LSAT-related withdrawals are never fun. Be they alcohol withdrawals, from your most recent stress-induced bender; or Adderall withdrawals, from that extra boost you insist you need; or a test registration withdrawal itself, it’s important to recognize you’re not in for a walk in the park. Today we’ll be covering the last of these three, in line with our test expertise and with the fact that no one here at Blueprint is in a position to throw shade at you for an enthusiastic expression of tequila appreciation.

As many of you know, today is the last day to withdraw your registration for a (partial) refund. Unfortunately, some of your fee has already been absorbed by the LSAC bureaucracy, but it’s still good to get a chunk back if you bail on the test. Note that if you decide to withdraw today you’ll need to fax your form to LSAC rather than mail it, so that they receive it in time.

When is it a good idea to withdraw? Rarely. We typically suggest withdrawing today only if you’re absolutely sure you aren’t going to be able to perform satisfactorily on test day. Like, Ordering Games still look like the Gordian Knot and you’re struggling with basic diagramming. The test is still three weeks away, which is a solid chunk of time, so consider whether or not you’re on track to hit your target score by then.

While this is the last day to withdraw with a refund, you can withdraw (without a refund) right up until the night before the test. That should take a little pressure off of you. For most fretful students, I’d recommend staying registered and studying hard over these next few weeks. In the days before the test, take three practice exams and average your scores. If that average is a score you’d be happy with, then full steam ahead. If it’s significantly below, it’s probably wise to withdraw. Bummer to lose the Registration Fee, but not as big a bummer as a bad score.

Also: today is the absolute final day to register for the test. You’ll get nailed with a $72 Late Registration Fee, but that’s utterly negligible compared to the total costs you’ll incur during your law school career. However, don’t rush to this Late Registration option if you aren’t sure you’ll be ready for the test. If you’re entirely unprepared, you can still apply to law school in the coming cycle by taking the October test.

Lastly, the deadline to change a test center by mail, phone, or fax is also today, although you’ll be able to do so online until May 15th. Only in rare circumstances would we advise switching test centers at this point, such as if your location has changed, you have very wealthy parents to whom fees are irrelevant, or you struggle with taking tests in large rooms and are scheduled to be in a banquet hall or Staples Center or something.

Essentially, the word “deadline” is scary, but no action is required today unless you’re in one of the unusual situations described above. We’ll have more to say regarding last-minute withdrawals and, eventually, score cancelations as we get closer to exam day. In the meanwhile, best of luck on your studies.