September 21st? What’s happening then? Wait a minute….

Like, seriously, another test?! Thanks to LSAC’s new testing schedule, yes! September 21st is in fact the date of the next LSAT. LSAC is offering the LSAT nine times this year — in June, July, September, October, November, January, February, March, and April (the “year” according to LSAC goes from June to May … it’s weird). That’s more testing dates than ever before. So, that means that for the next roughly two months, Life = Studying And Tears Tequila Triumph.

Signing up for any test is a pretty big deal. September is no different. There are a few things to consider before taking the next step of signing up, packing your ziplock bag, and heading off to meet your fate on September 21st.

The first, is probably the most important: the deadline to register for the September LSAT is August 1st. Yes, that’s right — August 1st. As in, the August 1st that is happening next Thursday. So, quick, read through the rest of this post, and decide if the September LSAT is right for you. If it is, pick out your best LSAC Admissions ticket approved photo, and sign up for that test.

Of course, like anything else in life, there are pros and cons of the September LSAT:

The Pros:

• You will be able to apply early in the cycle. Applying early in the cycle is optimal; September allows you to do that.

• Getting the LSAT out of the way means that you can focus on checking off other items from your law school application checklist. This includes writing your personal statement, getting letters of recommendation, and so much more!

• If you don’t do as well as you hoped, you can still take the LSAT two more times this calendar year. That gives you plenty of flexibility. If you wanted, you could retake in October and November, and still apply to schools before the New Year.

• The September will be the first test that will be administered as a digital exam to all test takers. That means that every single test taker will be taking the LSAT on a tablet. So you get to tell your future grandchildren how, back in your day, you were there to take the first fully digital LSAT.

The Cons:

• If you are unprepared and sit for the exam, it would count as one of your three yearly takes. LSAC’s newest testing restrictions only allow people to take only three tests in one “LSAC year” (which, again, runs from June to May), five tests in five years, and seven tests in a lifetime. So, if you plan on doing absolutely nothing between today, August 1st (again — deadline to sign up!), and September 21st, perhaps this test is not for you.

• Since the digital LSAT is brand new, there may be a few mishaps. During the July exam, when half of all test takers received the digital LSAT, there were some errors with the tablets. However, since they did have July as a test-run, September should hopefully go smoothly. As LSAC President Kellye Testy said: “there’s nothing in the world of technology that ever works perfectly!”

• Historically, September has been the exam with the highest number of test takers. You may have to deal with overcrowded test centers. You may also have to deal with being placed on a waitlist for your desired test center. In order to avoid the waitlist dilemma, sign up for the LSAT as soon as possible- do not wait until August 1st! What was August 1st again?! THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER!

Overall, September is a fabulous test to sign up for. There’s just under two months left to study, which is plenty of time. Need study resources? Blueprint has got your back! We have in-person classroom courses and live and on-demand online courses! With hard work, you could make serious improvement.