I believe most schools will require you to submit an addendum regarding a leave of absence from undergrad no matter what your PS topic is. You will also usually (depending on the state) have to disclose any mental illness diagnoses in the C&F part of the application.

So, look at it this way - are you comfortable talking about the BPD diagnosis 3 different times on your application (PS, Addendum, C&F questions)? Many first readers of applications spend only 5 minutes with an application.

No school that would reject an application based on a mental health issue is worth attending! However, think about if a different PS topic might be more advantageous to show how well-rounded you are, since you'll likely have to touch on the diagnosis elsewhere in the application.

As VerdantZephyr said, highly doubtful. First readers of applications spend minimum 3-5 and max 20 minutes per application. During a webinar, I heard an Admissions Dean say there have been some instances that they would need to contact an applicant if they have questions about your application but it obviously doesn't happen in most cases (they receive thousands of applications a cycle). I think it would be more likely they would do a quick google search of the employer's linkedin/website if they really felt inclined to but not spend much more time than that.

just an opinion, though, of course ;)

I just did the writing! I felt better doing it before the upcoming Oct test in order to get it out of the way. I read the prompt in a few minutes, made a couple notes and then had about 25 mins to write. I wrote about 300 words and felt like that was fine to get my point across.

It's recorded the whole time. I used my mac laptop..I know a few people were concerned about needing to do a room scan, etc. I just picked it up and showed above and under the desk and around the room.

You'll be great, nothing to stress about.

Try contacting the author and let us know if it worked out!! I love this book, have been working with it for about 2 weeks and have an extraordinarily better grasp of LR.

I'm sorry you're going through this. This seems to be fairly common, unfortunately. I actually had 2 recommenders "ghost" me. I did find new recommenders which responded very quickly. You might want to go ahead and reach out to someone new ASAP, just in case this original recommender doesn't respond.

If you haven't already, go ahead and e-mail him a "gentle nudging" saying something like "Hi Professor, I'm sure it has been a busy semester so far but I wanted to check in if you were still able to write me a recommendation by the end of this month? I was hoping to send in my applications within a few weeks." Just be kind and recognize he may be very busy and/or may have forgotten.

But cover yourself and think about getting a LOR from someone else, too!

What month are you taking the LSAT?

In my opinion, forget about RC and LR for now and focus solely on Logic Games. You are likely running out of time for LG because you either aren't diagramming correctly or aren't making inferences quick enough. However, If you focus on this section, you can definitely start to see some improvement quickly.

Take time to read the rules and double check you've written them down correctly. Try to "solve for all possible worlds" before you answer the questions. Make sure you understand rule translations, contrapositives and how to chain them for In/Out games.

If you haven't done all the recent PrepTests, pick one in the 60s-80s and do a set of just the logic games (4 games). First, do it UNTIMED. This will allow your brain to think and do inferences without the stress of the clock ticking.

Then, do blind review. Go through every single question and do the games over again if you have to.

Then, look at your score. How did you do? Watch the explanation video for each game and RE-DO the games, one at a time 5-10 times.

After a few rounds of this your brain will start to make inferences more quickly. You can repeat these steps over and over for different problem sets.

Focus on getting -2 to -0 in Logic Games, so you can then focus on the LR and RC which, for me, is a lot harder to learn and has to be more intuitive.

Ditto on the above. Make sure you are fluent in lawgic translations/contrapositives. Intro to Logic, Some and Most Relationships, Invalid Argument forms/Flaw are all good sections.

Also, maybe go ahead and sign up for Nov just in case :)

moisten your eyeballs!

Nope! Hoping in the next few days. I bet we'll get e-mail on Monday.

woohoo. nice!

@ said:

Hey everyone!

I got a 168 on the October LSAT (95th percentile) and I have mixed feelings. I am happy with what I was able to achieve (it's a good score) but I was wondering if any of yall think I should retake it and just apply next year? I really wanted to aim for a T14 and I am doubtful I'll get in with this score so any advice on what I should do? If I am to retake it, it'll be in a few months and so I won't apply this year, as I said earlier. Applications are super expensive so that's why I'm just wondering if you think it would be worth the time and money for me to apply to any T14 schools. My GPA is pretty solid and I think I can write some good essays, but I know the LSAT is THE factor, hence my hesitation. Thanks so much!

This is just an opinion, but if I were you, I'd at least apply to one or two t14 schools and see what happens. I know some schools (Northwestern specifically) are giving fee waivers for anyone who asks (form on their website). I know there's still the LSAC $45 fee, but if you can manage it, it might be worth it just to give it a shot. Definitely take the time on your personal statement and other materials to make sure they are solid. If you do plan to apply this cycle, the earlier the better so start working on your essay(s) now. Good luck!

Amazing, congratulations!!! Any tips for improving LR?

I think some schools call, then e-mail if you don't pick-up. Many schools just e-mail, and maybe fewer schools e-mail saying a decision is in the regular mail. I think you can definitely expect them to e-mail you once a decision has been made!

For the Oct test they sent out an email on a Friday (about 2 weeks + a couple days prior to exam date), saying registration would be open the following week on a Tuesday. I'm guessing the Nov registration will be open early next week so we should be getting e-mails by the end of this week!

I think it might be normal to feel like you have no idea how you did, which is how I feel. And since I'm not certain I did well, I'm assuming I bombed. I was abnormally anxious and barely finished any section except RC which felt super easy (almost too easy where I was like I must be totally misunderstanding and thus bombing this since it feels so easy). I also felt like the questions on my test were nothing like what I had been practicing (PT 65-88) which threw me off completely, but maybe that was all in my head.

I covered my TV with a blanket, just FYI, as I heard that was a good thing to do. Good luck all!

Just took for second time (first in Oct). LG-LR-RC. LG not super hard except the last game killed me, couldn't even diagram and guessed my way through! Yikes, not so sure I scored higher than in Oct, but what can you do. Slight tech issue in middle, connection 'failed' for about 30 seconds then re-booted. Congratulations to everyone taking during this crazy year, and especially this week. I think just that in and of itself is a big accomplishment. hugs to all.

First time taker and I think I really underestimated how nervous I would be. I had LG first and literally blanked for about 3 minutes while reading the prompt, couldn't even figure out how to get started. Once I calmed down a bit I got in the groove, but glad I'm retaking in Nov and hopefully less nervous next time around!

The writing "opens up" about a week before your scheduled test date, so you should definitely take it as soon as you can since your LSAT score won't be released until your writing is approved. Log-on to your LSAC account, click on LSAT WRITING, and scroll down where you should see a LAUNCH button.

You'll have to download their proctoring software.

Maybe look up prompts before you do it so you can have an idea what to expect.

Good luck!

Some Ws are calculated as Fs, so it's important to know how the Ws you're talking about are calculated.

For example, I have one WU on my transcript which is a an unofficial withdrawal (I missed a lot of class time and did not attend the final). It is unfortunately counted as an F, so I will definitely have to address that in an addendum.

If your Ws don't count against you on GPA, then maybe briefly address them in a short but sweet few sentences, like "I received 2 Ws during my X semester. During this semester, I was working full-time and realized I would not be able to take on such a demanding courseload."

If they do count against you, you'll have to take responsibility and address the fact that whatever caused you to earn a failing grade will not hold you back in the future.

I find taking 2 or 3 day breaks really helpful. I think you'd probably be fine not to study at all this week, maybe just do some logic games and a couple LR questions on Friday to keep it fresh. A lot goes on in our brain while we are resting and it's essential for making/restoring connections.

For this final week, don't push it too hard. I find it's helpful to take old LR sections and/or LG (ones I haven't already done) UNTIMED. Not worrying about the time allows me to fully visualize and understand what I'm reading. Focus on clearing your mind and not letting the LSAT control you. If you've been studying for months, you already know the material and you have all the tools in your toolbelt. A few days of cramming isn't going to change anything. At the end of the day a lot of this is mind over matter, so focus on staying calm and really understand what the passages/stimuli are saying.

My tip is to stay calm and remember that you are scrutinizing the LSAT, it's not scrutinizing you. You have the power over it, not the other way around!

OMG. I'm laughing about the diaper, but it's actually a VERY GOOD idea. For Oct, I used the restroom right before the test but still had to go again in the last section, I think it did distract me somewhat. I know what I'll be buying this week for Nov!

Let's all get plenty of rest this week and not overdo the last minute studying. Good luck to all!

Assuming you graduated from US or Canadian school. If so, LSAC specifically says not to send a transcript if the coursework was less than a year (less than 24ish credits). Copied below from their website:

"Do NOT have a transcript sent from an international institution IF your bachelor’s degree is from a U.S., U.S. territory/associated state, or Canadian school, and

the total amount of work you completed at all international institutions combined is equal to or less than the equivalent of one year of undergraduate study in the United States, its territories/associated states, or Canada"

If you do end up purchasing, which can't hurt but only help, I'd focus on Logic Games if I were you.