Self-study
Hi everyone, I'm taking the LSAT this August and I'm looking for a legitimate, independent tutor with affordable rates to help me cross the finish line. I am studying full-time and looking for someone to work with me 1-on-1.
Where I'm at: Current timed score: ~164.
Blind Review (untimed) score avg: ~176.
Accommodations: 150% time (52.5 mins/section)
Goal: 172+
What I need help with: Because my untimed score is so much higher, my logic foundations are already solid. I don't need a tutor to teach me the basics from scratch. My main issue is timed execution, stamina, and modern trap answers. Specifically, I'm getting caught by Level 4 and Level 5 Causal and Conditional traps in the late teens and twenties of the LR sections, especially on the modern PrepTests (the 140s). Also need to better distribute my time in RC.
I am looking for an experienced tutor who can sit with me, tear down these modern trap answers, and help me tighten up my "trap radar" when I hit the fatigue wall with the accommodated time.
If you are a tutor with reasonable hourly rates who knows how to coach high-scorers on modern execution, please message me your rates and background!
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3 comments
Hey! This is a completely normal situation to find yourself in, and one that our tutors help students with all of the time! Our tutors will diagnose specifically which questions are driving the most point loss, to help you content-wise on this end. But it sounds like, as you identified, working on timing and stamina will be integral to driving you to your goal score. We can recommend a variety of drills with proven efficiency to help you get closer to this blind review score — we work with many students in similar situations, and have some different specific approaches to help build this stamina and get you over the bar to the 170s. I personally found myself in a similar situation, where my PTs were consistently around 163-165 and with about a month and a half of 7Sage-recommended studying got my score up into the 170s. When I work with students, one of my favorite session types to do is a mix of 'curvebreaker' questions for the highest priority question types to point out patterns we see frequently lead to students choosing trap answers. I'd love to chat with you further about whether a 7Sage tutoring program can best help you meet your goals, feel free to sign up for a complimentary call here!
Best,
Sean
Hi! This is the kind of situation where targeted tutoring can actually be useful.
For context, I scored a 180 on my first official LSAT, and I work with students on exactly the kinds of issues you’re describing: large timed/BR gaps, late-section LR traps, conditional/causal reasoning, and tightening execution rather than relearning the basics from scratch.
Given your 164 timed / ~176 BR split, I agree that this probably is not a “you don’t understand the LSAT” issue. It sounds more like a timed execution, decision-making, and trap-recognition issue, especially if the misses are clustering in harder LR questions and RC timing distribution.
The way I would approach this is by reviewing recent timed sections with you and separating the misses into categories:
actual logic issue
trap answer attraction
timing/fatigue issue
overthinking between two answers
failure to predict the gap before making choices
modern wording/strength mismatch issue
For LR, I would want to go through the Level 4/5 causal and conditional misses question by question and focus less on “here’s why D is right” and more on “what should you have noticed that would have kept you away from the trap under time?” For RC, I would want to look at where time is being spent: passage reading, global questions, detail questions, or answer-choice hesitation.
I’m also very mindful that accommodated timing changes the strategy. With 150% time, the issue is usually using the extra time without letting fatigue, second-guessing, or over-reviewing answers drain accuracy.
My rates are as follows -
Single session: $60/hour
4-session package: $220 total - effectively $55/hour
8-session package: $400 total - effectively $50/hour
I think I could potentially help you quite a bit. Here's my initial thoughts based on your specific and thoughtful post.
Causal and conditional reasoning are two of the most formula-driven areas on the LSAT, and students need to become extremely comfortable recognizing both the underlying patterns and the predictable ways the test likes to manipulate them. That's part 1 of the equation, imo.
Part 2 is that, in my experience, even many high-scoring students do not consistently "think like a lawyer" when approaching causal and conditional reasoning answer choices. The modern LSAT is filled with answer choices that sound reasonable, but the difference in spotting that trap or not can often come down to how naturally skeptical of a lens one looks at the answer through.
One of the things I spend a lot of time doing with advanced students is slowing down and exposing exactly how those traps are constructed. How is the argument constructed? Where does the reasoning connect or fail connect to the conclusion? What language is doing the damage? How precisely does the answer choice mirror the movements in the argument? Seeing those patterns can improve your "trap radar" dramatically.
Issues of times execution and stamina are often addressed through a top-down structured process that governs your macro-movements through every question, both LR and RC. The question-level skills (such as causal and conditional reasoning) operate within this structure. The structure itself helps students maintain accuracy and timing while expending less mental energy. This has a direct and positive effect on your late section speed and accuracy.
My rate is $80/hr, and I also offer a 5-hour package for $320 total. I'd be happy to do a free introductory consultation if you'd like to discuss your situation in more detail and see whether we'd be a good fit.
Feel free to DM me.
Scott