Top Law Schools

so i recently decided that law school is what i want to pursue, as before i was waffling and unsure but now i'm confident that it's the right decision. anyways, given that i made this decision about a week ago, i don't think i can prepare myself in time for the october lsat but i think i can get everything in order for the december one. would i be shooting myself in the foot for this admissions cycle though? i'm a non-urm, have a 3.9 and at the end of my half-assed kaplan prep was scoring low 160s but i'm confident i can get it up. assuming that i can, is it worth it to apply later in the game? i know this is somewhat theoretical and that i should come back when i have some more concrete numbers, but i would also want to start preparing my PS so that i could get the apps out asap. thanks for your input.

That is a fantastic GPA, you definitely don't want to waste it. You're right to take time to prepare for the LSAT, but by the time you get the score from the December LSAT, you'll be a bit on the late side for most schools.

If you're willing to wait until next cycle and apply early to T14 schools, you'd probably get better results.

Someone else had the same question just earlier. It's best to test whenever you think you are most prepared to get your highest-possible score. If that's December, great. I would just apply to your top-choice schools this year, and maybe you'll get in. If you don't, you can request a deferral and/or reapply more broadly next year.

yea i think that i could really benefit from the extra 2 months of prep, esp b/c i'm working now. is there a penalty for reapplying to places that previously rejected you? i want to maximize my potential and if that means waiting another year i'd probably have to do that, and wouldn't want to bother with applying to my top schools if them rejecting me would hurt me in the long run

There is no penalty for reapplying if you were rejected or WLed in a previous year at any school I know (though a straight rejection would indicate that your chances in any particular year are slim at that school). Of course, you can check schools' FAQ pages or call them to be sure.

If you are accepted and decide to try again, however, some schools would WL you - which is why, when applying late in the cycle, I think it's best to apply to your top-choice schools.

ah I see, that makes sense then. at this point i just need to hit the books and see what i can do on the lsat. i definitely want to do t14 and waiting for the next cycle sounds like it would be the smartest option, but again i just need to see what i can do on the lsat. thanks for the help