May 22 --
The New Forum Schedule! 

At its annual meeting in early May, Law Services changed the Forum schedule for the next two years.

The three forums held in February for the past two years are being moved. The Los Angeles Forum is scheduled for September 25th, the Houston Forum is scheduled for November 20, and the San Francisco Forum will be held sometime next summer.

Yes, of course you can talk to admissions officers at earlier Forums; there will still be nine events (although they've reduced all but New York to one day instead of two).

• But you'll be talking without an LSAT score, so you'll be getting much more generalized answers than you would with a score in your hand.
• And if you got a low score and plan to retake, you'll get a more negative response than you would in February with your new, higher, number.

Prognostications

Here's what I think is going to happen in the next two years:

With no Forums later than November, law schools will look at their crowd from the early Forums and try to make a lot of offers fast; by the time December scores come out, there will be only a handful of seats left -- a few at the top, a few more at wait list time (late May to mid-June).

Applicants who don't get the score they want in September will face three options:

1. Settle for less-selective schools;
2. Retake and get a really high number;
3. Apply super-early (October or November) next year and try for a binding early decision.

Ripple Effects

• As more students scramble to take the June and October LSATs, the test centers will fill up, and backup (hear "less appropriate") centers or centers further away will be offered.
• LSAT prep companies will face the same phenomenon; they'll either have to overcrowd their classes, overuse tired teachers, or hire new, less appropriate teachers.
• Fewer applicants will cancel early scores, even if they fear they did poorly, because they'll think they have to apply now. With more lower scores, the rate of retakes will be driven up even further than the 20% increase we've already seen in 2008 and 2009.
• Law schools will find themselves at the end of their LSAT rope, as it were, and be forced to find other ways to "game" the USNews rankings.

How Do I Know?

I don't. That's what "prognostications" means. But I've studied enough trends and talked to enough admissions officers in 25 years that I know the patterns.

See You Soon?

I'm headed east in two weeks. Stop back on June 1 for the complete itinerary, and contact me if you want to join me in Durham, Philly, or DC in mid-June.