CHOOSING AN LSAT
SIX (6) TABLET/FLEX LSATs HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED FOR THE 2020-2021 ADMISSIONS CYCLE
As of this writing, LSAC has announced six remaining LSATs in 2020- 2021, namely: August 29, October 3, November 14, January 16, February 20 and April 10). At the moment, all LSATs are being offered on a Computer Tablet format that is remotely proctored-- and is known as the LSAT FLEX. For a spherical view of the remaining LSATs click here.
We offer multiple courses that are suitable for each LSAT date. For advice on selecting an LSAT date and/or Prep Course see the discussion below or contact us.
*Note on Disclosure of Test Results: only the Aug 29 & Nov 14, 2020 LSATs are DISCLOSED, which means that candidates who sit for those LSATs will receive a copy of both the exam and their answers along with their score. All other scheduled LSATs are undisclosed so students who sit for those LSATs will receive only their score.
As of this writing, LSAC has announced six remaining LSATs in 2020- 2021, namely: August 29, October 3, November 14, January 16, February 20 and April 10). At the moment, all LSATs are being offered on a Computer Tablet format that is remotely proctored-- and is known as the LSAT FLEX. For a spherical view of the remaining LSATs click here.
We offer multiple courses that are suitable for each LSAT date. For advice on selecting an LSAT date and/or Prep Course see the discussion below or contact us.
*Note on Disclosure of Test Results: only the Aug 29 & Nov 14, 2020 LSATs are DISCLOSED, which means that candidates who sit for those LSATs will receive a copy of both the exam and their answers along with their score. All other scheduled LSATs are undisclosed so students who sit for those LSATs will receive only their score.
WHEN TO TAKE THE LSAT
To maximize your chances of acceptance for admission of 2021, we recommend taking the LSAT no later than November 2020 or January 2021 if you want to be able to apply to any law school in the nation. If you take the February or April 2021 LSAT, you will be more limited in your choice of schools-- and need to check each school's website to see which LSAT dates they accept.
CHOOSING A COURSE
Since score increases are directly proportional to preparation time, we urge students to begin their preparation as early as possible. In general, students should begin preparing at least 2 months before their expected LSAT date whenever possible. For example, a candidate sitting for the November 11, 2020 LSAT should begin their preparation by September 2020, so Course 10, which begins on August 23, 2020 offers adequate time for preparation , as well as a fall back date in January 2021, in case more studying is required.
DETERMINING THE TIME IT TAKES TO PREP
Ideally, students should budget ample time for preparation. Candidates may shorten their prep time with a high starting score, immersive prep and/or private instruction. Though it is difficult to predict exactly how much time an individual candidate may need to reach any particular score, candidates generally need to take between 2 to 5 practice LSATs to effect one point of improvement. Many of our students have achieved meteoric rises (i.e., 15 points or more) in a few weeks, while others have taken over a year to show a modest improvement (eg, 6 points). The typical profile is two-to-six months to achieve 10-15 points of improvement. . Keep in mind that successful preparation is usually very time consuming because of the long hours of testing. Our program has two modules which take about 200 hours to complete: (i) Theory Phase: which requires about 40-90 hours to master our proprietary Binary method; and (ii) Application Phase: which requires taking at least 25- 35 practice LSATs with each exam followed by our specific Analytic Exercise. Such immersive testing is crucial for developing speed and familiarity with the format.
**Note: The best place to get real LSATs is from the testwriters who have recently created an inexpensive online tool called Official LSAT Prep Plus that includes over 60 actual, past LSATs formatted exactly like the current Digital LSAT.
ROLLING ADMISSIONS FAVORS EARLY APPLICANTS
Law schools accept on first-come, first-serve basis known as rolling admissions, so by the time the application deadline for a particular school arrives many of the seats in the entering class have been filled. On occasion, the entire first year class of some top schools has been selected before the deadline for submitting applications has arrived. Applications that are submitted early get viewed more favorably than later applications because admissions is a human process: the people who read applications are not as easy to impress after they have read thousands of applications, and the reality is that they become jaded as the admissions process progresses. Now if an applicant’s numbers are stellar (i.e., above the published average for the school), that applicant may be admitted even if the application is submitted right before the deadline (or even after). But if one does not have the numbers (i.e., either their LSAT or GPA is below the school's reported mean) - then one is strongly advised to sit out the year rather than apply both late and with low numbers.
In sum, you maximize your chances by applying early with high numbers. However, slow is usually better than low, so if you need to retake the LSAT to raise your score that is a wise move even if it delays your applications. The one combination that doesn't usually work is to be both late and low -- which is simply a no, for almost every candidate. So prep before you apply, and plan ahead because Rolling admissions underscores the need for both a well-timed and well-executed admissions plan.
THE 3J's : January of Junior Year, Start Preparing for the June LSAT
For college students, we recommend the 3 J's: in January of your Junior year begin preparing for the June LSAT.
If you are not in school, it's the 2J's: begin your prep in January for the June LSAT. Whenver possible, we advise the June LSAT because it is the first test of any admissions cycle-- and aiming for an early LSAT ensures that a candidate will not be late. Fall exams tend to be the most popular LSAT dates, so a student who starts preparing for the June exam will be considered timely if he/she ends up taking either the September or November LSAT for any year. For more information on LSAT dates and how they correspond to the admissions cycle, click here
REPEATING THE LSAT, IMPACT OF MULTIPLE SCORES- AND THE NEW PREVIEW POLICY
It is not advisable to take an actual LSAT for "practice" purposes-- either test your best or not at all. Though schools have moved away from averaging LSAT scores, there is no reason to advertise any sub-par scores to admissions committees. Recently, LSAC announced a new policy that allows first-time LSAT takers to Preview & Cancel their score before it becomes part of a student's official record. If it is not cancelled, an LSAT score stays on your record for 5 years and if it is low, you must include an addendum with your application explaining (and implicitly apologizing for) your LSAT record. This is why it is advisable that you avoid a foreseeable low score by either reschedule your test date or cancelling your score. It is our firm belief that adding even a hint of an LSAT vulnerability to your application is to be avoided. If it cannot be avoided, then retaking the LSAT and raising you score by 6 or more points (thus escaping the +/- 3 point error of the test) , will certainly increase your odds of admission-- since law schools consider the highest score when making their decisions. Smaller improvements can also help, but they are not as statistically significant because the exam has a 3-point error and admissions officers are aware of this --especially since LSAT scores are reported in "bands"- which take into account the inherent error of the test (this causes many admissions officers to also consider a student's LSAT percentile).
To maximize your chances of acceptance for admission of 2021, we recommend taking the LSAT no later than November 2020 or January 2021 if you want to be able to apply to any law school in the nation. If you take the February or April 2021 LSAT, you will be more limited in your choice of schools-- and need to check each school's website to see which LSAT dates they accept.
CHOOSING A COURSE
Since score increases are directly proportional to preparation time, we urge students to begin their preparation as early as possible. In general, students should begin preparing at least 2 months before their expected LSAT date whenever possible. For example, a candidate sitting for the November 11, 2020 LSAT should begin their preparation by September 2020, so Course 10, which begins on August 23, 2020 offers adequate time for preparation , as well as a fall back date in January 2021, in case more studying is required.
DETERMINING THE TIME IT TAKES TO PREP
Ideally, students should budget ample time for preparation. Candidates may shorten their prep time with a high starting score, immersive prep and/or private instruction. Though it is difficult to predict exactly how much time an individual candidate may need to reach any particular score, candidates generally need to take between 2 to 5 practice LSATs to effect one point of improvement. Many of our students have achieved meteoric rises (i.e., 15 points or more) in a few weeks, while others have taken over a year to show a modest improvement (eg, 6 points). The typical profile is two-to-six months to achieve 10-15 points of improvement. . Keep in mind that successful preparation is usually very time consuming because of the long hours of testing. Our program has two modules which take about 200 hours to complete: (i) Theory Phase: which requires about 40-90 hours to master our proprietary Binary method; and (ii) Application Phase: which requires taking at least 25- 35 practice LSATs with each exam followed by our specific Analytic Exercise. Such immersive testing is crucial for developing speed and familiarity with the format.
**Note: The best place to get real LSATs is from the testwriters who have recently created an inexpensive online tool called Official LSAT Prep Plus that includes over 60 actual, past LSATs formatted exactly like the current Digital LSAT.
ROLLING ADMISSIONS FAVORS EARLY APPLICANTS
Law schools accept on first-come, first-serve basis known as rolling admissions, so by the time the application deadline for a particular school arrives many of the seats in the entering class have been filled. On occasion, the entire first year class of some top schools has been selected before the deadline for submitting applications has arrived. Applications that are submitted early get viewed more favorably than later applications because admissions is a human process: the people who read applications are not as easy to impress after they have read thousands of applications, and the reality is that they become jaded as the admissions process progresses. Now if an applicant’s numbers are stellar (i.e., above the published average for the school), that applicant may be admitted even if the application is submitted right before the deadline (or even after). But if one does not have the numbers (i.e., either their LSAT or GPA is below the school's reported mean) - then one is strongly advised to sit out the year rather than apply both late and with low numbers.
In sum, you maximize your chances by applying early with high numbers. However, slow is usually better than low, so if you need to retake the LSAT to raise your score that is a wise move even if it delays your applications. The one combination that doesn't usually work is to be both late and low -- which is simply a no, for almost every candidate. So prep before you apply, and plan ahead because Rolling admissions underscores the need for both a well-timed and well-executed admissions plan.
THE 3J's : January of Junior Year, Start Preparing for the June LSAT
For college students, we recommend the 3 J's: in January of your Junior year begin preparing for the June LSAT.
If you are not in school, it's the 2J's: begin your prep in January for the June LSAT. Whenver possible, we advise the June LSAT because it is the first test of any admissions cycle-- and aiming for an early LSAT ensures that a candidate will not be late. Fall exams tend to be the most popular LSAT dates, so a student who starts preparing for the June exam will be considered timely if he/she ends up taking either the September or November LSAT for any year. For more information on LSAT dates and how they correspond to the admissions cycle, click here
REPEATING THE LSAT, IMPACT OF MULTIPLE SCORES- AND THE NEW PREVIEW POLICY
It is not advisable to take an actual LSAT for "practice" purposes-- either test your best or not at all. Though schools have moved away from averaging LSAT scores, there is no reason to advertise any sub-par scores to admissions committees. Recently, LSAC announced a new policy that allows first-time LSAT takers to Preview & Cancel their score before it becomes part of a student's official record. If it is not cancelled, an LSAT score stays on your record for 5 years and if it is low, you must include an addendum with your application explaining (and implicitly apologizing for) your LSAT record. This is why it is advisable that you avoid a foreseeable low score by either reschedule your test date or cancelling your score. It is our firm belief that adding even a hint of an LSAT vulnerability to your application is to be avoided. If it cannot be avoided, then retaking the LSAT and raising you score by 6 or more points (thus escaping the +/- 3 point error of the test) , will certainly increase your odds of admission-- since law schools consider the highest score when making their decisions. Smaller improvements can also help, but they are not as statistically significant because the exam has a 3-point error and admissions officers are aware of this --especially since LSAT scores are reported in "bands"- which take into account the inherent error of the test (this causes many admissions officers to also consider a student's LSAT percentile).