For the money part alone, perhaps consider asking your chosen school to raise the funding offer in light of your higher LSAT. I'd just be honest by sharing your concerns. This is assuming you want to go to this school notwithstanding your debt concern (which is valid). Good luck! In the grand scheme of things, you have a lot of great options to choose from -- more than many.

Don't you love LR? Choice B infers too deeply. We don't know these apples have grease as a result of the pesticide. Maybe they are sprayed with dangerous pesticides as described, but the grease comes from greasy hands of pickers or grease in the storage area of the farm. We ONLY know the apples aren't thoroughly washed once they reach the cafeteria -- choice A.

MiamiLaw2024 is so right! I totally relate to the struggle, but at the end of the day, we should commend ourselves for undertaking this venture, no matter how it turns out. And like most things in life, we survive and find our paths no matter what. I think it's also really important to understand the reality of the LSAT. It is an amazingly well-oiled valid and mostly reliable test -- meaning that we might hear about all these amazing score increases, but statistically, those are likely to be VERY rare. Just as rare as a score in the 170s. One of the best things I've decided is to come on boards like this very rarely, because it's part of this massive LSAT eco-system filled with capitalism and insecurity, IMHO! "Raise your score 10 points and get a full ride!" "Get on the road to 180 and make it big!" Etc. etc. Puh-lease. It all feeds off our need to be the best. I say... use your time to do some thoughtful, strategic studying and let the chips fall where they may. Okay, back to grouping games practice for me... :)

For question 2, the "correct" answer is debatable. The passage lists the animals as "typical" prey -- not necessarily animals in the paintings. Realllly dislike this question!

It depends on the target score for the school. But if you're looking at schools accepting high 140s/low 150s, I'd strongly urge you to review its 509 report as well as anything online about its reputation. Schools in this "LSAT bucket" are generally low-ranked, have weak employment outcomes, and offer questionable academic value. I say... if you can wait another year... do so. Also, have a self-talk to ask yourself whether this is something you want to keep pursuing. If you go forward with a school that will accept you, what's the likelihood it will give you what you want?

Don't let "symptom" steer you away from considering cause. By acknowledging that B is the correct answer, that means C must weaken. How? If the host animals that would have given ebola to the people weren't there, how could ebola be the cause of the epidemic? It weakens the argument if the animals weren't in the area. B does not weaken because it doesn't matter if some people with Ebola don't have hiccups; lack of hiccups doesn't necessarily mean they don't have ebola.

How on earth can E be correct for question 6 when the bulk of the passage doesn't discuss this type of interview? Is "main point" just synonymous with "conclusion"?

E -> Rant. I'm gettin' tired of the LSAT questions where you're forced to make an inference that isn't there to get a "right answer" when, in other questions, you are penalized when doing the same thing.

SO dislike this question. The LSAT is designed to penalize test-takers for making unsupported inferences, yet this "correct answer" is an unsupported inference. Talbert doesn't say that chess should be taught to children. Ugh!

No to LSAT and maybe to GPA. Hard no to both. For the LSAT, it's a curved exam -- and other test-takers are going through the same thing you are. Respectfully, your life situation is no different and doesn't negate a score's value. It is what it is--- and I don't think any admissions committee is going to be swayed.

Re: the GPA, I think you have a better case. I'd consider discussing that in your personal statement and not submitting the GPA addendum. But, you have to connect the dots. A lot of people had and still have personal strife; how did the relationship inhibit academic performance and how did you improve or how have you improved since?

For both of these components, no matter what any school tells you, they need these scores to be the highest possible and no matter the other parts of the application package, these are the determinant factors of admission. It's really a very cold process.

SMH. There's a lot of inference to arrive at B.