LSAT Blogs

September test scores are out.  Some of my clients do not feel that their scores are indicative of their true ability, and we’re discussing the pros/cons of retaking it on December 5th.  Check out my July 20th post "Thinking about retaking the LSAT?" where I address the topic.

What they are more concerned about, however, is whether the December administration will put them at a disadvantage because it is late in the admissions cycle.  I’ll address that today.

When law schools indicate a deadline date of February 1, March 1, March 15, etc., they understand that the December LSAT is a popular one, and they know that many qualified applicants will come out of that test.  Yes, spots will have already been filled, but spots are still open, too.

To get the competitive edge, you want to make sure that your application is in that first batch that are completed once the scores become available.  Let me explain.

Remember, you can apply to law school at any time.  You do not need to have taken the LSAT.  Your letters of recommendation and transcripts do not need to have been received by LSAC.  You can apply as soon as you’ve completed the application, and written your personal statement, addendum (if needed) and resume.  Once the Admissions Office receives this material, it will request your LSAT score, transcripts and letters of recommendation from LSAC. 

Here is the key…LSAC will send out this information to the law schools to which you applied only when all of the material - LSAT score, transripts and letters of recommendation - has been received.

If you choose to take the LSAT in December, your goal should be to submit your application beforehand or soon afterwards.  If you haven’t already done so, make sure to ask your recommenders to write your letters now.  And, submit the transcript request form to your registrar now if you haven’t yet done so.  You want to ensure that this material is received by LSAC as soon as possible.

A number of Admissions Offices close the week between Christmas and New Year’s.  Faculty are away on vacation.  It’s a very quiet time. By submitting your application before or soon after you take the test, you give the Admissions Office time to request your material from LSAC so that once your score becomes available, LSAC will mail out your packet, the Admissions Office will receive and file it, and your application will be considered complete and go to the Admissions Committee for review come the first of the year when everything picks up again. 

I’m going to take a brief break from discussing the personal statement to reiterate an entry I wrote about a month before the June LSAT administration. Only this time I’m addressing those of you taking the September LSAT.

I know you’re eager to submit your application as soon as possible. For the next few weeks, however, I encourage you to concentrate all of your efforts on the LSAT rather than thinking about what to write for your personal essay(s), or what schools you should apply to.

Consider: What if the time you spent working on your statement could have resulted in your scoring one point higher on the LSAT? What difference can one point make? The difference between being accepted…or not. Everyone is on the bubble somewhere. Said differently, everyone is competitive for a certain range of schools. But what’s also true is that the next level of schools can be brought into reach with a more competitive LSAT score or a more polished, introspective and engaging personal statement.

Encouraging you to spend the next few weeks focusing on improving your LSAT score is said not to discount the importance of well written personal statements and addendums (when necessary), rock solid recommendations and the various other components of the law school application. All these are critical pieces of your overall application, but you’ll be best served to devote your post-LSAT time to these aspects. It is much more advantageous for you to use the time now to earn a higher LSAT score than it is to be the first person to apply to a school. Click here to learn more about our LSAT prep options.

If you haven’t already done so, you should submit your transcripts to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) as well as select your recommenders and ask them to write your letters. It doesn’t take too much time, and you’ll be advancing the application process while preparing for the LSAT.

Good luck!