Wait until then at the earliest. They take the GRE score.

[blueapple]

Get a summer job doing literally anything. Serve some ice cream.

If you take the LSAT now, you are locking yourself into going straight to (or almost straight to) law school or at least feeling pressured to do so before your score expires. That's a bad idea and could bring you to make a rash decision down the line. There is NO reason you need to take the test now and "because I'm bored" is not a reason.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Hi OP - this is the same as the thread you started in the LSAT forum, and we don't do duplicate threads, so I'm going to lock this one.