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Karl!
Independent Tutor

Admissions profile

LSAT
180
CAS GPA
4.0
1L START YEAR
2026

Discussions

LSAT · (Please Help!) Large discrepancy between Raw score and Blind Review
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Karl!
2 days ago

This is a great problem to have. 177 BR is excellent.

The more that you answer questions, the quicker you will be at solving them. I don't think you need more theory or lessons, you just need to grind away at questions. Keep taking your time and solving them.

It may not be obviously intuitive why slow and solving works when ultimately you have time pressure on the real test. It works because when you go slow, you catch the patterns, flaws, intricacies, the ways in which LSAC wanted you to misinterpret a statement, etc. When you go fast, you never map those out completely.

When people go fast and miss lots of questions, it is kinda like going into a dark room and feeling around for stuff. You might get the thing you're looking for, but making a map to use in the future is really hard.

Going slow and solving the question and breaking down the passage\answer choices is like turning the light on. You can look at the room and see the layout and the structure and say, "I see how they did this. I know why this works, and I know why those don't. Easy pattern." From there you can take that on to the next question. Over time, you can figure things out quickly and know exactly what you're doing.

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Admissions · 4.0 MAX GPA Scale
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Karl!
2 days ago

@Sunnieqw22 You're welcome! With a good LSAT, 3.8 is absolutely competitive at most schools.

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LSAT · SCORING LOW ON PT
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Karl!
3 days ago

You should probably not take the test rather than putting an LSAT in the 130s-140s on your record. There is no reason to take the LSAT and score 130 anything, it can only hurt you. Study a bit everyday and don't sign up for tests until you're ready for them.

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Admissions · Personal Statement
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Karl!
3 days ago

Your topic should be something that enables you to portray yourself the way that you want to be seen. If you just write about a thing, even if you find it interesting, if it doesn't make you come out looking awesome, it doesn't matter.

You have to be the star of your essay whichever direction you go.

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Admissions · 4.0 MAX GPA Scale
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Karl!
Edited 3 days ago

Anything below 4.0 will hurt you, but that doesn't mean law school is impossible with a 3.8. What is done is done, now it is time to crush the LSAT and write great essays.

One thing though, do not draw attention to your GPA. Most schools do not have A+. Your situation is entirely normal and admissions already know about it. There are people who could only get As who got 4.0s. It'll come off as making excuses while telling them something they already know.

I've had someone who was able to get a B turned into an A on their transcript by asking, but I do not know how much that can be replicated. They had a good excuse: professor had violated school policy and given them a 0 for a medical absence they should not have.

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Admissions · GPA concerns
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Karl!
3 days ago

Well, can't do anything about it now. Law schools accept splitters all the time; don't let it discourage you if this is what you want. 160 is a great place to be, especially one month in.

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Tutoring Marketplace · Perfect 180 Scorer | YLS '29 | LSAT Tutoring & Admissions $80/hr (Packages Available)
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Karl!
3 days ago

@AlexandriaDeMattia https://7sage.com/discussion/56374/from-137-diagnostic-to-180-official-lsat-tutor

I endorse. The LSAT requires developing skills, and that requires focus, persistence, and forgiveness. Give it an hour a day and remember the questions are solvable.

I think one of the biggest hurdles with the LSAT is that it requires you to read in a way that you have not been taught to read. Most of school, casual reading, etc. is intended for you to sit back and absorb without much critical thinking. Then you repeat it back and get an A, or have an emotional reaction to what you hear and that is that.

The LSAT demands you pull yourself out of the words, see how things fit (or don't) together, and be critical of what is being said. If you skim over something, in most other situations you can shrug and just keep reading. The next sentences will probably explain the previous one. On the LSAT, if you get sloppy and go too quick, you fill your memory up with fragments and misunderstandings and they compound. Kinda like making a mistake early on in a math problem, then carrying over that mistake until you get the wrong answer. Then you have to go back and look through the entire equation and find out where you went wrong, and that is REALLY HARD.

His take it slow, don't stress, but do the work advice is perfect.

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Tutoring Marketplace · From 137 Diagnostic to 180 Official – LSAT Tutor
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Karl!
4 days ago

@StevanBlauert You're welcome! I gave you a shout out on my new post. Reduce stress, remember you're developing a skill and not memorizing things, slow down and digest/predict/understand as you go, and give it a good hour or two every day are perfect IMO. Just like you say with running a marathon, going and getting big biceps is 5-10 minutes of pullups and curls 2-3x per week for a few years, not 12 hour per day for 3 months.

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Hey y'all, I'm Karl. I will be attending Yale Law School this year to focus on constitutional law, academia, and entrepreneurship. In my previous life, I trained retail managers and coached athletes through bodybuilding and powerlifting competitions. I love teaching, and I hope to continue doing it through law school and beyond.

I teach in-person LSAT classes at local universities and tutor students one-on-one. My focus is on teaching students to be at ease reading slowly, summarizing as they go, and engaging with the content. I diagnose weak points and give you plans to fix them. You will build good habits for approaching questions, getting "unstuck" when caught in a 50/50, and contextualizing your results to become more effective. The skills you learn will carry over into your law school journey and career as a lawyer.

The LSAT is only one part of the admissions process. I help with essays, C&F statements, addenda, interview preparation, school targeting, and more. I am here to help you get results that will change your life, not just go over questions for an hour. I want you to succeed, and that means being warm and supportive along the way.

Remember, underneath the LSAT's dense language there are simple structures you can learn, but you have to put in the effort. StevenBlauert's post is GREAT. Check it out. It really is that easy.

If you are interested, DM me, leave me a message here, or send me an email at Karl@RedwoodLSAT.com. We will arrange a free consultation!

Package discounts on LSAT tutoring and admissions assistance are available:

10 hours @ $700 ($70/hr)

20 hours @ $1200 ($60/hr)

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Tutoring Marketplace · From 137 Diagnostic to 180 Official – LSAT Tutor
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Karl!
4 days ago

This is great advice. I might literally tell people to go look at this if they want to know what I think about the LSAT!

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