In the world of law school admissions, the release of February LSAT scores is something of a watershed moment. For the vast majority of law schools, February is the last exam they’ll consider for admission in the current cycle. Which means it might be time to face facts.

(Of course, some of you took the February exam for consideration next year. You people are really early, and super type-A to boot. This article is not about you.)

So, now it’s reckoning time. If you didn’t get the score you wanted, but you’ve got your applications in, then just wait and see.

But start considering how you’d feel about each particular law school to which you’ve applied. Are you happy with your safety school? Really think that through, because plenty of people choose a safety school without admitting to themselves that they really don’t want to go to the safety school. It’s better to figure this out in the abstract than to do so with the weight of rejection letters from your other schools on your shoulders.

If you don’t get into the school you want to, what’s your plan? Take the LSAT again? It might be that if you get your application for next year in at the opening of the admissions cycle, rather than at the very end like you did this year, you will be accepted. After all, if you’re competing for 300 slots — like you might be in October — your chances have to be better than when you’re competing for 50 slots left in February.

You should know that application and rejection does not mean that you are on a school’s forever banned list. I was rejected from UCLA, and, when I applied the next year with a significantly improved LSAT score, I was admitted (off the waitlist, admittedly).

Want to let us know how you did, and/or what you’re gonna do now? Drop a comment!