As far as months go, October is a great month. The weather will finally get pleasant, pumpkin spice everything is everywhere…. and let us not forget, HALLOWEEN IS IN OCTOBER!!! What’s not to love? Well…. there is one thing: the lack of available LSAT test centers. Yup, you heard that right, we said lack of available LSAT test centers. Let us explain.

In many LSAT administrations, test takers are able to sign up for the test center of their choice, or at least a nearby test center, up until the very last second of the deadline. There are typically enough test centers to easily meet the demand of test takers, allowing even the deadline registrants to snag a seat. This is not the case for the upcoming October LSAT. Although the deadline to register for the test is September 10th, test centers around the country are filling up. Seriously, look it up! This means that test takers are being placed on a waitlist; they are not guaranteed a shiny new tablet at the test center of their choice. Although everyone on waitlist eventually gets assigned a test center, they can get assigned to the first open spot within 100 miles of their address.

We understand that this raises a ton of questions: Can I still use the ultra-awesome deal LSAC gave with the July LSAT to take the October test? Do I actually have to drive fifteen hours to my nearest available testing center? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING???

If you remember, July was the first time LSAC rolled out the digital LSAT. In order to make sure the transition was the least terrifying it could be, LSAC attached a lot of perks to the July LSAT. Test takers will be able to see their score on August 28th (scratch that — an email sent out today from LSAC stated that scores will come out on August 21st instead!) and cancel if they don’t like it; if they do cancel their score, they can sign up for a free retake. Unfortunately, this voucher could not be used on the September LSAT since July scores come out after the deadline to register for the September LSAT. Many test takers were hoping to use their free test in October. Well, so much for that plan! Test centers are already filling up, and scores are still thirteen six days from being released!

There is one catch: if you took the July LSAT and already registered for the October LSAT, or if you sign up before the September 10th deadline, then LSAC will reimburse your October registration fee if and when you cancel your July score. So, if you are worried at all about your July score, maybe consider signing up for the October test. If you see an open seat, take it! It may not be there tomorrow! Even if you decide you want to keep your July score, you can withdraw from the October test and receive a partial refund of $50, as long as you withdraw before September 25th.

It’s frustrating, however, if there are no testing centers with availability in your city. But unless more test centers are added, the only way to guarantee you will be testing in October is to sign up, even if it means being placed on a waitlist.

We get it. The testing process seems to be attacking you, and you have no idea why! There is a possible explanations to why there are so few testing centers. This is the first year where there has been an October LSAT offered after a September LSAT. In previous years, there has either been a September test, or an October test, but not both. This means that the LSAC is entering unexplored territory. They may have severely underestimated the volume of test takers who want to sit for the test in October.

Of course LSAC knows far more about testing trends than we ever could, but it seems like maybe they could have predicted there would be a ton of people who wanted to take the October exam. Aside from the fact that this would be the first exam July test takers could sign up for with their free refund, later-in-the-year test administrations have increased in popularity over the last few years. LSAC maybe could have assumed that this October later-in-the-year test administrations would be quite popular then? After all, later tests give applicants an opportunity to get a head start on the next year’s application cycle, or to re-take the test for scholarship negotiation purposes or to get off law school waitlists. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is, LSAC underestimated the popularity of the October LSAT.

But don’t fret, October test takers. The November, and January, and February, and March, and April tests will all be there for you this year. October is scary enough with Halloween — don’t let the lack of test centers get to you. Continue chipping away at your studying, and get ready to crush the November test, if need be. We’ll be here for you every step of the way along the studying (and stressing) process.