I scored lower on my retake (168) than my first score (169)

I studied for the first take about 3-4 hours a day/5days a week for about 5 months, after a 5 month period in between

my retake was about 2-3 hours a day 4 days a week for another 4 months

My first score was my PT avg the month prior going into the test

My retake was a total underperformance, as I was PTing around 171-173 a month going in...

I retook because I was WL at my top school choices... with my 169...

I'm very disappointed because I really felt confident in my retake especially with a better familiarity of the material this time around...

my LG was 0/-1, LR 0/-4 (avg -2), RC was -3/-6 ( avg -4)

I have used all the recent PT's and the rest for sections and problem sets...

I am definitely thinking about August with the deadline approaching....

How do I approach studying as I used most of the material with no fresh PT to gauge my standing

I appreciate any input

Thank you all!

I have always wanted to go to law school, but it mainly lived in the back of my mind as a dream and not a real concept. As a junior in college majoring in Marketing, I realized I wasn't anywhere near as interested in sales or marketing as I once was. I decided after months of consideration to start studying for the June 2022 test in January 2022. I went through the entire 7sage course and finished it in early April, then took a few practice tests over the following six weeks. I took the test in June and just found out that I got a 157! I am retaking it in the fall because my GPA is a low 3.3 so I don't think that will help me at all, but I just wanted to come on here and share a few things I experienced that is not typically publicized. This may not work for you but it has worked for me very well and I feel like I should let everyone know that there are many different ways to find success! I'm by no means an expert, just someone wanting to share their story :)

I took many study breaks during the time I was preparing. I started in January, and I am a Division 1 swimmer for my college team so I didn't have all the time in the world. I am up at 5 am five times a week, and I practice over 20 hours a week. I took a two week break for swim conference and the week after, one week for spring break, one week for final exam studying and a week for the actual exams, and many weekend breaks for formals, traveling plans, holidays, etc. I studied a lot don't get me wrong, but I made sure to have fun and relax when I needed to. I also really enjoyed studying so when I did I got a lot done at a time.

I scored 152-55 on my practice tests and got a 157 on the real one. Uncommon, right? Don't go in thinking you will score lower on the real one. I have always been told that, but personally I could never get myself to truly focus enough on the prep tests compared to the real one. I feel like others may be able to relate to that; common ADHD side effect. So don't worry if your prep tests are not where you want to be: there is a chance you will score higher on the real one. Personally I find it hard to focus entirely on something unless it is as serious as the real test was so I am not shocked this was the case for me.

I studied alone, and only used 7 sage. I looked over the book for a little bit but found it hard to stay focused. I did everything on my own terms on my own time and it worked out in my favor in the end. Again, may not be common but may work for some of you.

I threw so many things out the window when it came to logical reasoning. I forgot half of the A --> B methods by the time the test came around; for some reason it just did not stick with me. Maybe that wasn't a good thing but I felt it saved me time in the long run. I just went with my gut and my instincts.

Lastly, I practiced skills way more than I did tests. This may be obvious, but I literally only took three prep tests and one I decided to do last minute in my bed at 10 pm because I was bored. I find it way more helpful to do smaller 6-10 question sets and review those because it shows me more of a pattern of my mistakes.

ALSO: Something that is not advertised enough: Law schools are lowering their standards every year due to lower interest in law school. I have read dozens of articles about how some schools are now accepting students with an LST lower than 140, which before may have seemed unrealistic. Even if you do not meet your personal standards, there is a high chance there is still a school out there for you. Work on getting rec letters and having a stellar personal statement, and if your GPA or LSAT are low, take the time to explain why. This will stand out to admissions!

Again, this may not work for you and it may seem stupid but I didn't think there was any way I would be above a 153 on my first test, much less above a 155 and here we are with a 157. I will be sure to update after my September test, but I felt this was a good enough starting out story to share :)

Key takeaways:

Nothing profound; just my humble .02.

-If your goal score is far from your diagnostic (15/20+ points), give yourself at least a year to study.

-get a 7Sage subscription ASAP if you haven’t already.

-Do lots of reading outside the LSAT. The economist, foreign affairs, NY review of books are all great. I honestly believe this was responsible for most of my progress in RC.

-Be a stoic. You’re going to see significant fluctuations in PT scores. Your response to those fluctuations is key. I was ecstatic when I broke into the high 160’s, and devastated when my PT scores subsequently dropped to the low 160’s. By being conservative in your response to fluctuations, it makes it easier to avoid disappointment and psyching yourself out.

-The loophole is a great LR resource.

Good luck.

Hi everyone! I took the June LSAT and did not sign up for score review, because I was confident that I was going to score well. My PTs had all been in the high 150s going into the test so I was not too worried. Sadly, I got my score back today and I scored a 148. Since I did not cancel this score will this hurt me when it's time to submit applications?

Before the January LSAT, I was PT-ing around 168-172, but I only got a 157 in the January LSAT. I thought of the possible reasons like being nervous, screwing up two games, not simulating the test environment, etc. etc. Before the June test, I addressed all these things except for the being nervous part. I was pretty confident before the test cuz I PT-ed 175+ (if I didn't screw up the tough game that may or may not come up). In the June test I felt I screwed up the last circular game, but I expected it not to be that bad cuz it costed only 3 points max. Nevertheless, I only got a 160 this time... only 5 points above my first diagonisis test...

I feel so demoralized and confused now... I don't know what to do...Since I'm an international student, October would be my last shot... I think feeling nervous was a big part in the test cuz I felt my pace of taking the real test was a lot different from that of taking practice tests. I don't know how to deal with it, or is there anything else I ignored that contributed to such a huge difference?

Non native speaker, international student. Did all RC and LG questions from PT 1-91 (many multiple times), about 80% of the LR questions too. Took 22 timed tests, put in about 500 hours while working full time at a stressful job in a law firm

Thank you 7sage, you’re truly a blessing.

To all those struggling, keep pushing and then push some more, you will get through! You’re stronger than the test.

Hi everyone!

I took the June test and it was exactly my average from PTs (166)

My goal score is a 170

I am registered for the Aug. test but don't know how to move forward with studying from now until then and am also running low on materials.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you!

Sharing my story as encouragement, as many others encouraged me when I read their words. I'm happy to share my news with this wonderful community.

I got rejected to the Dallas law school I hoped to attend this fall. I was disappointed, but for many reasons I applied very late (extra late - don't be me) in the cycle and received my rejection a few weeks ago. I was sad to be rejected in Dallas, but not too bothered. I planned to take the test again this summer, and apply next cycle. Or the next.

I'm a nontraditional student. I'm a former DC federal legislation and regulations lobbyist, 44 years old, and married with a very little girl. My husband is being transferred to another city, so we are moving in a few weeks.

There is a law school in the new city. LAST WEEK I responded to a generic email I got from that law school. I told them a little about me, said I was moving to the city, and asked for more information. I shared my 158 LSAT score, and that I plan to retake the test.

In fact, that 158 was such a disappointment to me! I genuinely enjoy the LSAT. I've had so much fun practicing for it, learning it, getting better at it. But during real time on test day, between my ADHD, high anxiety and weird hour long proctor problems, I scored 5 points lower than my practice tests! I did not think I'd be able to get in to a school with this score.

And yet...FIVE minutes after I hit send on that email to that law school, the assistant dean of admissions called me. She encouraged me to apply, even as I asked some very skeptical questions. It turns out that my 158 was competitive there, especially with my background. So, with her encouragement, I took a chance and submitted my application. This was LAST WEDNESDAY. She called me back before noon the next day. She informed me that the school received my application overnight, as it happened, in time for the admissions board meeting which was being held that very morning. They threw my application in with the rest, and the admissions board approved me! I was admitted to law school less than 12 hours after submitting a resume, as late as late can possibly be in the cycle. I will be sitting in a law school class starting August 22.

I've never heard of an admissions story like this before. As a person of faith, I believe this has happened for a reason. My prayers are prayers of gratitude. I also know that it would not have happened at all, if it had not been for committing myself to improvement on this exam, and seeking out the resources, support, and amazing community of 7Sage. Very unexpectedly, I'll now be a 1L in a class in Tulsa by August. Thanks to JY, my 7Sage study buddies, and the nonstop encouragement of our broader community here. Thanks to you all, and to everyone else - Keep at it! We will all absolutely get there.

Elizabeth, Taking on the Beast

I was just wondering when you take a PT, if you complete all four sections but at the very end click "simulate modern" (formerly simulate flex) to have a more accurate score which you would see on test day, would that extra section and all your answers still be saved?

Thx!

Does anyone know how to interpret the green bar chart over the correct answer in the analytics tab? Does this simply mean that "x"% of students get this question right who are scoring in your score range? Or does it mean that the percent of people getting that question correct achieve the score above each answer choice?

I'm a little confused by this and would love some clarification if people have any!

Hi all,

I'm looking for a study buddy to help me get through my next run at the LSAT. I last took it in November 2021, got a 148. I applied with this score, but all I got were rejections and waitlists. It's been tough trying to get back into the study rhythm, so I'm hoping to find someone that I can work with (maybe someone in a similar situation) to get is through this bump.

I have a full-time job; my schedule is Tuesday through Friday from 8-6pm. I'll be spending the biggest chunk of my time studying on the weekends, I'm aiming 3-4 hours.

If you are interested and motivated to put in some work, please message me!

PS - If you are someone who is scoring high and would like to test your tutoring skills pro bono, I wouldn't mind giving it a shot.

I have been studying for LSATs since February 2022. I am done with all my core lessons and my weakest section is LG. So far I have taken 4 practice tests and the highest I've scored was 143. I really don't know what I'm doing wrong. Anyone in the same boat? Any study tips?

If I understand correctly, there is no clock displayed during the LSAT, so timing yourself is more difficult. I know that per the LSAT website (https://www.lsac.org/lsat/frequently-asked-questions-about-lsat), you can have a wrist watch on, though it cannot have a timer/stop watch function/alarm function.

Has anyone found it beneficial to time themself on the LSAT with a wrist watch or something?

What materials can you use on the (online/in-person) LSAT?

Can you use both pen/pencil if you like?

How many sheets of scratch paper can you have?

Can I use ear plugs to block noise?

Please try to specify the criteria for online vs in-person LSAT (if there are any differences).

Any official sources to confirm?

Thank you.

Hey everyone,

I'm wondering on what's your approach on working through the Core Curriculum (CC) which includes some Practice Sets and then doing Extra Drills (making custom Drills on Problem Sets page). Specifically:

What is your weekly schedule like? While this is subjective, I am trying to understand what the balance of doing CC Topics, Practice Sets and extra Drills (if any) is for everyone.

Do you complete the week's assigned CC topics including all Problem Sets or leave some sets behind to come back say after finishing the CC?

When Doing the Problem sets after a CC topic (or even when doing extra Drills), what is your approach in regards to timing? I.E. Are you doing them in standard timing, or give yourself more time or do it in Untimed mode.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Few facts:

I have the powerscore books and the loophole books - good condition with writings in them. Message me if you would like them.

I am looking for people to plant with while we keep each other accountable of our studying.

I've been prepping for a few weeks now with a 160~ starting point. Since then, I've been putting in like 5-6 hours a day prepping. My last two-timed practice tests I've gotten perfect scores on LR and LG then like 5-8 wrong on RC. Have you guys found the RC course component here to be helpful? Hoping to break out of the low 170s.

I see there is a new drilling section, where can I find my previously taken problem sets?

Hi all,

I have hit a score plateau recently. I am scoring 167-169 consistently with BR in the 170s (which I am glad about considering I started in the high 140 range). I have focused on drilling problem areas and working on timing between PTs and I see improvement in those areas of focus, but it seems like every time I fix one problem something else comes up in the next PT. What helped you break into the 170s, and how have you maintained improvements into PTs? What made the biggest difference score wise once you reached this phase in your studies?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I am studying for the September 2022 LSAT, aiming for the 173+ range (currently PTing around 165/166). I have always been on the fence regarding tutoring, but I am especially confused now. I have recently been utilizing 7Sage and their package with full explanations, but wonder if a tutor would be more effective. I frequently see people scoring in the 99th percentile saying tutors helped a lot and they wish they would've used one sooner, but I can't help but wonder how using 7Sage's package with their detailed analytics is much different or any less effective. I understand tutoring is "tailored" to each student, however, by using 7Sage's analytics, I can easily see where I am having trouble and where I need to concentrate more of my efforts and time, which would essentially be what a tutor would do to tailor their lessons. Also, I feel like working a problem with a tutor just watching might be a little bit of a waste of time; I'm not sure what they could add that JY doesn't in his explanations.

Any thoughts would be appreciated and best of luck to everyone studying!

Nick

Haven't given my first shot yet. Just wanna know lol~

Hi!

I upgraded by LSAC account to Plus, but my 7Sage account still says that while my LSAC account is connected to my 7Sage account, it isn't upgraded. Wondering how to fix this? Thank you!

Episode #78 is here!

https://soundcloud.com/user-737824810/78-jy-and-scott-discuss-five-lr-questions-from-preptest-91-section-2

Want to learn more about our LSAT Tutoring Program? Schedule a free consultation with Scott using this link:

https://calendly.com/7sage-consult/7sage-tutoring-free-consult?utm_source=DF

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I was going through the Ultimate+ study plan to see what I'm going to be covering over the next few weeks when I realized that there aren't any lessons on the writing sample. Are there any resources for it? How are you guys preparing?