Hey everyone!
I just had a quick question about drilling. I have noticed that I am not very good at NA questions. I was wondering how some of you have gone about shoring up these question specific weaknesses once you've realized them. I did most of the problem sets during the CC so any advice on to general practices or where to pull questions from would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Hello everyone,
I was wondering if anyone had any information as to how long it takes LSAC to receive and process letters of recommendation sent through the mail. My recommender put his letter in the mail on November 13th and I still have not gotten an update from LSAC. I checked to make sure that they sent the correct form with the letter and they confirmed that they did. Should I be worried?
Thank you!
Thank you everyone for the advice! I think as of now I am going to sit for February. I just have to figure out how to go about applying for this year's cycle. I'll probably apply to most of the T-14 and then send them an email to evaluate my app without waiting for the February score.
@ If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing about applying in the meantime? I think there's a lot of sense in what you're saying about not applying to HSY yet but outside of those 3, what's your strategy?
Hey! I had to write one for a traffic ticket I got awhile back. Would be willing to swap if anyone wants to. @ @
Hey everyone,
I just want to thank everyone for their support and helpfulness over the course of my LSAT journey. I started at a 150 diagnostic and was able to score a 165 in September and now a 169 in December. I attribute this improvement to the wholesome 7Sage community and superior curriculum. For anyone that hasn't had the experience of using the 7Sage curriculum, it is entirely worth it.
However, I did have a question about the February LSAT. My undergraduate GPA is around a 3.94-3.95 and I'm planning on blanketing the T-14 (besides Yale) for this year's cycle. Do you think I should apply now or plan on retaking in February? From what I've been hearing, most people would advise that I retake for scholarship/waitlist purposes but I'm worried about how a lower score could reflect on my chances when it's released in February. I've been really going back & forth on this and would immensely appreciate any of input.
Hello everyone,
I had a quick question regarding my undergraduate GPA. I am taking a graduate seminar with one of my school's political science professors. I am hoping that the extra exposure will result in a better letter or reccomendation. However, I was concerned about the possible ramifications on my GPA.
Will it be included in calculating my undergraduate GPA? Will it matter all that much to law school admissions?
Thank you!
Hey Everyone,
Hope everyone is progressing through their studies. I had a quick question regarding BR methods for PT's. I have heard several people reference that they continue fool proofing LG as they PT. I think that this a great idea, but I'm unsure how to go about it. For example, I just took PT40 today (flight game absolutely killed me). After taking the PT, should I watch the explanation videos for the game and then try to do the game again/week later?
Also, if you wouldn't mind just quickly sharing, how long does it normally take you to BR? I'm hoping to take ~1-2 PT's per week and was thinking that I could PT in the morning, BR 2 sections later in the day, and then BR the last 2 the following day. Does this sound feasible?
As always, thank you for your responses.
I've gotten that a few times but it's gone away after I closed out the browser and tried again. LSAC is picky over not having 2 windows open even when there's not.
@ @
Do you guys mean that you're writing one optional essay for all of your schools? Or do you mean that you're writing all of the optional essays for each school?
Thank you guys! @ @ I can always rely on you to reply.
My primary concern is that it'll hold up my apps that I hope to be completing in the next week or so. I would pretty much be strictly using the Feb. LSAT for the potential wait-list negotiations following a decision based on the numbers that I have now.
Another factor; I would be pretty happy with any of the T-14 schools. So if the numbers I have now are good enough to get in this cycle, is there much utility in retaking? I guess I'm just questioning the cost benefit of retaking again when my average is only 1-2 points higher than my test day score.
I would take some time to really work through the 7sage curriculum if you haven't already. A high LSAT score can really open up a lot of doors and it's worth the time to go through the curriculum.
As for LG, I recommend fool proofing PT's 1-35. That seemed to really help me a lot. As for RC, I would work on getting a solid reading methodology down. My specific strategy is an offshoot of the memory method that JY teaches.
Good luck!
Hello everyone,
I got my test scores back from December and got a 169 (up from a 165 in September) which is pretty close to my PT average of a 171. I'll be applying to most of the T-14 minus Yale and was wondering if it'd be worth it to retake in February? Just for reference, my GPA is a 3.93 which will go up to a 3.96 once LSAC receives my Fall semester grades. What do you think?
Thank you!
Hey Everyone,
I was just going through my BR process for PT73 and was wondering how you all review RC. My process is that I go back to any passages where I have circled questions and then read those again. However, this time I really mark up the passage and try to annotate a lot of it. After that, I go and try the question that I circled for that passage.
Does anyone have any suggestions that could help me really glean more knowledge from my review process?
Thanks!
@ said:
If you're unsure, I would simply call the admissions office. Unfortunately, they wont be open probably until Jan 2nd. To be safe, you could simply disclose it no matter what. It wont stop you from getting accepted if you do, but if you don't it could mean trouble with the bar.
Thank you! I was erring towards the side of disclosing but I just wasn't sure since it was obviously neither a misdemeanor nor a felony.
The specific language if it helps is as follows (if it helps).
Cornell: Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, ticketed, arrested, taken into custody, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? Traffic violations that occurred more than ten years before the filing of this application need not be reported, with the exception of alcohol or drug-related traffic violations, which must be reported in all cases irrespective of when they occurred. Do not report parking violations.
Penn: Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been arrested, charged, cited, or convicted of a crime (including misdemeanors), or is any charge now pending against you? (This should include matters that have been expunged or subject to a diversionary program.)
I had a quick question regarding the character and fitness sections for a few specific schools. I know most of the schools in the T14 add a stipulation to their character and fitness questions that reads something along the lines of "excluding minor traffic infractions." However, there's a few that I've seen (Cornell, NYU, Penn) that don't include this proviso and ask for . I was ticketed for failing to completely stop at a stop sign about 2 years ago and although it turned out to be a parking ticket in the end, is this included as something I should disclose/explain?
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!
Hey everyone,
I am just beginning the PT phase of my prep and was wondering if you would share your best practices for BR'ing full PT's. I've heard various methods such as just jotting down on a clean copy why the answers are wrong and why the right is answer is right. I've also heard of people (shoutout to @"Accounts Playable" webinar) having a full word document to further keep track of their BR. For those of you who recommend that, do you type out the full question before delving into the analysis? What's your formatting?
Thanks in advance!
Hey everyone,
Hope everyone's grey day went well! Although I appreciate getting the score before the holidays, that does mean that I have less time to work on some of the school specific optional essays. I'm wondering if anyone would want to team up over these next couple of weeks and work on editing each other's optional essays/keep each other on track? It would probably work best if they were the same schools & I'll be working on essays for most of the T-14 over the next couple weeks.
Let me know if this sounds interesting to you!
Thanks so much for this Paul! Super useful.
I would've felt a lot better if I didn't find this out until the email was in my inbox..lol
Here we GOOOOOOO. LSAC finally starting to compete with GRE.
Hey Everyone,
Apologizes if this has already been discussed somewhere but I had a quick question regarding sending transcripts into LSAC. I was wondering when I should send my transcripts to LSAC. If I send them now, will they not factor in the fall semester grades? Is it recommended that I wait until I have those grades in?
Also, on a related note, I was thinking about retaking a class in the winter in order to get a better grade. Just as some background, my high school offered duel enrollment classes and little did I know then that they would count towards my GPA in college. Long story short, I got a B+ in some mandatory health class and it's bringing my GPA down from a 4.0 to a 3.92. Do you think it's worth trying to retake over the winter term?
Thanks a ton!
Hey everyone,
I know I posted something like this a few days after the LSAT scores were released but I've come to realize that at that point I didn't mean it. I'm not sure if this serves any particular purpose but hopefully someone who reads this finds themselves in a similar scenario and it looking for a comparative experience.
Just as some background for those of you who didn't see that previous post, I received a 165 on the September LSAT and was devastated. I had been PT'ing in the low 170's and seeing a 165 in that email was gut wrenching. After initially opening the email, my first instinct was to criticize the test and the perhaps undue worth that applications officers give it. I mistook that anger for fuel and claimed to have rededicated myself to studying. However, over the last few weeks I have done some LG, taken a PT which I got a 169 on, and reveled in my anger. Over that time, I have come to the realization that even if the LSAT is overvalued and there are issues with the test, it is what it is. I realized that I had practiced "willful ignorance" leading up to the September test. The margin of error between the 170's and 160's is so slim that I had been getting lucky on the questions that pushed my scores into the 170's. With that being the case: I need to get better at timing my RC, start filming my PT's for insight, get more consistent with LG in order to go -0 consistently, and hold myself to a higher standard on BR. Criticizing the test gets us nowhere, bettering my own skills will.
So for those of you who underperformed your expectations, take some time and face the hard truth. The score is what the score is. The LSAT is what the LSAT is. You can either chose to criticize circumstances, or work to change them for December. Below are some quotes that I've been reading over from my Bartlett's book the past few days and if you've gained nothing else from my ramblings, maybe these will make your attention worth it. Good luck to everyone and their studies.
“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” -Thomas Edison
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat." -F. Scott Fitzgerald
“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” -H. G. Wells
@ said:
Of course! I think you have my email, but if not, just PM me!
Great! I'll send you an email in a few. Thanks Alex!
Hello all,
Would anyone be willing to give an addendum that I've drafted a quick read through? I chose to write one briefly explaining my age as it is well below the average age of those entering law school. I'm not sure if an "addendum trade" is a thing but I'd be happy to take a look at someone else's in exchange for their thoughts on mine.
Thanks!
Have you had it yet? If so, how'd it go? If not, good luck!
@ said:
Hey! So I did it. Honestly it was really difficult. Use the "practice" option frequently to get timing down and get comfortable with the format. You'll only have ~1 or 2 minutes to answer some thought-provoking questions so get to the point fast.
I just got off the phone with Monica Ingram - Associate Dean of Admissions at Cornell. She called me to let me know I was admitted :smile:. But anyway, she's the lady that's in the video you watch before you do the interview. I joked with her and was like "Hey! I remember you! You were the lady in the videos!"
She replied, "Hahaha don't remind me. You weren't the only one who had to record some painful videos!"
^I hope this gives you insight into how the Cornell admissions office looks at these interviews. They know the format is hard! They don't expect perfection, but I think they expect you to be able to speak well and handle yourself. Smile and be open and friendly to the camera, and just say some stuff that's coherent. To be honest, many of my answers sucked, but I think smiling and being confident took me a long way.
Congrats Paul!! When did you interview? I just got the invitation today!
Hey! I was just asked as well. I think it's pretty common. Hope it went well for you if you've done it already.
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!
Would be interested to know this as well. I talked with my school's transcript office and they said they'd send it as soon as grades are posted. Whether or not LSAC can process it in time is a whole other story.
@ said:
I'm not really sure about the "which schools are you applying to" question. It seems a little odd to me to ask that, not sure how important it is.
For me, I'm a non-traditional and would never answer a question about my parents' income. I can't really advise you on how much that matters (I know it matters less for me, since I'm over 30). But I would suppose if questions are optional, it really is optional. If you're required to have your parents submit FAFSA or something, they'll find that out anyway.
So basically, I have no idea. Haha.
Yeah, me neither! Haha. It seemed like most of the questions are pretty boilerplate but there's a few optional ones that strike me as odd. I wouldn't pay it any attention if it didn't leave such a big blank when I go to review my PDF application before submitting!
Bump. Does anyone have any suggestions or personal experience with these questions?
Hey Everyone,
So I took one last PT on Tuesday and just graded it. Did anyone else find the last passage on RC PT76 really difficult? I usually score in the low-mid 170's and I got the lowest score on a PT than I have in the last month or so. So I'm basically just trying not to freak out because RC is usually my strong suit. Ugh.
Hey 7Sage fam,
I had a quick question regarding a Diversity Statement. So as a little background, I had a really hard time deciding between writing my personal statement on a specific moment that made me consider doing something other than corporate law or a more general essay about my determination to practice law and the steps that I took to get there effectively. I ultimately decided on the former.
However, a big part of the 2nd essay was that I chose my undergraduate school based on my law school aspirations (cheaper in-state school as opposed to expensive out of state). I was also able to complete my undergrad in 2 years in order to get to an education in law earlier.
With that being the case, I will only be 19 years old when I go to apply for law school this cycle. Is this a diverse enough characteristic to write a personal statement about? I know that the average age is about 7 years older and I thought this could be an interesting topic to write about. Do you think it's worth it or would it come across as opportunistic?
Hey everyone,
So I'll be taking the December test after getting my 165 on September. Hoping to crack into the 170's by December.
Anyway, I was wondering how the LSAC transcript stuff works for me if I'll be applying right after the scores come out for the December test. Am I going to have to send an updated transcript with my fall grades to LSAC? The only thing that I'm worried about is it taking too long to process and not having my apps ready to fire off as soon as scores come out. I would actually like them to be updated because I think it'll bump up my GPA ~.03 points (minuscule I know).
Thanks!
Hey everyone,
Hope Grey day went well for you all. I got a 165 which I am a bit disappointed in seeing as though my average is right around a 170 with ~11 PT's taken. I went -9 LR, -1 LG, and -8 RC. I have a 3.95 GPA but I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a better LSAT score to get into a T-14 school (tell me if I'm wrong there).
My plan is to take a PT every week and switch to every other week if it gets to be too much. I'm planning on continuing my fool proofing of each game for each PT that I take. This, combined with in depth BR for the LR and RC sections will hopefully be enough for me to crack into the 170's come December.
Let me know what you think of my situation and of my plan for the upcoming months. Any suggestions are really appreciated!
.
Hey! Kind of echoing what others have said above. I'm in an analogous situation except that I'm on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to average age. I would send in all your apps over the next few weeks and just see what happens. From what I've read from Spivey and other consulting sources, re-applying the following cycle doesn't hurt your chances at all. So why not apply now & see what you get? There's a good chance that you'll get some good money from lower T-14 schools. Good luck & I'm here if you want a quick edit on anything!
@ said:
send it over!
Thank you so much! Will send it your way now!
Does someone mind reading my quick blurb for Columbia's "fun facts" optional section? It's only ~1,000 characters but I'm shooting for a relatively more relaxed vibe & want to know if it's coming across effectively.
Thank you!
Random post echoing other's thoughts about these last few dates of waiting for scores. I never thought I would say this but I don't know what I would be doing if it weren't for exams. I just realized that if I wasn't being forced to study pretty much all the time for these midterms, I don't think I could stand this last stretch of waiting. Sure, comparative political economy may sound boring at first glance, but it's a heck of a lot better than nervously fretting over something I can't change.
Anyways, back to studying I go (Thursday come faster).
I've read that reading up about your interviewer helps to prepare for an interview. Let us know how it goes! Good luck!
> @ said:
> is it important to consider how a low score might hurt your LSAT average? i know most schools take the top score, but the average seems to be important as well. only reason i ask is because this was my third time taking the test, and i'm relatively certain i did worse than on my second pass, which ended up being10 points higher than my first. i'm somewhat comfortable with that score now.
It's my understanding that while law schools will _see_ all of your scores, the only one that actually averages them is Yale. With that being the case, I would sit it out and see how you did!
Hey Everyone,
I was scrolling through the forum and saw a post that gave me an idea that I wanted to inquire about. I scored a 165 on the September LSAT and have a 3.93 LSAC GPA that'll likely go to ~3.96 after this semester of school is over in the beginning of December. I was thinking about applying to the bottom schools of the T14 (UC Berkley, Cornell, UT, UCLA, and Georgetown) with those numbers before the December LSAT (which I am registered for). I still have to get my LOR's from professors but I know who I'm going to ask already & my transcripts are in etc...
I'm hoping that those numbers will get me accepted to at least one of those schools and that I'll get the notifications earlier than if I used my December score. My main worry is the chance that I get outright rejected. If that happens before the December score comes out, would I be able to have my application considered again with a presumably higher LSAT score or would I end up being out of luck? What do you all think?
Thanks a ton everyone, you guys rock.
Congratulations!
Hey everyone,
Hope everyone had a successful take today. I had a quick question about what scores law schools look at. I know it obviously varies between schools but do schools who say they evaluate the top score do so even if a more recent score is not the highest? I got a 165 in September but only missed 2-3 on LG. This test, I felt a lot more confident on RC and a little more confident on LR but LG was rough to me. I ended up guessing on probably 3 questions.
Is it worth considering cancelling?
Just out of curiosity; would you use the February test for this upcoming cycle? I feel good about today's test as well but that's only in comparison to September.
Deleted.
Hey everyone,
I was wondering when you suggested asking for letters of rec from professors? I don't want to ask too early as I'm taking classes with both of them right now and am using it as an opportunity to try and impress but I also don't want to wait too long and have them take too long to write. I'm taking the LSAT in December and hoping to send my apps right after we get those scores back.
Thoughts?
@ said:
@ said:
@ If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing about applying in the meantime? I think there's a lot of sense in what you're saying about not applying to HSY yet but outside of those 3, what's your strategy?
The highest school I am shooting for is Northwestern. I have a 168 which is median there, so I’m just applying now and will ask for them not to hold for my February score. If I beat 168, then I’ll use it for scholarship negotiations or for wait lists.
I think once you are rejected (not wait listed) then you might be done for the cycle with a school. Not sure if there’s any possibility to overturn that. So might want to take that into consideration. If you feel confident about at least being wait listed, then I think you should apply now.
Thank you so much! Good luck with the Northwestern interview if you haven't done that already!