I wrote my personal statement and already submitted it to one school, the only school I have a shot of not having to move out-of-state, but I have a bad feeling about it now. I performed really bad on the Feb LSAT. I was not prepared. I will have to retake the June, and fortunately, the school I applied to accepts the June LSAT. Overall, I will be applying to many other schools shortly, and would greatly appreciate a set of unbiased (not friends, not family, and not paid to) eyes. Thank you!
General
New post37 posts in the last 30 days
Proctors: Very professional and helpful.
Facilities: Really great - held in the SU law school building. One advantage here - you can take PTs in this building to get used to the space before your administration (I suggest coming on a Friday, when they have less classes). I took 3-4 PTs here before my actual test and really felt at ease due to familiarity with the space.
What kind of room: Large lecture style classroom.
How many in the room: Probably 50
Desks: Long table desks shared by 2 students each for the administration - there was plenty of room to work.
Left-handed accommodation: I didn't pay attention to this, but there was so much space it probably wasn't an issue.
Noise levels: Very quiet.
Parking: Tough in this area, unless you want to pay for on campus parking; I got dropped off
Time elapsed from arrival to test: This was my only complaint, mandated arrival time was 8:30, then check-in, after which you are not allowed to use the bathroom... we didn't begin the test until close to 10, so it can be a long time to wait before the break to use the bathroom.
Irregularities or mishaps: One person did not have a scantron inside her shrink-wrapped test booklet. The proctors had to stop the whole room to go find her a scantron, and it probably delayed our start time by about 15 minutes. However, I'm not sure the test center or proctors could have done anything differently to avoid this.
Other comments: My main complaint is the severe restrictions on bathroom use, but the LSAC is to blame for that, not the test center.
Would you take the test here again? Yes
Date[s] of Exam[s]: 12/5/15
I don't intend on working during my 1L year, but how many people here plan on working during law school? How many hours?
Proctors: The main test administrator and proctors were hires by LSAC for administering the test at this site. They were no affiliated with the law school. One of the proctors who was sort of an assistant wasn't very competent. She was asked to read the instructions before the start of the section from the test booklet like proctors are supposed to do and she had trouble reading basic english sentences and couldn't pronounce certain words. She also interrupted me just as the test began about something related to seating, which affected me during the section. If she had any questions, she should have finished them before the section began. Other than that, proctors were typically quiet as the test was going on.
Facilities: Restrooms are located on the same floor as the test rooms. They weren't crowded during the break.
What kind of room: The test was held in several small rooms. Each room had about 20 desks and for my test administration they seated 1 person on each desk. But for more recent test administrations, they seem to have taken to seating 2 people per desk which can make it very crowded. I would suggest any taking there first call the JFKU law school and ask about seating only 1 per desk. This crowded seating was the reason I didn't retake at the same location.
How many in the room: About 20/room when I took. For later tests, about 40/room.
Desks: About 4-5ft long desk.
Left-handed accommodation:i am not lefty so don't know. My guess is that based on the type of desks the rooms had, it shouldn't make a difference.
Noise levels: Very quiet.
Parking: Plenty of free parking right outside the building.
Time elapsed from arrival to test: About 1 hour.
Irregularities or mishaps: I had the proctor interrupt me just as I was beginning the test, which threw me off for the rest of section and test. During later administrations during Oct 2015, I heard the proctors had trouble arranging rooms, and so they overcrowded test takers on desks.
Other comments: Fine test center except for bad seating and poor proctoring.
Would you take the test here again? Not unless they can fix the seating so there is only 1 person /desk. 2/desk is took crowded and distracting.
Date[s] of Exam[s]: June 2014
Proctors: Two easygoing proctors. They want you to do well so they are worried that there are no distractions (such as, people coughing/sneezing too much, noise outside the classroom, and people with annoying tics). Proctors do not mind if you take a couple of more seconds (after time is up) to finish with the section (they even wait for you:)
Facilities: Restrooms are kind of far from the classrooms (but if you run to your way there and your way back, you are just fine! The running also help you to release stress).
Kind of Classroom: small classroom
How many in the classroom: 20 (we all have a lot of space in between us)
Desk: Fabric tablet arm chair (very comfortable; your buns won't hurt after being seated for 5 hours).
Left Handed Accommodation: There were two people who were accommodated accordingly.
Noise Level: The classrooms that were assigned for LSAT purposes were isolated from main hallways, food courts, or populated areas. LSAT takers were in classrooms that were close to each other. In other words, no noise.
Parking: Free, plentiful, very close to the area where we had to meet before going to our corresponding classrooms.
Time elapsed from arrival to test: 1h 15m. Got there at 7:30 AM, we started the exam at 8:45 AM
Irregularities/mishaps: None. All the proctors were very efficient and super nice.
Dates of Exam: June 2015 and October 2015
Other Comments: I love the atmosphere at Broward College; you can feel the positive energy, which really helped me that day because I didn't sleep well, I was nervous and had a lot of anxiety. Proctors were very friendly and you can feel that they want you to do well. I highly recommend Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida
Hi,
I was averaging a good -3 to -7(hard ones) on RC.
PT 59 RC section killed me... -11
I got 167. Did okay on other 3 sections.
The worst part of it is that I felt good about the RC.
I thought I nailed the section. Had some time left, at the end, to review the questions.
Bad sign right???? Confidence error?
I have been studying for more than six months at this point. I am hoping to take the June 2016 LSAT. My last 10 preptest have been between 159-163 with three of the preptest at a 161 and three at a 159. My goal is around a 165. I was getting around -3 or -2 on the games but my last PT (71) I got -6 but in BR I got -0. I just started taking the 70s PT and my LR score has dropped from averaging around -5 or -6 to -8 or -9 per each section. On RC I average -7. I am feeling super discouraged. Any tips on what I can do differently in my studying? Ways to improve my score? Should I go through the 7sage curriculum or the trainer again? I will say that my first timed test score was a 149.
Am I sadly completely clueless - or is the LSAT Blog option under the Discussion menu new??
I have 7Sage Discussion Forum on my bookmarks Bar - so I rarely use the Discussion option through the menus...
I am BR'ing for BR call tomorrow night BUT all I want to do is read all of the info on the Blog - arrgghhhh
7Sage offers so much - cannot believe that I completely missed this...
I am going to have so much fun on Sunday reading through the Blog:)
edited to add link: https://classic.7sage.com/lsatblog
Hi 7Sagers,
I'm looking to get some input from you all. The community here is amazing, so I'm looking forward to some great suggestions.
To give you a little background on my situation:
I took the December LSAT (been scoring in the low-to mid 150s and should have probably not taken it either way, since my goal score is in the 160s) and got a devastating score in the low 140s.
Before this I had been studying for about 5-6 months, with 2-3 months intense study (quit my job the last two months to dedicate time to a big move and my LSAT studies). I've studied with the LSAT trainer and all three Powerscore books and took about 20 PTs total.
I took off some time to mentally recuperate from this disappointment, decided to pick the books back up and study for the June LSAT. I just purchased the Manhattan LR book, because I've heard some better reviews on this compared to the Powerscore books and I need some fresh material.
LG is my strength, LR is pretty much hit or miss, and RC is too. I'd really like to get to a point where I'm getting close to -1 or -2 in LG (I was at around -3 or -4 at my best) and strengthen my LR skills to improve in that department as well. I've kind of given up on RC and am going to focus on my time management mainly to get through all passages and score points that way.
Now I'm wondering if a June LSAT will be feasible to reach my 160s goal, or if I should give myself some more time and rather shoot for September? I'm also not sure how to get back into studying, as I'm finding myself easily discouraged/unmotivated when I try to get back into it. Any suggestions on this? I know it's mental laziness and I probably just need to get it back together. I now work a full-time 8-5 job.
Also, should I still focus on basic skills and revisit lectures and books to strengthen those, or should I mainly focus on PT's and PT BR from here on out? I'm not sure how to attack this, but I know I have to do it differently this time around.
Thanks!
Jennifer
Hi everyone!
First off, I'd like to say that I've been on 7Sage since 2014 and really admire and respect this community. You are all extremely dedicated and talented, and you motivate me to work harder, better, and smarter.
That being said, I need some advice: I took the Feb. 2016 LSAT, and scored a 171. My GPA is 3.78, and I'm reaching for the T-14.
I've taken the LSAT once before (June 2014, the dreaded PT 72!) and cancelled, so this was my second admin.
I'm wondering if I should retake it in June, given that my PT average was 173. I know that 171 is a respectable score, yet in terms of scholarship $$$ and the potential to hit an even higher score, I'm wondering if it's worth another go.
I'm hesitant because I know that schools like Columbia, Stanford, and Berkeley may not favor a third take (unless you scored way below target on the first two and/or cancelled, etc.)
What do you all think? I welcome any and all advice. Thanks =)
Hey guys! First of all a huge thank you to the 7sage community -- you guys have definitely been instrumental throughout this whole LSAT monkey business. I started studying last year and sat for my first take in Dec. Maybe I was nervous, maybe game 3 was a doozy but I scored 165, which was 2 points below my diagnostic (Preptest A). I had been averaging 173/174 before Dec so I decided to retake. By February I was averaging 175/176 and ended up with a 173.
My concern is that I'm a splitter. My GPA (3.45) is well below the 25ths of most schools I'm looking at, so I know I have to pull off an LSAT in the 75th. Do I retake and try to pull a 175+? How bad does a third take look?
I'm not applying until fall of next year so I have plenty of time, but a retake would be significatly harder to arrange because I will be abroad and would have to travel to another country for a testing center.
Anyway, would a few more points be worth it?
*I am also URM, which might affect admission chances
Hi guys,
Looking for some advice. I didn't take a diagnostic at the beginning of my prep and am now wishing I did just to have some sort of number in my head. I have been doing very light prep and really only worked on basic sequencing logic games, so I'm wondering if I still should? My concern is that this limited prep will inflate my diagnostic somewhat and I would like to have it be sort of a raw score. Part of me says screw it and keep prepping and achieve numbers once I start PT's, but part of me wants to know. What do you think I should do? Thanks!
Splitting the Boards with Sage Corey Janson
Thursday, March 3rd | 9pm ET
Sage Corey (176) takes on one of the hottest logic games topics of all times: When to split the boards! I won't spoil anything for you by telling you his answer (hint: it's not "all the time.")
To join the webinar, please do the following:
Splitting the Boards with Sage Corey Janson
Thu, Mar 3, 2016 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM CST
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/961867885
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States +1 (224) 501-3312
Access Code: 961-867-885
Note on all webinars: Only the live webinars are free and open to the public. No recordings will be made publicly available, but we do plan to make webinars available to 7sage's students in the future as part of the paid course. So if you want to get some great webinar content for free, be sure to attend the live version. Furthermore, any recording or broadcasting of webinars is strictly prohibited (Periscope, screencapture, etc.) and constitutes a violation of LSAC's copyright. Copyright infringement is not a good way to start a legal career.
Proctors: The proctors were very nice but also very strict about items allowed in the room. I was forced to throw away an energy drink because it had text on the outside and many people were similarly asked to throw away food items, etc.
Facilities: Very easy to navigate. There were restrooms, drinking fountains, and other facilities typical of a campus building.
What kind of room: It was a typical law forum room shaped in a semi-circle with tiered row seating.
How many in the room: About 20 test takers
Desks: Continuous desks throughout each row which provided more than enough room to feel comfortable.
Left-handed accommodation: Yes.
Noise levels: Low.
Parking: Parking was fairly straight forward and easy. The meters to buy your parking pass were sort of difficult to find at first but they're located near the elevators. Parking only cost about $5 for 12 hours so it was relatively cheap.
Time elapsed from arrival to test: About 30-45 minutes.
Irregularities or mishaps: Someone's phone went off during the test and he was removed. Leave your phone in your car, it's not worth the risk!
Other comments: The classroom was very comfortable and the "continuous" desks in the room provided substantial room.
Would you take the test here again? Yes, absolutely.
Date[s] of Exam[s]:
February 2016
Hi Everyone!
Just a heads up. Got the below email from Cambridge LSAT regarding their LSAT content.
"You may have seen the announcement on our website, but just in case, please see the points below.
Our license to sell LSAT materials to the "general public" has been revoked, and as of August 15th, we will no longer be selling official PrepTest content in either digital form or paperback form. Should you have any questions about LSAC's digital content policy, please inquire with them directly.
We will continue to offer downloadable explanations for a broad range of PrepTests.
Our bookstore will remain open for purchase of mostly non-Cambridge paperbacks and Kindle eBooks.
We have a very limited number of the Ultimate LSAT Prep Package (paperback) bundle at a special discount. These won't last long!
Complete explanations for the Official LSAT PrepTest 75 (June 2015) are available for instant download.
It has been our pleasure providing high-quality downloadable materials over the past six years, and unfortunately, there wasn't a way to both satisfy LSAC's requirements and keep our downloads free from onerous restrictions. If you feel, like we do, that LSAC's digital policy is unnecessarily restrictive and harms students preparing for the test, please voice your disapproval. If enough students express discontent with the status quo, LSAC might reconsider its position.
Sincerely,
Cambridge LSAT"
TL;DR their license expires on August 15th so if you plan on using Cambridge for drilling and/or tests, plan to buy before then!
My question is this:
Is the syllabus scaffolded in such a way for me to perform better on all parts of the test or should I be mixing in practice questions along with the courses/lessons? I guess what I'm really trying to ask is, how much practice should I be doing outside of the courses to improve?
Because as I finish one part of the syllabus I feel as if I haven't mastered that part.. Should I continue through the course syllabus and then return to practice questions for places I need improvement? Or should I master one part of the LSAT then move to the next course?
I'm sorry for the confusing/ambiguous nature of this question...
- Charlie
https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-59-section-2-question-21
Struggling so hard with why C is right and E is wrong. I didn't like either answer choice but under time pressure, chose E because thought C was challenging the premise. I've watched JY's vid and read the available forum posts. I get that "implausible" leaves room for the premise to be bent. But all this is just muddled in my brain now.
I'd really appreciate it if someone could explain this in a different way so I can find a way for this to stick in my head and figure out how to attack similar questions in the future and where I went wrong!
fairly simple question, how much more would a law school be willing to accept a student with a high LSAT score but a low GPA?
for some background: currently my GPA is a 2.0 with a year and a half's worth of credits underneath my belt and 2 and a half years left to go (7.5/20 credits to graduate; 5 credits a year). i was in a flux with my first three years of college not knowing what to do and underachieving/dropping classes. ever since i decided to go to law school last summer i made a serious effort to change my life around and completely became a different person. i also addressed my ADHD, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems so im in a much better position than i was before. Now i do whatever it takes to get my grades as high as i can so i can go above a 3 at least. in order to graduate on time to start law school by next august i basically have to do 2.5 years of school in 1.5 years. apart from school i study for the LSAT whenever i can and also be more involved with my fraternity.
with that all said, my dream law school is Vanderbilt Law. i havent been able to visit being all the way from canada but from my research it just seem ideal for me in terms of location, atmosphere, environment, academic quality, etc. I also know that the schools tuition alone is ~$50,000. because of that i have committed myself to scoring over a 170 on test day. its higher than the 75%ile of 168 but i want to earn a full ride. i am confident that if i study, and work hard i can get the score.
My fear is that even with a high lsat score i wont be accepted or wont get the kind of scholarship money im going for (i fall under under represented minority but i dont use that as a crutch). Am i overthinking this or am i reasonable to worry? (i literally cannot go a day anymore without thinking about being accepted to the school, its that bad) any sort of guidance would help please!!
U.S. News is going to release the new law school rankings on Wednesday, March 16th.
Hello everyone!
I wanted to take a moment to formally introduce myself to the 7Sage LSAT community. I am located in Nevada and hope to someday go to the UNLV Boyd School of Law. I am very excited to be a part of this community and hope the learning experience will be fun.
I have been using the free LG explanations and have seen drastic improvement--from getting around 8 right to only missing 1 or 2. I did this in about 12 weeks time (now if only my LR and RC would follow suit XD ). I was initially enrolled in a Testmasters course for the June LSAT, but the class ended up getting cancelled because of low enrollment. Between the time I started my prep 12 weeks ago and the date my TM course was supposedly going to start, I became infatuated with the 7Sage processes and learning methods. I really feel like it is a great bunch of people in this community. The only thing holding me back from formally enrolling was finances. I had already dropped $1500 on the TM course and did not have any spare cash to pay for 7Sage on top of TM. Fortunately for me, TM ended up being a flop, and I was able to get my money back. I have decided to make 7Sage my go to for LSAT prep. I can't help but think that this was meant to be.
Since I have only been prepping about 12 weeks, I am still very new to all of this. Feel free to drop any advice for this LSAT noob! Thus far I have only been through the PS bibles and the first half of the The Trainer. My initial diagnostic was 142 and my highest has been a 148. No too bad for self prep I think, but I am definitely in need of more help. Goal score is 165. I have only taken 5 PT's and they have all been in the 140s. That said, I think I am ready to kick it into gear with the LSAT and work my ass off.
Anywho, that's my story in a nutshell. Thank you in advance for all of the insightful lessons to come.
-DJ
Thank you 7Sage. I just received an acceptance email from my UNM. It was my #1 choice all along, since I live in New Mexico and intend on a career in environmental law and policy - and that schools has the a good clinical and natural resources elective. Anyhoo - yes, I did work my ass off and yes there was much blood, sweat and tears - but really JY Ping saved me sorry behind and for that, I thank you.
PS. On friday, I got priority wait listed by CU Boulder. But that's another story.
Proctors: One proctor in the room, her accent was quite strong but she spoke very slowly so I was still able to understand her.
Facilities: The LSAT was on one floor of the building, very easy to find with multiple testing rooms.
What kind of room: The room was small but everyone had an entire desk to themselves and there were plenty of windows, so the lighting was perfect. Also had a beautiful view of the North Shore mountains and the Lion's Gate bridge so that wasn't too bad either ;)
How many in the room: I think there were about 8 people writing the exam in one room, which was great because it didn't feel crowded at all.
Desks: Desks were huge! And there was only one person per desk, so tons of room!
Left-handed accommodation: N/A
Noise levels: Perfect. I was worried that with the test centre being downtown there would be a lot of traffic/construction noise but it was silent.
Parking: I got a ride down, but I imagine you'd be paying an arm and a leg if you decide to park. It is downtown Vancouver after all :/
Time elapsed from arrival to test: ~30 mins
Irregularities or mishaps: N/A
Other comments: I'd highly recommend this location over BCIT or UBC if you live in the Lower Mainland. Very few people chose this location in comparison.
Would you take the test here again?: I will never take the LSAT again for as long as I live. But if someone put a gun to my head, then yes, I'd chose this location again :D
Date[s] of Exam[s]: Saturday, October 3rd, 2015
Hi all,
I have been studying off of the Powerscore for a month or so before signing up with 7Sage. I have made some great gains through Powerscore but I felt I needed something more. I didn't want to take an onsite class after reviewing some of the instructors ( they can really make or break a learning experience) and found that online studying's self pace makes it easy to adjust the curriculum to one's learning curve.
I was just wondering if anyone has switched from a self study like Powerscore to 7Sage, how are you studying? Do you supplement 7Sage with the self study book?
In my case, I have the Powerscore material and am thinking about going through the core curriculums simultaneously. For example, I would watch all 7Sage "main point" videos and then jump straight into Powerscore "main point" chapter right after. I'm not sure if that double whammy would work for or against me. The concerns are 1. conflicting techniques that counter each other and 2. time (it would take way more time to go through both)
Then another thought is to just go through the 7Sage core curriculum as soon as possible so I can jump into the PT's, since the actual PT's will be the true studying. ... any thoughts, comments, suggestions are welcome.
Please excuse typos.
So, I’ve been self studying for almost a year, but just started with 7Sage and quit my job to study full time; and I’ve already used two of my LSAT attempts. So, if I take it in June I’ll have to either rush the curriculum or miss out on a lot of PTs and BRs. If I take it in September, I’m worried I won’t have enough PTs to last (18 left and only 6 from the 60s/70s). I didn’t BR before, so was thinking if I opt for September I could maybe fill some of the time with BRing old PTs. I know that’s not ideal, but it’s what I’ve got. My average PT score from before joining 7Sage is only 4 points from my target score, so it’s not like I’m so far out of range that June is completely unreasonable. I would love to be able to get my applications in ahead of the avalanche that inevitably follows the fall LSAT score release, but not if it means decreasing my odds of reaching my target score. I’m really just kind of thinking out loud here, but it’s become really difficult for me to see all of this with any perspective, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The proctor was organized and thorough, and communication was good. She made sure everyone heard and understood the rules before carrying on in reading out instructions. The room was relatively easy to find, it was well lit. There were no windows, but that didn't make it feel uninviting or uncomfortable. There were rows of long wooden desks going down the middle of the room seating two or three people each. I didn't notice any left handed accommodation, but there might have been one. There wasn't much need for it on the rows of desks because there was room enough between test takers that one could write the test either from their right or left. There were around 40 students in the room and noise level during the test was perfect, there was no disturbances. Finding the room inside the building was relatively easy, the only downside was finding a place to park. It took half an hour to get through all the pre-test formalities. It was close to me, one of the assistants of the proctors had been really funny and friendly, and facilities were great. I would definitely take the test there again if I had to. I took the test on October 2015.