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Mark has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a JD from Duke University School of Law. He began his legal career at international law firm Baker Botts, where he advised on corporate and construction matters for some of the world's largest energy companies.
Following college, Mark was accepted into several top-tier law schools and chose Duke University School of Law, where he was the recipient of the Marcus T. Hickman scholarship and served as an Executive Editor for Law & Contemporary Problems. Mark has also represented unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings on a pro bono basis.
Mark has assisted numerous students in gaining admission to prestigious schools, including Duke, UVA, and Georgetown. With a focus on breaking down the process into manageable steps, Mark assists his clients in presenting their best selves to their chosen schools. His unique approach includes crafting compelling personal statements and leveraging unique strategies like optional "why" essays and networking with admissions personnel.
As a coach, Mark excels at helping students highlight their non-academic experiences and negotiate scholarship awards. His ultimate goal is to help students not just gain admission to their top-choice schools but also mitigate the cost of attendance.
Stephen held a Bachelor's degree from Morehouse College and a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, before securing his JD from Harvard Law School. He has been involved in the law admissions process for over five years, during which he worked as an LSAT tutor at a leading testing company.
Stephen is driven by a genuine passion for law and education. He has spent years helping aspiring law students map out their journey, breaking down the complex application process into manageable steps.
As an admissions counselor, Stephen's strengths lie in guiding students to identify their unique skills and abilities. He aids students in crafting compelling narratives that align with their career goals. His extensive experience and deep understanding of the law school admissions process enable him to provide tailored guidance and support to each student. Stephen is excited to work with Juris students and help them achieve their career goals!
First and foremost, welcome! We are Juris Education, your law school admissions consulting firm. Essentially, we're a team of law school admissions counselors here to help you craft the perfect application and ace the LSAT or GRE. In other words, we know what we're talking about. My name is Andreja. I'm the marketing associate continuing as your host for tonight. Just a few housekeeping rules: we do have a Q&A box, and we encourage you to submit your questions, comments, and thoughts. We’ll take some time at the end to go over them as well. This webinar is being recorded, so you’ll be receiving a copy of this in your inbox in the next couple of days. Again, we encourage the use of the chat box and Q&A. This webinar is about building a community and discussing the law school application timeline. We’ll be providing you with a comprehensive guide, so let’s get started!
And we’ll be giving you this comprehensive guide, so let’s get started. Just a quick agenda for you tonight:
We have two speakers with us tonight. Unfortunately, one of them was not able to make it; however, we have the wonderful Mark here from Duke University School of Law. Hello, everyone. It looks like we’ve got Stephen too. Hey, sorry for being late, guys.
No problem, Stephen. Stephen’s from Harvard Law School. This is great timing—I was just talking about you. So, we have two wonderful panelists, extremely, extremely intelligent, and they have a ton of different skill sets and information to share with you tonight. So, I will leave it up to them. Mark, did you want to start off?
Yeah, I can go ahead and get started. Perfect. So, we’re going to start out tonight with an overview of the whole process, sort of the timeline that you should be looking at. Now, it’s different for everyone—it depends on exactly when you want to take the LSAT and what different types of schools you’re targeting. But this will serve as a general guide pretty much for everybody. So, I’ll go ahead.
The timeline that you want to pace yourself for kind of varies around when you want to select your test. The LSAC is a lot more inclusive in terms of its timeframes and when it offers the LSAT throughout the year, now more than ever. So, you want to identify a test that really works for you and your schedule. Typically, for most test-takers, it takes about three to four months, start to finish, to ramp up to a timeframe in which they feel comfortable to sit for the exam, but some students may take a little bit longer. So, depending on how you typically deal with large-scale standardized tests, you want to allot the right amount of time.
Mark, do you have anything else you want to add on this slide? No, it seems all right to me. Like I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of different opportunities to take the LSAT. So, when you want to start studying is really up to you. If you’re taking it in June, you might want to start sooner than May, but if you’re taking it in August, maybe May could work for you. It also depends on where your starting point is and where your end goal is. For instance, if you take an early test, maybe a diagnostic, and you see you only need a few points, you might give yourself a couple of months. But if you're looking at more like a 10-point or higher jump, maybe a bit longer. It’s always good to get your ducks in a row before the fall when you start to apply because there’s a lot to get ready.
The application season really starts on September 1st, and there are some schools out there that, if you apply on September 1st, you’ll have a decision later that day. I think UVA does that, and Duke will do that as well, though they take a couple of days. So, it’s really important to get started early. Particularly of note, you’ll see that we have “requesting your letters of recommendation” early, like March or April. That might seem a little early, but it’s really not, because in my experience, sometimes professors forget, sometimes they need reminding, and it can take several months to really get that in. So, one thing I’d say is, ask people early and remind them often about your letters of recommendation.
The kind of timeframe we have on this slide implies that you’re taking the test in August, which is typically when most test-takers will take the test. So, starting around March and April, you’d want to start your school research and begin to understand the testing expectations for whichever schools you’re interested in. As Mark stated, request your letters of recommendation so your professors, bosses, or colleagues can begin to write on your behalf. Then, you want to set up your summer to actualize that timeframe, whether that’s through an internship, a job, or LSAT studying.
In June, you want to start creating your LSAC account and get familiar with the website, as you’ll be submitting most of your applications through LSAC. You can also request to send your transcripts to LSAC so they can process and distribute them to the schools you apply to. And lastly, in August, you want to build up your resume and ensure it’s up-to-date and polished. It’s your digital first impression, so make sure it tells the right story to the law schools. Then you’ll want to narrow down your list of schools based on your LSAT results. We can talk a bit more about how to strategically put together that list. But that’s this slide, so I guess we can move forward.
So, once you’ve taken the LSAT over the summer, you start to move into September. That’s usually when schools will start opening their applications. Some will wait until the beginning of October—some might even go until October 15th—but most of them will open up on September 1st. Even if you’re not completely ready to apply that early, I would encourage you to go through the applications and look at everything. They change from year to year. Sometimes they’ll ask questions that haven’t been asked before. Sometimes there will be options to submit additional essays in addition to your personal statement that they might not have required in earlier cycles.
For example, one of my students I’m working with right now didn’t start going through the applications until we had everything ready. Then, surprise! They wanted an additional essay about her background. It was fine, and we were still early in the process, but just knowing everything that you’ll need to submit at the very beginning is very helpful.
Around this time, you can start to develop a first draft of your personal statement. You probably want to wait until now so you can get the exact prompts from the school, as they do change a little from year to year. Every school is a little different, and that’s something we can help you with at Juris. We’ll help you write a base personal statement that we can then customize and tailor toward the prompts at each school. You’ll also start to look at some of the specific optional essays that schools may have, and start to draft an outline or get a first draft for those.
In October, if you haven’t already, hopefully, you can start to put your materials together and get your application submitted. If you get your application submitted by October, you’ll be ahead of the curve—you’ll be on the early end and one of the first students that committees will evaluate.
In November, we recommend doing the schools you prefer over others first. If you’re applying early decision to any schools, you might want to do those first as well. That’s a whole strategic decision that you can discuss with maybe one of your consultants at Juris. Then, in November, you start wrapping up your applications. I would say that by mid-November is where I would consider the end of the early application window. Most students tend to submit around November, December, or later. So, if you get everything in by November, you’ll be looking pretty good.
That also gives you some time to make sure everything is covered. If there are any surprises, November gives you a little time to adjust. Interview invitations might be sent out as early as this, but some will come later. It really depends on the school. Some schools don’t do interviews at all. In December, you really want to have everything in by the end of the month, because I consider that halftime for law school applications. Anything after December, you can still work with, but you’re starting to get later in the process, and earlier is always better.
From January to April, this is when decisions will usually start coming in. Some schools will start making decisions as early as September or October, but some won’t make any until after the new year. By January, maybe early February, you should start seeing decisions come in—whether you’ve been accepted, waitlisted, or rejected.
With this early timeline, if you get your applications in early, you’ll get your decisions in early, which gives you more time to compare your options, look at the different financial aid offers you might receive, and maybe negotiate with the schools based on the offers you’ve gotten from others.
I think that’s great. One thing to note is that the timeframe between January and April is a really long one. So, you could hear back at any given moment during that time. If you apply before Thanksgiving, you’re likely to hear back closer to January than April at most schools, but it really can differ and is variable from school to school. Just make sure you’re mentally prepared for the waiting period as you await those application decisions.
Okay, I guess we can move to the next slide, where we’ll talk about identifying key milestones and deadlines. So, upcoming test dates and registration deadlines—this is for the LSAT.
Most relevant to today’s date would be the April exam, and the registration deadline for that is February 29th. The February test is now closed unless you register by December. The earliest you could register for now is the April exam. They also have one in June and others later throughout the year. They typically have them once every 10 weeks or so.
It’s important to keep an eye on these registration deadlines—you don’t want to miss an exam because you got caught sleeping at the wheel and missed it by a day. There may be a late fee, but the point is, you don’t want to miss the registration deadline. You want to pick the best test date for you that works with your schedule. Lastly, decisions—or rather, score releases—tend to come out about three or so weeks from when you take the exam, so that’s around when you can expect your score.
Yeah, sometimes they’ll let you register late with a late fee, but that’s on a case-by-case basis, depending on availability. I wouldn’t count on that though—just register early, make sure you get your slot, and maybe consider taking an earlier administration. If you’re considering August, maybe see if you can take it in June, get your score, and then reevaluate so that you have another chance to take it again before applications open up.
So next, we’re going to talk about how to craft a compelling application within the realm of this timeline. As you probably know, two of the most important aspects of your application are your LSAT score and your undergraduate GPA. Unlike some other post-graduate programs, law school doesn’t require that you have a specific major or take law-specific classes. You could have a pre-law major, or you could major in political science, business, economics—it really doesn’t matter. What they really look at is your LSAC GPA.
What you’ll need to do is request transcripts from every school you attended at the college level, post-high school. This also includes any community college you might have dual-enrolled at as a high schooler, or an earlier institution you may have transferred from. All those undergraduate transcripts will get sent into LSAC, and they’ll combine all your grades together and generate their own GPA.
Most of the time, this GPA is exactly the same as what’s on your undergraduate transcript, especially if you only attended one school. But if you attended a school that doesn’t grade on a standard 4.0 scale, it might be a little different. There’s always the balance between GPA and LSAT. If your GPA isn’t as great as you’d like it to be but you have a really high LSAT score, those can counterbalance each other.
Going back to the timeline, send these in early because it can take a couple of weeks to process. Your school needs to send them out, LSAC needs to receive them and calculate your GPA, and it can take some time. Also, if you’re still in undergrad—say you’re a junior now and going into your senior year, and you only have three years’ worth of grades—go ahead and send in your undergraduate transcript this summer after you get your spring grades. After you get your fall grades, you can send updated transcripts. They’ll update your GPA and automatically send out the new information to the schools you apply to. You especially want to do that if your grades went up."
The next component of the application we’ll talk about are the admissions exams. Currently, there are two options: the LSAT, which is the traditional law school entrance exam, and the GRE, the general graduate examination. More and more law schools are accepting GRE scores now, but the LSAT remains the most common.
The GRE incorporates concepts of math, like algebra and some pre-calculus, but it’s very manageable—just basic high school math concepts. The GRE also includes a verbal section and reading comprehension passages that are somewhat similar to the LSAT but not quite the same. The tests are very different. The LSAT tests on logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension. However, as of August, the LSAT will be phasing out the logic games section. So, if that’s a section that has concerned you in the past, you have that to look forward to. On the flip side, if you’re really good at logic games, you may want to consider taking the test before that change goes into effect in August.
Those are the two tests, but we’re going to talk a bit more in-depth about the LSAT next.As Stephen mentioned, the LSAT is the traditional law school entrance exam. It currently includes a logic games section, a logical reasoning section, and a reading comprehension section. Logical reasoning tests your ability to map out arguments and break down complex passages. The reading comprehension section consists of long passages—four or five paragraphs each—and you’ll need to read the passages and then answer questions based on them. That’s the gist of the LSAT.
We already touched on the GRE a bit, but I’ll just add that it’s expanding in terms of its reach, with more law schools accepting it as a viable testing option. The GRE is a bit more flexible, as you can almost schedule it on demand and take it at home, whereas the LSAT has fixed administrations throughout the year. Your LSAT results, though, are a bit more predictable when it comes to admissions outcomes because we have more data about the LSAT compared to the GRE.
Mark, I don’t know if you have anything else to add about these two exams. Just a couple of things: as Stephen mentioned, the GRE is more accessible because you can almost schedule it on demand. The LSAT has specific dates throughout the year. Additionally, because the LSAT is more commonly taken, there’s more data available to help predict what your admissions results might be. More people take the LSAT each year, so we have a better understanding of how scores correlate to admissions outcomes. That said, the GRE is becoming more widely accepted, and that gap is closing. But, for now, the LSAT gives you a little more predictability in the admissions process.
Now we’re going to talk about the personal statement. Your personal statement is really where you can showcase yourself—tell a story that shows why you’re interested in law school and why you’ll be successful. Each school has its own parameters for it: some schools cap it at two pages, double-spaced, some give you three pages, and some give you four. Some will ask you to discuss specifically why you want to attend their law school, while others will be more open-ended. No matter what the specific prompt is, you always want to show that you’re passionate about studying law and that you’re excited about the practice of law.
Make it original so that you stand out. Admissions officers read tons of these personal statements, so you want to be the one they remember during committee meetings. Your personal statement needs to have a formal structure so that it’s not just a stream of consciousness. It’s usually only two to four pages, so it needs to be focused and to the point. You should also show care in your drafting—no grammatical errors or formatting mistakes. Something as simple as that can get your application tossed out at some schools.
At Juris, this is where I see students struggle the most. It sounds simple, but it can be difficult to write about yourself, especially when you feel like you’re bragging. But that’s exactly what you need to do. It’s important to go through several drafts, have someone proofread it, and make sure it’s perfect so that it takes a lot of stress off you.
I’d summarize the personal statement like this: you want to tell the reader who you are, why you want to go to law school, and simultaneously, why the law school should want to have you. A well-crafted personal statement can really help you stand out. You want to be original in your subject matter, and possibly in your form as well, but keep in mind that law schools are still relatively conservative in terms of essay structure. It’s not a place for writing poetry or anything too experimental. Law schools want an essay that’s articulate, serious, and tells a coherent story.
One thing to keep in mind when writing your personal statement is how the reader will digest the writing. Think about what they might take away from a paragraph, a sentence, or even a single word. That introspection can help you craft a statement that communicates exactly what you want to the admissions committee. It can really elevate your personal statement to the next level.Yeah, and definitely don’t write a poem for this. Keep it structured. And do not use AI to write your personal statement. I can tell when students do that, and I’m sure admissions officers can tell as well.
Who knows? They might even have AI-detection software at this point. You just don’t want to risk it, and I don’t think there’s a path to acceptance at any law school if they catch you using AI to write your personal statement. The legal profession has ethical standards, and law schools are looking at who they’re admitting not just into their school but eventually into the legal profession. So don’t be that person who tries to cheat the system.
I just want to jump in and say that I’ve heard from various schools that they are using AI-detection systems. It’s definitely happening, so I want to emphasize that it’s not worth the risk. This needs to be your personal statement, not something generated by AI. Exactly. It’s called a personal statement for a reason. Even if you were to get away with it, it wouldn’t be an effective use of that space in your application. Your personal statement should be something that no one else could write except you.
Alright, next we’re going to discuss letters of recommendation. Mark touched on this earlier, but my advice to applicants is that once you’ve decided you’re going to law school and you’ve identified your recommenders, approach them early. Get those letters of recommendation in as soon as possible.
You don’t want to be the applicant who’s waiting on a last-minute recommender, causing you to submit your application later than planned, and potentially affecting your outcome. If you wait too long, things can come up in their lives, and you may find yourself in a stressful situation, trying to chase them down for the letter.
One thing to keep in mind is that this is the only part of your application where you don’t have complete control. You’re handing over some responsibility to your recommenders—both in terms of when they submit it and what they write about you. So, approach them early and remind them often to ensure they get it in on time.
Yeah, and I’ll just add a couple of things. First and foremost, be sure that the person you ask for a recommendation is going to write a positive letter. This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised. You don’t want a neutral letter that says something like, ‘Oh, they were okay,’ or, ‘I didn’t really know them that well.’ You want someone who’s going to write a glowing recommendation and who knows you well enough to do that.
Also, some professors might say, ‘Sure, I’ll write the letter for you, but you write it first and I’ll sign my name to it.’ I recommend that you don’t do that. Admissions committees will have other samples of your writing—your personal statement, any essays you submit, and possibly emails you’ve sent to the admissions office. They’ll be able to recognize your writing voice, and it will come across as less sincere. A recommendation from the professor’s own words is going to be far more effective than something you wrote yourself.
Definitely. You want someone who’s going to take the time to write a stellar letter for you. Make sure it’s someone you trust, someone who knows you well, and someone who really wants to see you succeed. That’s the person you want writing on your behalf.
Next up is your resume. Like Stephen mentioned earlier, this is essentially the front page of who you are. It might be the first thing admissions personnel see when they look at your application. You’ll want to include any institutions where you earned a degree, any work experience, and your extracurricular activities.
Even if you volunteered somewhere, you can frame it as work experience by listing your responsibilities and accomplishments, as if it were a job. Law schools care more and more about work experience—whether that’s between undergrad and law school or while you’re still in school. They want to see that you can handle multiple commitments at once, because law school is demanding and they need to know you can manage it all.
Yeah, law school is really about preparing you for the professional side of the law, so having professional experience under your belt is essential. They want to see that you can balance the academic and professional aspects of law school.
Exactly. Also, don’t forget to include any awards or honors you received, whether it was academic recognition, a job-related award, or something else. If you did significant research in undergrad, you might want to include a separate section for that. I also like to include a short section with skills, hobbies, or interests—maybe some fun facts to add a little color to your resume.
Yeah, humanizing your resume can be a great way to connect with admissions officers. It gives them a small piece of your personality and may even spark a conversation during an interview. Just make sure you’re ready to talk about anything you list in that section!
There are plenty of tips for staying on track throughout your application journey. Some people prefer to use calendars, while others create long-term schedules. One helpful tool is to make a document checklist so you can map out all the steps in the process and make sure you’re hitting your milestones.
Having a schedule can help keep you accountable and ensure you’re on track. Remember that applying early can be incredibly beneficial, so you want to plan your time wisely. Proofreading and editing are also critical. Be thorough in your review, because it’s the little details that can make or break your application.
And finally, make sure you’re adhering to each school’s application guidelines. Every law school might have different essay prompts or requirements, so keep track of those differences and set aside time to complete all the necessary components.
Exactly. You also want to meet deadlines—whether it’s for the LSAT or for your application submissions. Ideally, you’re applying well before the deadlines, but having that information in front of you can help you stay organized and ensure you’re submitting everything on time.
It can also be helpful to get other sets of eyes on your resume. Sending it out to someone you trust for feedback might catch something you missed. That extra polish can make a big difference.
When it comes to standardized test scores, remember that the LSAT typically takes students about three to four months of studying. Some might take longer, some might need less time, but that’s the general timeframe. The GRE might be a little more accessible, depending on your skills, but you want to consider the preparation time for each test.
At the end of the day, there’s a lot of work involved in getting your applications together, so give yourself enough time to reduce stress and make sure you’re submitting your best work.
And just give yourself more time than you think you’ll need. If you finish early, great! But if something takes longer than expected, you’ll have built-in leeway.
Exactly. And remember, if a school has optional essays, it’s a good idea to complete them. They allow you to share more of who you are and can be an effective tool in telling your story. Optional essays can make a big difference in helping admissions committees see different aspects of you as an applicant.
Yeah, optional essays are a great opportunity to show more about yourself. And don’t forget about the addendum section of your application. This is where you can explain any gaps, like a dip in GPA or an LSAT score that doesn’t reflect your true abilities due to personal circumstances. It’s a concise space to provide context and help admissions committees better understand your application.
Make sure you also allocate time for a submission review. Spend an hour or more going over every document you’re submitting to ensure they’re correct. You don’t want to submit an essay to Harvard that mentions Yale. That’s an avoidable mistake and could hurt your application. Take the time to double-check everything before you hit submit.
And lastly, as we mentioned before, saying you want to go to Yale when applying to Harvard is a quick way to get rejected. It’s a completely avoidable error.
Alright, that wraps up the main part of our webinar. Now, we’re going to open the floor for some questions. We’ve got quite a few already, so let’s get started.
One of the questions is, “Do you have any specific advice for someone applying to law school after they’ve already graduated college?’"
Yeah, that’s a great question. I think the advice is pretty much the same. In some ways, it’s a bit easier because you already have all your undergraduate information, so you can send your transcripts in right away without having to worry about updating them later.
If you’ve been working for a couple of years, or even longer, it’s a good idea to include a mix of professional and academic recommenders. If you’re just out of undergrad, you might focus more on academic recommendations, but having work experience can be a huge plus when applying to law school. Law schools are increasingly interested in seeing candidates with professional experience.
I’d also add that if you know you’re taking time off after undergrad, it’s a good idea to ask your professors for letters of recommendation while you’re still in school. That way, you secure the letter while they still remember you well, rather than trying to track them down years later when they may not remember you as clearly.
And one more thing I’d say for those taking time off—be flexible with your plans. I planned to take just one year off before law school, but then a global pandemic hit, and that extended my timeline. Life can throw curveballs, so just be adaptable. Things like the LSAT changing or even new exams being introduced could come into play. It’s important to be open to adjustments while making sure you’re growing and building experiences that will make you more competitive as an applicant.
That’s a great point. Taking time off can actually be a huge advantage. You can improve your LSAT score, gain valuable work experience, and come back stronger. It’s all about how you use that time to grow and develop yourself as a candidate.
Thank you both! We’ve got another question here: “If you had to choose one, would you recommend taking the LSAT or the GRE?”
That’s a common question. I took both the LSAT and the GRE because I was pursuing a master’s program in addition to law school. In my experience, I found the GRE more manageable—especially with the math and verbal components. I only studied for about three weeks and saw some growth, but ultimately, I submitted my LSAT score for law school applications.
However, there’s a caveat here. As Mark mentioned earlier, the LSAT score is more predictable in terms of what it will mean for your application outcomes. We have a lot more data on LSAT scores versus GRE scores. But if you’re strong in math and verbal reasoning, the GRE might be a good fit for you. If you’re more analytically minded and have strong logical skills, the LSAT might be a better choice. It really depends on your strengths and preferences.
I agree with that. I would slightly lean towards the LSAT because it’s more predictable, but at the same time, both tests are learnable. With the right preparation, you can do well on either. It’s also worth noting that if you take the LSAT, that score will be reported to all the schools you apply to, whereas with the GRE, you have more control over whether you submit the score or not.
That said, I’ve worked with students who did well on both exams, and it really comes down to what suits you best. One thing to avoid is running from the LSAT because you think it’s harder—it’s not about choosing the easier path but the one that aligns with your strengths.
Exactly. Don’t approach it with the mindset of running from one test to the other. Both are valid options, and the mindset you bring to your test prep will make all the difference.
That’s really helpful advice, thank you both! We have a few more questions coming in about work experience. One of the attendees is asking, “What type of work experience should I include on my resume? Is freelance creative work okay to list, and does having 15 years of work experience change the application process?"
For sure! I would say any work experience you have is valuable. I typically categorize work experience into two tiers. The first tier would be law-related work, like being a paralegal or working on Capitol Hill—anything directly connected to the legal field. The second tier is everything else—freelance work, creative work, or any other job you’ve held. Law schools do value that as well, because they want to see that you’ve gained professional skills outside of the classroom.
For someone with 15 years of work experience, that’s definitely going to be a huge plus in your application. Schools want to see that you can juggle multiple responsibilities, and having that extensive experience will likely make you stand out. However, it won’t necessarily exempt you from certain requirements, like taking the LSAT or GRE.
Yeah, absolutely. Freelance work can definitely be included on your resume. I’ve worked with clients who had all kinds of work experience, from tending bar to teaching, and they got into top-tier law schools. The key is framing that experience in a way that highlights the skills and responsibilities you developed. Whether it’s creative work or traditional employment, if you can show that you’re capable of managing tasks and responsibilities, it’s valuable.
Exactly. It’s about showing that you have the ability to handle a full-time job and balance multiple responsibilities. And, of course, if you have law-related work experience, that’s a bonus. But any professional experience can help build a strong application.
Thank you! Our last question is, “Is it detrimental to take the LSAT multiple times?"
I get this question a lot. From what I’ve heard directly from admissions officers, they don’t want to see someone who has taken the LSAT an indefinite number of times. Generally, after three attempts, they start to question why you need so many tries to reach your target score.
It’s okay to take the test more than once, especially if the first or second attempt didn’t go as planned. But after three tries, it might start to raise some red flags. You don’t want to be the person who takes it five or six times just to get the score you want. So I’d say aim for no more than three attempts.
I agree. Most schools will look at your highest score, but after a certain number of attempts, they might start to wonder. I wouldn’t worry too much about taking it two or three times, but after that, it could be seen as a negative. The goal is to prepare thoroughly and get the score you need within a reasonable number of attempts.
Right. And as we said earlier, admissions committees can see all your LSAT scores, so you want to be mindful of how many times you take it. If you’ve been preparing for a while and you’re still not hitting your target score, it might be worth reevaluating your study strategy before taking it again."
Yeah, and another thing to consider is that if you took the LSAT several years ago and are now coming back to it after some time away, you might have a bit more leeway with how many attempts you’ve made. But generally speaking, try to keep it to three attempts or fewer."
That’s great advice. Thank you, Mark and Stephen, for all the insightful information. And thank you to everyone who joined us tonight. We’ll be sending out a recording of the webinar in the next couple of days, so keep an eye on your inbox.
If you have any further questions or need help with your law school applications, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. You can also visit our website to schedule a free consultation and check out our upcoming webinars. We’re here to support you every step of the way. Have a great evening, everyone!
