How are we meant to include citations if no research is allowed during the 15min prep? How will we be sure that the information and quotes are correct? I'm amazed that this student felt they could confidently quote someone without looking up the quote before including it.
Hi everyone, I'm a little bit confused with the tone we are supposed to adopt while writing the essay. I naturally write in a formal academic tone and given what I read, it appeared to be that it was a lot more casual than formal. This is what I had written below. Is this an appropriate tone or should I write it as though I'm writing something a lot less formal (just the intro piece)?
The question of an interdisciplinary education is one that has been critically debated for centuries. One could very easily argue that the pursuit of knowledge that is specialized, and thereby, highly specific to a student’s desired career trajectory is an effective means to prepare a student for the future given that it values professional competence and focalized expertise.
However, I believe given that the evolving world seeks from it students not with a specialized understanding of a subject but instead those who are willing to interweave cross-disciplinary applications that could challenge the academic status quo, go beyond a dogmatic approach to literacy in redefining norms and values in a world ever so technologically pliable and most imperatively, orchestrate a society where knowledge domains converge, collide, and ultimately coalesce into novel forms of innovation and societal progress. Therefore, I argue that a college would serve the students’ best interests if they were to demand a more liberal education as opposed to one that is solely career-centred.
I did the 15 min prewrite & the 35 min Writing Session*
FEEDBACK NEEDED:
The Purpose of College is to create a fully functioning active member of society. Whether it is soft-skills for a cooperate jobs or on the other sider of the spectrum, the technical skills for engineers. College is to help facilitate a young adult emerge into their adulthood smoothly by allowing themselves to challenge their own perspectives through a liberal arts education while supplying them the practical skills needed.
As undergraduate that focused on a liberal arts education, the skills that focused on the technical side allowed me to question my perspectives on why I've chosen the career that I decided to pursue. The skills to communicate my ideas and concepts. These are not merit-based which in looking for a job can allow candidates to stand out in the interview process. The competitive nature that society today can only do much and to only include one side of a career path damages the human side and the quality that comes from it.
Networking and individuality are important things to look for when looking for a career. By focusing on both sides rather than choosing one side over the other. Not every person that graduates ends up in the field that they originally went in for stick with the same degree. Finding that individuality through what would be considered soft-skills, like teamwork and communication can help bridge gaps between people that would otherwise not interact in the same field which the style of career prep and liberal arts education college provides. And with the insights that people gain from networking with people in different fields allows them to have the skills to relate or create or discover something new. Finding yourself and helping decide what career you would want to pursue. To be more than just someone with skills. Instead to be an person.
There is thought into thinking that a college degree should signify that you have the skills that are need it for the task in your future degree, but we are not just cogs at the end of the day. Including the societal impact that a degree puts you in society with being another cog spitting out propaganda that you have been fed. I disagree, by skill along and with the interpersonal insights you gain through engaging with the liberal arts allows you to become better by including a unique insight into a problems in your career. For example, being inside a meeting and each member is trying to figure out why sales might be down this quarter. If everyone was just trained on the skills, then they could see why it failed, but not understand what can be done to improve. Including the more creative aspects of the institution can help with collaborating between colleagues. Each member providing their insight with the individual skills that they learn from their own interests budding into the liberal arts.
The preparation that comes from entering and getting a degree is an indicator that you have a well rounded idea of who you are and expertise in what you are doing. Allowing a flexibility in skills allows for a future employee to use these skill in their career and other avenues that they might pursue. Looking to only skill-based college experiences does not allow for a person's full potential to come out, stifling them from fully accessing their ability to adapt to the fast paced competitive environment in life. you would have to ask yourself then: What was the point? If your skills in career are unsuccessful, then what is left?
Yes, there is more to life than work; however, in a changing society where your quality of life is severely impacted by your ability to get a job, career preparation is a vital skill.
As a recent undergraduate with a Biology degree, I have had the opportunity to work in the field and in the lab to gain experience; however, that is not enough. To become a biologist, you need additional certifications and specific experience that school just never provided. To find a job in this field, many places of employment already expect you to have years of experience.
My friend, who obtained a master's in biology with a minor in ecology, has minimal field experience in school, however, he is struggling to find a job after a year of graduating. He is drowning in student loans and works three part-time jobs to keep him afloat, just because field technician jobs require years of experience, which he can't get without first getting a job. The irony.
If school had prepared him for his career, he would have had a better chance in the job market today. A lot of us are lucky to live with our parents or have financial support as we prepare for the real world. But what about the people who don't? The people who have to work 8-12 hour shifts to keep a roof over their heads, whilst studying full time and trying to navigate what their future looks like? The purpose of an undergraduate degree should be to help prepare students to transition into adulthood.
Just because the school puts an emphasis on career preparation does not mean a student can not cultivate their own values and learning. There are many extracurricular activities, friendships and skills to be built in any type of setting. However, the skills we have fostered through social relations and self navigation are useless if we are never given the opportunity to use them in the real world. Without career preparation, the skills we cultivate will remain on the shelves. Unemployment rates for young adults have skyrocketed, and housing has become incredibly expensive; to live, you need to eat and to eat, you need money. How many people do you know who went into the career their undergraduate degree was focused in? Even though I have a degree in Biology, I am currently working as an accountant for the city and am preparing to take the LSAT. All are vastly different career paths. Sure, I am building skills I never knew I would through self navigation, but I got to where I am today by being lucky. I had connections and time to build a name for myself by entering the workforce at an early age. With career preparation, schools would be able to introduce students to potential employers, allowing them to foster connections more easily and allowing them to build skills/experience without worrying about getting a job after school. Having a job in today's society is not a want but a need to live. What's the point in having the "university experience" if you never get prepared to get out of it.
Oh, my bad. I went on a tangent, I was not tryna write out a whole ass essay but anyways if I was writing this prompt my answer would be kinda similar to this I think, with obvious grammar mistakes, more examples and concise organization.
Kinda sucks that there wasn't an essay with this perspective.
Since I don't want to use up all of my practice tests - I asked Chat GPT to help me with a prompt and some perspectives that may mimic the post-August version. I used this prompt to Can you generate an argumentative writing prompt that mocks what may appear on an LSAT writing portion, modified to the current post-2024 format and provide 3-4 sample perspectives?
Here's what it came up with, and feel free to use it as a practice-run for yourself. I thought this was not only helpful, but amusing to read and useful as practice material.
Writing Sample Prompt:
Recent studies conducted in the fictional city of Indecisia have revealed a sharp rise in what researchers are calling Choice Paralysis in Low-Stakes Contexts (CPLC). Citizens report significant stress when faced with decisions perceived as meaningless but socially loaded — such as choosing between identical brands of bottled water or whether to say “you too” when someone tells them to “enjoy the movie.”
In response, the city council is debating whether public institutions should play a more active role in helping citizens build confidence in making minor decisions. Some argue that such support would foster a stronger, more self-assured population. Others contend that this would represent an overreach of government authority and an unnecessary use of resources.
Assignment:
Write an argumentative essay in which you take a position on whether public institutions should actively intervene to help citizens improve their confidence in making trivial decisions. Support your position with logical reasoning and, if applicable, examples. Your essay should demonstrate clarity, organization, and critical thinking. You are not expected to have specialized knowledge of psychology, civic planning, or snack aisle dilemmas.
Perspective 1: Supportive of Intervention — Confidence Is Foundational
Public institutions have a responsibility to foster the psychological well-being of their citizens. Seemingly minor choices can accumulate and impact an individual’s sense of agency. By helping citizens build decision-making confidence, even in low-stakes contexts, society encourages personal growth and civic engagement.
Perspective 2: Opposed to Intervention — Government Has Bigger Problems
Allocating resources to help people choose between sparkling and still water is not a prudent use of taxpayer money. Public institutions should focus on serious issues like education, infrastructure, and healthcare. Encouraging resilience means expecting individuals to handle life’s minor dilemmas on their own.
Perspective 3: Cautiously Supportive — Help, But Only If It's Funny
Assistance with trivial decisions could be helpful if it’s delivered in a light, humorous way. Imagine public signs that read “If you’re still deciding, pick left” or vending machines with buttons labeled “Don’t overthink it.” This approach could reduce stress without creating a bloated bureaucracy or infantilizing the public.
Perspective 4: Strongly Opposed — Choice Paralysis Builds Character
Struggling with low-stakes decisions is a rite of passage in modern life. The agony of choosing between two equally mediocre salad dressings builds mental toughness. Institutional hand-holding in such matters may rob people of the minor frustrations that prepare them for adulthood — and worse, it may normalize the idea that discomfort must always be solved externally.
Do you think it would be wise to ever argue for an integrated approach to one of these prompts, a middle ground so to speak. An argument that pulls from both sides and refutes a two sided approach to the arguement, or would that not be appropriate?
Just wanted to say that I agree with both writers' perspectives here. Colleges and universities should not just be job training centers. There's more to life than work, ffs.
Here is my timed essay…. I know it’s far from perfect but I wanted to get feedback from everyone and admin if possible. There is a lot of spelling and grammar error but I used every second I had! I want to get better so please, any and all criticism is welcome!!
As an economics major and business administration major who attended a liberal arts program I have found it very valuable to not have been part of a curriculum that whose emphasis was not career preparations. While many colleges chose a course of study that had a much stronger carreer preparation curriculum and that worked out for some I witnessed how detrimental this was for their future when things didn’t pan out as they would have wished. Many students use college to find who they are and prepare for the future world outside of their carrer and switching away from a liberal arts education would only be stripping them away from theses essential parts of a undergraduate college education. While Career preparation is in fact essential for our future a curriculum that emphasizes only career preparation over everything else would be doing students a dissatisfaction.
College is a time where many students finally have the ability to explore who they are without being tied down by high school expectations or parents controlling who they are suppose to be. For many students being stuck in a world where they were never able to find out who they were college can be that space where they build their beliefs and characteristics for the first time. As perspective two shared “college provided the context in which I could reflect on my own values”. A liberal arts education allows students to learn about new things such as history, science, fine arts, economics, language, philosophy, and so much more. A curriculum that is fully focused on emphasizing carrer preparation would take this opportunity from students. A curriculum focused on career preparation can only work if the student knows who they are and what they want to be. otherwise while trying to help the student for their future carrer schools could be harming them preparing them for a career in which they will be unhappy because they were focused to choose something before they had a chance to understand what they enjoyed.
A liberal arts education can not only help us understand who we are but help us become better rounded individuals who are prepared fro the future. How can we prepare for the future if we don’t know or understand from our historical mistakes or triumphs? In a world in which we spend a very large time of our life outside of our career Its very important to also know how to interact and live outside of our carrers. A liberal arts education can prepare us for life. A simple but strong example that comes to mind is one that involves the career I want to hold one day. As I sat in a court room listening to a case for a paper I was going to write in class, as I took notes, I heard the attorney questioning an expert. Everything seem to go well until the attorney asked the expert if by any chance a liquid could have gone up due to gravity. The whole room went silent and a few smiles and chuckles were held back by many. That’s when I first relized that we need to be able to have an understanding of different concepts not just our carrer. As an economics major I have found myself frustrated by many peoples inabiility to understand things such as inflation, how price and demand works, or the way government policies and decisions happen. I have first hand seen the way that not being a well rounded individual can have an impact in your daily actions, thoughts, and decisions. Having a college carrer in which we simply emphasize career preparation would worsen these type of situations. We would strongly be doing students a dissatisfaction by taking a more career preparation approach.
Many along with those who agree with perspective 1 might argue that schools who recognize the need for a career preparation focused education are equipping and adapting students for career paths that are adaptive to changing job roles. In opposition to this I believe that by focusing on a career focused curriculum we would be doing the complete opposite. Take for example an engineer who spent his entire career focused on chemical engineering. While a very good career in which career focused preparation is definitely essential for a successful career it is not what many might consider an adaptive role. In an education in which most of his classes were science and math focused the individual would be little prepared to perhaps change into a leadership role or be able to run a chemical business. while possible it would take time and would be harder as they were never prepared or taught the basics of working and leading people. They were never taught the basics of finances or how a company works. A liberal arts educations would not only equipt them with the basics of be able to switch roles in the future but would make them better rounded in all aspects of life. Leading to a balance in both a career and int heir everyday life.
While it is undeniable that many attend college to prepare for a career and that career preparation is essential for a successful job, colleges should not limit students by making the choice of what’s important. A liberal arts college allows students who need to find who they are to be able to do that while having those students who are ready for a more career preparation carriculum to focus on taking classes that are more related to their career. Students can make their own choice and colleges are not the ones who should be making that change as it could be deteremetnal to the students future. Not only limiting their future career paths and opportunities but also limiting their knowledge for their everyday life ahead of them. That’s why colleges should not focus on a career preparation focused carriculam as it would care more harm than good.
Is the goal to pick a perspective an agree with it or just create your own perspective and use some perspectives to support and the others as to why that perspective is weaker?
I understand that it is not necessary to take the writing portion more than once, but if I'm not feeling confident in my performance, do I have the opportunity to take that portion again?
Can you use a portion of the 15 minutes allotted for reading and drafting for the actual writing? I took a practice writing section yesterday and felt pretty confident in my comprehension of the perspectives and outline after 10 minutes. Are we able to skip ahead early and have those extra minutes roll over? Or will it be only 35 minutes for writing regardless?
This is what I came up with under timed conditions a few errors, but this is not as good as theirs...
There has been a recent debate about the type of education a student should receive in colleges and universities. While there may be some benefits that outline learning skills and specialized exploration for career preparation, it should not be the main goal. Rather the main goal of a college or university should be putting a value on the student's exploration of their interest and values for a career.
While it is true, that you will need skills and practical workforce knowledge for a career. Students can learn these skills outside of the classroom in an internship or a job. Learning about skills in a classroom can be weaker than having hands-on experience. Additionally, if students are tied to a major and the skills they learn only pertain to that major student may miss out on other career opportunities that they may enjoy or excel at more. For example, I have recently taken an internship as a data analytics intern and I would not have been able to learn the skills in college that I have learned while doing the job hands-on. The skills a person needs will change from company to company and it is hard to predict what project or specialized skill someone will need. A person, can always tighten up or learn those skills when they enter into the job market.
Further, I believe one of the best ways that college and universities can serve their students is to emphasize exploration in careers that align with their interests and values. Many students, they might believe that have everything figured out. They know exactly what career they want to do and they believe it fully aligns with their interest and values. However, that is not necessarily always the case. For example, perspective 2 states, "I realized I didn't have to unquestioningly accept the norms and values given to me, I was free to decide for myself which values to hold on to, which to leave behind, and which values I felt drawn to." Perspective 2 used college as a way to find new values and they realized they were not tied to those values. For many college students, this is their first time being away from home. They no longer have their families telling them what they should or should not do. It is a time for exponential growth as an adult and a great time to build your views and morals. Schools should help encourage these serious students. It would be hard to expand past your views if college was only about skills rather than the student's interests and values.
When values and interests are promoted to college or student a student can think critically about why they choose a career rather than how to be good at a career. Perhaps someone always thought they wanted to be a teacher, but they find out later that they have a difficult time when it is noisy or that they would rather teach one grade over the other. These interests go beyond having the skills to be a teacher. It reaches deeper into why a student wants to be a teacher. I often hear people say, "I wish I chose a job I liked." Why is that so common? Often these individuals choose careers at a young age go to school and then get a job. College can be a great source of stopping this regret if it helps the student explore careers that align with their values and interests. If you have a teacher who loves their job and finds it valuable, it can better society. This is true for any professional career, I would rather have a lawyer who wants to help install justice due to their values than a lawyer just doing it because they are good at it and have the skill.
Additionally, as society has progressed people have become more independent in making decisions and learning about skills as they go. For instance, "... a new form of relationship between students and universities is critical, where teachers collaborate with students to discover new truths together, where students learn based on their own guide learning experiences, and where curricula are created around topics that engage students intrinsic motivation to learn." If a student can be guided to have the motivation to learn they may find it more worthwhile this can be extremely beneficial beyond just career aspirations. A student can use this still in the larger world. You can learn about a new hobby and make a friend doing so. Critical thinking comes with making decisions about everything. Why would you go on a vacation vs stay home? How can you apologize to a friend you hurt? Oftentimes college is too crowded that they lose track of what makes people, people which are their values and interests.
Overall, while having a good skill set helps achieve a good career, it should not be the main focus of college. Instead, colleges should focus on helping students become critical thinkers and guide them to truly think about their values and interests. Someone can have great skills to be a teacher, lawyer, or doctor. But if you have something beyond skills such as a moral value that they want to help students who find school hard, bring social justice, or help heal someone, they have become a whole new professional, not just someone who can do their job, but someone who loves their job.
Example Essay #1, Paragraph #4 misspells reasons as "resaons". Probably not the best foot forward for readers to catch spelling errors here, consider revising if possible.
Is there any downside to writing this after the test (just a day or two afterwards)? I understand that LSAC won’t release my score until I've written it, but is there anything besides that which I should consider?
Should I be concerned that my lexicon isn’t as robust as the two sample essays? “stultifying miasma” and “automatons” will not be seen on my writing sample.
Does anyone know if there is a a general word count that we should be aiming for with the new structure? I know quality above quantity is important, but I want to know the general minimum/if there is a maximum.
Here's a question. If you took the LSAT this past June and complete the old version of the LSAT writing, it looks like you don't need to do this new argumentative writing section if you retake the test later this year. But would it be advantageous for you to do so? It sounds like they are taking the new version more seriously. I guess it might depend on your writing skills, but do you think it might be better to do the new version of the writing section even if you have an old version on file with LSAC?
I see that the format of the essay is not necessarily formulaic or taught the same as how I remember. Would that mean that there is more liberty to be had in the writing assessment, or are these errors that the writers could not correct due to the strict time constraint?
0
Topics
PT Questions
Select Preptest
You've discovered a premium feature!
Subscribe to unlock everything that 7Sage has to offer.
Hold on there, stranger! You need a free account for that.
We love that you want to get going. Just create a free account below—it only takes a minute—and then you can continue!
Hold on there, stranger! You need a free account for that.
We love that you came here to read all the amazing posts from our 300,000+ members. They all have accounts too! Just create a free account below—it only takes a minute—and then you’re free to discuss anything!
Hold on there, stranger! You need a free account for that.
We love that you want to give us feedback! Just create a free account below—it only takes a minute—and then you’re free to vote on this!
Subscribers can learn all the LSAT secrets.
Happens all the time: now that you've had a taste of the lessons, you just can't stop -- and you don't have to! Click the button.
49 comments
How are we meant to include citations if no research is allowed during the 15min prep? How will we be sure that the information and quotes are correct? I'm amazed that this student felt they could confidently quote someone without looking up the quote before including it.
Hi everyone, I'm a little bit confused with the tone we are supposed to adopt while writing the essay. I naturally write in a formal academic tone and given what I read, it appeared to be that it was a lot more casual than formal. This is what I had written below. Is this an appropriate tone or should I write it as though I'm writing something a lot less formal (just the intro piece)?
The question of an interdisciplinary education is one that has been critically debated for centuries. One could very easily argue that the pursuit of knowledge that is specialized, and thereby, highly specific to a student’s desired career trajectory is an effective means to prepare a student for the future given that it values professional competence and focalized expertise.
However, I believe given that the evolving world seeks from it students not with a specialized understanding of a subject but instead those who are willing to interweave cross-disciplinary applications that could challenge the academic status quo, go beyond a dogmatic approach to literacy in redefining norms and values in a world ever so technologically pliable and most imperatively, orchestrate a society where knowledge domains converge, collide, and ultimately coalesce into novel forms of innovation and societal progress. Therefore, I argue that a college would serve the students’ best interests if they were to demand a more liberal education as opposed to one that is solely career-centred.
is the prewriting able to be done on physical paper? or does it have to be on the computer?
I tried the prompt and this is what I got:
I did the 15 min prewrite & the 35 min Writing Session*
FEEDBACK NEEDED:
The Purpose of College is to create a fully functioning active member of society. Whether it is soft-skills for a cooperate jobs or on the other sider of the spectrum, the technical skills for engineers. College is to help facilitate a young adult emerge into their adulthood smoothly by allowing themselves to challenge their own perspectives through a liberal arts education while supplying them the practical skills needed.
As undergraduate that focused on a liberal arts education, the skills that focused on the technical side allowed me to question my perspectives on why I've chosen the career that I decided to pursue. The skills to communicate my ideas and concepts. These are not merit-based which in looking for a job can allow candidates to stand out in the interview process. The competitive nature that society today can only do much and to only include one side of a career path damages the human side and the quality that comes from it.
Networking and individuality are important things to look for when looking for a career. By focusing on both sides rather than choosing one side over the other. Not every person that graduates ends up in the field that they originally went in for stick with the same degree. Finding that individuality through what would be considered soft-skills, like teamwork and communication can help bridge gaps between people that would otherwise not interact in the same field which the style of career prep and liberal arts education college provides. And with the insights that people gain from networking with people in different fields allows them to have the skills to relate or create or discover something new. Finding yourself and helping decide what career you would want to pursue. To be more than just someone with skills. Instead to be an person.
There is thought into thinking that a college degree should signify that you have the skills that are need it for the task in your future degree, but we are not just cogs at the end of the day. Including the societal impact that a degree puts you in society with being another cog spitting out propaganda that you have been fed. I disagree, by skill along and with the interpersonal insights you gain through engaging with the liberal arts allows you to become better by including a unique insight into a problems in your career. For example, being inside a meeting and each member is trying to figure out why sales might be down this quarter. If everyone was just trained on the skills, then they could see why it failed, but not understand what can be done to improve. Including the more creative aspects of the institution can help with collaborating between colleagues. Each member providing their insight with the individual skills that they learn from their own interests budding into the liberal arts.
The preparation that comes from entering and getting a degree is an indicator that you have a well rounded idea of who you are and expertise in what you are doing. Allowing a flexibility in skills allows for a future employee to use these skill in their career and other avenues that they might pursue. Looking to only skill-based college experiences does not allow for a person's full potential to come out, stifling them from fully accessing their ability to adapt to the fast paced competitive environment in life. you would have to ask yourself then: What was the point? If your skills in career are unsuccessful, then what is left?
Personally, I agree with the first perspective.
Yes, there is more to life than work; however, in a changing society where your quality of life is severely impacted by your ability to get a job, career preparation is a vital skill.
As a recent undergraduate with a Biology degree, I have had the opportunity to work in the field and in the lab to gain experience; however, that is not enough. To become a biologist, you need additional certifications and specific experience that school just never provided. To find a job in this field, many places of employment already expect you to have years of experience.
My friend, who obtained a master's in biology with a minor in ecology, has minimal field experience in school, however, he is struggling to find a job after a year of graduating. He is drowning in student loans and works three part-time jobs to keep him afloat, just because field technician jobs require years of experience, which he can't get without first getting a job. The irony.
If school had prepared him for his career, he would have had a better chance in the job market today. A lot of us are lucky to live with our parents or have financial support as we prepare for the real world. But what about the people who don't? The people who have to work 8-12 hour shifts to keep a roof over their heads, whilst studying full time and trying to navigate what their future looks like? The purpose of an undergraduate degree should be to help prepare students to transition into adulthood.
Just because the school puts an emphasis on career preparation does not mean a student can not cultivate their own values and learning. There are many extracurricular activities, friendships and skills to be built in any type of setting. However, the skills we have fostered through social relations and self navigation are useless if we are never given the opportunity to use them in the real world. Without career preparation, the skills we cultivate will remain on the shelves. Unemployment rates for young adults have skyrocketed, and housing has become incredibly expensive; to live, you need to eat and to eat, you need money. How many people do you know who went into the career their undergraduate degree was focused in? Even though I have a degree in Biology, I am currently working as an accountant for the city and am preparing to take the LSAT. All are vastly different career paths. Sure, I am building skills I never knew I would through self navigation, but I got to where I am today by being lucky. I had connections and time to build a name for myself by entering the workforce at an early age. With career preparation, schools would be able to introduce students to potential employers, allowing them to foster connections more easily and allowing them to build skills/experience without worrying about getting a job after school. Having a job in today's society is not a want but a need to live. What's the point in having the "university experience" if you never get prepared to get out of it.
Oh, my bad. I went on a tangent, I was not tryna write out a whole ass essay but anyways if I was writing this prompt my answer would be kinda similar to this I think, with obvious grammar mistakes, more examples and concise organization.
Kinda sucks that there wasn't an essay with this perspective.
Since I don't want to use up all of my practice tests - I asked Chat GPT to help me with a prompt and some perspectives that may mimic the post-August version. I used this prompt to Can you generate an argumentative writing prompt that mocks what may appear on an LSAT writing portion, modified to the current post-2024 format and provide 3-4 sample perspectives?
Here's what it came up with, and feel free to use it as a practice-run for yourself. I thought this was not only helpful, but amusing to read and useful as practice material.
Writing Sample Prompt:
Recent studies conducted in the fictional city of Indecisia have revealed a sharp rise in what researchers are calling Choice Paralysis in Low-Stakes Contexts (CPLC). Citizens report significant stress when faced with decisions perceived as meaningless but socially loaded — such as choosing between identical brands of bottled water or whether to say “you too” when someone tells them to “enjoy the movie.”
In response, the city council is debating whether public institutions should play a more active role in helping citizens build confidence in making minor decisions. Some argue that such support would foster a stronger, more self-assured population. Others contend that this would represent an overreach of government authority and an unnecessary use of resources.
Assignment:
Write an argumentative essay in which you take a position on whether public institutions should actively intervene to help citizens improve their confidence in making trivial decisions. Support your position with logical reasoning and, if applicable, examples. Your essay should demonstrate clarity, organization, and critical thinking. You are not expected to have specialized knowledge of psychology, civic planning, or snack aisle dilemmas.
Perspective 1: Supportive of Intervention — Confidence Is Foundational
Public institutions have a responsibility to foster the psychological well-being of their citizens. Seemingly minor choices can accumulate and impact an individual’s sense of agency. By helping citizens build decision-making confidence, even in low-stakes contexts, society encourages personal growth and civic engagement.
Perspective 2: Opposed to Intervention — Government Has Bigger Problems
Allocating resources to help people choose between sparkling and still water is not a prudent use of taxpayer money. Public institutions should focus on serious issues like education, infrastructure, and healthcare. Encouraging resilience means expecting individuals to handle life’s minor dilemmas on their own.
Perspective 3: Cautiously Supportive — Help, But Only If It's Funny
Assistance with trivial decisions could be helpful if it’s delivered in a light, humorous way. Imagine public signs that read “If you’re still deciding, pick left” or vending machines with buttons labeled “Don’t overthink it.” This approach could reduce stress without creating a bloated bureaucracy or infantilizing the public.
Perspective 4: Strongly Opposed — Choice Paralysis Builds Character
Struggling with low-stakes decisions is a rite of passage in modern life. The agony of choosing between two equally mediocre salad dressings builds mental toughness. Institutional hand-holding in such matters may rob people of the minor frustrations that prepare them for adulthood — and worse, it may normalize the idea that discomfort must always be solved externally.
I just came here to say bravo to whoever wrote that first essay. It was fantastic and genuinely moving.
Do you think it would be wise to ever argue for an integrated approach to one of these prompts, a middle ground so to speak. An argument that pulls from both sides and refutes a two sided approach to the arguement, or would that not be appropriate?
Just wanted to say that I agree with both writers' perspectives here. Colleges and universities should not just be job training centers. There's more to life than work, ffs.
Here is my timed essay…. I know it’s far from perfect but I wanted to get feedback from everyone and admin if possible. There is a lot of spelling and grammar error but I used every second I had! I want to get better so please, any and all criticism is welcome!!
As an economics major and business administration major who attended a liberal arts program I have found it very valuable to not have been part of a curriculum that whose emphasis was not career preparations. While many colleges chose a course of study that had a much stronger carreer preparation curriculum and that worked out for some I witnessed how detrimental this was for their future when things didn’t pan out as they would have wished. Many students use college to find who they are and prepare for the future world outside of their carrer and switching away from a liberal arts education would only be stripping them away from theses essential parts of a undergraduate college education. While Career preparation is in fact essential for our future a curriculum that emphasizes only career preparation over everything else would be doing students a dissatisfaction.
College is a time where many students finally have the ability to explore who they are without being tied down by high school expectations or parents controlling who they are suppose to be. For many students being stuck in a world where they were never able to find out who they were college can be that space where they build their beliefs and characteristics for the first time. As perspective two shared “college provided the context in which I could reflect on my own values”. A liberal arts education allows students to learn about new things such as history, science, fine arts, economics, language, philosophy, and so much more. A curriculum that is fully focused on emphasizing carrer preparation would take this opportunity from students. A curriculum focused on career preparation can only work if the student knows who they are and what they want to be. otherwise while trying to help the student for their future carrer schools could be harming them preparing them for a career in which they will be unhappy because they were focused to choose something before they had a chance to understand what they enjoyed.
A liberal arts education can not only help us understand who we are but help us become better rounded individuals who are prepared fro the future. How can we prepare for the future if we don’t know or understand from our historical mistakes or triumphs? In a world in which we spend a very large time of our life outside of our career Its very important to also know how to interact and live outside of our carrers. A liberal arts education can prepare us for life. A simple but strong example that comes to mind is one that involves the career I want to hold one day. As I sat in a court room listening to a case for a paper I was going to write in class, as I took notes, I heard the attorney questioning an expert. Everything seem to go well until the attorney asked the expert if by any chance a liquid could have gone up due to gravity. The whole room went silent and a few smiles and chuckles were held back by many. That’s when I first relized that we need to be able to have an understanding of different concepts not just our carrer. As an economics major I have found myself frustrated by many peoples inabiility to understand things such as inflation, how price and demand works, or the way government policies and decisions happen. I have first hand seen the way that not being a well rounded individual can have an impact in your daily actions, thoughts, and decisions. Having a college carrer in which we simply emphasize career preparation would worsen these type of situations. We would strongly be doing students a dissatisfaction by taking a more career preparation approach.
Many along with those who agree with perspective 1 might argue that schools who recognize the need for a career preparation focused education are equipping and adapting students for career paths that are adaptive to changing job roles. In opposition to this I believe that by focusing on a career focused curriculum we would be doing the complete opposite. Take for example an engineer who spent his entire career focused on chemical engineering. While a very good career in which career focused preparation is definitely essential for a successful career it is not what many might consider an adaptive role. In an education in which most of his classes were science and math focused the individual would be little prepared to perhaps change into a leadership role or be able to run a chemical business. while possible it would take time and would be harder as they were never prepared or taught the basics of working and leading people. They were never taught the basics of finances or how a company works. A liberal arts educations would not only equipt them with the basics of be able to switch roles in the future but would make them better rounded in all aspects of life. Leading to a balance in both a career and int heir everyday life.
While it is undeniable that many attend college to prepare for a career and that career preparation is essential for a successful job, colleges should not limit students by making the choice of what’s important. A liberal arts college allows students who need to find who they are to be able to do that while having those students who are ready for a more career preparation carriculum to focus on taking classes that are more related to their career. Students can make their own choice and colleges are not the ones who should be making that change as it could be deteremetnal to the students future. Not only limiting their future career paths and opportunities but also limiting their knowledge for their everyday life ahead of them. That’s why colleges should not focus on a career preparation focused carriculam as it would care more harm than good.
#feedback
Is the goal to pick a perspective an agree with it or just create your own perspective and use some perspectives to support and the others as to why that perspective is weaker?
I understand that it is not necessary to take the writing portion more than once, but if I'm not feeling confident in my performance, do I have the opportunity to take that portion again?
If I have a writing sample on file from a previous test, do I still need to take the new argumentative writing as well?
Can you use a portion of the 15 minutes allotted for reading and drafting for the actual writing? I took a practice writing section yesterday and felt pretty confident in my comprehension of the perspectives and outline after 10 minutes. Are we able to skip ahead early and have those extra minutes roll over? Or will it be only 35 minutes for writing regardless?
This is what I came up with under timed conditions a few errors, but this is not as good as theirs...
There has been a recent debate about the type of education a student should receive in colleges and universities. While there may be some benefits that outline learning skills and specialized exploration for career preparation, it should not be the main goal. Rather the main goal of a college or university should be putting a value on the student's exploration of their interest and values for a career.
While it is true, that you will need skills and practical workforce knowledge for a career. Students can learn these skills outside of the classroom in an internship or a job. Learning about skills in a classroom can be weaker than having hands-on experience. Additionally, if students are tied to a major and the skills they learn only pertain to that major student may miss out on other career opportunities that they may enjoy or excel at more. For example, I have recently taken an internship as a data analytics intern and I would not have been able to learn the skills in college that I have learned while doing the job hands-on. The skills a person needs will change from company to company and it is hard to predict what project or specialized skill someone will need. A person, can always tighten up or learn those skills when they enter into the job market.
Further, I believe one of the best ways that college and universities can serve their students is to emphasize exploration in careers that align with their interests and values. Many students, they might believe that have everything figured out. They know exactly what career they want to do and they believe it fully aligns with their interest and values. However, that is not necessarily always the case. For example, perspective 2 states, "I realized I didn't have to unquestioningly accept the norms and values given to me, I was free to decide for myself which values to hold on to, which to leave behind, and which values I felt drawn to." Perspective 2 used college as a way to find new values and they realized they were not tied to those values. For many college students, this is their first time being away from home. They no longer have their families telling them what they should or should not do. It is a time for exponential growth as an adult and a great time to build your views and morals. Schools should help encourage these serious students. It would be hard to expand past your views if college was only about skills rather than the student's interests and values.
When values and interests are promoted to college or student a student can think critically about why they choose a career rather than how to be good at a career. Perhaps someone always thought they wanted to be a teacher, but they find out later that they have a difficult time when it is noisy or that they would rather teach one grade over the other. These interests go beyond having the skills to be a teacher. It reaches deeper into why a student wants to be a teacher. I often hear people say, "I wish I chose a job I liked." Why is that so common? Often these individuals choose careers at a young age go to school and then get a job. College can be a great source of stopping this regret if it helps the student explore careers that align with their values and interests. If you have a teacher who loves their job and finds it valuable, it can better society. This is true for any professional career, I would rather have a lawyer who wants to help install justice due to their values than a lawyer just doing it because they are good at it and have the skill.
Additionally, as society has progressed people have become more independent in making decisions and learning about skills as they go. For instance, "... a new form of relationship between students and universities is critical, where teachers collaborate with students to discover new truths together, where students learn based on their own guide learning experiences, and where curricula are created around topics that engage students intrinsic motivation to learn." If a student can be guided to have the motivation to learn they may find it more worthwhile this can be extremely beneficial beyond just career aspirations. A student can use this still in the larger world. You can learn about a new hobby and make a friend doing so. Critical thinking comes with making decisions about everything. Why would you go on a vacation vs stay home? How can you apologize to a friend you hurt? Oftentimes college is too crowded that they lose track of what makes people, people which are their values and interests.
Overall, while having a good skill set helps achieve a good career, it should not be the main focus of college. Instead, colleges should focus on helping students become critical thinkers and guide them to truly think about their values and interests. Someone can have great skills to be a teacher, lawyer, or doctor. But if you have something beyond skills such as a moral value that they want to help students who find school hard, bring social justice, or help heal someone, they have become a whole new professional, not just someone who can do their job, but someone who loves their job.
Example Essay #1, Paragraph #4 misspells reasons as "resaons". Probably not the best foot forward for readers to catch spelling errors here, consider revising if possible.
Is there any downside to writing this after the test (just a day or two afterwards)? I understand that LSAC won’t release my score until I've written it, but is there anything besides that which I should consider?
Should I be concerned that my lexicon isn’t as robust as the two sample essays? “stultifying miasma” and “automatons” will not be seen on my writing sample.
Is it recommended to do the pre-August lesson for the writing section, if you plan to take the LSAT in August or after?
Does anyone know if there is a a general word count that we should be aiming for with the new structure? I know quality above quantity is important, but I want to know the general minimum/if there is a maximum.
Here's a question. If you took the LSAT this past June and complete the old version of the LSAT writing, it looks like you don't need to do this new argumentative writing section if you retake the test later this year. But would it be advantageous for you to do so? It sounds like they are taking the new version more seriously. I guess it might depend on your writing skills, but do you think it might be better to do the new version of the writing section even if you have an old version on file with LSAC?
How will this be written physically - on a keyboard, or via some type of hand-held writing implement?
I see that the format of the essay is not necessarily formulaic or taught the same as how I remember. Would that mean that there is more liberty to be had in the writing assessment, or are these errors that the writers could not correct due to the strict time constraint?