June 2011 LSAT Checklist

There are just 13 days to go until the June LSAT. I imagine that sentence just sent your knees knocking, but you should be both scared and excited – in 13 days, you’re going to be done with the hardest/most important test you’ve ever taken. As you enter these last two weeks, you should still be studying a great amount since big improvement can be made in these final days. But you also have a few administrative duties you need to take care of to make test day a seamless surgical strike. So don’t neglect to do the following:

Test Center Run-Through – As we mentioned last week, you should actually go to wherever you’ll be taking the LSAT and get a feel for the place. If you can, do this next Monday in the late morning/early afternoon. If you leave at the same time that you’ll be leaving on the day of the LSAT, you can get a feel for what traffic will be like and if there are any road blockages of which Google is unaware (however, we all know that Google is omniscient). When you get to the testing center, find multiple parking options, because Monday the 6th is going to be a helluva lot more crowded than next Monday.

Documents – If you haven’t done so already, print out your admission ticket. Make sure your name on the ticket matches your name on your ID exactly. While you’re at it, make sure your driver’s license or passport isn’t expired or anything. Also, the night before the test check to see if the location has changed on your ticket (if it has, you’ll have to print a new one).

Recent photo– Additionally, now you need to procure a recent photo of yourself (taken within the last six months) that shows you as you will appear on test day. This should be pretty easy, though, since all you have to do is go to a Rite Aid or Walgreens to get a passport photo taken and then attach it to your Admissions Ticket on test day. However, just to be safe, you should really take care of this the next time you have free time because this would be an easily forgotten step (because it’s absurd, considering you already have to present ID).

Warm-Up – Some schools of thought hold that it’s good to do a warm up before the test. If you’re planning on it, you should get that together well before test day. Doing 5 to 10 pretty easy LR questions and a fairly simple 1 to 1 ordering game is usually a good way to go. But you can’t bring it in to the testing center, so you’ll either have to leave it in your car or just throw it away. Get to your center early enough to do the warm-up before check-in.

Goodie Bag – Everything you take into the LSAT has to be in a 1-gallon clear Ziploc bag (LSAC likes to test your packing skills). You may as well put it together now, unless you’re planning to go hands-free into the LSAT. You’ll need non-mechanical pencils, a sharpener, your snack and drink, your admission ticket, and anything else that you need that you’re allowed (such as tissues or medicine). But nearly everything else is prohibited, including cell phones, purses, and hats. Read over all the LSAT guidelines, and follow them to the letter.

Study – This is still the most important part. We’re just 13 days away, but that’s enough time to see some real improvement, and to hone and sharpen the skills that you’ve acquired thus far. Don’t skimp in the final two weeks.