the LSAT score is the most important factor in any law school application. Your college GPA is the other major factor. Forget the personal essay or the other "soft" details. It's the numbers that count. So what to do? There are countless websites who will "help" you get a handle on the test and claim that you can't study for it. Do not accept this. You CAN study for it and improve your score. Having lived through it personally, and through tons of my now-lawyer friends, this is my advice:#1: Take a review course.
Save up if you have to and invest in a review course with a major test preparation company.
#2: Research law school LSAT acceptance scores.
Different law schools have different ranges of scores for their accepted students. If your test score deviates by more than 1 or 2 from the bottom of the school's LSAT range, odds are that you won't get in (unless you're an Olympic medalist or have some truly amazing "soft" factor in your favor). If your LSAT score isn't what you'd dreamed it would be, be realistic with your hard-earned dollars and save on your law school application fees (they add up quickly!) by applying to a couple schools that clearly will accept students with your LSAT score. Then go ahead and splurge on applications for a few fantasy schools. Who knows, right?
#3: Practice, practice, practice.
Practice the different types of LSAT problems through your review course, and work up to taking practice tests under real test conditions. Do this over and over until you are consistently achieving a score that will get you into law school. Don't register and take the real LSAT exam until you are at that level, as law schools don't like to see too many test scores. Some law schools will take the average of your test scores – so wait until you can't improve any more before you take the real exam. You shouldn't take the real LSAT any more than 2 times – but hopefully just once. On the days leading up to your real LSAT test, get up each morning as if it is the exam day, and practice taking a complete test under simulated conditions.
#4: Prepare for logistics on exam day.
Pack your driver's license/passport and supplies, pick out your clothes and prepare a healthy (and not too heavy) lunch. Drive out to the test site and visualize exam morning as you are doing so. Make sure you know exactly where you are to arrive and at what time.
#5: Go to bed early and relax.
If you've followed the steps up to this point, you have practiced the exam many times under simulated conditions. You know where to go and what to do. Get a good night's sleep and wake up on exam morning just like you have for the past few days. You have done all you can, so relax and go get 'em!
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