**Note: LSAT scores remain on your record and can be used to apply to schools for up to FIVE (5) YEARS
LSAT DATES
How LSAT Dates Correspond to Admissions Cycles
Every year, law schools accept applicants over an 11-month period (October through August) so that they can begin law school in August/September of a given year. Thus, an "admissions year" spans two years, and is referred to as a hyphenated cycle-- e.g., the 2022-2023 Law School Admissions Cycle.
Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the agency that administers the LSAT, schedules the LSAT on an annual basis that runs from August through June.
The "first" exam of any Admissions Cycle is in June because that exam is generally too late for admission in the same year it is offered. However, the most popular test dates are administered in the Fall, and are generally offered in September, October and/or November. Several later exams are also offered in January, February and April 30 of the year of entry.
Choosing an LSAT date
Since law school admissions are rolling (i.e., students are accepted as they apply), it is best to take the LSAT early. Candidates who are seeking early admission to a specific school will have to take the test by October of the year prior to admission. All others can take the exam by January (of the year of admission), in order to apply to any rank of law school. Not all law schools accept the remaining LSAT dates (i.e., February or later ), but Most law schools will accept scores from some of these test dates. Generally, one must take the LSAT at least one month before the deadline to apply to any law school, since LSAT scores are released approximately 3 weeks after the exam is administered.
In practice, however, even some first tier law schools (which tend to have the earliest application deadlines) may make exceptions to these policies, since any law school can admit a qualified candidate at any time-- which is why every law school has a robust waitlist. Hence, a person who takes the June 2022 LSAT may be accepted by some law school in August 2022-- only two months after taking the exam. Alternatively, a candidate who applied to law school with a score from the June 2021 LSAT, may be placed on a waitlist and also be accepted in August 2022 (this last-minute admission happens when a member of the first year class withdraws abruptly before classes begin). Though such acceptances demonstrate what is possible, they are atypical and relatively rare events. Consequently, all candidates are urged to take the LSAT as soon as possible, and to apply early in order to maximize the odds of admission and amount of funding they obtain (as scholarships funds get depleted-- especially in public institutions-- before the application deadline for a given law school has expired).
For more information on how to pick an LSAT date click here.
Every year, law schools accept applicants over an 11-month period (October through August) so that they can begin law school in August/September of a given year. Thus, an "admissions year" spans two years, and is referred to as a hyphenated cycle-- e.g., the 2022-2023 Law School Admissions Cycle.
Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the agency that administers the LSAT, schedules the LSAT on an annual basis that runs from August through June.
The "first" exam of any Admissions Cycle is in June because that exam is generally too late for admission in the same year it is offered. However, the most popular test dates are administered in the Fall, and are generally offered in September, October and/or November. Several later exams are also offered in January, February and April 30 of the year of entry.
Choosing an LSAT date
Since law school admissions are rolling (i.e., students are accepted as they apply), it is best to take the LSAT early. Candidates who are seeking early admission to a specific school will have to take the test by October of the year prior to admission. All others can take the exam by January (of the year of admission), in order to apply to any rank of law school. Not all law schools accept the remaining LSAT dates (i.e., February or later ), but Most law schools will accept scores from some of these test dates. Generally, one must take the LSAT at least one month before the deadline to apply to any law school, since LSAT scores are released approximately 3 weeks after the exam is administered.
In practice, however, even some first tier law schools (which tend to have the earliest application deadlines) may make exceptions to these policies, since any law school can admit a qualified candidate at any time-- which is why every law school has a robust waitlist. Hence, a person who takes the June 2022 LSAT may be accepted by some law school in August 2022-- only two months after taking the exam. Alternatively, a candidate who applied to law school with a score from the June 2021 LSAT, may be placed on a waitlist and also be accepted in August 2022 (this last-minute admission happens when a member of the first year class withdraws abruptly before classes begin). Though such acceptances demonstrate what is possible, they are atypical and relatively rare events. Consequently, all candidates are urged to take the LSAT as soon as possible, and to apply early in order to maximize the odds of admission and amount of funding they obtain (as scholarships funds get depleted-- especially in public institutions-- before the application deadline for a given law school has expired).
For more information on how to pick an LSAT date click here.