Keep working after you take the LSAT.
If you took the June LSAT, by now you are likely either celebrating, anxiously awaiting your score, or stressing about questions of which you were unsure.
At the same time, your parents may be nagging you about the exam and getting to work on your law school applications. If so, suggest that they register for my upcoming free webinar specifically designed for parents of law school applicants.
As you look ahead to the next few months, here’s what you should keep in mind now that the June LSAT is behind us.
If you canceled your June LSAT score: You probably canceled your score because something happened during the examâ€"you felt sick, you realized you were not fully prepared, you misbubbled multiple questions, you couldn’t decipher a logic game, or you just couldn’t focusâ€"and so you knew you did not reach your full potential.
[Get tips that could help you score higher next time.]
Canceling means that admissions officers will never see your actual score, only that you took the LSAT and then canceled. Admissions officers know that everyone has bad days, so don’t be too hard on yourself; canceling once will not hurt your chances of admission to your dream school in any significant way.
However, remember that the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) only allows applicants to take the LSAT three times in a two-year period, and your canceled test does count toward that limit. If you are able to take the test again, plan to do so in October. You can take a break for a couple weeks to relax, but then get back to studying and taking several practice tests per week.
[Find out how to best prepare for the LSAT.]
If you haven’t tried one-on-one tutoring yet, this is the ideal time to work with an LSAT expert who can pinpoint your weaknesses and develop a customized plan for you to overcome them. If there are not highly competent tutors (those who have scored at least a 172 and have at least two years of LSAT teaching experience) in your area, consider virtual tutoring. The key is to work with a demonstrated LSAT expert.
Preparing for the LSAT is your top priority, but do not forget to work on your applications as well. Given how competitive law school admissions remain, a compelling personal statement and well-crafted recommendations are essential if you hope to win admission to your top choice school.
[Explore the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings.]
If you did not cancel your June LSAT score:
You still have a few weeks until you will receive your score, so try to take your mind off all the intricacies of the exam by immersing yourself in your applications. You will not be able to finalize your list of schools until you have your score, but there is still plenty you can do today.
If you are going to work with an admissions counselor (ideally, someone who has successfully guided hundreds of applicants through the law school application process), get started on your work together as soon as possible. Many of the applicants with whom my colleagues at Stratus Prep and I are working have completed their essay outlines and are now sitting down to write.
Now is also an ideal time to start contacting potential recommenders if you have not done so already. College professors may be on vacation and difficult to reach during significant parts of the summer, so start reaching out to them now. If you need to get back in touch with a professor you had a few years ago, you will ideally want to catch up first in person or at least over the phone before asking for a recommendation.
Try to make significant progress on your applications over the next few weeks, because if your June LSAT score is not where you were hoping it would be and you decide to retake the test in the fall, you will need to split your time between applications and LSAT preparation over the coming months.
What are you doing to get ahead on your applications in the coming weeks? Let me know in the comments, E-mail me at shawn.oconnor@stratusprep.com, or contact me via Twitter at @StratusPrep.
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