Which LSAT to take if going straight through? Forum

[Paraflam]

Sorry if this has been addressed before, I couldn't find anything in a search though. I'm just wondering which test date students who go straight from undergrad to law school typically take the LSAT on. June seems inconvenient since you'd still be in school, studying for finals, etc. during the time that you'd be studying for the LSAT. October seems too late in the process if schools start accepting applications on September 1st and you want to get your application in as early as possible, but also allows you to study for the test during the summer. However, if you want to retake after sitting for the test in Oct., wouldn't the December LSAT be much too late in the admissions cycle to be submitting a score to schools? I've really got no idea, just hoping someone can fill me in on how the timeline of all this typically works. Thank you!

[Knock]

Sorry if this has been addressed before, I couldn't find anything in a search though. I'm just wondering which test date students who go straight from undergrad to law school typically take the LSAT on. June seems inconvenient since you'd still be in school, studying for finals, etc. during the time that you'd be studying for the LSAT. October seems too late in the process if schools start accepting applications on September 1st and you want to get your application in as early as possible, but also allows you to study for the test during the summer. However, if you want to retake after sitting for the test in Oct., wouldn't the December LSAT be much too late in the admissions cycle to be submitting a score to schools? I've really got no idea, just hoping someone can fill me in on how the timeline of all this typically works. Thank you!

June is best, you can apply really early if you get the score you want, or retake in October and still get your apps in pretty early if you need to.

[OGR3]

If you're a junior right now, I'd say taking the February test next year is also an option if you're worried about stress during finals.

[bostonlawchick]

That stinks you're still in school in June. The June test is ideal because you have plenty of time to study for a retake if need be. There just isn't a lot of time to improve between October and December. Personally I took one less class than usual that semester and just treated LSAT studying like an extra class. Totally manageable if you start studying early. Plus the test is in the afternoon so you'll have time to relax in the morning. I had a midterm the morning of my test, which I wouldn't wish on anyone. You could probably get a teacher to reschedule things like that though.

[northwood]

if you are a junior take the test in october. that will give you enough time to prep over teh summer, and if you dont like your performance on the test you can still take it in december

[Paraflam]

I'm actually a sophomore right now, I am just trying to put together somewhat of a timeline of when I will begin studying, which prep class/study method I'll use, etc. since I know time is going to fly by. Our finals are the first week of May, which would leave me about a month of solid studying once I'm home from school. I was hoping for closer to two months of preparation, but I really like bostonlawchick's idea of taking one less class that semester to allow for more time to study. Thanks for the suggestion!

[northwood]

start studying over this summer. You have some time before you are going to apply, so i would focus on keeping your gpa high, and enjoying undergrad life.

[Knock]

I'm actually a sophomore right now, I am just trying to put together somewhat of a timeline of when I will begin studying, which prep class/study method I'll use, etc. since I know time is going to fly by. Our finals are the first week of May, which would leave me about a month of solid studying once I'm home from school. I was hoping for closer to two months of preparation, but I really like bostonlawchick's idea of taking one less class that semester to allow for more time to study. Thanks for the suggestion!

This thread should be useful for you: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 22&t=85839.

[bmore]

Feb of Jr yr worked. Studied during winter break. Classes started but no pressure. Unfortunatley test was cancelled due to snow and took it 2 weeks later. Still did well. If I needed to, plenty of time to retake.

[You Gotta Have Faith]

As the poster above me pointed out already, keep your GPA as high as you reasonably can. That will help a lot when you do get around to actually applying places. Or to put it differently, a low GPA can definitely hurt you.

I'd personally do June, if you're still a sophomore. Remember that you can only take it three times every two years anyway, so there is no real rush. If you don't like that score, you can do Dec. or even the next June, after you get some more time to actually study for it.

I would opt against doing February or October if you can help it, just because you would be in the middle of coursework. But perhaps that wouldn't bother you. And obviously, others have had positive experiences doing Feb/Oct while in school. I just personally don't like the idea.

[jrose5]

I'll just tell you about my own experience and you can decide from there.

Originally, I had signed up to take the June test, but because I was juggling a 9-5 job over the summer, I did not have time and was too tired overall to take the June LSAT. I postponed to October (with fee). Although I was meeting my goal on PTs, I freaked out on the October test and scored 8-9 points below my PT average. Took a few weeks off and resumed studying for the December LSAT 5 weeks beforehand. Hit my PT average right on the nose. I'm not sure if I've really been penalized by applying late, since I got an unexpected rejection, an unexpected waitlist, and 2 unexpectedly large scholarships. So yeah, it all boils down to...

- June is ideal
- But October isn't so bad either
- Really try not to go for December as your first try

[Paraflam]

Alright, I think I will shoot for testing in June of next year in order to leave myself time for a retest if necessary. Thank you everyone for your input! Any additional info is appreciated as well.

[Paraflam]

Thought of one more question: If taking one of the various LSAT prep classes (online or classroom) in preparation for a June LSAT, how many weeks/months out would you all recommend beginning the class? Since I will be home for a month before the test, I feel like I shouldn't teach myself the test for 1-2 months while at school and then take a prep class in May to "re-learn" everything I taught myself prior. Or is this common? My undergrad institution is in a small rural town so I doubt TestMasters and the like offer live prep classes here.

[bearsfan1]

Thought of one more question: If taking one of the various LSAT prep classes (online or classroom) in preparation for a June LSAT, how many weeks/months out would you all recommend beginning the class? Since I will be home for a month before the test, I feel like I shouldn't teach myself the test for 1-2 months while at school and then take a prep class in May to "re-learn" everything I taught myself prior. Or is this common? My undergrad institution is in a small rural town so I doubt TestMasters and the like offer live prep classes here.

Buy the logic games bibles and work through them. I didn't take a class and scored a 170, just by using the logic games bibles and the 10 actual lsat books. I'd recommend the books before the course because that would just give you a leg up before taking the course.