<p>^Is my question! </p>
<p>I will be a freshman at the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University this fall. Would it be unreasonable to begin preparing for the LSAT this summer and take the LSAT freshman/sophomore year? Or is it usually taken junior/senior year? I am obviously a complete newbie in the law school application process, and am going through a basic research process. Any tips and thoughts are welcome. </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I’ve read some of your other posts, and the first thing I have to suggest is that you take a breath and a step back. Evaluate why you want to go to law school and what you want to study. Do you want to go to a top law school just for the sake of the supposed prestige? Are you simply trying to “redeem” yourself for not having gotten into an Ivy league college? Calm down.</p>
<p>Hitting the ground running in college with the express goal of law school is silly, in my opinion. Discover what your academic passions are and excel at them. A solid GPA, after all, is very important to law school admissions. If after sophomore year you still think law school is for you, then start preparing for the LSAT then. But to begin focusing your energies on the LSAT now will only distract you from the hard work of establishing a solid college record. Start studying the summer after sophomore year at the earliest. Most applicants don’t even take the test until September of senior year.</p>
<p>Do you have to be in school to take the LSAT? I mean, can you take the exam after you graduate from college, and take a year off?</p>
<p>Of course you can take the LSAT after graduating from college. I’ve been working as an LSAT class instructor and tutor for some time now, and the majority of students have been people several years removed from college. Hell, I’m currently working with one person who’s in her 30’s and one person who is in his 40’s.</p>
<p>You can take a year off, but you’d want to show the school you’ve been working and doing other things instead of only doing one thing (like studying for the LSAT).</p>
<p>When you take it is up to you; most do so after junior year (usually June or fall of senior). What you should be aware of is this: if you take it and do poorly and then take it again and do good many of your law schools, particularly your higher ranked ones, will hold that first score against you. As a result, you should plan to try to take it once and do well, which is one reason to wait until after junior year to take it.</p>
<p>^interesting…I did not know that! Thank you very much!</p>