Hi all.

I graduated college last December and basically committed myself to studying for the LSAT since January of 2018. I worked a very flexible part-time job that allowed me to study more or less 15-20 hours a week. My original intention was to take the LSAT in June.

However, in hindsight, my studying was pretty ineffective. I went through the Bibles and took very detailed notes and then registered for 7sage in March (also taking very detailed notes on the lessons.) I kind of ignored practice tests or even practice sections. I guess a good analogy would be that I was reading books on how to play the piano without ever practicing on a piano.

I pushed my test to September and tried taking a practice test every week or so beginning in late July. By the time I had taken the test, I had maybe 7 or 8 PTs completed. Unfortunately, I didn't blind review them like I know I should've and I also didn't spend enough time on logic games (always my worst section.) My scores were in the mid 160s with a one time high of 170.

I sat for the September test and ended up with a 162. My diagnostic back in January was 153. I know I have the potential to do a lot better. My goal is a 170. I have a 4.0 GPA and I'd love to go to a T-14 or a T1 school on a large scholarship (I'm very debt averse.)

I left my job and will be committing myself to just taking PTs, timed sections, blind reviewing, and fool proofing from now until November. Is it possible to see an 8 point improvement by the November test? I hope to take 3 PTs a week between now and the exam.

Some other miscellaneous information:

On PTs, my best section has always been LR. I usually got 1-3 wrong on each LR section. For the September exam, I got -15 (9 and 6) on LR - my worst section. Ironically, I did pretty well on LG - only 2 wrong, despite usually going -5 on LG during PTs.

So unfortunately for those of us who are retaking the LSAT in November explanations for the September 2018 probably won't be available until after we sit for our November exam so I'm looking for any tips to help me( and my fellow retakers) review the September 2018 LSAT. I am definitely a little concerned that I'll hit the questions that I got wrong and even after reviewing the questions I still won't understand why I got them wrong and why the correct answers are correct ?

Hi everyone,

I've taken all of the PTs 60 onwards in full. Does it make sense to redo the more recent ones (78-84) as I get closer to the November test date, or should I take the earlier PTs that I haven't taken before? Thanks so much!

Hey everybody!

So I've been going back to PTs19-28 for the past month and have been averaging -3 on RC (which is great for me). Then I just took a more recent test and got killed on the comparative passage. This is what I'm thinking about my strategy:

Read each passage, marking 3-word summaries in the margins of the paragraphs. At the end of each passage, write the main idea of each passage. I will try to consider them individually at first to get a good sense of one without always thinking about how it interacts with the other.

Then, I'll write a little table. At the top I write "Link:" and find the theme/idea that essentially links these two passages. In the table, I'll write two columns: S (for similarities), D (for differences). I'll list what they have in common, and ideas they do not share at all. Id like to do this work up front, because I think I wouldn't struggle with the questions and have to go back to the text all that much.

Does anyone have any strategies they'd like to share?

hey all,

so i've been really grappling with this question. 11 out of the top 15 law schools accept the GRE - Harvard, Chicago, Columbia, NYU, UVA, Penn, Georgetown, Cornell, Northwestern, Texas.

Through my 1.5 years of studying for the LSAT, I've realized it's really hard. I've done all the PT's from 30-63, and I am scoring in the mid 160s timed, BR score is mid 170s.

Honestly, I'm feeling kinda burned out of the LSAT. The thought of hundreds of more hours of fool proofing more games, blind reviewing, etc. is putting a lot of weight on me. There's also the constant fear of underperforming on my LSAT (I haven't taken it yet), only to have to retake it again.

I've really considered the GRE. From what I've heard, the GRE is A LOT easier, and could be prepared for in a MUCH shorter amount of time than the LSAT.

From my friend who got into HLS with her GRE:

"The LSAT is so time consuming!! If we HAVE to take the LSAT, I would have. But if I can get in with the GRE, why put myself through the torture? GRE was two weeks of intense study, the LSAT would be like, 12 months."

She skipped the LSAT, took the GRE, and is a 1L at HLS.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!

Hi...

I need some help in depicting what went wrong.

I started studying since mid-April with a 149 start.

My first exam in July was a 155.

I've been consistently PTing around 160-164.

And my September exam was shot down to 148.

I don't know what happened. Yes, test conditions were horrible, but I don't think that's an excuse.

I haven't studied once since the September exam and now, I'm terrified.

I've lost all confidence and I'm scared. I don't know what to do.

I was planning to send in my applications this Wednesday, but now I'm completely lost.

I can't get into the schools that I was planning to apply, and I wasn't planning on lowering my standards too much.

My GPA is 3.72 and I'm not a URM, but a veteran.

I just feel hopeless and I don't know where to start.

I know in my mind I should sign up for the November exam, but with this devastation, I'm having a difficult time overcoming it.

What do I need to do? I know... I should have studied a bit, in case of situations like this... but I can't do anything with lost time.

Do I go on with the 155 or sign up for November? I won't even know if it's an improved score or worse score...

I keep getting emails from Mitchell Hamlin, and it got me to really think about hybrid schools (online and intensive in-person classes).

Where I live, it is 4 hours to the nearest law school. I would have to move and live away from home, causing hardship at home and racking up student loan Bill's in the meantime. It is not preferable, but it's the only options here at all. So, a hybrid program is looking really appealing to me right now. I'm actually shocked that ASU hasnt already done this, and I'll probably email them to see if maybe they are considering it in the near future. They already do a vast amount of online degrees and classwork.

Anyway, I wanted to know what folks thought of Mitchell Hamlin and Syracuse Law. There are three schools as of the 2019 year, but Southwestern is looking less appealing to me than the other two. I want a law degree, but I dont want a University of Phoenix kind of law degree that might not help me (sorry South Western). So, I would love any knowledge or feedback from fellow 7Sagers. What say you?

Hi all,

My account expired on Sunday Sept 30th while I was gone away for my cousins wedding for the past week. It completely slipped my mind to extend my account before the wedding, and now all of my Preptests that I bought are all gone! TBH I am slightly panicking, does anyone know who I should contact to see if I can get my account back to how it was? I really don't want (don't have $$) to buy all the exams all over again :(

#help

Hello, I took the sept lsat and am not satisfied with my score. I actually took the testmasters course but our teacher was very inexperienced and more interested in is own 170+ score and his law school application. I don’t fully blame the teacher but I’m really not happy with the results of the course (score was worse than my first diagnostic in July). Additionally, the week before the exam, I knew I was getting sick and my body crashed right after I took the test and I was sick for over a week. I am pretty sure that had something to do with my disappointing score. I didn’t know about 7sage until this past weekend and I plan to take the November exam. But I wanted to reach out to those in the course to see which program would be best for me. I have materials to self study but would like to learn alternative ways to prepare.

If anyone has the time & ability to give me some insight/perspective/advice, I would truly so appreciate it!!!

Here is my situation: I graduated in May, planned to take one gap year, took the LSAT in September, and am now recognizing that I need far more time to study for the LSAT if I want to have a legitimate shot at my goal schools. I would like to attend a T14, so I am determined to score in the 170s. I was BRing around this score (but..my score would fluctuate quite a bit). Thus, I was not too surprised when I scored a 163 on the September test.

Basically, I am certain that if I took more time, I could score much higher, which would give me a good shot at the schools I am hoping to get into. So (partly since I am 21 and am personally in no urgent rush to start law school as soon as possible) I want to just take the time to study more for the LSAT and wait another year to apply to schools. However, my parents are very against this, and they think that November should be my last shot, and whatever score I get..that's the score I get. They honestly do not have many reasons for this, aside from just wanting me to get started with law school and not take any more time than necessary. I do not think they fully grasp the significance of everything from the LSAT score to the ranking of the law school one attends, but they are also not particularly amenable to me trying to explain it to them (they are both attorneys themselves, but honestly I do not think their experience was the same as it is today).

Has anyone has walked a road similar to this one before? Or anyone have any insight on how I should go about this? I am keenly aware that this is a highly personal situation that is very specific to my life, but I also believe that many law school applicants have had to have gone through this before, and I would really love to hear some perspectives on the matter. Do you have any advice on how I should go about this with my parents? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!!

Hey everyone,

Just wanted some thoughts on my situation. My last 10 PT's were averaging 168.5, and I made a 166. I'm definitely disappointed but test day penalty is definitely real.

On the bright side, I was fortunate enough to finish undergrad with 3.9+, so GPA will help me.

Any advice for schools such as UTAustin, Vandy, and others in the same range?

September scores are in! Feeling indifferent about my score. I was averaging average 157 on PTs and ended up getting a 155. LG is my biggest strength. I got super lucky and had 2 LG sections, ended getting 0 wrong which is great. LR I did much worse than my normal average per section and RC a few points better but still I think I can improve by November. I admit I was getting burnt out and ended up having a bunch happen in my personal life the week before. Now that I have my score I’ve been doing research and while I plan on retaking I’m concerned about when I should apply. I’m pretty confident my scores will get me into the schools I want as I’m right at the medians and I’m also a URM. However, I’m really wanting to get a scholarship. I plan on being in a public service position and really want to reduce my debt. When I look at my chances of getting in to the schools I want, the percentage is about 10% higher now than it is if I wait until December. I don’t know anything about scholarship negotiation but I’m thinking if I already have a good chance to be accepted then I can apply now, still retake in November and hopefully with a higher score be able to negotiate scholarships. Is that the right thinking? Any advice would be great!

Hello, I am applying to law schools this fall in Canada. I applied last cycle but stupidly rushed the LSAT with the wrong prep materials and not devoting much time while in school. I wrote in December 2017 and February 2018 and scored in the low 140's both times. I realize I screwed up big time in retrospect and I should've cancelled at least one of my scores. I found 7sage and it has been life-changing. I am nearly done the core curriculum (just some problem sets left) but yesterday I did my first test since February. I scored a 150 on the June 2007 test. Even though this is not very good, it was still an improvement which has given me some confidence that I can do it. I wanted to seek some advice as I am signed up for the November test date. I am working part time with just under 20 hours a week and not in school at present. The rest of the time I have been devoting to studying.

I am currently reviewing the test video explanations after blind reviewing the test. I got -11 on RC, -9 on 1 LR and -11 on the other LR. My logic games was the weakest section (-12) which makes sense as I have not spent using J.Y.'s fool proof method as of yet. I know once I learn from my mistakes and get familiar with LG, I can have a major hike in my score. I also feel I can improve in RC and LR because I sometimes make stupid mistakes and feel like I learnt a lot while blind reviewing. Speed is also an issue for me at present which I think I can improve on by employing 7sage techniques and practicing. I have not attempted the 9 preptests I have access to in the basic 7sage plan yet. Do you suggest I use those for drilling and then practice with the remaining tests I have (PrepTests 52-81 & 83/84). Finally, if somebody could just advise me on the best way to prepare for this test in my remaining time. I am aiming for 160+ on the test. I am not sure if schools will even consider me if I delay all the way until January especially with my atrocious previous scores. I apologize for the long post, any comments will be helpful!

What do you think of the LSAT Answer Watch? The website says it's LSAC compliant and it's not a chronograph.

https://lawschooli.com/lsat-watch-what-is-the-best-lsat-analog-watch/#comments

Jy Should invent a course for Florida Bar exam. he's the real MVP. :)

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on the 7Sage Discussion forum. Just today I signed up for the 7Sage course. I'm posting just to ask for some advice from you all, as many of you seem to have this whole process figured it, while I still feel like an outsider.

I have been studying for the LSAT since last December. At that time, I was only using various LSAT prep books that I had purchased from bookstores and from Amazon. After a couple months of this I came across the heavily populated field of LSAT prep programs. I chose Kaplan Prep because it was a name I was familiar with and thus trusted. I was and still am a full time student working 21hr weeks, so the self-paced online course was really and still is the only option for me. Unfortunately, the Kaplan course just did not click with me at all, I found myself mindlessly watching hours of their videos and never actually doing the LSAT. On test day (June 2018) I still felt like a stranger to the test, unsure of how I was even going to tackle it. I recieved a 151.

I was disheartened by this score but still determined to improve. I knew I could no longer show up on test day feeling unfamiliar with the actual test. I signed up for the September LSAT, but this time around I completely self-studied, apart from watching 7Sage LG explanations on Youtube (LOVED these). So, from July till September all I used to study was the actual test. However, I rarely ever took full-length/proctored PT. Perhaps I felt that I couldn't find the time, or I was just scared of how poorly I was going to do, but I almost only did timed sections in batches of either 1,2, at most 3, at a time. I think I realized that this was not enough to get me to where I wanted to be in terms of my score, but I still felt better knowing that I was doing a lot of these timed sections, getting familiar with the test, better at completing sections on time, identifying questions types and patterns, etc. I felt like my score was going to significantly improve, I got a 152.

Fast forward to today and I am officially a 7Sage student and am extremely happy that I am, but after seeing other's success in this forum this September, I am kicking myself for not enrolling back in July. I'm also registered for the November LSAT. That leaves me with about a month and a half to dive into 7Sage. I am certainly no stranger to the LSAT and have been studying for this test, although using different startegies, for almost a year. My goal since freshman year of college was to get a 170 on the LSAT but it seems that goal is evading me much easier than I ever would've imagined. However, if I could boost my score by 10 points by November I feel I'd have a decent chance at some T25's (3.67 GPA). I have also come to have a different perspective on taking another year to study for the test after reading other similar post on this forum, and wonder if I should give myself another cycle to get closer to that glorious 170 everyone wants. I am still only 21, but the idea of spending an enitire year out of school, working, and studying for one test still seems foreign to me, and my parents...

I apolgize for such a long post, and thank you if you read this far, I just have not gotten the oppurtunity to really talk to anyone about this entire process. I think I am heading in the right direction by signing up for 7Sage and posting here, but besides that I am running out of answers. Thank you for any and all helpful responses/thoughts/comments!!!

Hello!

I will be graduating next semester in spring 2019, but I plan to take a year off to really focus on LSAT while working a part time job. Is it okay if I ask professors to write me recommendations for the cycle of 2020? (I will be asking in spring semester 2019 before I graduate)

I am really nervous about this because I do not know who else to ask for recommendation letters when I do apply.

Hey everyone! I’ll just get right to it. I took the LSAT Dec 17 (159), Feb 18 (156) and Sep 18 (157). The first time my score came back lower I was crushed but I figured that it was bad luck and I could bounce back. Signed up for 7Sage after that, did the CC, did fresh PTs and I was consistently scoring between 161-165 on my PTs in the weeks leading up to this LSAT. When my score came back, I kind of broke down. I wish I could chalk it up to test anxiety but I don’t normally suffer from it. I have no clue what to do. Would a 4th attempt look bad? Should I even bother to attempt again? I would really appreciate your thoughts.

So, I recently came across a concept some of you are probably familiar with known as "hindsight bias." For our purposes, it probably translates to seeing a question you got wrong and then immediately discounting it thinking it was just a simple mistake that you won't repeat? I am trying my best to have a healthy relationship with it which I believe boils down to simply being honest, after all there's no gain when I am not, especially when I am doing drills or PT'S. Can anyone else relate?

Hi everyone,

I want a rough idea for how long it took some of you guys to complete the core curriculum; logic games section / Reading Comp and practice testing?

Also, Is there anything I can do to improve my focus? Sometimes I do one logic game and feel like I need a break....I want to be mentally stronger so I can sit there and get through more of the CC faster.

Any feedback is appreciated! Thanks everyone in advance.

I scored ~6 points below my PT average so I will retake in November for sure, but right now I have no idea how to get prepared.

I got 156 in Sept. (RC -12; LR-11/-9; LG -1), but I was consistently scoring between 161-163 for the last 10 timed PTs. My average performance for each section is at -6 for LR, -0.4 for LG and -10.9 for RC. With that being said, I am aiming for 166 in Nov...is it possible?

RC is always my weakest section, and I feel I actually made no improvements since cold diagnosis ;-(. Can anyone give me some recommendations for extra reading materials? Reading for scale helped me a little bit, but I am still having trouble with science passages cuz I usually got lost with those professional terminologies.

At this point I don't know if I still need to focus on LG as improving from -1 to -0 probably results in no score increases anyways? And I am considering redo CC for LR but this seems to be a huge amount of work...is it worth the effort to redo CC? Or is there any good supplements for LR?

Any inputs are appreciated!

Hey all,

I'll keep this short and sweet. I joined 7sage at a point when my PT scores were stalled and I felt very discouraged, like I couldn't make anymore improvements.

After working through the CC, lots of time spent reading through the forums, and writing literally every PT, I got my score back today: a 173.

This is totally life changing, I didn't think it could ever happen. I want to thank JY for becoming the voice inside my head for the last few months and for the care and dedication he put into his invaluable lessons and explanations. Also a huge thank you to the rest of the community for their periodic support and advice.

Seriously, this place is amazing. Thank you. I would (and will) highly recommend this site to anyone considering taking the LSAT.

Hi all,

I got my September mark back and am just so mad at myself. I completely choked after seeing the first RC passage. I stubbornly went through the section in order, completely running out of time and didn’t even get to read the last passage (this has NEVER happened on any of my 20+ PTs). I freaked out at the fact that I choked on the first section and did not get out of that horrible headspace until the 3rd section.

Despite all the choking and the freaking out, I decided well, I paid the money, might as well see what I got wrong. (Also egotistical me was saying ah you may have done ok despite messing up 2 sections)

Aaaaand here we are with the exact same score that I received in June.

I guess that means even when I choked, I still improved somewhat considering despite choking I still got the same as June.

I’m just super down in the dumps and trying to decide between

Any tips? Suggestions? Life wisdom to share?

Thanks for reading this far! :) this group is honestly the best

Hi!

Looking to hear from those out there (if any?) who don't keep track of their own time (i.e., a watch) while PTing/when you've written the exam? Why do/have you chosen to do so?

I would never use a watch during PTs and it worked fine, but for some odd reason (maybe because I was wearing one? --___- I decided to use my watch during the September exam. Think it knocked the hustle/flow I'm used to and trying to assess if I should stick to just not using it or, switch to using a watch during PTs to become more familiar with it).

Question: is it normal to be missing a couple of questions on each of the comparative and context identification quizzes? Also, when do I move on from the grammar? I feel like I grasp the concepts, but I'm still getting, especially the harder, questions wrong.