Self-study
I PTed a 169 a week ago and am looking to get to 173ish. Is this feasible by August? I'm trying to decide whether or not to sign up.
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I PTed a 169 a week ago and am looking to get to 173ish. Is this feasible by August? I'm trying to decide whether or not to sign up.
10 comments
are you looking to apply this cycle? I personally think that you should sign up after you can score in the 173ish range stably for a while
I think that's very reasonable. Two considerations:
Is this your first time studying in-depth for the test. If it is, you should be able to get some beginner gains within that time frame. If you've already done an extensive amount of studying, it may be more difficult, although of course still doable.
Are you planning to apply this cycle? In order to submit applications by the first priority deadline, you probably want to start getting scores on the books. If you're planning on waiting for the next cycle, there's no real need to rush your first attempt. In that case, I'd wait until you're actually PTing in your goal range before signing up.
That being said, I was able to accomplish a similar jump in that same time frame, and it's definitely possible with focused studying.
@AriVilker1 thank you, very helpful!
@AriVilker1 if I could ask a follow-up: it looks like the deadline to register for August is June 25th. Would you say it would be imprudent to sign up at that time if I haven't already PTd at the score that I want? Or unwise if I am, say, more than two or three points below where I want to be?
@junda I'd need to know more regarding the two considerations I asked about to get a more realistic sense of whether it's a good bet. But, regardless, I'd use these next two weeks very wisely. Go through weak spots in the core curriculum, drill your weakest areas, and take two more practice tests to get better data by the 25th. If you think your understanding of the test and practice test performance are moving at a good pace, it's probably a decent bet that you can improve your score four points by the August test. I'd really highlight, though, that whether you're applying in this cycle and whether you've already achieved significant beginner gains are crucial factors in this determination.
@AriVilker1 I see. So I wasn’t planning on applying in the fall but I’m in a better spot with the lsat at this time than I previously thought I would be, so now I’m considering applying in the fall on the condition that I get a “t14 worthy” score in August or September. To address the second consideration, I’d say that yes this is my first time studying in-depth. I got a 157 diagnostic in the fall, worked very sporadically through the core curriculum bits at a time for a while, and then finally got through it and spent about a month drilling recently (back from school) and then got a 169 on my second, more recent pt. I’ve only studied with 7sage and I’ve done the core curriculum and an additional ~275 questions of drilling. Does this help clarify your two considerations? Thanks again for the help, you are a lifesaver
@junda It seems like you're exiting the "beginner gains" phase, but still pretty early on. It probably will take more time to gain points than it did when you were still working through the core curriculum and finding out your biggest weaknesses in drilling. As a result, I'd probably want to see one of those two practice tests land at 173 before feeling confident you'll be prepared to score that 6 weeks later. Especially since you weren't planning on applying this cycle in the first place, it sounds like there's no major reason to rush it. That being said, it's certainly feasible. I would evaluate the benefit of obtaining the score you want in time to apply this fall vs. the possibility that you use up one of your five chances and the exam fee. Those weights will be different based for each person. In my mind, I would be counting both of those as very realistic possibilities if you signed up for the August exam.
@AriVilker1 got it, thanks again
I think it is for sure feasible. In my opinion, I think it is good to take the exam even if you don't feel completely ready. I took the exam in June and will be taking in August. However, now I know what to expect when I walk into the exam and my nerves are calm. Two months is definitely enough to increase your score, just make sure you take full PTs in testing conditions to gauge a more accurate picture of your potential score on the exam!
@KarinHana thanks for the help!