February 2013 LSAT Snow Cancellation?

Are you planning to take the February 2013 LSAT on Saturday in New England? If so, you may be in for a surprise. There's a decent chance that your test center will be closed due to an impending blizzard, and your test postponed to a make-up Saturday 1-3 weeks from February 9th.

There's precedent for this - it happened in December 2009 and February 2010. In both cases, LSAC sent an email to affected test-takers and updated its website with a list of affected test centers (sidenote: inclement weather is a major reason that LSAC does not release February LSAT exams - they're saving them for future make-up test administrations.)

This year, however, it appears that LSAC is NOT sending an email to affected test-takers in advance. You must check their website (and/or the website of your test center) to determine whether your test center will be closed tomorrow.

Today (Thursday), LSAC's Director of Communications, Wendy Margolis, provided the following update about the February 2013 LSAT:

Test center supervisors are keeping us up to date as to whether sites in the northeast will be closing for tomorrow’s test due to the predicted snowstorm. We will post alerts on our website (LSAC.org) through midnight on Friday and starting again at 5 am on Saturday.

(I believe she meant Saturday's test - not tomorrow's test.)

In any case, what should you do if you're planning to take the LSAT in or near one of the most severely-affected areas, such as Boston, Hartford, Providence, Burlington, or Portland (ME)? What if you're in New York City, Buffalo, Syracuse, or Albany?

Either way, prepare as if you're still taking the LSAT this Saturday. If your test ends up being postponed, you'll hear from LSAC with a scheduled make-up date. In the past, LSAC has provided test-takers with the alternative option of either full refund or the opportunity to take the LSAT on a future test date.

Until you take the LSAT, whether it's one, two, or three weeks from now, take 2-3 timed (5-section) PrepTests per week to stay fresh (and review everything in detail afterwards, of course).

What about the potential of a delayed score release? I'm sure LSAC will work to get scores out for affected test-takers as quickly as possible. When this happened a few years ago (if my memory serves me correctly), LSAC attached a note to some test-takers' files asking law schools to extend application deadlines for affected students. I also believe LSAC managed to release scores for many affected test-takers at the same time as those who were able to take it on February 9th.

Here's hoping the storm changes course so that everyone gets to take the LSAT this weekend and be done with it!



UPDATE:

Below is the list of test centers that LSAC has already closed (as of date/time posted below):

(It's posted on their website, but some browsers are apparently not displaying the information - if you have trouble seeing the listing of closures, try a different web browser.)

NOTE: This list is being updated as closure notifications come in from test centers. If your center is closed, you will not be able to take the test on Saturday. You will receive information next week about make-up test arrangements.

Last updated 2/9/2013 at 8:11 am (ET).

Connecticut

• Bridgeport—University of Bridgeport, 3017
• Fairfield—Fairfield University, 3001
• Middletown—Wesleyan University, 3002
• New Britain—Charter Oak State College, 3016
• New Haven—Yale University, 3003
• West Hartford—University of Hartford, 3009
• West Haven—University of New Haven, 3015

Maine

• Brunswick—Bowdoin College, 4280
• Orono—University of Maine, 4282
• Portland—University of Southern Maine, 4290
• Waterville—Colby College, 4284

Massachusetts

• Amherst—Amherst College, 2650
• Bedford—Middlesex Community College, 2663
• Boston—Boston University, 2651
• Boston—Northeastern University, 2656
• Boston—Suffolk University, 2676
• Boston—Suffolk University Law School, 2674
• Bridgewater—Bridgewater State University, 2667
• Holyoke—Holyoke Community College, 2678
• Newton—Boston College Law School, 2652
• North Dartmouth—University of Massachusetts School of Law, 2664
• Roxbury Crossing—Roxbury Community College, 2658
• Salem—Salem State University, 2653
• South Hadley—Mount Holyoke College, 2670
• Springfield—American International College, 2680
• Springfield—Western New England University School of Law, 2671
• Waltham—Brandeis University, 2672
• Williamstown—Williams College, 2654

New Hampshire

• Durham—University of New Hampshire, 4001
• Hanover—Dartmouth, 4002
• Plymouth—Plymouth State University, 4003

New Jersey

• Lincroft—Brookdale Community College, 1039
• Newark—Rutgers University – Newark, 1001
• New Brunswick—Rutgers the State University, 1004
• Pemberton—Burlington County College, 1006
• South Orange—Seton Hall University, 1003
• Upper Montclair—Montclair State University, 1011
• Wayne—William Paterson University, 1032
• West Windsor—Mercer County Community College, 1027

New York

• Albany—Albany Law School, 3150
• Albany—SUNY – Albany, 3167
• Brentwood—Long Island University-Brentwood, 3599
• Brooklyn—Brooklyn College, 3600
• Brooklyn—South Shore High School, 3617
• Brookville—CW Post – Long Island University, 3170
• Hempstead—Hofstra University, 3157
• Jamaica—St. Johns University, 3605
• Long Island City—CUNY School of Law, 3621
• Long Island City—La Guardia Community College, 3627
• New Paltz—SUNY-New Paltz, 3175
• New York City—CUNY City College of New York, 3615
• New York City—Fordham University, 3632
• New York City—Pace University/New York City, 3614
• Oneonta—SUNY-Oneonta, 3166
• Pleasantville—Pace University/Pleasantville, 3174
• Poughkeepsie—Marist College, 3180
• Poughkeepsie—Vassar College, 3160
• Queens—Queens College, 3620
• Staten Island—Wagner College, 3633

Pennsylvania

• Center Valley—Penn State University-Lehigh Valley, 2031
• Cheyney—Cheyney University, 2017
• Philadelphia—Holy Family University, 2403
• Philadelphia—LaSalle University, 2506

• Bethlehem—Lehigh University, 2001 : Testing to begin at 9:00am
• Swarthmore—Swarthmore College, 2408 : Testing to begin at 9:00am

Rhode Island

• Kingston—University of Rhode Island, 2551
• Providence—Brown University, 2552
• Providence—Rhode Island College, 2561

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Canada

Nova Scotia

• Antigonish—St. Francis Xavier University, 0906
• Halifax—Dalhousie University, 0950
• Sydney—Cape Breton University, 0935

Ontario

• Hamilton—McMaster University, 0959
• Toronto—York University/Osgoode Hall Law School, 0932

Prince Edward Island

• Charlottetown—University of Prince Edward Island, 0926
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If you were originally scheduled to take the LSAT at one of these locations, LSAC will email you next week with an update as to when and where you can take your make-up exam.

LSAC closed more test centers throughout the day on Friday (and then Saturday morning) as the consequences of the storm became clearer. Visit this link for the latest updates from LSAC.


If you have questions about your particular situation, I recommend that you contact LSAC by email at LSACinfo@lsac.org or by phone at 215.968.1001.

Read the comments below for important additional information from those who've contacted LSAC directly to ask questions.