Have you signed up the June 3rd LSAT yet? No? Why not? Don’t you know that tonight is the deadline to sign up? Like you have until exactly 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time tonight to register. So you have to make the decision soon. Within the day!

Wait … you’re still here, reading this? You haven’t opened a new tab, pulled up LSAC’s website, and started registering to take the exam? That’s weird. You do know that this exam is literally called the Law School Admissions Test, right? Meaning that it’s the only exam that you can use for admissions to any law school? As in, if you want to go law school, this is the test to take? You do want to go to law school, right?

Oh, you’re saying there are other LSATs you can take, later in the year? Sure, that’s true. But you’re aware that the next test, in July, will be a weird one, right? Half of all test centers will be giving the test in the normal, paper-and-pencil format, and the other half will be giving the test in its new digital format? And that test takers aren’t going to know which format they’ll get until the day of the exam? Are you sure you want to put your fate into the hands of the capricious LSAT gods?

Sure, there’s the sweetener they’re adding to July test — those who take the July 2019 exam will get the option to cancel their score after receiving it, and if they cancel, they’ll receive a voucher that will allow them to take the LSAT again, for free, anytime before April 2020. But if you take them up on that option, now you’re extending this whole LSAT process to September or later. Did you see yourself spending over half of your 2019 studying for this test?

Plus, you planned to take the June LSAT because you knew that it would give you a lot of time to get your application materials together after taking the test. That you could spend your summer securing those letters of rec and constructing the best personal statement possible, so you could apply to law school early, giving yourself the best chance of securing your admission. Postponing the LSAT will make it a little bit harder to get your applications in early. Even if you take the July test, you’ll have a much smaller window of time to get your application materials together and submitted by October. If you wait until September or later, you’ll have to start compiling your application materials as you study. If you think studying for the LSAT is hard now, try doing it on top of worrying about all those application materials.

But you don’t feel ready? You’re not already hitting your target score? I’ll let you in on a little insider secret … no one does right now. We’re five-and-a-half weeks out from the LSAT. That’s an eternity in LSAT study time! There are a lot of things you have to do before you’ll feel ready to take the LSAT. But you still have quite a bit of time to do them.

I know it’s annoying that they make you sign up for an expensive test well before you’ll feel ready to take it. Most people don’t feel prepared five-weeks before the test. Many people won’t feel prepared until the last week before the test. Unfortunately, the progress you make studying for this test isn’t linear. You have to work and work and work to figure out these concepts, and develop the necessary skills, practice and refine those skills, until they’re sharpened enough to use effectively on a timed exam. I’ve worked with many students for whom it takes until the last week for these skills to finally come together. You’ll have to trust that the same will happen for you. And signing up for the test now can at least provide a goal that will keep you accountable, helping ensure that you’ll do all the work necessary to make those skills come together for you.

So, if you have designs on taking the LSAT in June, today’s the last day to sign up. Take a quick look at our review of the test centers in your area to make sure you’re signing up for a favorable location, get your $190 ready, and sign up.