LSAT Prep 101 – 10 Things To Consider

The LSAT is offered four times a year.  In preparation for these exams, ScoreItUp offers live courses in Orange County (Irvine) in the Spring, Summer and Fall, as well as its 24/7 online video course all year.  Students taking the February 2014 LSAT are encouraged to take advantage of ScoreItUp’s 24/7 online video course – and to do so as soon as possible!

Depending upon which LSAT you are taking, here are 10 things to keep in mind (some of which may sound self-serving, but nevertheless are very useful!):

1.  No LSAT is “harder” than another when it comes to your actual LSAT score – the exam is graded on the equivalent of a curve that factors three years of LSAT score results into its analysis, so you are not competing directly against other people taking the same LSAT as you.

2. All law schools will accept the June, October and December LSATs for admission into law school the following Fall (i.e., if you take the LSAT in June, October or December 2014, your LSAT score will be accepted by law schools for Fall 2015).

3. Most, but not all, law schools will accept the February LSAT for their upcoming Fall classes (i.e., if you take the LSAT in February 2014, your LSAT score will be accepted by most law schools for Fall 2014).

4.  There are advantages to getting your applications in early, since law schools have more spaces and more scholarship money to offer when it is earlier in the cycle.  Early admission is generally considered to be in November for the following Fall.  So, all things being equal, preparing for the June or October LSATs tends to be a good idea.

5.  While the December LSAT will not be considered for “early admission,” it is still preferable to waiting until February – i.e., if one were planning on going to law school in Fall 2015, one would be better off taking the December 2014 LSAT and applying in late December than waiting until February 2015 and applying in late February.

6.  Although it is preferable to apply early, a strong LSAT score is more important than an “early” LSAT score.  If you know you aren’t ready, it is better to wait until you are more fully prepared to take the LSAT, thereby increasing your chances of getting a better score.

7.  ScoreItUp offers live courses in the Spring (April-May) to prepare for the June LSAT; in the Summer (July-September) to prepare for the October LSAT; and in the Fall (October-November) to prepare for the December and February LSATs.  If you live locally, or are able to commute or temporarily relocate to Orange County, these courses are an excellent way to prepare for the LSAT.  Common sense (and ScoreItUp students’ average practice LSAT score increases) indicate that ScoreItUp courses are vastly superior to self-study, and outshine the competition as well.

8.  Students planning to take a live ScoreItUp course often want to begin preparing before the live course begins.  There are excellent ways to take advantage of that extra time and get a “head start” on the live course, and I routinely help students who want to do that.  Please be sure to contact me well in advance for details and suggestions.

9.  For students who do not live locally, or who wish to work at their own pace at home, ScoreItUp’s 24/7 online video course is an outstanding option.  In contrast to online LSAT Prep courses developed and taught by people who never went to law school or taught University-level courses, ScoreItUp’s online courses focus on teaching the legal reasoning skills necessary to succeed on the LSAT.  

10. Pre-law students are encouraged to take a serious look at ScoreItUp compared to self-studying or the competition – especially with regard to average practice LSAT score increases, student acceptance into top law schools, price, or instructor credentials!  And remember, in contrast to the competition, none of ScoreItUp’s student comments are fake – ScoreItUp is the only LSAT Prep company that publicly states that it has never posted a fake student comment on any website!