Is it a good idea to wait a year between undergrad graduation and law school applications?

j.lydic

I got a 153 on my first attempt at the LSAT this December. I feel I can do a lot better than this if I continue to study. The problem is, I didn't register for the February LSAT on time and many schools close deadlines before June. I'm wondering if I should just wait a year after I graduate and work on my internship and studying so I can really dedicate time and get the score I want, or just be happy with my score and apply to schools with that. Any thoughts?

Pacifico

Definitely take a year or more and apply when you have the score you need. Getting some extra WE or other thing to put on your resume will definitely help you as well. There are plenty of us on here in our 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s that took much more than a year off so you have nothing to worry about in that regard. I would prep for June with October and December as options to fall back on. Just have your PS and resume ready by the end of the summer and you'll be in great shape.

Nicole Hopkins

@Pacifico said:
Definitely take a year or more and apply when you have the score you need. Getting some extra WE or other thing to put on your resume will definitely help you as well.

Absolutely.

@Pacifico said:
There are plenty of us on here in our 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s that took much more than a year off so you have nothing to worry about in that regard.

Bunch of us here are over 30 (or just shy of it) ... @Pacifico @"Nilesh S" @"Quick Silver" @DumbHollywoodActor and many others. I think we all see the tremendous advantage age/experience gives us as law students and attorneys. I think the more maturity and real world experience you can gain, the better.

Nanchito-1-1

If you feel you can do better don't sell yourself short. Show them (and show yourself). By getting a better score you can get more scholarships or attend a better school. By taking a year off, you could add something to your resume, travel, or experience something new.

DumbHollywoodActor

It’s true. I’m old.

Nicole Hopkins

@DumbHollywoodActor said:
I’m old.

Not as old as @nye8870 !!

Had to throw the two of you under the bus cuz you're just the best

lsatings

@j.lydic said:
I'm wondering if I should just wait a year after I graduate and work on my internship and studying so I can really dedicate time and get the score I want

definitely wait a year if you can get a higher score and get into a better school. this is important especially when it comes to the legal field. taking off another year is not a big deal, so dont stress it.

cjones76

I agree with everyone above, I feel like you only have something to gain by taking a year off.

nye8870

@"Nicole Hopkins" said:
Not as old as @nye8870 !!

I laughed so hard I think I threw my back out!

Nicole Hopkins

@nye8870 said:
I laughed so hard I think I threw my back out!

Awww Gramps!

Nilesh S

Yeah age is just a number and going to law school after you have some non-academic experience definitely has significant advantages. For example, your conceptual tool kit expands, you tend to handle stress better, and sometimes your real world experience comes into play in the actual curricular matter that you deal with. Also... you tend to take everything in perspective and do not let law school change you or affect you negatively... there are plenty of kids who graduate from their BA and BS programs, go to law school and lose balance... suddenly they get lost in outlines and supplements and start having an unhealthy focus on grades... all hose things are important but you have to maintain perspective. Being older and having experience really helps with this perspective.

lsatings

@"Nilesh S" said:
For example, your conceptual tool kit expands, you tend to handle stress better, and sometimes your real world experience comes into play in the actual curricular matter that you deal with.

I have been out of school for ~2 years now and completely agree with this. I always thought that going to law school immediately out of undergrad would be perfect because studying and academics would still be fresh in my mind, but I've found that working might actually be better just because it gives me such a good perspective when I am doing work. You get some valuable skills that may not have been very well developed during undergrad. You become more mature, and that maturity helps you in so many ways relating to your academic/professional career. I don't regret taking time off, though at the time it was unintentional (and painful to come to terms with as I was gunning for the quickest possible route to that JD), I'm actually really glad that I did.