I have been PTing for a while now, and I got my best score of 166 about 2 weeks ago. I was feeling really encouraged, and I thought I had rounded a corner, and would maybe be able to hit 170 by test day in September. After I got the 166, I took 3 more practice tests- and I bombed. I couldn't figure out why, but all of the sudden I didn't have enough time to finish the sections, and I was left scrambling to guess on lots of problems. Long story short, after 3 tests following my 166, where I scored low (158, 157, 154) I noticed my timer on the proctor of the app was off. Instead of being set for 35 mins a section, it was set to 30 mins a section, which means I was getting the 5 minute warning after only 25 mins. I felt deeply relieved to have a partial-reason for my lower score. But even still, now when I'm taking a test with the correct timer, Im not performing as well as I was- my entire perception of time is OFF. I feel rushed even when I don't need to be, and I'm frantic and panicky pretty much the entire test. When I try to slow down, and work through problems, I slow down TOO much. I'm hoping that as I readjust to the correct time, I'll be able to bring my score back to where I'm consistently scoring in the mid to high 160's, but I'm feeling super frustrated. Does anybody have any good timing tips, or has anybody had something similar happen?

I am currently signed up for the September LSAT but I am considering postponing to December or February. I am a full-time student, so I would prefer to take it in Feb rather than Dec (because the February sitting will be right after a long break in January, and the December sitting will be during finals). However, I would rather take it in Sept than Feb because then I won't have to balance school and LSAT at all.

I am aiming for a 175+. My PTs have been steadily increasing from 159, 163, 168, and most recently, a 169.

I regularly go -0 on LG. RC and LR are less consistent. I range anywhere from -1 to -5 on each LR section, and -1 to -5 on RC. Oftentimes my mistakes on LR are very apparent to me once I see that I got the question wrong, and it is usually an answer that I was unable to eliminate, but still didn't like. RC usually depends on the passages and how quickly I can get through them. I usually never finish with extra time on any section except LG.

I am looking for suggestions on ways I can improve (like strategies for drilling, taking PTs, taking timed sections, etc) by Sept 16th so that I can hit my goal, OR I am wondering if people think this jump won't be possible in a few weeks and that I should postpone until Dec/Feb.

So I just realized that the highest score I've ever gotten on a PT was directly after a weekend camping trip in which I did not think about the LSAT once.

Then this week I've prepped a solid 12+ hours and took 2 PT's and scored 3/5 points lower. There might be a correlation between completely forgetting about the LSAT for a few days and coming back with a fresh mind.

I think I'm approaching complete burn out.

Anyone else just ready to take the dang test already?? At the place where lucks just about the only thing that could bump my score up, and I'm ready to take it!!! But I have 4 more weeks to study!

Also, anyone else starting classes Monday? What's your plan in terms of mixing coursework/lsat?

What are some simple/fundamental stuff that someone can work on to improve their chances of getting a good score (or a better one than usual)? I've been thinking of going back and simply identifying the structure of a bunch of LR questions, like premise SC, MC, etc. to help me better analyze questions, especially MOR.

Also, I know this is really stupid, but I recently figured out that the first question after an RC passage asks for the main conclusion of a passage... for some reason I always looked for the AC that seemed to best summarize the whole passage. Is this new understanding of the main point RC question a correct one?

Would love to hear what basic/fundamental stuff you've worked on that helped you see improvement.

I have been diagnosed with PTSD and a neurological disorder. I thought these conditions are overcomable, but I am starting to think otherwise.

My br scores are either in 180 or very high170s. However, my pt scores fluctuate hugely. I can go from -0 on a timed section and take a same section of similar difficulty and land a -10. This happens to me with all 3 section types.

My pt score can fluctuate 15-20 points dependingg on how the ptsd and the neurological condition affect me that day.

My problem is that I run out of time. I've watched a video of myself, have practiced answering questions efficiently, and have done everything within reason to fix any remaining bad habits.

I noticed that the key factor btw -0 and -10 is attention. When im in a bad neurological condition, it also triggers ptsd, and nothing on the page makes sense. I have to reread the same word (not even a difficult word) multiple times to even understand. And then i run out of time because im reading and re-reading words.

Im starting to feel that its beyond my control to overcome my conditions. Does anyone have any advice? Should i start looking into lsac testing accommodations?

And i also cant take any medications because of my neurological condition.

I've been really hitting RC hard. I'm averaging -4 all other sections, but RC I've been doing worse and worse the more I practice.

I got a 10 out of 27 on PT 72.

and a 14 out of 27 on PT 63.

I'm not sure what Im doing wrong. I'm getting super discouraged.

Any RC tips?

I will be in India in December and taking the LSAT there.

I have heard that the overseas tests are usually the past undisclosed tests. However, is the format the same ie, 2LR, 1LG and 1 RC and a writing sample?

Additionally are there any other unforeseen disadvantages to giving the test overseas apart from not being able to analyse your tests once you get your score?

I'd love to know if any fellow 7sager's have taken the test abroad and what the experience was like.

Thanks in advance :)

Hey guys,

I am still working my way through the core curriculum, but I feel like I forget how to tackle the specific question types as I progress through the rest of the curriculum. Is this normal? I have been doing fairly well on the problem sets for the different question types, but I keep stressing over the fact that I will forget how to do the previous question types. For example, I finished the Powerscore LG workbook last week, but I haven't touched a game for three days now.. starting to worry a little bit now. I have read a lot of discussions on the forum stating that you shouldn't take too long of a break (ie. days), but is that for overall content or specifically just following how the core curriculum is set up? What do you guys suggest?

I am following the curriculum, hence I haven't been switching between LG/LR/RC. Should I be worried?

I am aiming to score in the high 170s by December so I want to get all the practice I can get starting now. Any advice on what study schedule has worked for you guys?

Thank you for your suggestions in advance!

Hey guys,

I think I need some advice. I've seen huge improvements on the LSAT this last month. Namely my LG going from -6 to -1/-2, understood parallel flaw, scored in the 170s for the first, second and third time. But something is amiss.

Last PT I took I got a 165 (my lowest score since I started prepping again in early July). It was my first 5 section test. But I don't know if that's the issue.

I sat down to take another PT today and I just couldn't understand anything I was reading. I thought I had mastered PF yet I was tremendously confused. I couldn't get a simple disagreement question. It's funny because the warmup I did i breezed through easily (about 5 questions). So idk if I'm experiencing burnout, or I'm just psyching myself out.

What do you guys think about taking today, tomorrow and sunday off. Then trying to retake this PT I gave up after the first section. I'll be honest I haven't been getting enough sleep as I should and only 3 questions deep today i started getting that 'post-lsat brain fuzz'. We have exactly 30 days left before Sept 16th and as much as I don't want to take time off...

So should I take time off - and do you think its detrimental that I use this time off to write my PS?

Thanks,

LSAT-hopefullynotburnout-2

So I've been chugging along with my PTs and suddenly hit a wall in terms of LG in tests in the upper 60s. I've never been great at LG, but up until now I've gotten it down to -3/4 per section. In my last 3 PTs I've gotten -7 on 66, -8 on 67, -9 on 68, and -8 on 69. Kind of freaking out - I've worked so hard to improve the LG over the past 4 months and suddenly it seems with the newer tests I'm back to square one

I'm not sure if they're actually harder but it seems like they have many more "weird" unpredictable games that don't fit any convention. In the past there would usually be a standard sequencing game to start, and in/out game, and some grouping game. Now the recent games either have some twist or some thing that throws me off

Not trying to make any excuses! I know that if I really was proficient at LG I would be able to adapt to the weirdness of the rules and games but I had been doing pretty well up until this point! Disappointed

Hey 7Sagers! Im curious how you all as JY puts it "get the most" out of every PT. I understand that it is foolish to burn through PTs without gaining as much LSAT juice as possible from each. I'm wondering what you all do after every PT to review?

This is the system that I have been using recently:

For LR, I blind review and type out a doc that outlines my thinking for all missed questions, confidence errors, or overall difficult questions. Currently seeing most improvement on LR (going -5), although I know I can improve more... looking at you PM/ PF/ SA/ MBT.

For LG, I have been fool proofing all games where I missed a question or if I didn't get through the game as fast as I thought I should. I have only started doing this from PT 59 and up so tbh haven't full proofed games before that (PT 52-58). I had been doing well for my target score (-6) up to the last couple PTs I took where I have not done as well.

For RC, I have not found a review strategy that has helped me increase my points. RC was honestly natural to me when I first started taking PTs last December, would score -6 while my other sections were trash lol. But my score has gone down which is super frustrating to me (avg -8 rn). I know the reason is that I switched to focusing to 3 passages because time was an issue, but I have not been able to go perfect on three passages for this method to be beneficial. So I'm pretty lost on this end of it. I want to go back to completing four passages but its becoming hard for me to think that speeding through passages more quickly while risking misunderstanding is going to be the solution.

September was my goal, have been studying 30+ hrs since June, but I feel like I have so much to work on that it's feeling like pushing back my test date is the right choice... Going to keep grinding for the next couple weeks to see where I'm at then.

Any insight would be great, I'm all ears!

Hi everyone! I'm registered for the Sept. 2017 exam but have weird background and need advice on whether you recommend I study this month & take it or wait until Dec., and also would like to know how detrimental it would be to apply when Dec. scores come out?

Background:

I'm a paralegal at a big law firm and my hours are really insane. I took the Testmasters course Nov - Jan but missed some classes/didn't take advantage of it so waited & took the exam for the first time June 2017. I got really busy at work right before it and would say I only seriously studied for 2 months (with TM books). I thought it was ok but I didn't feel great so I cancelled my score (had been PT'ing at 158-162). Planned to take it this Sept. but been busy with work all summer and now I'm not sure... is 4 weeks of intense studying enough or should I wait till Dec.? Is the 7SAGE membership for just these weeks worth it? Or should I just do practice tests? I also have the LSAT trainer book.

Thank you so much!

So, I fell off the band wagon.

I had a hell of a day Tuesday and virtually didn't even touch my lsat material. Wednesday was a lot of aftermath and while I got a little done, it was only half of what I truly NEEDED to do. Anyone have some motivational advice for when you fall of the bandwagon? I'm taking a timed PT on Sunday to see if i'm going to take the September exam or the December and I can't afford to not be on track.

Help my LSAT gurus

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to see if anyone had any advice for adjusting to the newer RC. I have been taken relatively older (Pre60's) PT's and scoring in the high 160's. I just took PT 65 yesterday and had my brain melted by the third passage about blackmail law. In all honesty, I didn't think the passage was nearly as hard as the questions were. This kind of threw me off because RC is usually my strength. Does anyone have any tips for adjusting to this newer style of RC? I would imagine that it would come with time and exposure but dang that was hard.

I actually ended up doing pretty well on the test. I scored a 171 with a 175 BR. The last LG game really through me for a loop so I ended up going: LR1: -3 LR2:-1 LG:-4 RC: -4.

Thank you all!

I just took it, havent graded it yet but i found it extraordinarily hard compared to 70 and 71 . I felt foggy for a large portion of the test. Anyone have any experiance with it?

Today I sat down at work after my normal morning routine. I logged into Cookie Clicker, 7Sage and Reddit and got ready to start my day. I get to work really early to study for the test, so after everything was set up, I started trying to decided where to focus my studying for today.

I just can't do it! I feel like I am in such an odd place with the test and I feel directionless. I know which sections are my weakest sections. I know that one hard LG or RC passage can destroy my score. I know harder LR questions will trip me up and yet I feel like I have no real grasp on how to improve.

I'm pretty consistent with my sections;

-1/2 LG unless a hard game makes it -5

-6 LR typically with the first section -4 and the second -2

-4 RC unless there is a passage that I have no interest in....(looking at you art....)

Which gives me a score between 165 and 172ish on any given day.

I am super happy I've made it to where I am. I know plateaus can be broken, I've done it before, and you guys have shown me that it is possible with all your awesome stories. I am not done though. I want to get better, I just don't know how.

I know this is vague, I know there probably is no real answer to this problem I'm having other than sucking it up and figuring it out. I just feel very directionless right now. In the past I've always felt like I knew how to improve, and where to focus. Now I just feel like I am spinning my tires in the mud, and not gaining any significant traction on the test.

Thanks for reading, 7Sage is really the best! It's a group of people who understand me. If I had said any of this to most people in my life they'd say....

"Well it can't be that hard, just memorize the important stuff."

It aggravates me that they don't understand the struggles we have with this test!! Thanks for letting me vent.

http://orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker/ for anyone that doesn't know what cookie clicker is

Hey guys so I posted a comment a couple weeks ago on how I was testing at 154 and blind reviewing at 167, well now I am currently testing between 159-163, I obviously am aiming higher but it is satisfying watching yourself improve, so for those who may be frustrated right now keep pushing yourself and you will see results and this is coming from someone who had a diagnostic of a 145.

Hi all!

Getting ready to start PT after finishing up most of the CC (75% done)

Has anyone ripped out section 1 from PT 36 and used it as the section 5 in say.. PT 42? Section 2 from 36 in PT 43, so on...

Printing seems quite expensive around here (seriously staples, $4 per exam?) so I printed 2x 36, 37, 38 and ordered 2 copies of the 10 tests booklet 42-51... Has anyone done anything similar?

Now -- I am concerned with a - I'll "know" and b - skipping PT 36-41 a bad idea and c - how bad are the booklets? Are they similar to the real exam or is it really uncomfortable to take the PT in the booklet?

TIA!

Please link any below

7Sagers,

On Wednesday, August 23, at 9 p.m. ET, we’ll host a special personal statement workshop featuring 7Sage editors Amy Bonnaffons and Chris Schlegel.

Amy and Chris will be workshopping real first drafts submitted by 7Sage students a few weeks ago. This is your chance to see how a professional editor thinks about the revision process. And if that’s not enough to entice you…

At the end of the webinar, we’ll randomly select two attendees for a free round of editing with Chris or Amy!

You’ll find details about joining the webinar below. Farther down still, you’ll find the drafts that Amy and Chris chose. Read them yourself and think about how you would revise.

Webinar: Personal Statement Workshop

Wed, Aug 23, 2017 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM EDT Join by going to this link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/579343661

You can also dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (312) 757-3121

Access Code: 579-343-661 First GoToMeeting? Try a test session: https://care.citrixonline.com/g2m/getready

#---

Essay 1

Many people view Costco as a wonderland of gallon-sized jars of mayonnaise, industrial cans of vegetables, packages of toilet paper large enough to last the average family a year, and $1.50 ready-to-eat hot dog combos that haven’t increased in price for decades. But for me, Costco has been the backbone of my work experience, teaching me valuable skills and work ethic that could only be learned through hands-on experience. My stint at Costco began as a part-time college job to pay living expenses just in time for my first semester at Creighton University. My job at the big box retailer is one aspect of my life that has remained constant throughout my educational pursuits: from graduating college, to studying as a paralegal, to my journey to law school.

My acceptance to Creighton University brought me 1500 miles away from my hometown of Reno, Nevada to the mid-western town of Omaha, Nebraska where I was hired at Costco the week my first semester began. My weekdays were spent waking up before dawn for the 5am shift and leaving by 10am to spend the rest of the afternoon in lectures. I used the weekends to complete homework assignments and worked the late-night shift at Costco. My wages covered rent, food, and other living expenses allowing me to graduate with a de minimis amount of student loans.

Costco not only provided a means of financial support, but lead me to a great deal of self-discovery that ultimately brought me where I am today as I apply to Wake Forest University School of Law to start the next chapter in my educational career; I have learned I am highly organized, work best under pressure, have outstanding time management skills, and enjoy utilizing my strong language skills. Participation in leadership roles on and off the clock including safety committee representative, coordinator for the volunteer reading program, and Live Healthy program advocate for the warehouse promoted my personal growth. Like Creighton, Costco demanded that I give my best to the task at hand no matter how simple.

The rigorous course load of the Jesuit university not only shaped me academically, but also religiously, spiritually, and morally. The religion-based courses, including philosophy and morals and ethics, helped create the foundation for my analytic and research skills. Like many young college students, I did not have a definite academic or professional goal in mind upon beginning college studies and I took a plethora of classes in hopes of expanding my career possibilities. I do not regret the variety of courses that comprise my college transcript as I feel my diverse course load taught me perseverance to finish what I start and gave me a broad range of knowledge. It wasn't until my third year of college that I chose to pursue a degree in Spanish and Hispanic Studies to follow my passion for the language and culture. The major also suited my strength in writing that my professors had so often complimented. My time spent in the Hispanic community and in the classroom as I worked toward my major ignited my passion to study law as it left me wondering how I could help disadvantaged immigrants and minorities in a professional, legal capacity. It became clear to me that higher education could translate my passion into a career that would benefit the common good while satisfying my eagerness to gain knowledge.

Years after obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree, I continued to work at Costco in payroll and human resource administration in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina warehouse. My job at Costco brought my thinking back once again to law. I viewed my position in human resources as a microcosm to the legal system; the company's employee handbook and policies and procedures as the laws and I the attorney advocating the rights of the employees and interpreting policies. I was intrigued to learn about the state and federal laws and regulations that had shaped the company's policies, leave of absence administration, workers' compensation procedures, and other legal matters relating to personnel and employment. My interest in employment law while working at Costco encouraged me to begin a paralegal education that flourished into a career for which I ultimately left my full-time job at Costco.

I can still vividly recall the sweltering, August day that would determine my fate in the application pool of Costco. The day of my scheduled interview, I awoke to find my car totaled by a tornado; I hadn’t even unpacked my moving boxes. Without anyone to call for help, I headed out on the unfamiliar streets of my new town on my bicycle with a folded map in hand. By the time I was able to locate the building, I had arrived over two hours late. Notwithstanding my tardiness, the hiring manager viewed me as a dedicated candidate and hired me on-the-spot. The start of my career at Costco is much like my path to Wake Forest Law; I haven’t always been sure how I would arrive to my destination but I have remained determined and haven’t given up on my dream of law school despite the obstacles that have confronted me.

Essay 2

2016 marked a pivotal year in my life. This was my first direct encounter with the social injustice that plagues our world. Working as a police officer at the Statehouse, every day, several times a day, I would interact with all different walks of life, from the homeless to the governor. While I didn’t realize at the time, there is a stark contrast in the way police officers interact with individuals of majority and minority status.

The catalyst to realizing the true existence of social injustice took place on a cold winter night in December of 2015. Around 11pm the temperature was 10 degrees with the wind chill. Just as any other night I was making my nightly rounds checking high traffic areas along Broad Street, When I received a call of suspicious activity in the parking garage. I arrived several minutes later to a small group of people standing in the garage, simply trying to get out of the cold. I promptly got on the radio and asked what the issue was, to which she replied, “the black man in the blue coat and jeans looks suspicious.” Standing fairly close to him and his daughter, he heard the dispatcher’s reply. The look on his face was of shock; was he being targeted simply because he’s black? The man and his daughter were the only two African Americans in the group. At this point I felt I was there not for a wrong doing but because the color of a man’s skin. While we usually didn’t allow individuals to loiter in the garage, if it was cold we had some discretion. Trying to rectify the situation, I carried on a conversation with the man for several minutes, telling him he was more than welcome to stay as long as he needed to get warm. Before leaving, he introduced himself ad Michael and told me I was the only police officer in his entire life that treated him like a human being. This particularly hit me hard, what made the act of profiling and mistreatment amongst minorities so apparent? Just a few days earlier I worked at a protest of police profiling and brutality amongst minorities, in which the man was present. This man stood up for what he believed in and in particular what was right.

Two months later working day shift, we received a call that an individual that had been shot in the head and needs medical attention. Less than a half mile from Capital Law School, I arrived to the crime scene in shock, this man was no stranger, rather Marshawn was the leader of many of the protests and civil rights movements that had taken place just a few months prior. He was very passionate about equality, especially in regards to police relations among minorities. While some were in shock, the apparent suicide was taken rather lightly by many others, some of which were making jokes and ready to clock out. How could they be so heartless? This was a young man who later we would find out took his own life as a direct retaliation of police profiling. The injustice that he felt could have very well been brought on by one of us, or even myself, which was particularly hard to live with.

As time went on the impact of this man’s suicide only grew on me. I began to think of every instance in which I might have unintentionally engaged in profiling or been unfair based even marginally upon race. I would never stand for such an injustice. This man believed in his cause so much, that he gave his own life. While tragic, this lit a fire in my soul in terms of the many social injustices taking place. I changed my undergraduate major from criminal justice to sociology and began to thoroughly research current injustices and police profiling. This went against everything I have ever been believed, but growth only happens in a state of discomfort. Stagnation turned to chaos. Everything I had ever known was now being challenged. Things were no longer taken at face value. This combination of events, while seemingly meaningless to others, sparked an extreme passion for improving people’s lives. Becoming an attorney would enable me to bring attention to societal issues that are not being addressed, and to give a voice to people like Michael and Marshawn, who tend to be marginalized.

Hey all,

So, I'm taking on 7sage's trial course before making the full plunge with you guys, but something stuck out to me... J.Y. recommends that we study for at least a year before being fully ready for an LSAT attempt.

Nowadays, that "3 attempts every 2 years" policy is gone, so now we can take and re-take without issue. But, he has a good point.

My question is: Do we need to spend a whole other year relearning everything from scratch if we're coming from a competing service like Powerscore? Or is it more realistic to cut it down a bit since I have some of the core basics and experiences down?

I graduate next year and I want to do the best in the LSATs, so if I prepare(not fully commit to it but still understand) the LSATs does anyone think it would be beneficial?

Hi all,

I'm looking for someone who's interested in blind reviewing LR and RC questions in the Washington, DC area. I've come to realize the importance of reviewing questions with others as it really exposes neglected presumptions and enables you to get out of the echo chamber that is your head and look at questions from a unique and original point of view.

I'm preparing for the September/ December take but don't think it matters where you are in your studies. To get the most out of this though I'd imagine you'd be in PT mode. Where you're currently scoring also makes little difference. Although I'm by Foggy Bottom, I'd be willing to travel a reasonable distance to meet.

I am 32 and have a associates in Automation/Robotics. I am currently going back to school for my Electrical Engineering degree, and i am planning on then going through to Law School. I know this is as far from one and other than one can get but it is something that i have been thinking about for a while but have not had the financial means to do so. I am about 24 months out from my degree and i would like to start LSAT prep. I haven't taken a diagnostic test but have looked at a few questions in LG and LR, i might have been able to answer 30% or so, which worried me, because i see everyone else with 145-155 diagnostics scores and i feel i would be far from that. It's crazy to me to read everyone testing in the high 150's/160's.... its a bit intimidating. I haven't taken a class in 10 years or so and the questions really pointed out how many cobwebs are in my head (At least i hope they are cobwebs, and not that i am just not cut out for the LSAT.) I'm sure this forum gets this a lot, but i am simply wondering what you guys think i should do as far as prep?