Many law-school hopefuls in Washington are leaving the District Saturday to take the Law School Admission Test because all test centers in D.C. were filled nearly three months before the registration deadline.
All the spots for LSAT centers in D.C. were filled in May. Registration for the September exam opened in January with a registration deadline of Aug. 29. The five schools administering the test include Georgetown, Catholic and Howard universities and the American University and University of the District of Columbia law schools.
There is high demand for taking the exam in D.C., said Wendy Margolis, director of communications for Law School Admissions Council, which administers the test. The concentrated population of students in Washington is a key factor, she said, which explains why cities like New York have similar demand for the four-hour LSAT.
"D.C. is a center of education and of law," Margolis said.
Universities in Maryland and Northern Virginia offering the test had spots available closer to the test date, but most are not easily accessible for students without cars.
"We locate people less or much less then 100 miles away if we can't fit them in," Margolis said. She said she did not know how many D.C. students will take the LSAT 100 miles or more outside of the District.
She added that LSAC would consider opening more test sites if the numbers warranted it, but officials have not yet seen it as a significant problem.
Senior Liz Boudris said she is taking the test in La Plata, Md., because there was no space available in D.C. when she registered in May.
"It's definitely been a little stressful because most kids who go to school in a city like this don't have a car, and my site isn't Metro-accessible," Boudris said.
Boudris said she found a friend to drive her to the test site the night before and she will sleep in a hotel.
"It's really the only way to do it … because a lot of things can happen at night in a dorm room - especially on a Friday night."
All the spots for LSAT centers in D.C. were filled in May. Registration for the September exam opened in January with a registration deadline of Aug. 29. The five schools administering the test include Georgetown, Catholic and Howard universities and the American University and University of the District of Columbia law schools.
There is high demand for taking the exam in D.C., said Wendy Margolis, director of communications for Law School Admissions Council, which administers the test. The concentrated population of students in Washington is a key factor, she said, which explains why cities like New York have similar demand for the four-hour LSAT.
"D.C. is a center of education and of law," Margolis said.
Universities in Maryland and Northern Virginia offering the test had spots available closer to the test date, but most are not easily accessible for students without cars.
"We locate people less or much less then 100 miles away if we can't fit them in," Margolis said. She said she did not know how many D.C. students will take the LSAT 100 miles or more outside of the District.
She added that LSAC would consider opening more test sites if the numbers warranted it, but officials have not yet seen it as a significant problem.
Senior Liz Boudris said she is taking the test in La Plata, Md., because there was no space available in D.C. when she registered in May.
"It's definitely been a little stressful because most kids who go to school in a city like this don't have a car, and my site isn't Metro-accessible," Boudris said.
Boudris said she found a friend to drive her to the test site the night before and she will sleep in a hotel.
"It's really the only way to do it … because a lot of things can happen at night in a dorm room - especially on a Friday night."
