In my situation, would you choose June or October? Forum

[bluebonnet21]

I took the December LSAT, but I need to retake the test and raise my score. I was planning on taking the June LSAT, but looking at my schedule for the next few months I wonder if that really makes sense.

This semester I am taking 18 hours. The classes aren't especially difficult, but they are project heavy. The semester ends the first week in May, and I will be taking a May mini-mester Intro to Statistics course that is scheduled to be five days a week 4 hours a day of class time. This class is unfortunately not moveable if I want to graduate on time, which I do. After May ends, I will be taking an additional 9-12 hours over the summer, but those will have barely started by the time the June LSAT happens.

In addition to school, I also work 20ish hours a week, and participate in some minorly time-consuming extracurriculars.

If I decide to take in October instead of June, I will not be able to get my applications out as early as I would like. My GPA is about a 3.5 so I need a strong LSAT for the top schools, and so my score will determine some of the places I apply. I also will still be working, and taking classes, but probably 15 hours instead of 18.

June probably makes no sense at all, but I was looking forward to getting it over with, and to taking the test at noon.

Anyone have any opinions for me?

[makingwaves]

My situation is similar... I'm only taking 16 hrs (4 classes at my school) but they are definitely alot of work. In addition i'm working but have a great boss who has a daughter in med-school and remembers her MCAT/application madness and is working with me until the LSAT is over to make sure I have plenty of study time.

I'm taking summer classes as well, but fortunately only one is from mid-May to mid-July and the other starts mid-June (perfect to distract me from the inevitable crazies that will set in while waiting for my score!), and both are online.

I personally think you should take in June... you will only be taking four hours in the summer that interfere with the LSAT, whereas if you wait, you said you'll be back up around 15. I think thats a BIG difference in terms of time to study. You also have to factor in your work schedule and your ECs. You won't have to (i'm assuming) deal with any EC-related things during the month of May, leaving even more time to study vs. if you took in October, you'd be up to your eyebrows in school/ECs/work.


anyway, just my .02!

[bluebonnet21]

Thanks for the advice makingwaves.

Anyone else have any ideas for me?

[CardinalRules]

Taking it in October worked for me during the current cycle; I was grateful to have had the extra preparation and PTs over the summertime. I can't be certain, but I strongly suspect that my score improved by several points over what I would have achieved had I taken it in June.

Get everything else done on your apps before October so that you're ready to send them when the score arrives. If you do, you won't be disadvantaged by waiting to take it until the later date. Just my $.02, obviously.

[kazu]

In your situation I would personally take it in October. The Statistic course sounds like it will take up a lot of your time (20 hours of classes every week, plus time for studying/homework etc.) and taking the LSAT at the beginning of a 15-hour semester should be more manageable than taking it at the end of an 18-hour semester + a "mini-mester".

Also, as long as you get your personal statement done / LORs and transcripts processed, etc. ahead of time, so you can get your apps in before Thanksgiving, I think that's still considered pretty early. Since this is a retake you'll still have a general idea of what your "target" schools are, and if you manage to raise your score those targets will become safeties, your reaches will become targets, etc., so you'll be able to prepare a significant number of your apps beforehand.

I'd just like to add that I took my LSAT in December as well, at the end of an 18-hour semester, and I really regretted making the choice to carry a full classload while studying for the LSAT. I definitely felt like I could have gotten a higher score if I had decided to take 1 or 2 less classes. It really depends - if you do decide to take the June LSAT, and unfortunately you are not able to get the score that you want, will you feel satisfied that you have done everything you could?

[Cupidity]

JUNE....


Seriously, no brainer. Take June, you already have one score, so if you retake a 3rd time in October it won't be a big deal....if you wait until October and anything happens, ie: you get sick, you are boned.