The LSAT is a key component of any prospective law school student’s application. The exam requires ample time and preparation — as well as strategizing to choose the right test date that allows applicants to both achieve a competitive score and apply to their top schools in a timely manner.
Fortunately, the Law School Admission Council has taken steps to make the LSAT more accessible to testers in 2018 and in the future. LSAC will offer the exam in mid-November this year instead of December, giving applicants who wish to apply before the end of the year a chance to be more competitive at rolling admissions law schools.
[Factor LSAT changes into testing strategy.]
November test-takers who are disappointed in their score will benefit from being able to retake the exam in January 2019, rather than February, and apply to schools in advance of submission deadlines. In addition to the June exam, prospective law students can also take the LSAT in March and July 2019.
Still, even with additional testing dates, prospective law school students need to consider how these adjusted dates affect the timing of their exam preparation. Here are three tips to keep in mind.
1. Weight the LSAT vs. GRE: As more law schools embrace the GRE as an alternative to the LSAT, applicants need to consider which exam to take. As of January 2018, more than 5 percent of law schools accept the GRE, including heavy hitters like Harvard University, Northwestern University and Georgetown University.
According to Kaplan Test Prep, 25 percent of 128 law schools who responded to a survey plan to implement the GRE in their admissions decisions in the future, a significant increase from the 14 percent who noted this in the 2016 survey. If the trend continues, even more programs may follow suit.
The computer-based GRE is offered year-round all over the world, an availability LSAC cannot yet rival. This allows testers to prepare and take the test when it best suits them.
[Read more about the GRE vs. LSAT.]
For some, the GRE may also be more familiar than the logic-based content on the LSAT. The math portion tests arithmetic, geometry and algebra skills, while the verbal reasoning section involves sentence completion and reading passages.
If you have strong quantitative skills and a command of English vocabulary, the GRE may be a better option when applying to schools that accept it. Be mindful, though, that your LSAT scores will appear on your law school report.
Don’t attempt the LSAT as a plan A and then switch to the GRE if you are disappointed with your score. Only take the LSAT if you are confident you can achieve a score that will make you competitive at schools where you choose to apply.
2. Don’t rush: Historically, law school applicants could only sit for the LSAT three times. Coupled with the increase in test dates, LSAC has lifted this limitation.
Some clients I work with have misinterpreted these changes as a signal that they should plan to take the LSAT as many times as possible within the calendar year. One applicant studying for the February test commented that if it didn’t go well, he still had three more chances this year. I emphasized that he should aspire to take the LSAT once and retake it only if he believes his score was unrepresentative of his abilities.
[Weigh retaking the LSAT in February, applying with a low December score.]
Do not rush to take the LSAT before you are ready. Ideally, more test dates should reduce the number of times you take the exam because you can postpone until you are ready.
The 2018 schedule means any exam would yield results viable for the 2018-2019 application cycle. Applicants interested in early decision programs with Nov. 15 deadlines will need to take the exam no later than September.
3. Consult calendars: When deciding which exam to take this year, think about your academic, professional and personal responsibilities. Undergraduates may favor the June or September exams when classes are not in session, while re-testers may choose the November exam so as to submit before the end of the year.
Before choosing a date, though, consider how your top-choice law schools review applications. The University of California–Berkeley School of Law, for instance, encourages applicants to submit as early as possible in the cycle — that is, September and October, the first two months applications become available. That means a February or June LSAT score would be more advantageous to an equivalent score earned in September or November.
Programs like Berkeley and Columbia University caution that sitting for exams later in the cycle puts applicants at a strategic disadvantage, while Yale University notes that applicants do not gain an advantage by applying early.
And don’t forget to factor in score release dates into your timing analysis. Typically, scores are released a few days to a week earlier than scheduled.
While you can technically submit your application before your score is released, law schools will not consider your application complete or review your materials until the score is on file.
Debating when to take the LSAT? Reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
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Determine LSAT Strategies for the New Year originally appeared on usnews.com
