I must retake the LSAT. Is it too late to apply for Fall 2013 admissions?
You have received your October LSAT score and now wonder if taking the December LSAT will make your application too late for Fall 2013 admissions? The general advice is that most law school admissions are on a rolling basis, so the earlier you submit your applications, the better. One of the biggest days for applications is the day that the October LSAT scores are released. However, given the importance of the LSAT Score, it may be better for you to wait and have a later submission, than to go forward with a less than desired score.
It’s not too late to take the December LSAT and submit applications, but it is important that you determine whether you are set to be successful with the December 1 exam, which is only 4 weeks away. Ask yourself these two questions:
- What was the reason your October score wasn’t what you needed? Was it lack of sufficient preparation? If so, are you on track to make a significant score increase?
- Was the problem a result of out of the ordinary testing circumstances — such as missing an uncharacteristic number of questions in a particular section, illness, noise, terrible proctors, etc.) If so, is it probable that you can raise your score dramatically?
I will miss the early notification/early decision deadlines by applying in late December and January. Should I put off my law school plans until next year?
There are a multitude of personal and financial ingredients in this decision. But, from the admissions only angle, consider these:
- Are your potential numbers strong for the schools you want to attend, or just so-so…borderline?
- It’s best if you can hold off and apply when it will put you into the strongest possible position, i.e. before Thanksgiving. Unless your LSAT score and GPA show you to be a catch for a given school, you really need to get things in early. An additional reason for a strong applicant to apply early is because early applicants are more likely to get some nice funding.
- Applications to law school are down, and the number of top applicants are decreasing. But most law schools hope to maintain their class sizes. This means that there is probably still a place for you to be accepted.
- Admissions committees would rather have someone with a higher LSAT score (at least 2 points higher to be worthwhile) in December than an application admitted in October with a lower score.
Do I submit my applications Before I take the December LSAT?
- Schools are not likely to review your application without your LSAT score.
- You only have a little time left to prepare for the December LSAT. It’s probably better if you spend your time preparing for the test, than spending time on applications. You can work on applications starting December 2nd and still get everything submitted sooner than a lot of December LSAT takers.
Tags: applications, Law School Admissions, lsat advice, lsat score
