Categories: Application Timeline, LSAT, LSAT; Rolling Admissions
 8 Comments »
Way back when, I took the June LSAT.
If LSAT prep courses and law school admission consultants (or, of course, the Internet) had existed back in 1995, I hope someone would’ve told me a few things. Among them:
1. Since I’d only studied for one month, on my own, and was not a naturally brilliant standardized test taker, I should’ve waited until the October test administration. Especially since I’m also a morning person. I should have learned more about the option of canceling my LSAT score. If this is you, and you are taking the LSAT with the advantage of all of the resources I lacked, then consider canceling your LSAT and registering (today!) for the October test. If any of these terrible things happened to you and you did not see my blog post on Friday in time to decide not to take the test, please cancel your June LSAT score. Click here for other reasons to cancel your LSAT score.
2. If you are keeping your LSAT score, use this time wisely. LSAT scores are usually released by email on the third Friday after the test, so perhaps on June 25th. During the next 3 weeks you can be very productive. Here are some of my suggestions:
TODAY: Do nothing. Eat chocolate. See a guilty pleasure movie. Go out with friends. Do all of the things I told you on Friday NOT to do this weekend. Do them tonight. So what if it’s Monday? Go OUT. Stay away from discussion boards. Please. I beg you. It does you no good to know how total strangers would’ve dissected the dinosaur game. Seriously. Trust me on this. I know you won’t listen to me on this, but I promise you’ll regret trolling the forums today.
In the next three weeks, you can spend time on your resume, start putting together ideas for a personal statement, and ask people for letters of rec. You can register for LSDAS if you haven’t already and start getting your transcripts sent there by EVERY college you’ve attended. This would be extremely productive, and you’d be ten steps ahead of everybody else if you followed through with this plan.
3. In Law School Expert blatant self promotion, here are two other tools that you may find helpful during this time:
The Law School Admission Game: Play Like An Expert - My bestselling law school guide is available on Amazon.com and on my website.
Law School Bootcamp – a series of 10 webinars with me on topics including: setting up an application timeline, crafting a fantastic law school resume, brainstorming and drafting your personal statement, Letters of Recommendation, Tips and Tricks on Applications, and so much more. I’ve already done three webinars (and if you sign up for the series you can watch the recorded webinars) but I’m actually going to REPEAT the first three again due to the demand for them. You can sign up for one or all ten, or any combination that works for you – it’s made to work for your needs. The dates are set (but subject to change) and you can see the calendar here. If you can’t make a particular webinar, you can always watch it anytime after it’s given. If you can watch it live, you get to ask me questions throughout the webinar related to that day’s topic. All you need is a computer and a phone (or headset) to listen in. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comment section of this blog post. You can sign up here, and spaces will fill up because I’m limiting enrollment to 25 for each webinar.
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Hope everyone is feeling great about today’s test, but I know most of you are feeling exhausted, upset, anxious, and nervous. These feelings are all completely normal. Just remember you don’t have to decide today whether to cancel your LSAT score. Sleep on it and hang in there!
Categories: LSAT, LSAT Prep, LSAT; Rolling Admissions, Low LSAT
Tags: February LSAT, LSAT, LSAT Prep, Taking the LSAT
No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome!
For all of you February LSAT takers, here’s the best 45 minutes you’ll spend this week – Listen to my Blog Talk Radio show with four elite LSAT Tutors talking about tips for test day. Listen to it online or download it through iTunes (BTR- Ann Levine)
Also, I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who are just deciding late in the game to apply for the Fall 2010 law school admission cycle and their practice LSAT scores definitely demonstrate that they aren’t ready. I do not advocate a last minute approach to LSAT prep or to the law school application process. To me, it usually means the person hasn’t really thought through the choice and applying to law school with an unknown (but predictably very poor) LSAT score is really throwing good money after bad. Here’s how to know if you’re really ready to take the LSAT.
For those of you who are ready, good luck this weekend!
Categories: LSAT, LSAT Prep, LSAT; Rolling Admissions, Low LSAT, Multiple LSAT scores
Tags: re-taking the LSAT
16 Comments »
I hope everyone had a good weekend, but since LSAT scores came out I’m sure a lot of you were distracted and unable to enjoy your normal pursuits.
A common question over the weekend was, “If I take the LSAT again in December, is it too late to be competitive for Fall 2010 admission?”
No. It’s not too late. I had clients last year who were admitted to Harvard and Columbia with December LSAT scores. It’s not too late. The key is deciding whether you are set up to be successful with an LSAT that is only 6 weeks away. Here are some factors to consider:
1. Was the problem with your LSAT score in September a lack of sufficient preparation? If so, December is too soon to make a dramatic improvement in your score.
2. If the problem with your September LSAT result was a strange testing circumstance (illness, medication side-effects, noise, terrible proctors, missing an uncharacteristic amount of questions on a particular section, etc.) then it is feasible to raise your score significantly.
The next thing you’re going to ask is: Do I submit applications BEFORE I take the December LSAT? Here are the factors to consider:
1. You only have 6 weeks to maximize your December LSAT score? Why would you cut into such a short time frame by spending time on applications? Especially when those schools aren’t going to review your application without your score. And especially if you have other obligations (school, work, family) that are going to demand your time in the next 6 weeks.
2. You can work on applications starting December 6th and still get things submitted sooner than most December LSAT takers.
For more about your decision regarding retaking the LSAT, see “Re-taking the LSAT“
Categories: Application Timeline, LSAT; Rolling Admissions, Law School Admission Deadlines, Rolling Admissions
Tags: law school applications, Rolling Admissions
12 Comments »
It’s September 4th and it’s official. A Fall 2010 law school applicant has sent me an application to review before submitting it. The Fall 2010 application season officially begins!
I hesitate to post this because I know it will make many of my readers paranoid – ‘OMG! I need to submit my applications THIS week! Who cares if the LSAT is 3 weeks away?! I’m mortgaging my future by not applying RIGHT THIS MINUTE.”
Let me assure you, any thoughts like this are absolutely extreme and unnecessary. I dedicate an entire chapter in my book to “Working the Rolling Admission Process” but the important thing to read right now is:
“…do you need to apply on the first possible day? No. Should you? No. Here’s why: first, law school admission officers are off recruiting people to apply to their law schools.They aren’t spending time in September reviewing very many files.” The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert, p. 48.
Therefore, don’t sacrifice quality for speed. Take a few weeks to build a strong application and then submit it. Do things right; this is much more important than being the first application submitted.
In the case of the client who just sent me his first four applications, I can assure you -his materials are quality in addition to quick.
Categories: LSAT, LSAT; Rolling Admissions
Tags: December LSAT, LSAT, Rolling Admissions, September LSAT
4 Comments »
I received this e-mail from a blog reader:
Hi Ann, I have read your blog and numerous discussion boards that say a December LSAT score puts me at a disadvantage in the admission cycle. I do not feel ready for the September test but I would like to know if I can send in my application before I get the score? I am 27 with a GPA below 3.0. I would appreciate your insight and advice. – TG
I want to start by thanking TG for agreeing to allow me to respond to this question for the benefit of all of my readers. Any disadvantage of applying later is more than made up by getting an LSAT score a few points higher than you would’ve gotten on the September LSAT. I am a huge proponent of rolling admissions, but a better LSAT score is ALWAYS better. You can still submit applications by early January when schools are up and running again after the holidays. Postponing the September LSAT until December is NOT the worst idea in the world. See this post from last year: Not Hitting Your Goal LSAT Score?
As far as applying earlier goes, your applications cannot be reviewed without your LSAT score. They’ll just sit in the office waiting for that score report. If you absolutely know where you’re applying (say, if you’re staying close to home and there are only a few schools nearby) then submit your applications in early December so the schools can gather the reports from LSDAS, etc. But in September, October and November I’d rather see you concentrating on the LSAT than on your application materials – assuming you have limited time to spend on the business of applying to law school.
The following is a brief excerpt from my book, “The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert“ addresses the issue of how to know if you should go ahead and take September or wait until December:
How do you know if you’re really ready for the LSAT? If you don’t feel ready to take the LSAT, your instinct is probably right. You have a few options. You could take the test and if your score is halfway decent, you can apply. This is a poor strategy that usually goes worse than you expected and becomes something you have to later explain on your applications. Plus, it’s a huge ego-deflater to see a low score. Make sure to take many timed practice tests with five sections. It’s an endurance test and a speed test, so you must practice under these conditions. Practice in distracting conditions, not in ideal ones. It is better to take a test in a noisy coffee shop than in the silence and ideal environment of a library carrel of the 7th floor of your campus library.
TG, I hope this helps you and everyone else wondering exactly the same thing. As always, I welcome comments, feedback and questions.
Categories: LSAT, LSAT; Rolling Admissions, Multiple LSAT scores
Tags: canceling LSAT score, keeping LSAT score, LSAT, Multiple LSAT scores
25 Comments »
Ok, it’s over. It’s done. Today was LSAT day.
What do you do next?
1. Decide how you feel about keeping your LSAT score:
“Canceling an LSAT Score: Will this hurt you? No. It just puts that much pressure on you for next time. So, when should you cancel? If you completely screw up by leaving an entire section blank, misbubble the last ten questions, or become violently ill in the middle of the exam, you should probably cancel. This is especially true if the score would be so demoralizing to you that you would be unable to live with yourself. Another reason to cancel is if you already have one LSAT score that you’re content with and you’re pretty sure you don’t want to have to explain to law schools why the second score is lower.” (The next paragraph goes on to discuss reasons not to cancel an LSAT score)
Also see my previous post on this subject:
2. Stay away from discussion boards. It doesn’t matter what some anonymous person says about what answer was right to which question. This will only make you crazy. The only person you should be speaking to about your LSAT test is your tutor. Stay away from anyone else who took the test and start to think about the next 3 weeks and what you can accomplish to be productive (work on LORs, personal statements, resumes, etc.
Good luck – and feel free to ask questions!
Categories: LSAT, LSAT Prep, LSAT; Rolling Admissions, Low LSAT, Multiple LSAT scores
Tags: Cancel LSAT score, Cancelling the LSAT, LSAT, LSAT noshow
No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome!
What a great radio show this morning! Wow!
We heard great tips for the week before the test from 4 very experienced LSAT tutors:
Josh Morrison of LogicPro, Donald Viscardi of Inspirica, Bara Sapir of TestPrepNY, and Paul Siemons of Advantage Testing.
Listen to this morning’s program at my BlogTalkRadio show. It’ll be the best 45 minutes you’ll spend in the week before the June LSAT. If you’re taking the September 2009 LSAT, it’ll really help you decide how to pick an LSAT tutor/prep program because we highlighted four very different (and each effective for the right person) approaches. You can listen on your computer or download it to your iPod.
Thanks also to Bara Sapir for offering a wonderful 30-minute sample of TestPrepNY’s sample LSAT exam preparation audio program.
If you have questions based on anything discussed in the program, leave a comment here. You can ask the question to me, or to a specific tutor from our panel. I look forward to your questions and comments! And, if you find the show helpful please let me know that too. Your feedback helps me determine future blog and radio show topics.
Categories: LSAT, LSAT; Rolling Admissions
Tags: February LSAT
No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome!
I want to wish all February LSAT takers good luck on tomorrow’s exam. I hope you are ready, healthy, and well rested. At this point, stop studying and stop reading discussion forums. Relax, eat a nice dinner (nothing fancy-think of it as race day food for runners), and look at tomorrow’s test as a welcome challenge – an opportunity that will allow you to really show what you can do. Be positive. And prepare for the unexpected – put a Powerbar in your bag and sit far away from those noisy proctors. (In law school, I always sat in the front row during classes and back row during exams – each choice meant to keep me focused on what needed to be done).
6 TIPS FOR LSAT TEST DAY:
1. Go in with the attitude of proving what you can do.
2. Don’t think about your final score.
3. Look at each question as a challenge that you welcome.
4. Don’t worry about the guy next to you.
5. Don’t talk to anyone during breaks (especially people who talk about already having a 172 but trying for a 179).
6. Do what works for you – eat the snacks that work for you, entertain your own superstitions, and try not to get distracted by rude proctors or clicking pencils. After all, those factors will be present in law school and during the bar exam – get used to them now.
And, please, above all else – if you know you have not adequately prepared and that tomorrow’s result isn’t going to get you where you need to be, consider waiting for Fall 2010 and taking the test under better conditions in June. If you’re considering not taking this test and waiting to apply for Fall 2010 admission, then check out my interview with Steve Schwartz on his LSAT Blog on the February LSAT’s limited use in the rolling admission cycle.
Good luck!
Categories: LSAT, LSAT Prep, LSAT; Rolling Admissions, Multiple LSAT scores
20 Comments »
Here are the 4 most common questions that I’m hearing this week from people scheduled to take the December LSAT:
1. I have the flu. What do I do?
2. This is my first time taking the LSAT and I’m not ready. What do I do?
3. If I postpone until February, is that too late in the rolling admission process?
4. Why do law schools say they will accept February LSAT scores?
If December would be your first time taking the LSAT and you’re feeling unprepared or ill, then you have 2 options: (1) take the LSAT and see how you feel about it, keeping in mind you can cancel it if you really feel terrible during the exam, or (2) wait until the February LSAT.
If it’s not your first time, you have to decide how you feel about relying on your previous score(s). If you are ok with the options that score will leave you in terms of a schools list, then go ahead and submit your applications and see what happens. If you aren’t happy with your results, you can take the LSAT next June or October and apply early in the cycle for Fall 2010.
If you are someone who is scoring in the 140s on practice tests, please don’t take the exam when you’re sick. You’ll come back with a score that won’t get you serious consideration at any school, and this is especially true if your GPA is not strong. Plus, you’ll have to deal with the ego blow that will haunt you whenever you do retake the test, and you’ll have to write a pathetic “Boy, I sure do wish I’d done better on the LSAT” Addendum.
Waiting until February is not ideal, but if you get your applications submitted in the next few weeks you may be able to mitigate some of the disadvantage from applying so late in the cycle. Of course, it’s always a gamble to come up with a schools list without a final LSAT score. You can create a schools list based on the range of practice LSAT results you’ve gotten, erring on the side of your lower scores to be safe and to make up for applying late in the cycle.
Lastly, I know schools say they “accept” February LSAT scores. However, you need to understand what that means. The earliest your application will be reviewed is March, at which point most schools will already have dozens or hundreds of applicants on their waitlists. So, in order for you to be admitted you would need to have an LSAT score that makes them want to take you over the others already on the waitlist. When schools say they “accept” February LSATs, it means they hold out for those really competitive candidates.
6 TIPS FOR LSAT TEST DAY:
I hope those of you taking the LSAT this weekend are ready, healthy, and well rested.
1. Go in with the attitude of proving what you can do.
2. Don’t think about your final score.
3. Look at each question as a challenge that you welcome.
4. Don’t worry about the guy next to you.
5. Don’t talk to anyone during breaks (especially people who talk about already having a 172 but trying for a 179).
6. Do what works for you – eat the snacks that work for you, entertain your own superstitions, and try not to get distracted by rude proctors or clicking pencils. After all, those factors will be present in law school and during the bar exam – get used to them now.
Good luck everyone!
Categories: LSAT; Rolling Admissions
10 Comments »
I’m getting a lot of calls from people signed up for the October LSAT who are wondering whether they are really ready to take the test. The number one thing law school applicants in this quandry want to know is whether it’s better to apply early with a lower score, or later (with a December LSAT score) that’s a few points higher. I always tell my clients it’s better to have 5 points on the LSAT and apply at the end of December than to have the lower score and apply in November.
Here’s a post I wrote last year that may help you to decide whether to go ahead and take the LSAT in October, or wait for December. It’s called “Are you Ready for the LSAT?“
Categories: LSAT; Rolling Admissions
4 Comments »
LSAT scores came out early. (Happy Holidays!)
Read this previous posting about what to do now that you have your LSAT score.
If you’re considering re-taking the LSAT in February 2008 for Fall 2008 admission, keep this in mind – People have been applying since early Fall and while your safety schools are still pretty sure bets, February LSAT takers are more likely to be waitlisted at schools where they are mid-range applicants…. By March (when your application would be complete) schools have a sense of whether they’ll be able to fill their classes. This definitely impacts your application at schools where your numbers are under the 75th percentiles.
For those of you who are ready to apply – now is the time! Don’t let LSAC closing for the holidays get you down. No law school will review your applications during the holidays anyway, and there are other ways to submit applications if you’re so inclined. Now let’s get to work!
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Ann K. Levine, Esq., former director of law school admissions for two ABA law schools, is a law school admission consultant and owner of Law School Expert,
