to take the test or to not take the test

[LSATtaker29]

Hello! I am currently signed up to take the September LSAT in a few days and I do not feel prepared. I wanted to range in the 160s, a goal that I haven't been able to meet regardless of the months of studying. That being said, now I am not even sure if I would like to attend law school. Would you recommend taking the test or should I wait and take the test when I feel more prepared (even though I'm not sure if that will ever happen)?

[James Finch]

Hi LSATtaker29,

Ultimately you have to feel prepared and confident in your abilities in order to do well on the test. We all have doubts, and no one feels totally prepared when test day nears, but you need to know in the back of your mind that you can and will do well on the test, focusing on each question, and only that question, as it sits on the paper in front of you. If you can reach that mental state, and feel confident in having mastered the techniques needed to answer the questions, then take the test. If not, you will have to evaluate how far off you are from your goal and what is holding you back from achieving it, and then whether you can overcome those obstacles before the test.

As for going to law school, taking the LSAT doesn't mean you have to then attend or even apply to any schools. In fact, I recommend that anyone considering law school take a long hard look at whether it would be worth it, in time, money and other opportunities. If you want to travel or even live abroad, now is usually a better time than after taking out 3 years of law school loans. Similarly, I saw a big difference between people going directly from undergrad to law school versus those who had taken at least a year off between the two, and I would absolutely recommend at least one gap year.

I hope this is of some help.