When taking the LSAT, timing when you should take the test is a big factor. A lot of students plant to the June LSAT, but when that test swiftly approaches, you may start to question postponing. Maybe you take a prep course, buy the Bible Trilogy, or invest in tutoring. If you see an uptick in your PT scores, that’s awesome. If you aren’t, then taking the June test becomes daunting. So, you may think that putting it off until September is a good idea. It’s easy to rationalize this decision! You’re still in school, you can focus on your finals without the added aggregation of yet another test. Arguably one that’s more important than any of them combined. Plus, you’ll have the whole summer to study! A test in the fall is starting to look more and more appetizing. So, why not postpone until then?
Don’t Do It!
At least, not yet. Although you have ways to go, it’s premature to postpone your test date if you have some time to go. If those practice test scores are cramping your style, don’t worry… yet. Wait to see what your scores will be in June and then decide! While we would never, ever advise you to take the test before you feel ready to kill it, many students improve tremendously in the final weeks before the test. You never know when it will “click.” Others improve gradually over time and you still have time to reach your goals. By all means, you’re prepping for June LSAT.
If you still aren’t ready by the beginning of June, go ahead and register for September. It will cost you some money to withdraw and register again, but nobody will ever know you did it. However, if you way before the test, you’ll have no impetus to study until later in the summer. If you’re currently enrolled in a course, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll continue taking full advantage of the resources available to you. Regaining momentum later on is a struggle, and that’s the least of it.
Still Not Convinced?
There are other compelling reasons why you should take the June LSAT:
- The fact that everyone and their mother takes the September test is bad news for you. Test centers book quickly and tend to crowd more so than at any other time of the year. If you let other people’s stress get to you, you’ll feel that in September more than you will in June.
- By taking the test in June, you give yourself a second chance. If you decide to cancel your score or aren’t especially thrilled about the score you got, you have a Plan B. You can re-take in September without throwing off the timeline for submitting your applications. You don’t have the same luxury if you postpone until September! Sure, you can re-take in December, but you’ll miss many Early Decision deadlines and you’ll end up submitting your applications at the tail end of the rolling admissions cycle. Not ideal.
- The June test is one of the few that are administered in the afternoon. You don’t need to get up at 7 AM to get to your test center. And you don’t need to train for months by taking your practice tests early in the morning, which is something you may have to do if you sign up for another test. Simply put, being able to take the test in the afternoon is a luxury. You want that.
You also want to have a nice summer. Give yourself the opportunity to chill on the beach, hit the slopes in New Zealand, or do both while crafting a Pulitzer-worthy personal statement. Come September, all you’ll have to do is click “Submit.” That would be a good thing. Remember: if you wait too long, the decision to take the LSAT in September will not be yours to make.