How screwed am I for having to take the February Lsat for the 2023 cycle?

24armaan

Hey so I’m currently in the application process for law school and I’m also a senior in my undergrad. I’ve already taken an lsat and gotten a 157 which Ik can get me into schools but I decided that I’m gonna take the January lsat to see if I can crack the 160s. The issue is I got super backed up with assignments and finals and I completely missed the deadline to apply for the January lsat.
My question is am I screwed for having to take the February lsat? I’m very confident I can get into the 160s but it’s just a matter of spots being open.
I’m applying to UT Austin (long shot I know), SMU, University of Houston, and A&M. All of these schools have application deadlines of March (so they accept February LSATs and A&M’s application closes in April so that works even better for me.

Also I plan on submitting my application this month and choosing the option to have them wait on my lsat score.

So what do y’all think? Am I screwed or should I be okay?

aydinjkarasapan

I'd recommend checking out the 7sage admissions predictor, in which you can input the month you intend on applying as well as LSAT score and GPA, and it will give you a rough idea of your chances for each law school. Its obviously very limited as your softs (experience, essays, etc) are not taken into account, but can give you a good ballpark of your chances.

I'd recommend checking with your original score and GPA against what score you project you will get in February.

AlexWill

@aydinjkarasapan said:
I'd recommend checking out the 7sage admissions predictor, in which you can input the month you intend on applying as well as LSAT score and GPA, and it will give you a rough idea of your chances for each law school. Its obviously very limited as your softs (experience, essays, etc) are not taken into account, but can give you a good ballpark of your chances.

I'd recommend checking with your original score and GPA against what score you project you will get in February.

I agree, but remember if you take it in February, you won't get your score until March, so say application month of March

rachaelbackus

I would try reaching out to the admissions departments of those schools directly! I had a similar worry and was able to get in touch with an admissions counselor who was super helpful and answered all of my questions about it.

coledyson

I'm in the exact same boat, without ever having taken the LSAT at all... Hopefully there will be some space for me in the admissions field as well.

aleii1014

I know a few people who took the february lsat last year and were able to go to pretty good law schools for fall 2022 !! Hope this gives you some hope !! You got this !!

Selene Steelman

Former admissions officer here. Your chances of receiving an offer with a February LSAT result may depend on the score you achieve and whether your application as a whole helps fulfill your target program's enrollment goals at that point in the cycle. Generally, in terms of timing, the closer the school gets to its deposit deadline, the more selective they can become in admitting candidates who will help them build the incoming class they want. This explains why some candidates are admitted later in the spring while some otherwise admissible candidates may end up on the waitlist. Good luck!