As I understand it, LSAT is fully digital now and there isn't an option to take the test with actual paper and pencil. I hate not being able to cross out and jot things down in the actual margins of the test. Does anyone have tips or insight on this point? Most folks are probably fine doing digital but I'm old and prefer concrete, pencil and paper tests.

Greetings 7 Sagers,

I was hoping to get some insight on the ethics of contacting schools for application advice. Is it acceptable to touch base with a school and inquire about advice they can give you as a JD applicant? I'm sure there are several people in this community who are either 1) waiting for a decisions, or 2) on the waiting list, and would greatly appreciate some advice. Thanks!

If I plan on taking the LSAT in the Fall, should I take prep tests using the Flex feature or take them normally?

This weekend I sent about 15 emails to alumni of various schools I'm applying to. I'm hoping to gain some advice from them and maybe a pearl or two that I can use in my Why X essays.

I've gotten six responses already, which is more that I expected to receive! Everyone so far has been very warm and willing to get on the phone with me for 20 minutes, so I have a bunch of interviews coming up in the next few days!

Because my outreach has been pretty successful (so far) and because I was really nervous about doing it, I wanted to post my process here, in case a step-by-step guide might help assuage anyone else's nerves.

Here's what I did:

1) On LinkedIn, searched for the law school itself

2) Visited their alumni list

3) Narrowed the list by geography: I chose to see only those who work in the city I plan to work in after graduation (side note: three of my schools had 0 alumni listed as living in my city of choice, so that's food for thought)

4) Narrowed it further by selecting only the alumni who listed law firms as their employer (rather than government, etc).

5) Made a list of the recent graduates

6) Googled them to learn about their firm and what kinds of projects they work on

Bonus: I had originally intended to message folks on LinkedIn, but I realized as I began to google the alumni that most of their firms listed each attorney's email address publicly. So I emailed them instead!

Hope this is helpful!

Hi all,

I have been studying for the LSAT for four months using Khan Academy, after increasing somewhat I eventually found myself plateauing, and at points regressing, while at the same time burning through practice tests. I recently joined 7Sage and find the explanations and lessons helpful, however with other responsibilities it is not realistic for me to complete all lessons and a substantial amount of practice tests in advance of the August or even Fall tests. Does anyone have any advice of your approaches?

Thanks in advance

I've been using 7sage for well over a year. Meaning I have thousands of questions I've already answered and numerous PT's I've already taken. I want to transfer as much data as possible so I don't accidentally run out of material, or on the other side, end up redoing a bunch of questions I've already done. For now I've had to have two tabs open in order to create drills on the new page, using my data from the old site.

One of the staff suggested redoing my PTs on the new site with my old answers, but that would take me several hours at least. Several hours I could spend studying.

Does anyone have a more efficient way to transfer stuff over? At the very least questions ad PT's I've already taken?? Any other suggestions for starting over completely on the new site?

I don't care about the Core Curriculum progress at all, though I wish it were that easy to check box questions and PTs I've already done.

Any suggestions are appreciated, bonus points if I don't have to spend hours upon hours or days upon days to move stuff over.

How do I go about using this? Do I start with completing the syllabus and do drills simultaneously?

After a retake would it be smart to spend extensive time on each sections so let’s say 2 weeks of LG timed sections,2 weeks LR timed sections, 2 weeks RC timed sections ?then wrap up before June ?

Proctors: 4-5 women. One was very particular about not having water bottles on the desks for some reason. Don't think anyone got called out for taking too long. They actually seemed helpful when people had questions.

Facilities: 3rd floor of the law school

What kind of room: Med-Lg size lecture hall

How many in the room: ~100

Desks: More like big tables. Plenty of room for any papers. Lots of space between you and the person/people next to you.

Left-handed accommodation: Since they were tables it wasn't really an issue

Noise levels: Fine, didn't have any issues at all.

Parking: Had to pay but it was a couple blocks away and there was plenty of parking.

Time elapsed from arrival to test: ~2 hours

Irregularities or mishaps: None

Other comments: I think this is a great spot to take the test. Of all of the things I was worried about, none happened.

Would you take the test here again? Yes, actually I am in June.

Date[s] of Exam[s]: 12/2015

Hi everyone! Hope everyone is foing okay during these difficult times and have all they need (or at least teh capacity to get what they need). I also hope you are practicng social distancing and takign advantage of all the streaming services available!

I have decided to take a gap year to really work hard to get the score I need and want before I apply to law school. I am planning to, ideally, register for the September and/or October LSAT(s). I'll have at least 6 months to study for this exam if I use April-May to go through the core curriculum again while doing online remote learning (with a potential pass/fail transcipt recording) and I will ideally start focusing on timed practice (PTs and sections) starting in June until the end of the summer and/or until I take the exam. I will be able to study full-time during the summer and potentially until I take the exam. I have not done any kind of studying since October of last year and none of the studying I have done in the last 6 months was consistent so it is safe to say I am starting from square 1, with some knwoledge of the lsta and curriculum.

I would like to get some thougths on a few things:

Anyone planning on taking the October LSAT? How far are you along in the course and how much time do you dedicate per day. Just wondering how everyone else is doing!

Proctors: Let people choose where they wanted to sit. One ate a sandwich during the test...

Facilities: The university itself is nice and small. The room our test was in however...

What kind of room: A small classroom.

How many in the room: About 30

Desks: SMALL FOLDING DESKS. THE MOST TERRIBLE DESKS IMAGINABLE.

Left-handed accommodation: I didn't pay attention.

Noise levels: Terrible. The window was open and you could hear people laughing/yelling outside. People walked by our classroom talking loudly and the proctors didn't even go out to tell them to be quiet.

Parking: I was dropped off.

Time elapsed from arrival to test: About 40 minutes. They had everyone line up outside in four rows and then each row walked single-file to a different classroom. It was strange. None of the other locations I tested at did this.

Irregularities or mishaps: ^The walking/lining up thing really threw me off. It was unexpected.

Other comments: Terrible. Avoid this location if you can for the small desks alone, not to mention all the other weird parts about it.

Would you take the test here again? NO

Date[s] of Exam[s]: October 2015

Are any of you planning to apply this cycle with your Jan LSAT score? I’m up in the air because while I really don’t want to wait around another year, I’m not sure I will get the best scholarships I’m wanting/the highest chance of admission, yet my dream school’s ‘ideal’ deadline is March 31st, with a final deadline in June.

Any opinions appreciated. I’ve been listening to a lot of ThinkingLSAT and I feel like I am talking myself out of applying this cycle, even though I’ll be well within the timeframe that the school gives.

Long time user of 7Sage here. I've studied for the LSAT for a while now and I scored a 170 on test day and I'm planning to retaking for a high 170s score. My PTs have ranged from 169-178, but I am still quite inconsistent within this range.

I've been considering going through the Core Curriculum. I've watched a few videos before but have never actually sat down to go through the whole thing. I'm now considering going through the CC because I have decided to apply not this upcoming cycle, but the following one, and so I do have more time to study. I'd like to improve in all 3 sections but my current weaknesses are:

Formal Logic (not including conditional logic, but just operating the Most/Some statements and those questions).

Weird games (pattern games, mapping games, circular games in PowerScore language. Think Employee Workpiece game or Virus game).

Rule substitution questions.

Science passages in RC.

Curve-breaker RC/LR questions.

Consistency in all 3 sections (to go from -2 to -3 to -0 to -1 consistency.

I'd say that I'm strong at LG (able to go -0 to -3) but I'm also seeking more consistency. Would you say that the LG portion of the Core Curriculum is worth going through if one has already done all the games there and even watched most the explanation videos for those particular games? Is there anything different between the explanations for LG within the CC vs. the explanation videos for the games taught in the CC (found under Problem Sets > Explanation Videos)? I've heard rave reviews about the LG portion of the CC specifically from quite a few people, so I'm wondering if it's worth going through or whether it's more for someone who's still making a ton of mistakes?

I don't think it's really necessary for me to go through the CC, but I do think that it might help solidify my knowledge and cover any remaining weaknesses I have.

How long did it take you to go through the entire CC (not counting doing the actual PTs included in there)?

I was thinking that I would skip some of the LR/RC Problem Sets because I've developed my own system of allocation for the PTs and I don't have that many fresh PTs left, so I want to be careful not to use up any fresh PTs/sections. How long would just watching the video lessons take (not including the problem sets)?

I would also love any advice about how you went about going through the CC/what to skip/what's important. Did you take a lot of notes? Did any of you high scorers (170+) do something similar where, for a retake, you went back to the fundamentals? Did it pay off to do so?

The proctor went a little fast for me. She kind of rushed the paper work in the beginning, and before the start of a section she would start the timer a little too fast for me to be able to let my brain catch up at the end of the section. The facilities were good, the room was relatively well lighted, the clock was within a distance where I could easily discern the time, and the tables which were long wooden ones in rows with 2 to 3 people each were relatively comfortable. There were about 40 people in the room. I did not see any left handed accommodation but of course that was also because they were just desks and you had room enough to lean to the left or right in order to take the test, whichever your comfortable with. Noise level was good and minimal. I got a ride there so I'm not too sure how the parking was like. It didn't take long for us to start the test after completing the initial paperwork. Less than 20 minutes. There was one mishap, which was during my break when one of the test takers in front of me was called outside with his test because he had been in possession with a digital watch which the proctor failed to notice despite the fact that it was on the table. I'm not sure I would want to take the test there again, it was too far and everything felt too rushed. Our group was the first to finish the test and things seemed slightly disorganized. I took the test there in December 2014.

I totally forgot about the scratch paper. The thing is right after I finished it was completely silent for a minute or so, so I just closed the connection with proctor u.

Was I supposed to rip up scratch paper in front of camera? Obviously after I realized this I did throw it away and ripped it up, but hours after. Will people be penalized if not ripping it up in front of camera afterwards?

Proctors: Either the proctor could not read, or it was the first time she read the LSAT instructions.

Facilities: The restrooms are close by. The building is old but it has everything.

What kind of room: Big lecture room(s).

How many in the room: 100+

Desks: Well you have chairs with tablet arms. At lease enough space to put your answer sheet there. I spread the test booklet on my lap and put my watch on the chair next to mine.

Left-handed accommodation: Didn't pay attention but I would say no.

Noise levels: Minimum

Parking: Ample parking close to the building.

Time elapsed from arrival to test: People were still arriving after 8:30 am. I would say we did not start till 10 am.

Irregularities or mishaps: I sat in the front row and the proctors whispered on and on during one section - in the end, I had to stop them.

Other comments: The test center is not at St. Johns Law school, but one of the main lecture hall in the university. Your LSAT instruction sheet will not reveal this till one week before the test. The proctors are not familiar with this test so they are lax about the procedure. You can bring your cell phones to the test center - they will just store the phones in a white plastic box. The bad thing is that one phone went off during the test...

Would you take the test here again? I was reassigned there (from Hofstra). I don't want to take it again at this place even though I got my highest score.

Date[s] of Exam[s]: 2015 Dec

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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

Proctors: Very familiar with the procedure and strictly following them.

Facilities: Restrooms are close by and everything is clean and perfect.

What kind of room: Medium-sized lecture rooms.

How many in the room: 50 - 80

Desks: Long desks, more than enough space to spread out your stuff

Left-handed accommodation: Yes

Noise levels: Minimum

Parking: Ample parking in front of the building.

Time elapsed from arrival to test: Everyone was lined up in the first floor lobby first (testing rooms are on the second floor) and got assigned a piece of paper. If you arrive at 8:25 or later, you probably will have to be escorted to the testing rooms. The test started at around 9:30.

Irregularities or mishaps: Once during the test I heard a car alarm go off for about 15 seconds.

Other comments: The test center is at Hofstra Law School. People there are familiar with the test and the testing conditions are ideal. This place is just quiet throughout. The proctors can be very strict.

Would you take the test here again? Absolutely!

Date[s] of Exam[s]: 2014 Sept, 2015 Oct.

Is it advisable to make a light hearted joke at the beginning of a personal statement? Something that draws the reader in and plays a part in the picture I'm trying to paint. I'm just not sure if it's advisable or not, but if anyone can chime in their two cents it would be appreciated.

This is the sentence for context: I vividly remember May 24th, 2014, partially because it was my mother’s birthday and I knew she wouldn’t let me live it down if I forgot it two years in a row, but mainly because it was the last day to submit courses....

I applied to a few schools recently that interview prior to admissions.

If anyone's interested in a mock interview partner helping one another get better at interviewing and are serious about it, then send me a message and we can do mock interview sessions on skype.

I am using an LSAC-provided Microsoft Surface Go tablet for the Flex. LSAC said they will not provide a stylus with the tablet. I asked them if I could buy a stylus for the test that works with the surface tablet, they said they do not believe so. While I doubt they presented me with incorrect information, I am a bit confused because they provided the stylus with in-person digital tests. Why would LSAC not provide/allow Flex testers to utilize a stylus?

Has anyone used an LSAC-provided tablet and used a stylus? If so, how did it go? Or, if you used your fingers, how was it? Were you having to press twice or jumping to the wrong questions because the numbers are close together?

Any general advice or experience using an LSAC-provided MSG tablet would be much appreciated!

Overall, I thought this test center was ideal for testing conditions. The proctors started the formal LSAT instructions right as the last person was seated. I was one of the last few students seated but I still had time to use the restroom, which was attached to the testing room, before the formal LSAT instructions began.

Proctors:

I thought the proctors did a really good job. They were very professional and friendly. They followed the LSAT instructions and remembered to give us the five minute warning for each section. One of the proctors did walk around which was distracting at times. I’m not really sure if they are required to for rooms that are very narrow so some students may be harder to see than others from the middle of the room. In any case, thank goodness the proctor with the flip-flops on was not the proctor walking around. Flip-flops are the least noise-friendly shoe for testing environments.

Facilities:

Small law school in the heart of Sacramento with three rooms: one large room upstairs; one medium-sized room on the first floor; and one small sized-room on the first floor. All of the rooms are fairly small in comparison to the large auditorium/gym sized rooms other LSATs are administered at. A thin(ish) wall separates the medium-sized and small-sized rooms so we could faintly hear the formal instructions from the small room after time had started for section 1. It wasn’t horribly distracting compared to Mr. Sniffles sitting next to me and the incessant scribbling by what felt like everyone in the room during section 1.

What kind of room:

I was in the medium sized room with no windows, which at first can give you an Alcatraz-feel, but this is absolutely perfect for testing.

How many in the room:

Approximately 20-25 were assigned to my room, the medium-sized room. There is a smaller room and it seemed like half as many students were assigned there. I can’t speak to how many were seated in the largest room upstairs but I can’t imagine more than another 35-40 students.

Desks:

These desks/tables are the business! There are two seats per desk/table but only one LSAT student was assigned per table, which was perfect. The desk had a flat surface, which was exciting because I’ve taken practice tests with desks/tables that did not have flat surfaces. Not the business.

Left-handed accommodation:

Since the desks are flat tables that seat two and you get it all to yourself, I imagine you would be perfectly comfortable with this set-up.

Noise levels:

Not bad. The only thing semi-abnormal was that we started section 1 before the room next to us finished hearing their formal instructions so we could somewhat hear noise from that direction. It was fairly silent throughout the rest of the test. One of the proctors left once or twice and I was seated by the door but that was not a big deal at all, especially since I had to get used to Mr. Sniffles next to me. Overall, I’m very happy that there was no parade outside, construction project, children’s soccer game, university football game (there is no university close by), or even an ambulance passing by that I heard, which is surprising for downtown Sacramento. This may be in part due to the lack of windows in the room.

Parking:

There is parking at a neighboring law firm and also in the Safeway parking lot. There are signs at the Safeway parking lot stating that the parking is for customer use only but I did see many test takers park there without being towed. I didn’t want to risk it so I got a ride to the test center. It makes the day a little less stressful so I’ll take any ounce of relief I can get!

Time elapsed from arrival to test:

I waited outside of the law school from 8:15-8:30am. Staff opened the doors at 8:30am, asked the students to stand in two single-filed lines, and they checked everyone in at the door. Each of the three testing rooms has a restroom so you could use it before the test starts. Our proctor was nice enough to have a last call for restroom breaks right before she got started with the formal LSAC instructions. No one expressed interest so we got started right away. Our group was the first group to start and end. I didn’t have a reliable watch indicating the time in the outside world (all of my watches are pre-set to 9 o’ clock) but I assume we got started around 8:45. This was way better timing than I had imagined so I was very happy about this.

Irregularities or mishaps:

Nothing concerning.

Other comments:

Overall, I’m very pleased with testing at this location and I would highly encourage anyone in the area to test at this location. I definitely expected a much more stressful experience at the test center but the staff and the small setting made test day the best possible experience.

Would you take the test here again?

Yes!

Date[s] of Exam[s]: September 24, 2016

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