Several of the law schools I'm looking at offer some intriguing dual-degree options (I'm most inclined toward an MA/JD) so I was wondering whether anyone is planning on taking this route as well or know of someone who has. The biggest advantage, at least on paper, is that it would take less time and given that the degree track is split up it seems like it would still be manageable.

I've been taking some courses from there but encountered some problems... (I purchased the mentor course but the site keeps saying I purchased the prime course).

I've tried to contact Larry many times but it seems like he is not checking his email... Is there anyone who knows how to contact him? I'm starting to get really worried...

Thanks!

Hello,

I was going over the concepts of necessary and sufficient conditions. Here are some terms I'm not sure how to interpret. Help would be appreciated:

"Assuming that A, B" or "B, assuming that A"

"As long as A, B" or "B as long as A" (also, "So long as")

"A provided that B"

"A on the condition that B"

Thanks!

Hi Everyone,

Tl;dr: help me score above a 165 plz.

I've been lurking in the 7Sage cyberspace for a while, and am incredibly grateful for the community and the resources that I have encountered. I began studying for the LSAT in late January with a diagnostic of 151 (didn't BR...), finished the CC around mid-March, and began taking PT's late March. After five PTs, I am averaging a 155 with a 161 BR average. My section breakdown is -9 LR, -13 LG, and -4 RC.

I think I am studying as much as I can (I work full-time so I usually do Logic Game drilling during the work week before and after work, and PTs/BRs on the weekends), but I am not studying smartly/efficiently. I paid to sit for the June exam but am increasingly becoming concerned with my lack of progress, and am pretty much decided on postponing until July.

A little about my softs: first-generation student, political asylum/refugee background, competitive fellowship, LGBT/Latin@. I graduated with a 3.92 with departmental honors (from an admittedly undemanding major) and completed an M.A. program straight out of undergrad.

My questions for y'all wonderful people are:

1. What are some of the strategies you took to beat the LSAT? (I began the Pacifico LG method and it has helped me tremendously, I just need to improve my timing).

2a. The fellowship program I'm in ends in late-July and it is situated in San Francisco. I love the Bay but it is incredibly expensive, and even though I could possibly continue working at my placement, I recognize the benefit of being able to study more or less full-time at home (in Pennsylvania) without worrying about rent/adulting. If I decide to return home/study full-time would it even be worth it for me to sit for June/July?

2b. Is the fact that the July exam undisclosed an issue (it would be the first time I sit for the LSAT)?

2c. For those who studied full-time, how did you avoid burn-out?

3. Are there other prep material non-7Sage related that could help out with diagramming/parsing out LR?

Sorry for the longwinded post, and please feel free to dm me or respond if I can clarify anything. Thanks so much in advance for any comments or insights you can provide, good luck to everyone applying, and congrats to those who are finishing up this cycle.

Gracias,

Juan

Is a diagnostic a LSAT test that is taken without any prior knowledge of the exam? Or is it a test that is taken after a person has finished the CC?

Thanks.

Hi 7sagers,

I need some advice on what to do when you've used all practice tests. I will be taking the LSAT for the third time in June. I have finished CC, fool proofed games 1-35, and taken tests 35 to the latest one that is available to us. I have been retaking the 70's PTs as a benchmark, but I am not sure if I can trust the accuracy of the scores I am getting from tests that I have already taken before. Any thoughts?

Hi all! Do any of you use a recording device other than your phone to record taking practice tests? If so, what is it? I have been using my phone (it's an Android) and the video quality is not very good. I'm thinking of getting a GoPro but was wondering if there were any cheaper options that people have used successfully.

I have the starter. Is it worth upgrade just for the extra practice? I'm just concerned that i only have access to "easy problem sets." thanks!

i need to delete tests from analytics. how do i do that?

Hey guys sorry if this off topic but I just took the GRE and scored a 315...is this a decent score? Do you guys know anyone who has gotten into a top ten school law or business school with a 315 or relatively close?

Hey everyone just got an email from Northwestern and i've been WL. Does anyone know when their first deposit is due for admitted students, I'm trying to figure out when there will be some movement on the WL. Also if anyone else is on the WL and has done the Kira interview; what should i be expecting from it ?

Hi,

Does anyone have tips on cataloging/documenting questions they have especially learned from? After the Blind Review, do you flag these questions (granted you're already doing that with questions you didn't know you didn't know, in which case J.Y. recommends having a copy of them handy for review from time to time)? If so, for the flagged questions, do you use a notebook or electronic document where you catalog them, and in what detail? I'd like to know whether after Blind Reviewing a test, it should be revisited sometime in the future or not.

Anyone have any knowledge about requesting a reader or using one. How difficult is it to get will they give extra time along with that or do you need to request that too/ do you get a copy of the test or only the reader does?

Any Info would be helpful.

I had mentioned on a few forums that I'd share my results with ya'll when I got through the CC and did another PT. Well, I had a busy weekend and didn't get to the PT until pretty late yesterday; I did it anyway.

5 point improvement.

I just need another 2 or 3 points to get into where I need to be. I have till June.

I am both happy and depressed by this. I was really hoping I'd be much farther along, but I am happy that I have improved some in such a short time. Maybe after a few more PT's and some study on where I went wrong, I can get up just a little more.

So after finishing through the CC I took my a practice test about a week ago and was very pleased with a score of 171. Since then I took three more practice tests and have seen steady decreases in each PT. 168, 167, and most recently a 164. When I do BR I can regularly get in the high 170's. Sometimes I feel really confident and am ready to answer any question the LSAT gives me no matter how hard it is but I don't know why my score has been decreasing and it has been kind of demoralizing lmao.

When I do the BR I can easily see my mistakes are just really dumb but I keep making those mistakes on the next practice tests. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Did anyone on here get the Vandy “hold” email? Just curious. I’ve yet to hear anything from them

Hi all,

I am 3 years out of undergrad and have the following numbers:

2.71 GPA. (from top UC School)

165 Feb 2018 LSAT

I am URM, and have great work experience. (3 years as a litigation Paralegal at a respected medium-sized law firm in the silicon valley [80 ATTYS]).

I want to practice in California, what are my chances at Cal, UCLA, USC, UCI, or Davis? Or should I just take a scholly at a school like Santa Clara? Wouldn't want to go until Fall 2019. Does my work experience make my application stronger?

Thanks, all.

Hi everyone! I'm going to give some background about myself first for context before asking my question. I started "studying" for the LSAT during the summer of 2016. I took the diagnostic test that comes with this course (June 2007) and scored a 154. I was working full-time and heading into my final year of school, so I already had a lot on my plate and I didn't properly set time aside to study. I originally wanted to write in the fall of 2016, but I pushed it twice (December 2016 and then February 2017). Eventually, I wrote in February 2017 (having done virtually 0 studying) because I had submit any score for my law school applications, and (unsurprisingly) I scored 154 again. Fast forward to today, I didn't get accepted anywhere (duh) and I'm trying to study again to re-apply in the fall of 2018.

I took the same diagnostic test again, scored 152, and my section breakdown (same order as the test) is as follows:

My best section by far is LG, with my worst section being RC. My question is: how much can I expect to improve my score by the September 2018 test date? I'll have about another 1.5 to 2 months of full-time studying to get through the core curriculum, and after that I'll be working full-time again until September so my study time will be cut (but hopefully I can do at least 1 PT a week on top of reviewing the curriculum).

I am hoping to get to at least 165 to offset a less-than-competitive average from undergrad, and if I could get to 170 that would be a dream. Am I aiming too high? Or should I be approaching this differently? Any advice or past experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Hello,

Where can i view my 7 sage receipt?

Thanks

Now seems as good a time as any to start a thread near and dear to some people considering law school. Is it possible to maintain some sort of balance between the rigorous demands of law school and an "outside" life that includes parents, friends, other activities? ETA: Spoiler alert, I personally think the answer to the question is YES for 100% of people. Sometimes that fact gets lost in translation / open discussion. Nothing worth having is easy and law school definitely falls into the category of not easy, but what are some thoughts /suggestions / experiences on the ability to maintain a life outside of law school.

I am particularly interested in this aspect of the law school decision. I'm a non-traditional student in his mid-40's, 4 children (only 1 of which lives at home), with a spouse with a demanding career and her own PhD study demands. I volunteer a significant amount of time to one of my children's school (3-4 days a week typically). Scheduling is huge in my life. 25 years of military service, multiple deployments, and a 2 year unaccompanied tour (me-Japan, family-USA) have provided context that, for me, make the time demands of law school and the ability to stay engaged in family life one of the key factors in my decision of if/when/where to attend law school.

I've spoken with a couple of current law students at the two schools at the top of my list and also to other practicing lawyers that are either existing friends or kind souls that responded to one of the numerous cold emails I sent out some of the public defenders / DAs in my local area. A few thoughts on time management they gave me, as it specifically applies to maintaining a school / balance:

Note: Each of these recommendations has been told to me by more than one independent source. As I have not been to law school, I don't know how good / bad they are, but they are meaningful to me given what are my variables.

Consider law school your job from day 1. Establish a typical "working stiff" schedule (8-4, 9-5, etc) and maintain it religiously. Wake up, get the kids to school and go straight to your own campus. Stay there all day. If you are not in class, spend that time reading / studying / preparing for class. Do not engage in social media / internet surfing during your work day. Go home at the end of "your day" and leave school at school.

Consider legal social engagements and assesses the ROI of attendance at each event you consider. Functions that are networking opportunities or faculty touch points > Thursday night Margaritas with the study group. Make time for some peer engagement, but don't feel you have to go out every night after study and get your drink on. There will always be someone going out, consider whether you really need to join them.

Try to reserve one entire day for non-law school activities (typically either Saturday or Sunday). Let the people important to you know about this day so you can control their expectation management. When that day comes, commit to it fully (do not sneak in study / reading / class prep).

Chose 1 law school "extra-curricular" interest group and devote time to it singularly instead of less time to multiple groups.

Sometimes, good enough is better than perfect. Will one more hour of reading help? In truth, probably. However, at some point, there is a point of diminishing returns to study / reading / case prep and your life outside of law school needs some attention.

Starting at ~ exams minus 1 month, all of the above go out the window. Now is the time to grind and crank up the coffee pot to max capacity. Again (similar to note 3), tell those important people in your life about this period long before it starts so they know and are mentally prepared to see less of you. They can also help support you during this time.

Polish your resume before starting school. It will be needed long before you think it will be.

deep breath For me, law school is about choices and balancing those things that are important to each individual student (and me in my own case). Preparing for it is also often portrayed as a world of binary choices (go/don't go, I have to go this /next year, I have to go to X school / Y tier of school). Most times, those binary choices are not, in fact, based in reality; nor are conversations about them intended to be. We each have to weigh our own variables and make the right decision for us as an individual and for those important to us (family, friends). In most circumstances, the answer isn't clearly black / white, go / don't go, or yes / no. More often, the choice really is a wider menu selection of here / there, now / later, this option / that option. More information often helps better inform that decision; hence this thread.

I'm currently reading Law School Insights by Dakota Duncan, a non-traditional law school graduate who wrestled with many of the same issues concerning family life / law school. I'm only through the first chapter and its been slow thus far, but will provide any nuggets when I come across them.

What are other 7Sager's thoughts on the topic / sources of good material referencing these issues?

Hello everyone, question about the problem sets:

How does everyone use them? Do you complete a lesson, say weakening questions, and then hit some problems from the question bank to see if you're comprehending that specific section? Or, are you smashing through some core curriculum and and holding off on the sets until later?

admin note: edited for formatting

I'm pretty over this cycle, and I am a bit disappointed but also a bit relieved. For many, I am sure this cycle has been not as expected... and I am just one of those many. Frustrating, and extremely tedious it was to wait and still wait at the ending of April to hear, or to have a deposit deadline come moments after. However, I am a bit relieved that I am throwing in this towel, it seems to be more of a rag by this point & frankly I do not mind getting rid of it at all.

Started in or are sub 160: Get a course like 7sage, Manhattan, or some good resources like LSAT Trainer and LG bible, LR bible and self study(I'm all about quality>quantity). If you study that material well for a bit you should be able to hit 160 eventually. Criticism is worth more than compliments. Be thorough about why you suck and what you can do to improve. Didn't label something? Better label it next time. Mistook necessary for sufficient? Oldest trick in the book for a reason. People scoring better than you do not do it as often as you chances are. Drill problematic areas if needed so you do not repeat bad mistakes. Time isn't crucial but you should be doing some timed worked every so often depending on your needs.

Hitting 160+: Review fundamentals again. They honestly aren't as solid as you probably think. We have terrible bias about ourselves. We dislike knowing how much we suck. You will get some free speed even if you do not get more accuracy at least so it is NOT a waste of time as it can only help you. Do more practice tests(UNDER SIMULATED CONDITIONS) and BLIND REVIEW those mistakes you make. DO NOT cheat yourself. Spend a few mins on every question you got wrong and really dig on what got you to get it wrong.

Hitting 165+: You are going to start climbing the hill. Imagine yourself as a manual car and put yourself in the right gear. Don't put it on 4 at 10 mph and don't put it at 1 at 80mph. Here, it's about quality learning and not basic improvements. You have to thoroughly understand why the language, stimulus, etc is tripping you up. Start developing a methodology for approaching sections, questions, etc. I got stuck here like it was quick sand and I was helpless after quickly moving from 150s to 160s. I would not drill heavily here. I think drilling is great for sub 160 but not later. Have money? Get a tutor. Don't have money? You need to be VERY honest or you're going to be here stuck like me. Dismissing a question as a silly mistake? That is the STUPIDEST error in the book if the other is the oldest. That is going to HURT you. Hurt you very much.

Hitting 170+: Here it's about perfecting your methodology for things. If you forgot to put a not rule under sequential game treat it like you're a total newbie and be careful to not do that again. It's costing you time that you should have to review the tough questions, or spend in other questions in every section. Forgot to label a conclusion? Probably why you got it wrong or it cost you time. Forgot to translate language on an answer choice just because your gut told you? Got it wrong? Got it right? DOES NOT MATTER. Costed you time so you're making an error. That is why you do not have time left, didn't have time for a tough question, etc. Keep your methodology simple but effective. There is no ifs. You either did it right or didn't. It doesn't matter if you could have gotten it right but didn't if you want to improve. Be harsh but honest. No errors is the goal to aim for on the test taking. You should have things down to a mechanistic habit if you want to move up anywhere from 170 or be more consistent.

Hitting 175+: Don't know what you're doing wrong? I have no clue how you got here then. You should not need advice. Refer to 170 as maybe you're still having some problematic habits but have a very strong -0 section or two that is keeping you from doing better. Stop using your strong section as a crutch if that is what you are doing. Try to be a master of all.

Hit 180: Go celebrate your awesomeness. Do that at 175+ too. If you got here and didn't do that you probably should. What a feat. Heck, go celebrate every time you move up the ladder. Probably will keep you more sane.I just didn't want you to be complacent so I did not mention it earlier.

Things to do at EVERY step: have patience. Sorry, unless you scored a 165+ on your first test it will require some learning and practice. Patience. Things don't change overnight. Keep that in mind at every step of the process. I promise to you if you are honest and critical about your errors and studying you WILL improve. I can't tell you how fast, but I can confidently say you will.

Misc. notes: A tutor really can be helpful at moving up the hill once you hit 165+. They can see your pattern on approaching questions wrong, mention to you ways to improve speed, etc. If you can't afford one you need to be as I said HONEST and CRITICAL about your performance. I highlighted one word here in all of this post. See what that sentence said again. It wasn't a hyperbole; it was a fact.

Hi Guys! Wondering if any of you have good study-related podcasts that you listen to while driving? I have 2 long drives coming up and I want to listen to something LSAT studying/learning related... any suggestions?

Thanks

This may be a silly question, but is it possible that schools that currently take the highest score may start averaging again in the future? I will be retaking the test soon but plan on applying in a few years due to work commitments.