Law School Timeline: Start Early, Finish Strong
It’s not easy to get more than 100 students to attend school on a Saturday for a three-hour test. But as part of their preparation for law school, 105 pre-law students took a practice LSAT, professionally administered and scored.
Preparing for law school begins long before submitting an application. For undergraduates planning to enter law school immediately after graduation, a four-year plan can make the process more manageable—and help prevent senior-year surprises!
- Freshman Year: Establish Your Starting Point. Focus on strong grades, develop good study habits, and take courses that strengthen reading, writing, and analytical skills. If possible, take the Mock LSAT offered by the Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics (LEAP). An early practice test provides a baseline and introduces the exam while there is plenty of time to improve.
- Sophomore Year: Get Connected. Join the Pre-Law Society by your sophomore year. Attend meetings, meet legal professionals, explore law schools, and learn from students navigating the application process. Build relationships with professors who may eventually write recommendation letters. Begin to research law schools and identify a target LSAT score.
- Junior Year: Measure Your Progress. Aim to score consistently within 5–10 points of that target on timed practice tests by junior year. If a larger gap remains, adjust your preparation now. Continue protecting your GPA while developing a realistic school list.
- Summer Before Senior Year: Prepare Intensively. Take a comprehensive LSAT preparation course and treat studying as a serious commitment. Complete timed practice exams, review mistakes carefully, and register for the August LSAT before its registration deadline. Begin drafting your personal statement and requesting recommendation letters.
- August of Senior Year: Take the LSAT. Plan to take the official exam in August, entering senior year with a major application component completed. Monitor score-release dates and consider whether another attempt would strengthen your applications.
- By November 1: Submit Your Applications. Set November 1 as your goal for submitting complete, polished applications, including transcripts, recommendations, and required essays. This deadline will help you be eligible for early admissions, and it will also allow you to apply when all the scholarship money is still available (fifty percent of scholarship money is allocated by January 1).
- Check each school’s requirements and deadlines individually.
Start early, stay consistent, and give yourself options–which begins with taking a Mock LSAT.
