September 2019 vs October 2019 LSAT

[Lauryn]

Hello,

I know this might be slightly late because of the registration deadline is tomorrow (August 1st, 2019) but I am still struggling with the decision on whether to take the September or October LSAT for this admission cycle. Honestly, the advisors at my undergraduate university really do not know that much about the law school admission process in general, so I am hoping that I could get some advice from a Powerscore expert. My recent practice tests have been in the upper 150s with a max score of 161. I took the July LSAT and I felt like I did not do too well, so I will probably cancel. After I took the LSAT I ordered all of the bibles, training types, and workbooks and I am currently working on the three-month schedule for the October LSAT (as well as adding in extra PTs). I would love to score at least a 165. Do you think there is a strong advantage for September test takers or should I give myself that extra month to study for October? I am worried that scholarships will be taken if I do not submit my complete application until early November. With the expectation that I will cancel my score, I will probably not be able to submit an application early and ask schools to wait on another LSAT. The fact that I could possibly retake October for free is not a huge consideration for me as I would rather just take the test that is most beneficial.

On a different note, I did completely finish the trainer before July (as I didn't have time to work through the bibles). Do you think I should dedicate more time to taking PTs if I have a good grasp on certain topics?

I am really enjoying working through the bibles and find the instruction extremely beneficial to my understanding of the test. Thank you for all the work you do, including the podcasts and forums!

[Dave Killoran]

Hello,

I know this might be slightly late because of the registration deadline is tomorrow (August 1st, 2019) but I am still struggling with the decision on whether to take the September or October LSAT for this admission cycle. Honestly, the advisors at my undergraduate university really do not know that much about the law school admission process in general, so I am hoping that I could get some advice from a Powerscore expert. My recent practice tests have been in the upper 150s with a max score of 161. I took the July LSAT and I felt like I did not do too well, so I will probably cancel. After I took the LSAT I ordered all of the bibles, training types, and workbooks and I am currently working on the three-month schedule for the October LSAT (as well as adding in extra PTs). I would love to score at least a 165. Do you think there is a strong advantage for September test takers or should I give myself that extra month to study for October? I am worried that scholarships will be taken if I do not submit my complete application until early November. With the expectation that I will cancel my score, I will probably not be able to submit an application early and ask schools to wait on another LSAT. The fact that I could possibly retake October for free is not a huge consideration for me as I would rather just take the test that is most beneficial.

On a different note, I did completely finish the trainer before July (as I didn't have time to work through the bibles). Do you think I should dedicate more time to taking PTs if I have a good grasp on certain topics?

I am really enjoying working through the bibles and find the instruction extremely beneficial to my understanding of the test. Thank you for all the work you do, including the podcasts and forums!

Hi Lauryn,

Thanks for the message, and thanks for buying the books! A few thoughts for you:

• * Extra time is almost always beneficial, especially in your situation where you still have material to cover! This is particularly the case when you are trying to move into a stable mid-160s range.
  
  * October is in now way too late for scholarships and other financial aid. It's actually still very early in the cycle See this article for more info: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid-28 ... -is-early/ (there's a chart missing there I'll try to locate. It showed visually what is described below). Regardless, October is not too late. Better to apply using October with a higher score than to apply using September with a lower score!
  
  * In our next podcast episode (up tomorrow, Thursday) Jon talks about good reasons to be wary of September. http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/podcast/
  
  * Last, keep reading the Bibles, but skim stuff that you know (or just do the drills to make sure you know it). The Trainer doesn't go into the gritty details in many instances, and for a mid-160 scorer the details are critical!

In short, October is fine and it will give you an improved chance of a higher score, which will do more for your scholarship chances than any other factor!

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

[Lauryn]

Hi Dave,

This definitely makes me feel better about the decision to take October. Thank you so much for your thoughts! I look forward to the podcast.

Best,
Lauryn