User Avatar
mmatherne
Joined
Jul 2025
Subscription
Core

Admissions profile

LSAT
168
CAS GPA
3.91
1L START YEAR
2027

Applications

Berkeley
In process
Georgetown
In process
Georgia
In process
Houston
In process
Notre Dame
In process
NYU
In process
Southern Methodist
In process
Stanford
In process
Tulane
In process
UC - Irvine
In process
UCLA
In process
UNC
In process
USC
In process
UT Austin
In process

Discussions

User Avatar
mmatherne
4 days ago

I think if you have worked significantly since you graduated, it would be remiss to not include a LOR from someone from where you worked, but I also know that a lot of schools only accept 2 LORs and generally prefer academic letters. It sounds like you had great relationships with these professors, so they are great people to ask!

1
User Avatar
mmatherne
4 days ago

I think another huge thing is that the number of people intentionally seeking out accommodations has increased significantly as well. It is impossible to deny that the test is radically different if you have extra time or one less section to sit through. There are some people that truly need them but seeing how I got an ad on YouTube the other day for a service to "help" get me accommodations, it is definitely a problem that skews the fairness of the test, especially since law schools never know if you had accommodations or not.

12
PrepTests ·
PT148.S3.Q16
User Avatar
mmatherne
4 days ago

A wayyyy easy way to eliminate E as well is that it is "presumes" header of the question and thus should be treated like a NA. Do we need to know that that the number and variety of (all) great artworks already in the world affects the amount of aesthetic fulfillment derivable for ANY contemporary artwork?

No, we don't.

Negating it too doesn't destroy the argument.

The number and variety of great artworks already in the world does NOT affect the amount of aesthetic fulfillment derivable from any contemporary artwork.

Okay and? How does this destroy the fact that this belief is mistaken?

1
PrepTests ·
PT143.S3.Q17
User Avatar
mmatherne
6 days ago

This is one of those beautiful questions that show you how much word/concept specificity matters on the LSAT.

2
User Avatar
mmatherne
6 days ago

Go get a massage or do something relaxing! A lot of massage chains do an $80 massage for first timers, so think of it like just paying for an extra month for 7sage (or not if you are lucky!)

1
User Avatar
mmatherne
Thursday, Sep 3

People usually say their first LSAT is harder because it is a newer experience, and August has some of the most first time test takers, so hence the reputation for seeming "hard." Style wise, it was no different in vibe from the PT150s. My August test felt the most like PT155. The biggest thing that helps with testing anxiety or stress is making sure to mentally frame the exam and your expectations before the test.

3
PrepTests ·
PT155.S2.Q20
User Avatar
mmatherne
Sunday, Aug 30

@kellytello554 This is what I was thinking as well, but "more than the rest of the population combined" implies most :(

1
User Avatar
mmatherne
Thursday, Aug 27

@LukeHowey2 They don't, is what I have been told, unless you directly matriculated into a university for a year or so.

1
User Avatar
mmatherne
Friday, Aug 21

I am in the exact same boat (even down to June score). I think that this next leap is all about believing in ourselves and our abilities. I really truly believe that I could teach someone else to a 170+ at this point, so I have to let myself be my own student too lol!

3
User Avatar
mmatherne
Friday, Aug 21

I have implemented an afternoon caffeine bump (have either a coffee around 3-4p at work or a matcha when I get home around 6p), but always make sure I eat something with it. I also try to go for a walk before I get down to studying and I've noticed I can go longer if I take frequent breaks. The killer part is just spending all day looking at a computer only to look at a computer some more!

2
User Avatar
mmatherne
Wednesday, Aug 5

I am in the same boat. I've learned its about rigorously comparing the 2 answer choices I am getting down to and diving into the stimulus more and more. I would also encourage you to look at the PTs in the 150s because they are a bit different style wise.

2
PrepTests ·
PT115.S2.Q1
User Avatar
mmatherne
Thursday, Jul 23

This question is actually kind of genius.

if you diagram the stim:

WE --> ~BWLS

~WLS

------------

WE

So, we know from this that anything that translates or is a restatement of either premise is NOT the conclusion, and anything that is a restatement of the conclusion is the conclusion.

A. is a restatement of the 2nd premise (~WLS)

B. is a random ass recommendation

C. a restatement of "well equipped to judge reasonableness..." which is our conclusion, DING DING (WE)

D. is the contrapositive of the 1st premise (BWLS --> ~WE)

e. is the first premise (WE --> ~WLS)

I did NOT think about it like this when I first did this question, but unlocking this view kinda changed the way I look at some of these less clear Main Point questions.

1
PrepTests ·
PT121.S1.Q22
User Avatar
mmatherne
Tuesday, Jul 21

@britneyszhang I did the same thing. The whole rests on home (nondescript dwelling) vs. house (usually purchased and owned by who lives there)

1
PrepTests ·
PT149.S4.Q21
User Avatar
mmatherne
Sunday, Jul 19

@jwn1060 I know this an old comment, but some tutors outside 7sage do teach these as Stn questions! I have had no problem solving them as thus

1
PrepTests ·
PT149.S1.Q18
User Avatar
mmatherne
Sunday, Jul 19

The impetus to getting this question right is realizing that the two start times are mutually exclusive (aka you can't begin both at 6p and 7p). After that, it is very simple diagramming and following the arrows through. All the other answer choices go against the arrows, aka flip without negating, aka confuse sufficiency with necessity.

We know that these are events are mutually exclusive (aka can only have one and not the other) because you cannot begin at 7p if you already began at 6p. We are also able to assume that this is the same general assembly.

permissible assumption (aka allowing for mutual exclusivity): 6p --> ~7p, and 7p --> ~6p

Premise 1: SCQ --> 6p --> ~7p --> ~ACQ

Premise 2: ACQ --> 7p --> ~6p --> ~SCQ

A: ~6p --> ACQ (goes against premise 2 arrows)

B: ~SCQ --> ACQ (goes against premise 2 arrows)

C: 6p --> SCQ (easiest to elim bc don't need to assume mutual exclusivity, basic false contrapositive of premise 1)

D: ~7p --> SCQ (goes against premise 1 arrows)

E: SCQ --> ~ACQ (correct, follows arrows of premise 1 perfectly through)

5
PrepTests ·
PT149.S1.Q16
User Avatar
mmatherne
Sunday, Jul 19

I think the easiest way to understand this is to translate "no guarantee of success" to "not sufficient for success". Fremont states a background in oil is a necessary condition (viable candidate --> background in oil) and then the error of Galindo becomes apparently because he is legitimately misinterpreting Fremont's placement. Trying to diagram Galindo's arg was proving to be a Herculanean effort for me, but seeing that "no guarantee" is a reference to sufficiency cleared this up quickly for me. I will keep looking for more equivalencies like these as I solve.

2
User Avatar
mmatherne
Saturday, Jul 11

@Bobby68 i am not sure and that's why i asked bc i would really hate to become reliant on it and then not have it on test day and that to create a minor panic lol, i am guessing that we prob will have it if its available, but idk if i want to waste the time changing it

2
User Avatar
mmatherne
Saturday, Jul 11

@Bobby68 does anyone know if even those of us without accesibility accomodations will be able to change the color on test day? i really like it just because it makes it more interesting to my brain, but i don't want to study this way only to have it be different (& thus boring) on test day

1
PrepTests ·
PT141.S2.Q24
User Avatar
mmatherne
Wednesday, Jun 3

the TLDR on explaining D is that we're trading on the concept of tearing down the concert hall, and D makes a reality in which the respondents already know that the hall isn't going to be torn down bc they already know a new one is being built. The concert goers don't want it to be torn down, but they don't care about it being moved + improved.

5
User Avatar
mmatherne
Thursday, Feb 19

Deepak Chopra's abundance meditation on Spotify = lifechanging

1
User Avatar
mmatherne
Monday, Feb 16

@zunair Non-auditory learners rise up

9
User Avatar
mmatherne
Sunday, Feb 8

i got the same exact passages as an earlier drill so this what somewhat useless because i remembered all the answers

9
User Avatar
mmatherne
Sunday, Feb 8

@Gregmjr Interesting observation! My goal score is a 175 and both of my suggested passages are 5 star passages with above 3 star questions. I also have been acing all the other sections so far so maybe that is a part of it. Didn't do as hot on this one though...

1
User Avatar
mmatherne
Sunday, Feb 8

the easiest way to eliminate D is that that particular rock being from the Moon instead of Mars doesn't necessarily mean that the LHB was only confined to the Earth-Moon system. It is already described as being rare to have that kind of sample and doesn't say that the only way the rock got to Earth was through the LHB. Even if the rock was re-classified to have come from the Moon, that still doesn't mean the rock came from the result of the LHB, and there is still a chance that the LHB impacted other internal solar system bodies. Essentially, the rock actually being from the Moon doesn't preclude the LHB from impacting other bodies.

D, in comparison, shows quite strong proof of similar "test subject" experiencing different results. Mars is a similar size, relatively close to Earth, has moons etc. D is obviously not a perfect answer, but it is a lot stronger answer.

6
User Avatar
mmatherne
Thursday, Jan 22

No way i got a 5/5 on these after getting like ever single NA question wrong before this

6

Confirm action

Are you sure?