@ When I began PTing, I only took one every two weeks or so. Once I would BR, I'd group questions I missed by type for LR and LG, go back to the CC, and redo them like crazy. I'd usually redo the hardest problem sets from the CC and skip the easy ones, though. I also think reviewing logic lessons is important - it's so easy to forget the nuances of it even if you have the basic ideas down. Hope that helps a little!
I have a marijuana-related charge from when I was 15. It has since been expunged. I've noticed some applications let you know that if something has been expunged, you do not have to report it. Others say that regardless you must. If an application fails to address what to do if records have been sealed/expunged, what should I assume?
I think the hardest part of studying is figuring out what to do when you finish the CC. Yes you want to take PTs and BR like crazy, but after I finished the CC, I had no structure for my other studying time.
If I were you, I'd keep an active log of what concepts or problem sets you struggled with the most while going through the CC (star them, write them down, etc.). That way, when you finish the CC and say "okay, what now?", you have a solid idea of your weaknesses and can go redo all of that stuff.
I didn't do that, and by the time I finished the RC CC, I could hardly recall what I struggled with the most in LR. PTs helped me figure that out, but it would have been super useful to have kept up with that better during my CC journey.
@ it is blank paper
I know your personal statement is supposed to be about you, but the moment that changed my career trajectory (and made me decide to go to law school) is entirely centered around something someone else did. I mentored students and taught civics classes through a nonprofit organization, and one student who spoke to the school board made me realize law/being a voice for others is what I wanted. He did it, but I was there when it happened, worked with him all semester, helped write his speech, etc. I also can talk about how from there I did other things (president of the nonprofit college chapter, joined a volunteer group, advocate locally for communities), but it's still technically something he did that would be the introductory "story". Any advice on if this is okay to write about?
This strategy may not work for everyone, but my problem with RC was my short-term memory. I would miss between 7 and 10 questions sometimes! The answers are always in the passage, but I just couldn't remember as much as was necessary. I began reading each passage twice (except for the last one occasionally due to time - and I always make the one with only 5 questions my last).
The second read through goes much faster, and it gives me another opportunity to really search for the author's voice/opinion (which is where many of the difficult questions come from). I know it might seem like just a time drain, but it's really helped me, and I now miss about 2-5 questions. If you think you're just having trouble remembering, give it a shot with a timed section and see if it helps at all.
On my most recent PT (82) I got a 167, but on BR I got a 176. Is a difference this extreme normal? I typically will BR anywhere from 5-9 pts higher. If this is normal, I plan to proceed with taking the October test in 2ish weeks. This consistent difference in score is making me wonder if I should just study more and hold out until the following administration, though. Any thoughts/experiences?
Hi 7sagers - I am looking for advice today. I can consistently score about -5 to -7 on the 2 sections of LR and LG combined. My RC section is always what is throwing me into the 160s range. I have worked on the Memory Method from the CC and tend to do a decent bit better on BR. Does anyone have any tricks/methods they've used to help improve speed for RC? I take my first real test next month and really don't want this one section to bring me down.
How amazingly convenient that I just finished BR on this test yesterday and RC was my worst section BY FAR! J.Y. out here magically sensing my needs!!!!
@ Thank you so much! I think that is why I ended up picking C first - not sure what happened when I did my BR. I appreciate the help.
It all depends on how many PTs you think you will take. Start at 36 if you think you might get through most of them, but as you get closer to the real thing, be sure to take some more recent ones. I also saved some (10-15) in case I needed to take it again. Right before my real LSAT, I focused on taking the ones in the 80s.
@ There are five sections during the actual test. 4 graded (2 LR, 1 LG, 1 RC), one experimental. The order will change from test to test. You take 3, take a 15 minute break, then return for the remaining 2. You no longer complete the writing sample at the testing center. You complete your LSAT Writing at a date of your choosing within a year of taking the LSAT. Hope that helps.
Took mine 7 days total (including the weekend). Also, I think the email LSAT sent out regarding writing samples was weird - they still didn't send my CAS reports to schools until my sample was approved.
I’m taking my first real LSAT tomorrow! I was wondering if any of you have advice for taking the afternoon test. I wake up between 7 and 8 and am unsure of how I should spend my time before going to the testing center. I don’t want to freak myself out or get too stressed...but I’ll be up for hours beforehand thinking about it. Any advice is appreciated. And good luck to any/all testing tomorrow! We got this!
Hey everyone, I was wondering what y'all think about trying to practice for the writing sample. I need to complete mine within the next week - but is it worth it to try it with a different prompt? The only prompt I can find is from June 2007, and I've read enough examples from that one that I think it would help little to write my own essay. Does anyone know where I can find another writing sample topic from other administrations? Or should I not worry and just sit down and take it?
Thanks in advance for the help.
@ My weakest section was RC - but I know that one is hard to improve! I do really well untimed sections, but I'm not sure how to increase my speed.
@ I got -5 on LG, -1 and -5 on BR, and -9 on RC (which surprised me because un-timed RC is really strong for me). Not sure how to improve speed, though.
I just took my first ever PT last week. After BR and scoring, I have gone through each question I missed, retried it, and watched the video explanations. I'm not sure what else to do before I take my next one on Saturday. Drill weak sections? Foolproof in my free time? Go back to hard problem sets? There almost seems to be so much that I could do that I'm left not knowing how to make the best use of my time.
What do y'all do as additional prep in between taking PTs? How do you make decisions on how to structure your time? Any input is much appreciated.
Do the number of problem sets we're given for different types of LR questions reflect the frequency in which we will see them on actual LSAT tests? For example, we are given 24 Flaw/Descriptive Weakening sets, but only 3 AP sets. Does that mean that on actual LSAT tests that there are likely to be more Flaw questions?
I am meeting with a professor on short notice who offered me a rec letter. He wants me to come in with 3-4 points I'd like him to touch on in the letter. Any ideas for what should be included?
@ thanks for reminding me. It's hard not to compare myself to others when there are so many incredibly smart people on this site - but I worked hard and know I should be proud no matter what. That goes for everyone here, too!
I received my first acceptance today, and I just want to thank everyone at 7Sage who helped me on this journey! Not a T-14 or anything crazy like many of you, but a school in the top 30 nonetheless! The dean called to tell me they'd be offering me a full scholarship - I can't wait to get more offers from other schools, but IMA BE A LAWYER, Y'ALL! Thank you JY and everyone in the 7Sage community! Sorry for all the exclamation points, but I am so pumped!!!
There are no video explanations for this PT ): I got this correct originally and then in BR changed my answer to E. Can anyone explain why C is correct? I can't seem to find the rationale I used last weekend to pick it.
Thanks in advance!
@ That's a great idea! I honestly think I was so anxious to see my score (since it was my first ever real PT) that I rushed through the BR way too fast - so hopefully my margin for improvement increases with future tests.
I think it shows that timing is more of an issue for you than understanding. I wouldn't be too concerned about a gap like that to begin with. I'd start doing some timed drills for the question types you're missing so that you can get a "feel" for about how long you should be spending on each question. Keep working hard, and you'll improve!
I just took the June 2007 PT after finishing most of the CC (I was too afraid to take a diagnostic - bad idea, I know, but oh well). I scored a 162 and only a 163 on BR - is it realistically possible for me to improve to an average of 168 by the July LSAT?
Any advice, wisdom, or past experience is much appreciated.
For LR, I tried to complete the first 15 questions in less than 20 minutes (Aimed for 15 minutes). It was a good way to assure myself I didn’t need to rush more and helped to keep me from panicking over time and skimming as a result.
I chose A, but I want to make sure the reasoning I used is sound: I interpreted "extending the basis" of the utility to be Q's suggestion that regulations would prevent money from being wasted (whereas P said the utility comes from preventing accidents). Did anyone else do this? Is the reasoning similar enough to JY's for me to not worry about it? #help
I like to mix it up! Often times I'll start a problem set in the CC, get as far as possible under timed conditions, stop when time is up, assess and write down my thoughts (which questions I didn't get to, which were time drains, etc.) and then I'll finish the problem set at my own pace and BR.
For full length sections, I think the same strategy works relatively well for me.
I just took the Feb 1997 PT (my second one ever), and got what I feel is a very unusually high score. I noticed this test is not numbered consistently with the others and that 7sage placed it right after the end of the CC. Is this test just unusually easy or not representative of other PTs? I'm just curious as to why it is set apart/not used in the CC given how old it is.
I'm in a similar boat - for the past two weeks or so, my PT scores have been drifting lower. I haven't been studying quite as much as you, but still doing my fair share. I am taking the October test Monday, and at this point I just plan to go back to the basics. I'm going to review some fundamental logic skills, go over flaws, etc. tomorrow so that I don't freak myself out by grading more problem sets or PTs. At this point, you've given it all you've got, so I'd try to relax and review some easy stuff - just so you can remind yourself how much you've mastered (helps me with confidence boosts). Good luck Monday!