Law school Fall 2010: When should I prepare for the LSAT?

Question

I will be a junior in college this fall and will be graduating in June 2010. I plan on attending law school after graduation and I'm doing EVERYTHING possible to prepare myself to get into one of the top 50 schools. My GPA fell from 3.4 to 3.0 this last school year, so of course getting that back up to AT LEAST 3.6 is my main focus right now. Since I have 2 years to do it, I'm very hopeful. However with a lower GPA, I know that my LSAT score will be critical.

So my question is this: How soon is too soon to start preparing for the LSAT? A part of me wants to start now so that I can be ahead of the game once its time to take the test. However I don't want to jeopardize my actual school studies if it won't make a big difference.

If there is anyone out there who has been in this situation or has an opinion that could be helpful, please share!

Thanks in advance....

Answer 1

You should start soon. My friend--who got in to Yale Law--started studying and taking classes the fall of her junior year, and took the LSAT in the winter. You really do need to take it by the spring, since you'll be applying to law school soon after, and it's best to know where you stand. She took the winter one because she wanted a chance to retake it if she didn't do well...however, keep in mind that many of the best schools average your LSAT score, so don't take it in the winter if you aren't ready.  

Answer 2

I have taken the LSAT and gone through the law school admissions process, and here is my advice.  

Give yourself 3 months of prep time for the LSAT.  You really do not need more than that, and it is easy to peak and burn out on this test.

That said, you do need to have 3 full months to truly dedicate to studying for the LSAT.  I spent roughly 20 hours/week prepping.  My prep work included a full-length prep course, at least once a week full length practice LSAT, and countless of hours of practicing the question types.  For what it's worth, I scored in the 97th percentile.  The test is learnable, but you have to be willing (and able) to take the time to learn it.

If you are graduating in June 2010, you should plan on taking the June 2009 test.  My opinion is that beginning your study plan now is too early.  I would suggest starting in March/April 2009.  That gives you plenty of time and you should have no problem.  Like I said, you really only need 3 months and it's an easy test to burn out on.

Just another tip: apply early for law school admission.  You will have your LSAT score back in July and will have all summer to work on your applications.  Applying early does make a difference, especially for borderline candidates.

Oh, and by the way, most schools will take your higher LSAT score now.  The ABA rule that they had to average scores was revised a few years ago and this is no longer the case.