Jack Chase, Assistant Director of Pre-Law Programs

As we get closer to the June 6th test date, it’s important for prospective LSAT takers to know about two important changes to the LSAC rules: one regarding registration procedures and another regarding the test withdrawal deadline.

In the past, the LSAC has required that United States test takers bring a government issued photo ID such as driver’s license or passport. That identification requirement remains. However, the LSAC also used to require that United States test takers be fingerprinted on site during check in on Test Day as a second form of identification. This procedure appears to have been replaced with a different form of double-checking the identity of test takers taking the test. The LSAC now requires (as stated on its website)…

In addition, all candidates must attach to their ticket a recent photograph (taken within the last six months) showing only the face and shoulders. The photograph must be clear enough so there is no doubt about the test taker’s identity, and must be no larger than 2 x 2 inches (5 x 5 cm) and no smaller than 1 x 1 inch (3 x 3 cm). Your face in the photo must show you as you look on the day of the test (for example, with or without a beard). The photograph will be retained by LSAC only as long as needed to assure the authenticity of test scores and to protect the integrity of the testing process.

If you do not present both acceptable identification and the required photograph, you will be denied entrance to the testing room.

This has long been the second form of identification required of Canadian test takers, but it is now being implemented here in the United States as well. This of course does not markedly change anything for test takers, but they’ve got to know about the rule, lest they not be permitted to take the test at all.

A second big rule change affects students who may not be ready to sit for the test by the time June 6^th comes around. For the past several years, on-the-fence test takers that did not change their test date by the established test-date change deadline (approximately three weeks out), would have a “no show” appear on their LSAC report sent to law schools, should they elect not to sit. This requirement caused many prospective law students to fret about whether they should show up on Test Day potentially unprepared and get a subpar score, or whether they should just allow an Absent to be recorded against them if they didn’t feel they were ready to achieve their best.

Beginning with this June’s administration, test takers can now withdraw their LSAT registration all the way up until the midnight prior to Test Day (June 5th, 11:59 PM Eastern time). The registration withdrawal means that students that do not wish to take the test do not need to worry about an “Absent” or “Withdrawal” showing up on their LSAC report sent to law schools. Note, however, no refund is given for such withdrawals. (For partial refunds, the 3-week deadline still applies.)

Ultimately, it’s important for those serious about the test to not use the actual LSAT as an exercise to see how they’re doing, nor should they use it hoping to score markedly beyond their current level of aptitude with the test. Instead, if a prospective law student does not feel that when Sunday June 5th rolls around that they will be able to perform up to their level of satisfaction, then they should withdraw from the test and instead register anew for the October administration. Those extra four months of preparation this summer may not be an idealized summer vacation, but the score increases seen from rolling up their sleeves, mastering the material, and nailing the test in October, will be a wise move when they finally submit a higher quality application.

This May, we continue to explore the section of the LSAT that counts most on test day: Logical Reasoning. Continuing our series from March – we’ll cover some of the section’s toughest content throughout the weeks ahead. Check out more information on the Logical Reasoning make-up, here. And, check out information on our brand new Logical Reasoning On Demand course.

Method of argument questions are important to understand, for a couple of different reasons.

First, there will certainly be a couple of them within the twice-tested logical reasoning sections. Second, and more importantly, they have a strong correlation to the reading comprehension section. Thus, understanding how to properly attack the reading comprehension section by noticing (and utilizing) keywords, as well as passage structure, will benefit the savvy test-taker in method of argument questions.

Keywords within the method of argument stimulus will direct the reader to zero in on the authors method, and what the method of the argument the author may be utilizing in the example.

Keeping that in mind, the same steps in answering all logical reasoning questions should be used so that consistency and efficiency are utilized. Those steps are 1) read the question (to identify the question type), 2) read the stimulus (identifying the keywords and zeroing in on the authors tone and method), 3) almost ALWAYS try to predict an answer, and 4) scan the choices.

What is the goal of the question type? LSAC test this question type to identify a prospective law students’ ability to cut through cumbersome facts, pick up the key points, and see how those points are used in arguing the issue at hand. One common error that students often find themselves falling into is to focus on the content of the stimulus instead of focusing on the way the argument is developed. The LSAC is not concerned with your knowledge of the subject (you will likely be unfamiliar with the content of many of the cases that you read in law school). LSAC is more concerned with your ability to properly identify how the author (or perhaps multiple authors in dialogue stimuli) is arguing.

Keep than in mind, along with remembering to look for keywords, and these will be questions you can answer quickly, correctly, and in a timely efficient manner.

Ah, that blissful holiday afterglow: no, not soft, flickering candlelight- not even the aura of an over-stuffed appetite. I’m dreaming of the afterglow radiating from the screens of all of the new electronic gadgets excitedly unwrapped during the festive days immediately past. That blue, green, or strangely fluorescent light emitted by the new latest-and-greatest “e-” or “i-Whatever” is, for me, the last lingering trace of the holiday spirit.

To this organizationally-challenged operator, each year’s new techno-treasures hold the promise of life-changing efficiency (and habit forming dependency). As I’m drafting my New Year’s resolutions, I promise myself that THIS year, I really am going to finally get my “stuff” together- literally, metaphorically, digitally! I weave an elaborate plan to stay focused, punctual, and, thus, simply stress-free- all at the touch of a… well, touch screen.

Sounds like a time-honored, traditional holiday tale, right? Know why? Because it happens every year, illustrating the very futility of the perennial plan. Each year, I start with the best of electronic intentions, only to take the learning curve of my new virtual personal assistant way too wide and fall off my own resolution wagon long before Groundhog Day. Screen frozen, I trudge back to the drawing board- my actual scribbled-upon drawing board, scattered with all of my indecipherable notes-to-self.

As hard as it is for me to admit (especially on my yearly Wish List), no electronic answer to life’s greatest enigmas (”How can I manage to be at two appointments at one time?”) will enlighten me if I can’t remember to turn the thing on in the first place. I’m wise enough… well, at least old enough to know that despite my fixation on battery-powered personal betterment, I really am a write-it-down kind of girl. There’s something about putting pen to paper that activates my attention and schedules a mental alert- “Remember me!”

This battle between the lure of the digital and the reliability of the written is something the Law School Admissions Council shares with me: the LSAT- which the LSAC designs, administers, and scores on behalf of law schools around the country- is the last graduate admissions exam to be given entirely by paper and pencil. This definitely doesn’t mean that the LSAC has snubbed its nose at computer-based testing technology: in fact, LSAC.org publishes an exhaustive catalog of research on the advantages and drawbacks, efficiencies and difficulties of implementing an electronic-format LSAT.

So should prospective LSAT test-takers snap their pencils and flex their fingers in preparation for pointing-and-clicking their way into law school this year? To quote everyone’s favorite low-tech fortune-telling billiard ball, “Don’t count on it.” The LSAT is (gloriously or notoriously) unchanging in its material and format: the last substantial change in the LSAT was 2007’s inclusion of a comparative reading portion of the Reading Comprehension section, and that one change followed years and years of testing uniformity. Also, the addition of comparative reading was announced months ahead of its June release- thus far, the LSAC had made no indication that the test format will shift any time soon. Further, because the LSAT is a skills- (not content-) based test, it is exceptionally time-sensitive and, to a significant extent, infers test-takers’ problem-solving (read: lawyering) skills from their efficient use of text and blank space to manage the tasks of the test- imagine trying to tackle a killer Logic Game without a strategically-developed sketch!

With the unchanging nature of the LSAT in kind, here’s another pertinent question: is this probability of the same old-same old, in fact, good news? This time, Psychic #8 glows, “It is decidedly so!” No matter if you’re a sticky note-savant (like me) or a digital-whiz (like I wish I could be), familiarity leads to comfort, which leads to mastery- the predictable nature of the test makes it breakable in the best of ways. The fact that the goal and methods of the LSAT are so reliable make right now a great time to prep for and conquer it.

Kaplan offers our LSAT students the most advanced test prep technology available to support their study and practice, while also providing proven text materials designed to simulate and acclimate our students to the testing experience itself. Using this multi-faceted approach to mastery, Kaplan students are poised to take-on the LSAT, no matter what form it takes now or in the future. So mark the February, June, October, or December 2011 test date on your calendar and visit KapTest.com to explore our LSAT prep options- but take it from me and don’t forget to click “Save.”

It’s time to talk dollars…you’ve worked hard to submit your admissions application.  Now it’s time to concentrate on your financial aid application.  There are two categories of financial aid: scholarships and loans. 

Scholarships are "free money" that you do not need to repay.  Some schools may require you to submit forms to be considered for scholarships; other will not.  Be sure to verify the process for every school to which you’re applying.  For many schools, you will not need to apply for scholarships.  Once you are accepted to that law school, the Admissions Committee automatically reviews your application for scholarship potential.  Generally, scholarships are merit based.  Scholarship amounts vary from school to school. 

I suggest that you research other scholarship avenues such as your church or synagogue, and organizations including the Hellenic Bar Association, the Justinian Society of Lawyers, the Hispanic Lawyers Association, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, and the American Bar Association, just to name a few.  Check out each school’s website as it may include a listing of other potential sources.  Search online for foundations that may provide scholarship support, as well as websites providing scholarship opportunities.  It will take effort on your part and will be worth it. 

Applying for loans is a much more intensive process.  I strongly recommend applying for financial aid right after the first of the year.  Do not, and I repeat, do not wait to be accepted to a law school before applying for financial aid.  Your goal should be to complete your financial aid application before you’ve been accepted so that you will receive a financial aid award letter before your first deposit is required.  If you wait to apply for financial aid, you may need to place your first deposit without knowing your financial aid status. 

The first step is to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, to the U.S. Department of Education.  I encourage you to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1.  FAFSA applications can be found at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.  You can also pick up a hard copy of the FAFSA in the law school’s Financial Aid Office.

Some schools may require an additional form called the Need Access Form which can be found at http://www.needaccess.org. 

Each law school’s website has a section on Financial Aid with complete instructions in applying for aid.  The financial aid process varies from school to school; do not assume the process at one school is the same for another. 

Also review the Law School Admission Council website (www.lsac.org).  Click on "Financing Law School" on the home page.

Start now…and good luck.

The application asks for you to indicate for which division you wish to apply: full time or part time (for those schools that offer part time).  For the majority of the applications, you are allowed only to check one or the other.  But some schools allow you to check both.

I’ve learned from working with my clients that most of you prefer the full-time program.  However, I’ve always considered it my job to make you aware of all of your options, and I leave it up to you to make the best decision that meets your interests.

If a school permits you to apply to both divisions, I encourage you to do so.  Why not increase your chances of being accepted?  Generally – and you’ll wish to verify this with the Admissions Office – after you complete your first year of law school, as long as you are not on probation, you should be able to switch divisions.  You can finish your degree as a full-time student, but be aware that there is a sequence of classes that you’ll need to fulfill with your original part-time cohort.  It also may take you an additional semester to graduate, but be sure to verify this with the Registrar’s Office.

If you receive a defer decision or be put on the waitlist, the Admissions Committee might give you the option of being considered for the part-time division as well as the full-time division to which you originally applied.  Once again, please think about the advice above.

Now, for those of you who have already applied to law school, if the law school gives you the opportunity to request admission to both divisions – and you have yet to hear a decision – call the Admissions Office and ask if you can send in an additional letter requesting to be considered for both.

As always, the decision stands with you, but you owe it to yourself to explore all your options.