We are now a couple weeks out from the August LSAT, and whenever this happens I get an influx of questions from people about whether they should bite the bullet and take the test or postpone to the next test date. On one hand, they want to hurry up and crush the LSAT so they can move onto bigger and better things. On the other hand, they aren't fully confident they will reach their target score.
The short answer to this question is of course to do what is right for you. Everyone is different and is in a different stage of his/her LSAT prep. Don't listen to anyone who forces you to go one way or another. However, it is important that you make an educated decision and consider all the relevant factors before arriving at your decision. Let's consider the important variables when considering whether you should postpone the LSAT.
Your Current LSAT Practice Test (PT) Score
In general, you should consistently score slightly higher than your target score ahead of your official LSAT. This is because for a lot of people anxiety and the pressures of the real exam kick in and could potentially hurt your LSAT score a bit.
That said, if you are consistently scoring near your target range, it's not a bad idea to just take it. As we'll discuss later, the LSAT is a draining exam for a lot of people and more time does not necessarily mean a better score. In fact, it could mean the opposite. Also, remember that you can always cancel if you don't feel like you hit your LSAT score, which doesn't have a huge impact on your chances at admission.
If you are scoring significantly lower than your LSAT target score, it may be a good idea to consider why you have not improved as much as you would have hoped prior to make your final decision. More on this later.
Your Morale
Be honest with yourself. If you were to take the LSAT on a later date, will you have the motivation to study consistently? If you are avoiding the LSAT just to kick the can down the road, it's better to just bite the bullet because it will be challenging to improve. But if you are confident that you will still have the drive to study hard (and smart) leading up to the next exam, it may be better to hold off for a better LSAT score.
Sometimes you want to stay motivated but it is hard to do so. Check out my blog post for tips on how to stay motivated on the LSAT.
Your Finances
For most people, law school is a pricy endeavor. Many people take on tens of thousands of dollars in debt to go to law school, only to realize their salary was not as good as they would have hoped. Don't be one of those people, and take into consideration the impact your LSAT score can have on your financial situation.
If you are in a rush to get the LSAT over with and you don't care about your score, think again. Don't forget to consider that the LSAT can be one of the main deciding factors for whether you get scholarship.
To put it into perspective, think of it this way--taking an extra two months of prep to increase your LSAT score could earn you tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship, if not more. You are pretty much getting paid for your score improvement. Money certainly isn't everything, but it can help you and take one burden off your shoulders as you go into law school. Although it may seem like an eternity, a few months of LSAT prep is a short period of time in the grand scheme of things.
Your Plan
The final thing to consider is whether taking the LSAT at a later date will make a difference. Do you know why you haven't improved to the extent you hoped? Did you not give yourself enough time? Did you not study efficiently? This is a time where you want to be completely honest with yourself. If you plan on pushing the LSAT back, make sure you are aware of what changes you need to make. Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results.
If you honestly feel that you have done everything you could in your LSAT prep, there's nothing wrong with just going for it. If you're not sure whether you've done everything you could, check out my Instagram post that breaks down things you should consider.
Stay Motivated!
Sincerely,
Impetus LSAT
I hope you found this post helpful. Subscribe for more blog posts Check out more study resources and/or LSAT private tutoring Check out my Instagram page Check out my YouTube channel
Comments