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Dispelling the Myths about the LSAT  and Law School Admissions

The legal system deals with facts, so it may be surprising how many myths and half-truths surround law school admissions and the LSAT. Here’s a quick look.

MYTH: If you have a solid undergraduate background, your LSAT score isn't as important for getting into law school.

FACT: It's no exaggeration to say that the LSAT is the most important element of your law school application—regardless of whether or not you have a great academic background and GPA. Truth be told, the LSAT will be the most important four hours of your academic career. Make sure you put your best foot forward on test day.

MYTH: The LSAT tests your basic skills or innate abilities, therefore your score cannot be significantly improved through studying.

FACT: Nothing could be further from the truth. You can benefit tremendously from exposure to actual LSATs, and from expert insight into LSAT writers' habits and commonly used tricks.

MYTH: You should leave questions blank on the LSAT because random guessing will hurt your score.

FACT: Nope. There’s no penalty for wrong answers. Don't ever leave a question blank. Ever. If you have 40 seconds left on a section and six questions to go, answer "B" (or pick your favorite letter between A and E) for all the remaining questions. You've got a one in five chance of getting each of them right and getting an answer wrong does not hurt your score.

MYTH: You have to take the October LSAT in order to get into law school the following year.

FACT: The October LSAT test date is the most popular, but you don't have to take the test in October to get your scores back in time for admission the following year. You'll still have time to take the LSAT during the December administration and get your scores submitted. While taking the LSAT in December will influence your ability to get your applications in early (and might put you at some disadvantage for those schools with rolling admissions policies), you will still have a real shot...especially if you do well on your LSAT!