2016 Admissions timing question

[LSATmaniac2.0]

Dear Powerscore,

I was wondering how much of a difference in admissions chances there is between applying right as soon as the applications open (in September) as opposed to in October right after the September LSAT scores come out. I ask because I am debating on whether to take the June or September exam.

For some context, I want to apply to the Top 6 law schools. I have studied for about 3 months so far and went through the Kaplan course before studying the Bibles, so I have a pretty good background in prep. Currently scoring consistently in the high 160's, low 170's. Also, I like to compare and contrast methods from different people/companies and have found that I understand and perform better when I mix and match.

That having been said, If I take the June exam, I would be mostly studying on my own, taking the advanced logical reasoning and logic games classes from Powerscore and maybe a little bit of tutoring (I am on a very tight budget, though).

If I take the September exam, I could do the above prep till June and become a Preprobono Fellow. I think this could improve my score over prepping by myself. The trade-off is that I would have to take the September exam and apply in October, right after getting the results, as opposed to in September.

So, just to sum things up: do you think a possible (I stress possible) score increase would compensate for having an application going in a month later (October instead of September)? If yes/no, could you explain how/why that is? I find the whole law admissions process enigmatic (to say the least) and would greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
LSATmaniac2.0

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey LSATmaniac2.0,

It makes absolutely no difference whether you apply in September, October, November, or even December. The penalty for applying late in the game usually starts kicking in around January, if it does at all. (It used to be more pronounced back when there were 20% more applicants than they are today). So, that shouldn't be a factor in your decision at all.

What concerns me more is that you're contemplating postponing the test until September, having already invested a considerable amount of time prepping. You're already scoring in the high-160's; could it really take another 8 months to jump a few points? Only if you let it (and you shouldn't). The very fact that you're considering such a delay means you don't feel confident despite the dramatic improvement in your scores. Why? Too much of a good thing can be... a very bad thing. It can easily cause you to burn out, as I've seen it happen time and time again.

You should absolutely, positively, be ready to hit (if not exceed) your target by June.

At this point, you're probably struggling with the hardest types of questions; a good tutor can easily identify your weaknesses and offer target exercises to help you fix that. Alternatively, you may have issues with strategy and pacing - stubbornly focusing on an extremely hard question is the surest way to miss a few easy ones. Whatever issues you're facing, it will not take 8 (or even 4) months to fix them. A solid 2-month course, with a knowledgeable instructor, and access to a wide variety of practice sets and exams, should be more than sufficient. I'd also recommend the Advanced courses we offer, as they would be right up your alley.

Let me know if you have any other questions I can answer.

Thanks,