In the last couple of weeks, we explored the very first things you should be doing to prepare yourself for applying to law school this fall. (Here are Step 1 and Step 2, in case you missed them.)

By now, you should have created your LSAC account and registered for the October LSAT.

Planning on applying to law school this fall?

Last week, I posted the absolute first step you should take if you want to be prepared to apply this fall.

This week, you'll take step #2: Register for the LSAT. Test dates and registration instructions are here.

School is out, summer is here, and some intrepid souls are turning their thoughts to law school. If you're thinking of applying in the coming admissions cycle, it's not too early to start planning. For the next couple of weeks, I'll be devoting each post to a concrete step you can take so that you're ready to go when the fall rolls around.

Your first step: Make friends with LSAC, which stands for Law School Admission Council.

LSAT guru Steve Schwartz over at LSAT Blog drew my attention to some evidence that studying for the LSAT makes you smarter. Really!

Here's the technical language from the study:

[W]e examined the effects on cognitive performance and brain structure and function of 3 months of intensive preparation for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

The NYT published an exposé last year about conditional merit scholarships ("Law Students Lose the Grant Game as Schools Win").

In case you missed the article, it profiled the plight of law students who had accepted scholarships that would be renewed after their first year only if they maintained a certain minimum GPA.

I've received a few follow-up questions in response to my recent blog post on managing multiple waitlist offers: Is it really not OK to put down multiple deposits? Is there a rule about that? And how would anyone know, anyway?

Those aren't bad questions, not least because LSAC has danced around the subject for years, and tends to bury its official (and vague) position out of plain sight.

What's the protocol and etiquette for turning down an offer from a school?

First check the language of that school's offer letter.

I recently passed my master's examination which is equivalent to defending a thesis.  Should I notify law schools of this?

Passing your master's exam is a big step towards completing your master's degree, so congratulations on that.

I've been reading your blog a lot as I have been going through the admissions process.

If you're planning on submitting law school applications this coming fall, now is a good time to start thinking about your recommendations: Whom are you going to ask? And when?

The first thing to know is that most law schools prefer academic recommendations.

It's almost the end of February, and you have all the time in the world to deal with your law school applications, right? Wrong. By the time we hear from people in the fall, or even as early as June, they've missed a lot of lead time to get their application strategy and logistics in order. Here are ten things to start thinking about now:<!--break-->

1. LSAC

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is the gatekeeper for all your application logistics.

At Harvard, where the author got her law degree, she shows up on the business-school campus and asks random students if they know any introverts.

I'm sure this is just about the last thing in the world you want to be doing right now, but it's a good time to start pulling your documents together to prepare for your law school financial aid applications.

Here are some interesting stats from a recent post by Equal Justice Works:

It's no surprise... that most law students borrow to finance their legal education (88.

Not to ruin the relief you felt when you submitted your last application at two minutes until midnight on December 31, but I do have to bring your attention to a critical reality.  SUBMISSION IS NOT THE FINAL STEP in the application process.  Your application will not be considered until your application is COMPLETE.  That’s right, if your application is not complete, it won’t get evaluated.

In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle.

What's the ideal LSAT timeline? Your mileage may vary, and your LSAT instructor will be able to give you advice customized to your individual situation. But in a perfect world, here's how I like to work backwards from the end goal:

Plan to submit your applications in early November (or even sooner, but early November is plenty early).

Juniors – it is time to shift gears!