Fellow 7sagers,

I'm in a bind and am in serious need of advice. So it's already been about 10 months since I first started studying for the LSAT, and the June 2017 test was my second attempt, after the first one which I ended up canceling (turns out I was way too underprepared to deal with the test day anxieties and pressures). By the week before the June test day, I had done almost all preptests from 1 to the most recent 80s, and was averaging in the 170s, with the highest score being 177. Of course, I took into consideration that some of these scores were inflated because they were retakes (with about 3 months break).

I felt quite confident leaving the test center in June, feeling that no particular question gave me a hard time and that test difficulty was not much different from that of the numerous PTs I took. Unfortunately, turns out that was false confidence, and I was quite devastated to receive my score of 166, a score that is far below my average PT score. I know that 166 is not the end of the world, but I'm just disappointed and frustrated because despite all the work I've put in, my real test day scores simply do not reflect what I can achieve.

Although I've heard that 3 attempts may not be received so well by top tier schools, nevertheless I've reached the conclusion that I should take it one last time, as I feel like giving up now would be a total waste of what I've invested so far. I have a GPA of 3.93 from University of Chicago, and was really hoping to boost my application with a strong LSAT score.

But the problem is, I simply don't know where and how to begin studying for a third retake. I've used up all the practice tests, gone over the 7sage curriculum multiple times, and am pretty confident (or thought I was) with the fundamentals of each section. From my previous PTs, I know that my RC is the weakest, but I don't know where I went wrong on test day because the tests taken in Asia are all undisclosed tests (am I correct?). I don't know if 7sage has done all it could possibly do for me and whether I should turn to other resources... I think test day pressures have a huge impact on my performance but I'm not sure how to remedy that, or if I will ever be able to.

That brings me to the issue of when I should take my final test, because I'm not sure if I'm currently worn out from long period of intensive studying, or whether I should be gritting my teeth and committing 2 more months to prepare for the September test. I know that September will put me at a better place to apply early for my top choices, but then again I'm thinking, what good would that do if my scores are subpar?

I'm just a bit lost as to how I should approach my third and final exam, all the while writing my personal statements, essays of all sorts. I'm sorry for this lengthy chunk of text but I would tremendously be grateful any kind of advice you guys have for me. I've been thinking about it on my own for a few weeks but am feeling nervous and hesitant about not knowing whats best for me.

thank you so much guys!

Hey! Can someone please help me out I'm not sure how to do BR for a full prep test. How do you go about doing BR for logic games for example. Thanks!

I had a general question I was hoping some people here might have some views or insights on.

I'm Canadian and have done a ton of research on different law schools. University of Toronto is our #1 law school here, and I'd be totally happy to get in (average LSAT is 167, which I think is totally doable for me based on my current prep tests and my soft credentials). Although we have some other great law schools here in Canada, I don't really have a desire to move anywhere else in Canada, and UofT is the best, so I'm aiming high.

My absolute dream school, though, is Yale. It's mostly because of my more academic bent and I love their small class sizes and 6:1 student teacher ratio. They also really support people to take non-traditional paths with their law degree and I also feel I'd meet some exceptional people. I also realize getting into Yale is a bit of a lottery, so I'm speaking in hypotheticals if I can score a 170 or higher I'll at least apply (I have a book published with New York University Press and a few other creds that I think might make me at least worth looking at if my LSAT is high enough).

I'm considered also applying to Harvard. I'll be honest that Harvard doesn't entice me as much as Yale. Harvard seems much more geared towards streaming people into corporate law (nothing wrong with that if that is what you want to do, but not sure if it is for me). That said, it is still a great school and brand obviously, but it seems to me that Yale has a much better repayment program that adjusts to whatever work you decide to do after...

Anyways, that all said, I guess my larger question is whether it is worth going to either Yale or Harvard if one got in as a Canadian. That is, do people think the cost is worth the trade off of the prestige? For Yale I feel it could be because the program feels so up my alley of interest and is really unique, but even then I wonder if the price tag is worth it. A law degree at UofToronto is $32,000 a year, compared to 60K at Yale or Harvard.

I imagine that a degree from Yale or Harvard would be pretty transferable back to Canada if I decide to return after my degree? But I don't really know. I don't really have a strong desire to stay in the U.S after I graduate.

I realize I'm jumping the gun a bit, but it would be useful to get some feedback on this because it will help determine how many schools I apply to (each application is a lot of work and I want to put my best into them).

Thanks!

My first semester Freshman year GPA was around a 2.4, but after that semester my GPA has been a 3.8 which still leaves me with just barely over a 3.5 going into my Senior year... (My LSAT score is 164). Will schools take into account that I had a first semester screw up and have been doing great besides that semester, or will they just focus on the low 3.5 GPA.

I've taken about 7 or so full PTs thus far, in addition to going through the CC (for the most part--I'm taking in September so I needed to get started on PTs) and using 2 other books. Until now, taking random PTs from the 30s, 50s, and 60s, I've averaged around 165-166. I took PT52 just now and got a 176

WTF

Is PT52 just crazy easy or is this a breakthrough?

This morning I took my first timed PT---not even a full one (so minus the fifth and the writing section), but during the last section I felt extremely and absolutely exhausted. Both the first and the last sections were LR, but I knew I was processing information at a lower speed and efficiency in that last section. It's pretty atypical for me to feel so burned out in just 2 hours' of concentration so I think it might just be the result of eating less than usual for breakfast. So I decided I'd wait to do BR after an afternoon workout.

But, here I am, almost 8 hours later, still not able to start BR---even just the thought of it makes me cringe.

What is a recommended time between BR after PT? Are there downsides to pushing it back a day? How do I get over my BR anxiety?

Thanks!!!!

In the military we used this saying all the time, "Complacency kills". I just learned today that this saying is just as apt to the LSAT as it was in the military.

Today I decided I needed a new approach to LR. -5/-7 per section was just killing my score. I went back to the CC and scrolled through each type of question and compared it to my analytics. One question type popped off the page to me. "Method of Reasoning - 30% accuracy." These questions seemed fairly straight forward to me when I did the CC and during practice I did not miss much. How was I missing this many during PT's?

After looking at the ones I got wrong I realized what I was doing. Somewhere during my training for the LSAT my mind merged Flaw questions and Method of Reasoning questions into each other. I would approach a Method of Reasoning question trying to identify the flaw. While this doesn't sound super harmful, it actually was. I would get down to two answer choices and not be able to tell exactly why one was the flaw. I would feel time slipping by, guess and move on.

That's ridiculous! This type of question should be fairly straight forward why was it causing me to trip up!

Complacency.

I just assumed I knew the question types from each other because I've been doing this for about a year. I didn't even bother checking to make sure I was attacking each type of question correctly. Because of this Method of Reasoning just vanished from my mindset.

That is an absolute killer on the LSAT.

I saw @"Cant Get Right" post a couple days ago about how little mistakes inevitably are indications of bigger ones. If you feel stuck on a section, go back and review the most basic foundations. Something as little as this can cost you points.

As for me ------ Lesson learned.

How should I best handle questions I didn't get to (due to running out of time) while inputting answers into 7sage analytics?

If I input correct answers, the system will treat these as me understanding them. If I input wrong answers, the system will treat these as not understanding them.

Thanks in advance for the answers!

When putting in your BR answers in the analytics, do you only put in the answers for the questions that you circled or do you also put in for the ones that you got wrong but thought you got right?

I re-do the questions that I thought I got right (but got wrong) and I end up getting them right. I am not sure whether that should be recorded in the BR analytics.

Anyone?

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Available for pre orders. I'm guessing available for actually delivery within the next 6-8 weeks or so.

I'm sitting here doing some BR and got a little curious so I used google to answer my question. I came upon this article and found it interesting. I assume my fellow 7sage LSAT warriors would also enjoy it.

http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/lsat-question-writer-interview.html

Hey everyone,

I have finished the CC and decided to do a PT from the 40s to see if I have made progress. I got one point above my diagnostic, a 152, and got 176 on BR.

During the timed portion I received -8 on LG, -13 on LR (-5/-8) and -13 on RC. I have foolproofed every game from 1-20, and have done every RC section from 1-20 as well.

Do you guys think there is still room for a significant improvement before September, considering my BR score? I just feel very upset and discouraged as I was confident going into and during the test.

Thank you in advance!

Presuppose defined as "require as a precondition of possibility or coherence. synonyms: require, necessitate, imply, entail, mean, involve, assume"

Title says it all really. Curious to know how many questions you all have circled after a typical PT. I suppose here I'm more focused on LR and RC since with LG I feel you either 'get' the game and feel confident about all questions or you don't 'get' the game so you're not certain about any...

I'd also be curious to hear what your criteria is for circling for BR. Do you circle anything where you're (100% certain?(/p)

Hey everyone,

So I came across this thing in LG that got me a bit confused. Hoping someone can offer a quick clarification. Perhaps my brain just froze.

There is this one answer choice in LG that says:

If Hamadi is not appointed to the trial court than Perkins must be.

J.Y translated this as: H --> /P

but isn't it the other way around? In this case it is the "If" that is starting the conditional, not the "not". So shouldn't the translation be:

/H --> P

I don't know why I'm stumbling on this one but just can't see why he flipped it in this situation.

The advice on 7Sage is great. Everyone here genuinely cares about you, your progress, and helping you achieve your goals. People will go out of their way to encourage you and to help fill in your weak links with the LSAT.

Unfortunately advice is not one size fits all. While the LSAT is an extremely important test, and one that requires your dedication and endurance in order to succeed, it is also one step in a much larger game that is life. Not everyone can afford to take time off and devote themselves to the LSAT for years, and not everyone should. If you fall into this group of people with a time constraint, and are frustrated with the advice to postpone the test, just remember you know your situation better than anyone else.

The mentors/sages/guides and users here want you to do the best you possibly can on the LSAT. Many times waiting to take the test is the right answer. It's just not the answer everyone needs to hear.

So if you fall into this camp, and feel frustrated by the fact that no one understand why you need to take the test sooner than later, do not let it get you down. We are here as support for each other --- and we do understand that sometime people's paths and pace differ.

Just a shout out to anyone lurking and feeling pressured by this.

I'm about to start my first blind review and i'm a little worried. I feel like i'm going to review answers and agree with myself or change correct answers to wrong ones by over thinking. Any advice or tips? Or something you wish you knew before you started blind reviewing?

Hi everyone,

I have already written the LSAT once, scoring a 151 in December 2016. I realized on my first go, I did not master logical reasoning as for when it came to test date (even after I completed the 7sage curriculum) I got completely tripped up and tanked by LR sections. From May to now I have been testing individual LR sections UNTIMED from 1-30 ( I am on PT number 16 now, I have had to take some breaks from studying due to graduation and other personal affairs), and continue to practice my LG sections (1-30) (timed, which is my strongest section). I refuse to begin timing myself until I have the fundamentals of LR mastered, which means I am consistently going 90-100% on these questions in untimed practice. Where before I was going - 10, to even -8, now I have shorted the gap to -5 to even -3 untimed. But still, this varies. What I have noticed though, that I consistently get curve breaking and tough Necessary assumption and flaw question that have a long and convoluted stimulus wrong. How can I ensure that these types don't trip me up? I have reviewed the grammar and fundamental lessons, I have gone over these sections, and I have even used the LR powerscore bible.

My test is September 16th, and I want to begin timing myself with full length tests from the newer lsats 60-80 as soon as possible in order to adjust to the newer lsat format.

What can I do to greatly increase my LR in that time ( I am blind reviewing)? Should I postpone to December?

Also with reading comprehension that is a hit and miss, sometimes I can score great or bad, depends on the toughness of the passages (ones that tend to science and economic based are absolutely brutal for me). But with working and volunteering (I have to keep my volunteering for it absolutely necessary with my canadian law school applications). I have made the decision that reading comp will be the section I devote the least amount of prep for, due to the fact logical reasoning is 2 sections and makes up for 50% of the test.

Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thankyou for reading this long message

Sincerely, a struggling LSAT student

Unfortunately, I have only two months to study for the September LSAT. Any suggestions on how to get through this? I am a pretty quick learner and I have had a friend who studied for the LSAT in one month and got into UBC Law school. I am taking one class right now to finish my undergrad and it'll be done by the end of this month. I also work part time, so I could really use all the help that I can get. I know I don't have enough time to finish the entire curriculum, but I have skimmed through most of it. Now, I just have to start applying the strategies learned to actual questions.

I could really use all the advice that I can get. Thank you in advance!!

I've found several similar posts and while valuable, they don't speak to my situation exactly. I'm taking September, I am half way through the Core Curriculum and I'm wondering if I should start using some PT's concurrently with my curriculum work. As of Monday I will be studying full-time.

Should I:

Plow through the curriculum and then start doing PT's? (Schedule says by end of 1st week in Aug, I will finish Core)

Mix in PT's either as timed or piecemeal practice concurrently with my Core work?

I have a set of 10 that includes PT 7 onward. My understanding is that these are significantly different from today's form and that they may just be good practice instead of indicating potential scores. So realistically between now and test time, I don't think I'll finish so many PT's that I would exhaust supply. Does it make sense to utilize these early PT's concurrently with the core work especially in light of being on a full time study schedule soon?

Thanks for your feedback!

Hey y'all! I've seen a lot about "foolproofing"--what exactly is it and how do I do it? Also, can it be done for more than just LG?

Thanks!!

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I am going through the prep tests chronologically and am wondering if the LSAT has changed at all over time.

Hi all,

New to 7Sage, and was wondering...am i missing something in the best way to review questions in practice? When we are learning a new question type there are videos with sample questions from PTs, are we to find and print these out? In some of the videos I can't see all the answer choices when the video is paused. Are we not supposed to go through these on our own before we play the video? I need time to read and analyze the questions before the strategy is revealed. Is there a technique and/or easy way to print that I'm missing?

let me know thanks!

Hello 7Sage (:

I have been studying on and off since January, with school making studying a bit difficult. Regardless, it is now 72 days until the September test and I am stressing out. I need a 173.

Baseline scores: 141, BR-152

Average for the past 3 PT's (42,43,45)

154 (LR: -20, RC: -10, LG: -7)

159 was my most recent PT score.

BR-167.5 (LR: -9, RC: -4, LG: -1)

169 was my most recent BR score.

Since the test I took last week, I have made a goal to fool proof all LG from1-35. Is this a proper way to go about LG prepping?

School chilled out a bit now so I can devote 8 hours towards LSAT each day. I am also using analytics to work on my problem areas in LR- (Flaw, SA, MSS and REE) as well. I feel so stressed that I won't reach my goal and it is just eating me up inside!! Any advise would help.