September or December? (urgent)

ejs23

I have been studying since June and I am now seeing some big score improvements.

The problem is that I go back to school in early September and whilst I was planning on taking the December exam, I am afraid that I won't be able to devote much time for the LSAT during the school year. I am afraid of actually becoming worse at the LSAT because I won't be able to devote much time for the test.

The deadline for late registration for the Sep exam is tomorrow (eek)

Should I study hard during the next month and take the September LSAT or postpone till December or February? Or try my best to study for the LSAT during the shcool year and take a shot at the December exam?

Any advice will be deeply appreciated!

thank you!

Alex

@ejs23 said:

Should I study hard during the next month and take the September LSAT or postpone till December or February? Or try my best to study for the LSAT during the shcool year and take a shot at the December exam?

I had to make a similar decision last month. I ultimately decided to postpone until next June... I am ready to write the LSAT and score my goal of a 174.

So I think you should postpone. You don't want to be rushing one of the most important tests of your life for the sake of.....getting it over with.

Unfortunately the LSAT isn't something you can just "study hard" for and then hit out of the park. It reminds me a lot of when I was learning to play the piano. It is frustrating, and the improvements come slow at first. You have to learn to read the music (learn the logic) Then you have to understand how to translate that into actual playing via practice (problem sets/drills) and ultimately you need to keep going until you are ready to practice full songs (Timed tests) ......

You could sit there for a month and practice 24 hours a day, but you still need the variable of time. Time to absorb, to retrain you mind, and to understand and learn through trial and error....

In sum, the LSAT takes time to master. That is all. I think the biggest killer of test taker's potential is time. Simply that they didn't give themselves enough time. I'm truly a believer that this is a learnable test for anyone that gives themselves, yes, you guessed it, TIME.

Good luck

Sprinkles

Absolutely what @"Alex Divine" said. I personally was unable to study well during my undergrad and decided to take a gap year to do so. It sucks but in the long run its totally worth it. This test makes you grow as a person. Weird I know

Cant Get Right

Without reading your post or any of the other comments, I'm going to say December. If you were ready for September you wouldn't have to ask.

Cant Get Right

Yeah, after reading, I totally reconfirm to postpone. Unless you're some kind of genius or something, you're just not going to be anywhere near ready to sit for September after only a couple of months of studying. So unless you're willing to settle for far below your potential, I don't see how September can be a viable option for you.

Dark Knight V

I recently decided to take the test in December instead of September, to give myself more time to be better prepared. You might consider making the most of the time you have before you start school to study, and then fit in as much as you can while you're in school. This seems like it may be a better option than cramming for the September test.

I guess it comes down to how close to your target score you are - if you think you're on track to get it in September, then do that. But if you have any doubt, it sounds like its worth waiting.

Sprinkles

@"Dark Knight V" said:
But if you have any doubt, it sounds like its worth waiting.

Exactly.

frankl10

I was also facing the similar problem. I'm registered to take the September test, but I'm not sure I'm ready. What's preventing me from postponing is law school admissions. I'm afraid that if I wait too late, spots for my favorite schools will be full.

Ron Swanson

@frankl10

December is absolutely not too late to apply. That may have been true when admissions were through the roof (think mid-late 2000s), but that's not the case anymore.

Many schools accept Feb. exams for fall admissions, and certain 7sagers have received some hefty scholarships from applying later in the cycle.

Granted, there are some benefits to applying on the earlier side. For example at the start of the cycle, admissions people generally try to "lock down" their medians, admitting students with the numbers that they're looking for. Then later on, they're more apt to accept students with lower numbers but amazing backstories.

I wouldn't be afraid to postpone to Dec if you need the time. I'd recommended having all of your application stuff done by the time you sit for the test. That way when you get your score back, all you have to do is send those apps.

You'll be fine, go get em

Alejandro

it all depends on your target score and if you are close to getting to it!

Cant Get Right

@frankl10 said:
I'm afraid that if I wait too late, spots for my favorite schools will be full.

You're kind of making the assumption that all things are equal. If you're not ready for the LSAT in September, all things will not be equal. Your LSAT is so much more important than your application date it's not even remotely comparable. A single extra point on a December LSAT makes for a stronger overall application than one turned in early but minus that one point. If there is even a remote possibility that your performance on the LSAT could be compromised for the sake of getting in an early app, you're making a really bad trade-off.

frankl10

Oh wow that's such a relief! I was back and forth when it came to postponing, but I'm pretty settled now.