If I take the lsat on 3/30, 2020, would it be in time for the fall semester?

paul.sellari

Just like title, I can't find a better way to word this. What I'm trying to ask is, how long would it take after I take the LSAT to get everything ready for admissions and application. Or, when is the average cut off for fall semester application for law schools.
Sorry if this is a common question I looked around a bit and can't find a satisfying answer.

so,

If I take the lsat on 3/30, 2020, would it be in time for the fall semester?

Thank yall in advance!

drbrown2

April is likely too late. Some schools that don’t have hard deadlines will still invite you to apply, but seats and scholarships are harder to come by that late in the cycle. You’ll have to wait a few weeks for the score so you’re looking at a late April application. If you don’t think you’ll be ready to test until March you could apply for the 2021 semester early and have multiple chances to take the LSAT after the March test. Ideally you want to apply with the best score you can get as early as you can.

paul.sellari

@drbrown2 said:
April is likely too late. Some schools that don’t have hard deadlines will still invite you to apply, but seats and scholarships are harder to come by that late in the cycle. You’ll have to wait a few weeks for the score so you’re looking at a late April application. If you don’t think you’ll be ready to test until March you could apply for the 2021 semester early and have multiple chances to take the LSAT after the March test. Ideally you want to apply with the best score you can get as early as you can.

I am taking the Lsat in Taiwan, so my options are a bit limited. I plan on taking it in Jan. However, If I don't do well, I'm thinking about re-taking it in March. What about a late Jan / early feb application?

Louislepauvre

Late January/Early Feb is generally fine. All depends on the school though. I think the more competitive the school is, the better your chances when your app is early, particularly with scholarship money, which could be running low by the time your app comes around.

Selene Steelman

"how long would it take after I take the LSAT to get everything ready for admissions and application."
I just spoke to an admissions officer recently who said that candidates should do their best to prepare the entire application (essays, LORs, transcripts) before the LSAT score is released. It would be even better if candidates prepare and submit the incomplete application without the LSAT score to the school because the admissions office will still process the incomplete application. Once the LSAT score is released, the school will receive it and the incomplete application could be recategorized to Complete and In Review pretty much the same day. If the candidate waits to for the score to be released and THEN submits the application, the file will need to be processed by the law school and that may take a few days to weeks depending on the volume. So the admissions officer said the candidate saves time by submitting all other materials sooner than the LSAT result. The summer months and September/October would be a great time to thoroughly prepare your application essays and get your materials in order.

"If I take the lsat on 3/30, 2020, would it be in time for the fall semester?"
For some law schools, the application deadline is a priority deadline or a preferred deadline, meaning that if you submit an application after the deadline, your file will still be reviewed. That said, submitting a completed application in mid-April is at the late end of the application cycle, and your results may not be as positive as they might have been had you applied in November. Some schools will specify the latest LSAT result they will accept for the application cycle so please double check by calling the admissions offices.

Depending on the kind of cycle a school is having, your April application may be welcomed with an offer of admission and possibly even merit award if the school does not meet its deposit expectations and they need to make offers of admission to new files or waitlist files. Candidates have been admitted to law schools in July and August. It could be a gamble that could pay off, but I would recommend that you try to post a strong LSAT score before the March exam.

If you have already applied with an LSAT score earlier in the cycle and you decide to take the March LSAT anyway, an improved score could be very helpful in scholarship reevaluation requests or efforts to move off of waitlists.