The LSAT is a very important part of your admission profile and you can take the steps to ensure that the score reflects your abilities.
Like it or not, law school admission is a numbers game; your undergraduate GPA and your score on the LSAT are the two most important factors determining the likelihood of acceptance into the law school of your choice.
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test developed by the Law School Admissions Service (LSAS). It is designed to indicate a candidate’s potential to succeed in the first year of law school. LSAT is offered four times each academic year.
For LSAT dates, registration information, Gustavus Adolphus LSAT preparation seminar dates, and other related questions, please see the Gustavus Pre-Law homepage or visit www.lsac.org .
The LSAT consists of four scored, 35-minute sections involving three question types: logical reasoning (2 sections), analytical reasoning (sometimes referred to as Logic Games), and reading comprehension. In addition, there is an unscored 35-minute section composed of experimental questions; it is a section of one of the three question types and will not be identified as experimental. There is also a 30-minute unscored writing sample at the end of the test. The scoring range is from 120 to 180 points. A score of 151 is generally the 50th percentile. The 2001-2002 LSAT Percentile Chart shows that the following scores represented the following percentile:
| Score | Percent of test-takers below this score |
|---|---|
| 170 | 98.21% |
| 165 | 93.5% |
| 160 | 83.07% |
| 155 | 67.1% |
| 150 | 47.3% |
| 145 | 28.4% |
For students who plan to apply to law school in their senior year (for admission to the fall class after graduation), the best test date is June following completion of the junior year. This date has several advantages. Finals end approximately two weeks before the test date (but the prepared student will start preparing before this point). Your score will be returned by the end of July, giving you a chance to start selecting law schools. You also have the opportunity to retake the test in October should you decide to cancel the June score or feel that you need to raise the June score.
For some, a school-year test date is preferable. The summer may be too busy, exam sites may be too distant, or one may be going abroad. Many feel they are more focused during an academic year or remain in "test mode" more readily. An interesting alternative is the February date of the junior year, especially if one devotes J-Term to test preparation. In any case, if you plan a fall admission to law school, you should plan to take the test no later than October of the year prior to the anticipated entry into law school.
LSAS reports scores for five years. Scores for all LSAT exams taken in the five years prior to your application to law school will be reported to the law schools you designate. Law schools vary on their treatment of multiple LSAT scores: some average, some take the highest, and others have individual approaches. Copies of your writing samples from those tests will be included, up to a maximum of three writing samples. Some law schools will not accept a score earned more than three years prior to an application; you will need to take the exam again if the score is more than three years old.
You MUST prepare for the LSAT. YOU must prepare for the LSAT. It deserves repeating many times....
Generally, you should take the LSAT once and be well prepared for it. The notion that a person can take it once without preparation and then, if need be, retake the test is dangerous. This poor strategy will likely lower your chances for admission to a top school.
There are many methods
of preparation; multiple modes of preparation are most effective in improving
scores. Definitely, you should become familiar with the types of questions
asked on the exam before you take it.
When it is time to take the test, if you feel unprepared, distracted due to family or personal problems, or ill, DO NOT TAKE THE TEST ON THAT DATE. You can get a partial refund of the test fee. Prepare for the exam and be sure you can give it your best effort. LSAC tells us that someone who has taken the test once can expect to score around two points higher on a second test.
Register for the LSAT online at www.lsac.org.
Regular registrations for the LSAT are due approximately one month before the test date. Deadlines may vary for those requesting special arrangements for test sites. Late registrations, accepted only as space is available, are permitted by mail, or by telephone with a credit card. Test dates and deadlines are listed on the LSAC website and on the inside front cover of the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book that you can find in the Career Center. Registration forms are in the back of the book. To be certain of getting your first choice of test site, you should mail your registration well ahead of the deadline date. If you anticipate applying to law school within a year, you may register for the LSDAS at the same time.
When you register to take the LSAT, please be sure to have your score reported to Gustavus Adolphus. This will enable the Pre-Law advisors to offer you and future students personalized advice and accurate statistical information on law school acceptance ratios and rates. All student information will be held in strict confidence; we sign several legal forms to ensure confidentiality.
For observers of the Saturday Sabbath, the LSAT is administered on the Monday following these dates. Please check the LSAC website for those testdates.
Those with handicaps or who need special equipment or consideration may make special arrangements in advance. According to the LSAC, "taking the test earlier—in June [following your junior year] or September—is often advised." Acccommodations may be made for persons with documented disabilities. It is essential that one request accommodations as soon as possible by obtaining an accommodations request packet online from LSAC.
Current fees for the LSAT are listed on the LSAC website and in the Registration and Information Book. Fee waivers can be obtained in cases of need, but you must inquire well in advance of the test. You can apply for the waiver either through LSAS or through a participating law school; both have the waiver forms. The waiver covers the following:
One LSAT $123---Late registration is an additional $62
One Official LSAT Superprep book with explanations $19.95
Fee waivers are intended for only the most needy candidates and this implies need in excess of that required for routine financial assistance; only those with extreme need should apply. You can learn more on the LSAC website.
