Self-study
Hi guys i am taking the LSAT in October but i want to move it to November. If this happens will that still be enough time to apply and get admitted in the FALL 2026 cycle?
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Hi guys i am taking the LSAT in October but i want to move it to November. If this happens will that still be enough time to apply and get admitted in the FALL 2026 cycle?
8 comments
Hi, I am doing the same thing. Just don't wait to get your score to start prepping app materials. Split your time between studying and app material prep. This is so when you get your score in end of November, you can just hit submit with everything ready. I know some people say you can submit your application early and have them wait for your LSAT score but most schools dont even open your application until they have received your LSAT..
I've seen people apply in April and get accepted a week later. Depends on where you're applying and how high you want your scholarship chances to be.
Most applications from what I've seen have recently just opened. I'd say it really depends on if you're really particular about what school you're looking to get into.
I plan to take the November LSAT and then apply but have everything else all ready to go so that I'm just waiting for that piece to submit my applications. From what I've seen it's not too late to apply and most places cut off applications for the Fall in February.
I'm looking to get into certain programs and know as a non-traditional career change student I'm not worried about getting into a top program but am looking at programs that have the dual degree I'm looking to obtain to go into law librarianship type of work.
@kfsurren86 Thanks for this so much. I'm not traditional career change also. Do you have anything to share about our group of applicants? Do you think it works against us?
@LusYed I am taking a 3-year gap before law school, which isn't exactly the same but I don't think it will work against you. It's not uncommon to be applying as a non-traditional applicant but you have to be prepared for when they will ask you about it during interviews. Some people take advantage and explicitly explain the career change in their personal statements. If you can show that your career has taught you valuable skills, you can possibly even make it work in your favor.
You can check out these personal statement examples that show career change: https://www.nesl.edu/blog/detail/outstanding-real-world-law-school-personal-statement-examples https://classic.7sage.com/law-school-ps-examples/
What sets you apart from "traditional" applicants is that you have knowledge and experience from your current career field. If you find a way to reflect that in your application or interviews, I think you'll do well.
@shaiml thank you SO much
Look at the schools you want to apply to and check when their deadlines are. Most, if not all schools, are rolling admission meaning that schools fill up spots throughout the application period. I think a lot of schools close their applications in February (I haven't looked recently so I could be wrong). This also means that applying after you take the November test means you'll be applying for a smaller pool of spots available in most schools since a lot of schools would have already accepted quite a few students by now.
You would have to weigh what you think is best depending on your score and application material. If you do want to apply for the Fall 2026 cycle, I would recommend making sure your personal statement, letters of recommendation, and other application documents are already prepped. It would give you time from November-February to prepare for interviews or secondary essays some schools might request.
It really comes down to the timelines for the schools you plan to apply to. Personally, I can't afford to to be generous with application fees so I would want to wait for the next cycle and apply earlier to give myself a better chance instead of applying late into the application cycle, paying a bunch of application fees, and risk not getting admitted into any schools I apply to.
@shaiml thanks for the tip- i'll start by looking at the applications periods for each school. Thanks again