Self-paced
I've just recently realized that Law School is something I want/am interested in. I'm a decade out of undergrand and I feel like I should make haste in my application process if I'm really going to go for it. It's late June and I'd hope to apply for Fall 2027.. is the October LSAT cutting it too close on admissions?
Of course, everyone wants to apply as early as they can but I also want to be sure I give enough time to study and do this properly!
all advice welcome!
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There's going to be a balance here, @oopsiesdaisies! Because if the question is "can you take the LSAT in October and then still apply to law school?", sure! There's plenty of time to apply to plenty of different law schools. No worries!
But what if you want to target schools whose medians are pretty high ... and what if you don't get the score you're shooting for in October and you need to retake in November or beyond ... and what if you don't start your written pieces (like your personal statement until after you're done with the LSAT...? All of these variations can have some effect on matters!
And after you read all of that, don't freak out! Just try to work things logically. Like, "OK, I know I want to start law school this year. Let's do a month or two of LSAT prep, see where my PT scores are, and see how that compares to the medians of the kinds of law schools I'd like to consider." And then take it from there!
I’m 8 years out of graduation. I was a pre-med honors student, but halfway through I realized that medicine is NOT the career path for me. So while I’m finishing my undergraduate, everyone keeps telling me “it doesn’t matter what degree you get, all companies care about is that you have a bachelors.” Come to find out later THAT WAS A COMPLETE LIE. So I graduate with this extremely academically demanding and rigorous bachelors of science, but no companies seem to value my degree. I’ve been put into customer service roles and I’m currently driving for Uber and Door Dash. I’m 35 years old and I’ve been wanting to go to law school since my senior year of college, so 2017. I took some political science courses, psychology & law courses, and an eyewitness/police line up research study. I realized how passionate I am for criminal defense law, and especially those who are charged and convicted of a crime that they didn’t commit. Anyway, so I’m also late to the party and I plan on studying for the LSAT and going to law school next fall of 2027. However, or some reason I’m terrified of standardized testing and getting a low score. I still haven’t even started studying for it yet. And I don’t know if I should purchase a study plan or not.
I’m 43 and taking the lsat in November. I’ll be 44 when I attend next year. I’ve owned multi-unit properties since 2018 and successfully ran one as a beachfront Airbnb. For me, residential real estate law makes a lot of sense. Not interested in litigating, becoming partner or even securing a job so age isn’t a concern of mine. A private practice doing closing documents works for me. Easier to control my workload and I already have relationships with realtors and title companies. No matter what you do, as long as it makes sense for your situation, I wouldn’t stress the age.
Life is short, why not go for it? I graduated with a MSL in Privacy/Cybersecurity law just 7 months ago. Around graduation I found out a baby would be here in summer so I just focused on work and was happy with my new degree. However, April it dawned on me, after 13 years in GRC work and an advanced degree in Privacy, I want to be a lawyer. I like that 7SAGE has an app and I try to get a fair amount of studying in throughout the day (subject to change). I'd love to get a 177 and not work about a thing but honestly, I think schools want well-rounded people and experience is a factor. I am going for it. I hope I do well but I know my intentions and experience paint a good picture too. The alternative is waiting a year and preparing more! I graduated with my B.S. 13 years ago. If I can do it, so can you! Good luck!
My experience is similar, I'm about 8 years out from undergrad and I'm making the turn to law school. Something to consider is why it's essential that you start in the Fall of 2027. I've delayed my application by a cycle in 2025 and when I didn't perform like I wanted in 2026 I rejected some bad offers and I'm applying again on day one of applications opening this cycle. When I let go of the idea that the job needed to be done "right now" it really improved the process for me. Write down the specific reason you want to apply this cycle and see how honest it is. Definitely give a shot for the LSAT and applications this fall but don't rely on it if you can. What is a single year in the course of a 30 year career? Thats just my perspective though.
I don't think you're late at all. I know people who started the process several years after graduating and were very successful. The most important thing is submitting the strongest application you can, not rushing it.
For context, I earned a 515 MCAT (about the 91st percentile), a 170 LSAT (about the 97th percentile), an 800 GMAT Focus (100th percentile), and a 340 GRE (about the 99th percentile). Based on my experience preparing for standardized tests, I'd recommend focusing on earning the highest LSAT score you can rather than trying to test as early as possible.
An October LSAT can still work for Fall 2027 applications, but if you think waiting until a later administration would result in a meaningfully higher score, that can be a worthwhile tradeoff depending on your target schools and application timeline. A stronger LSAT score generally has a greater impact than rushing to take the exam before you're ready.
My biggest tips would be:
Don't rush your LSAT preparation—master logical reasoning and take plenty of timed practice tests.
Apply as early in the admissions cycle as you reasonably can after you have your score.
Spend time crafting a compelling personal statement and obtaining strong letters of recommendation.
Apply broadly, including reach, target, and safety schools.
You've got plenty of time to put together a competitive application for Fall 2027. A well-prepared application is far more valuable than simply being a few weeks earlier.
If you strongly prefer Fall 2027, I'd recommend taking at least the September and October tests. September would give you the chance to know you'll have at least a good enough score that you can commit to your application process. And it would also give you variability in putting two scores up, which would make me feel much more comfortable. So, it's not necessarily that October is too late. It's just that September + October is probably better if you have good reason to choose 2027 over 2028.
Class of 2019 undergrad here! The October LSAT absolutely isn't cutting it too close on admissions, but I'd echo what others said about not rushing it. The difference in one year is negligible; unless there's a reason you must start fall 2027, my unsolicited advice is to give yourself whatever time frame affords you the option to put your best foot forward in your apps. If that ends up being this cycle, great!
Good luck with everything, and have fun :)
I am waiting for my score tomorrow to decide if I need to test again but if I do I will be taking the October LSAT. I don't think that is too late but I would not go any later. From everything I've read in the 7 Sage Admissions study area, the admissions team will be traveling until October to go recruit at schools. So as long as you apply by end of October, which will when you'd get your score back, I think you'll be okay. But I would also have all of the other parts of your application complete so you can apply immediately.
Hey! I’m 37 and I just got my degree in May! I would say go for it, but I wouldn’t apply later than Dec. I’d plan for testing in Oct / Nov and submitting apps in Dec. truly though, if you’re not in til ‘28 that’s okay too! Don’t rush it and sell yourself short.