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Hey guys, so I just started studying for LSAT for admission to 2019 year. I have about 4 months of nothing but studying from now to November test date, which I am planning to take. If I end up doing not well on the November test, would retaking the test in January 2019 be okay for admission to the 2019 cycle? Or would it be too late?
I really need to enter in 2019, and ideally acing the November 2018 test would be perfect scenario, but I understand things don't always work out the way I need to.

I have bought the 7Sage course, and LSAT Trainer, and I plan to use these two religiously for the next few months.

Thanks all!

For some schools, January test scores will not be released in time. Check websites for admission deadlines. For those schools that have a later deadline, technically, January is not too late, but it does not put you in the best possible position for admission. Why? Law schools have rolling admissions. They review applications as they come in. The ideal situation would be to have your application completed by Thanksgiving weekend. You can submit your application right before then and you will be fine. As the admissions cycle progresses, there will be fewer seats and schools will be more picky about who they choose for those remaining seats. Ideally, you want to take the LSAT no later than this September for fall 2019 admission. Put maximum effort into studying for the LSAT so you can hit your goal score in November.

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:Hey guys, so I just started studying for LSAT for admission to 2019 year. I have about 4 months of nothing but studying from now to November test date, which I am planning to take. If I end up doing not well on the November test, would retaking the test in January 2019 be okay for admission to the 2019 cycle? Or would it be too late?
I really need to enter in 2019, and ideally acing the November 2018 test would be perfect scenario, but I understand things don't always work out the way I need to.

I have bought the 7Sage course, and LSAT Trainer, and I plan to use these two religiously for the next few months.

Thanks all!

Even waiting for November results isn't ideal, but waiting for January results might hurt you. I suppose you could always apply and see if your results are materially worse than expected for someone with your numbers and then do it all again in the 2020 cycle if that ends up being the case. Also I kind of wonder whether November to January is really enough time for a retake. You're probably better off just sitting out the cycle if you don't do well in November and retaking in July 2019.

Thanks all. Unfortunately, waiting until 2020 cycle is not really an option for me. I mean, I turn 31 yo in December... I'm already too old as it is. Awesome, so it's do or die for the November test. No pressure... hahaha.

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:Thanks all. Unfortunately, waiting until 2020 cycle is not really an option for me. I mean, I turn 31 yo in December... I'm already too old as it is. Awesome, so it's do or die for the November test. No pressure... hahaha.

What's the difference between going to law school at 31 versus 32? You're certainly older than average but you won't be the oldest in your class either way. A decent chunk of a typical law school class will be in their 30s.

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:Thanks all. Unfortunately, waiting until 2020 cycle is not really an option for me. I mean, I turn 31 yo in December... I'm already too old as it is. Awesome, so it's do or die for the November test. No pressure... hahaha.

Hoos89 above is spot on. You absolutely should not take the LSAT until you are ready - i.e. regularly scoring above the target score needed for your academic and employment goals. The cost benefit of a higher LSAT is so incredibly high that, unless you can comfortably self fund the entire cost of attendance, it makes no sense to go before you have maximized your score.

Your decision on when to take the LSAT and when to apply to school will potentially have greater and more far reaching consequences than dropping out of your medical residency. The school you attend is likely to impact everything for the rest of your career in a way the choice of medical school or residency location simply does not. The overall cost of attendance will impact you for the next decade or more, particularly if you're already burdened by the cost of a medical education.

albanach wrote:

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:Thanks all. Unfortunately, waiting until 2020 cycle is not really an option for me. I mean, I turn 31 yo in December... I'm already too old as it is. Awesome, so it's do or die for the November test. No pressure... hahaha.

Hoos89 above is spot on. You absolutely should not take the LSAT until you are ready - i.e. regularly scoring above the target score needed for your academic and employment goals. The cost benefit of a higher LSAT is so incredibly high that, unless you can comfortably self fund the entire cost of attendance, it makes no sense to go before you have maximized your score.

Your decision on when to take the LSAT and when to apply to school will potentially have greater and more far reaching consequences than dropping out of your medical residency. The school you attend is likely to impact everything for the rest of your career in a way the choice of medical school or residency location simply does not. The overall cost of attendance will impact you for the next decade or more, particularly if you're already burdened by the cost of a medical education.

Thank you for the great post. Like you and Hoos89 said, I will do whatever it takes to maximize the LSAT score.