QUESTIONS PRE-LAW STUDENTS MOST OFTEN ASK ABOUT THE LSAT

1. When should I take the LSAT?

The LSAT should be taken either in June after your junior year or October of your senior year. In general, students seem to perform better after their junior year and since there is no reason to take them before this time, you should not plan to take them earlier. Our experience, however, is that students who take it in June generally do somewhat less well than those who take the test in October.

2. Should I take the LSAT once for practice?

No, definitely not! Whenever any LSAT scores for a person are reported all scores are reported. Since for many law schools the official policy is to average all scores, you should plan to take the test only once. If you do poorly, then take the test again; you have nothing to lose. We offer practice sessions several times a year, using old LSATs, that will give you the practice you need.

3. Should I take one of the commercial LSAT prep courses?

We have offered prep courses through the college, and our students have used commercial courses through Penn State and elsewhere. These courses do familiarize you with the format of the test; taking advantage of these courses may reduce the anxiety factor. But Law Services does provide old tests and other preparation materials which may be equally helpful if they are dealt with seriously.  Again, taking a practice test here at the college may be beneficial.

If a student chooses to take one of these courses, he or she should take it as near the time of the actual test as possible.

4.  Are there other ways of improving my LSAT performance?

The best preparation is one that begins as early as possible; in your freshman year, if not before.  Of course you should take challenging classes, and you should choose ones that require you to master different styles of learning -- take a foreign language, and a math course, and a music course, and an economics course, for example.  You should also use your non-study time well:  play the violin, or bridge, or chess, or tennis, or football (as long as you play it as one would play chess, not like a side of beef).  All of these leisure activities require you to use your intellect in ways that will help you on the LSAT.  There is apparently a strong correlation between mental acuity and listening to classical music.  One good way of learning about classical music is to listen to a good radio station, like WQXR or Minnesota Public Radio.