It seems this current cycle is not as hectic as the past one, but still a difficult one! I submitted my applications at end of November/beginning of December, and I’m still waiting to hear back from most schools. Would anyone be interested in having a (discord) group to discuss things we (could or should) do post application? Let me know!
Hi 7sagers,
As I am close to finishing my school applications, I now have extra time that I used before for LSAT study. I saw some posts about test day questions, and I would like to share my own test day experience and tips
Pick a time slot that works best for your body and brain
We set up our "preferred time slot" for practice tests, but if you are like me, who would predictably get anxious for the real test, it might not be a bad idea to pick a slot that 1 - 2 hours later than the usual practice test time to calm the overly hyped body and brain. I did it for the Oct test, and it turned out to work well.
Brain warm-up if you can
If you decide to give yourself an extra 1 - 2 hours before the actual test, you may want to meditate, do some light exercises, and warm up your brain. There are some other discussions about how to warm up before the test. The standard way is to do one game, one passage, and 7 - 8 LR questions. I found that warm-up with LG questions only works best because LG questions integrate understanding, inferences, and diagrams, which quickly alert the brain and transfer it to the test mode.
Talking about LG, just a side note - you will only allow five pieces of scratch paper for the entire test. No refill over the break. So diagram as much as you want, but also be cautious just in case there are 2 LG sections, and you will have to diagram a TON.
Ask the proctor if you have any question BEFORE starting the test
If you have any test-related question, make sure to ask. There is a 10 - 20 mins check-in section before starting the test, and after you finish the check-in, most proctors will not force you to begin the test right away unless you agree that you are ready as well. Take your time to clear all test-related questions so you can focus later. If your proctors forget to mute their microphone, it's also okay to politely ask them to mute themselves.
Restrain water intake
You will allow bringing a clear bottle of water (around 20 ounces), but may want to use it considerably. I nervously drank the whole bottle over my second RC section, and ended up focusing on something else than fully dedicated to the test in my last section. I might score slightly better if I did not abuse the water resource XD
You can eat in front of the camera but cannot miss the check-in after the break
There will be a 10 mins break before your third section, and you will have to click "check-in" within this 10 mins in order to continue the test. Even if you click at the 5-minute, the test will not be resumed until it reaches the full 10 mins break. So if you are really afraid of losing minutes or forget to click in, just click "check-in" first, and then do whatever helps you with the test (whatever that does not violate the LSAC rule; no phone or any other electronic devices. But it's a perfect snack time!)
After finishing the test, do not close the test window immediately.
Check with your proctors, and they will guide you to exit safely.
Additionally, to my international test-taking fellows: don't let the "language barrier" (or whatever other people may have said) discourage you. You don't have to be an English master to write the test. But I would suggest starting a personal LSAT vocab dictionary for unfamiliar words from stimulus or passages, such as legal terms. Some of these terms are not familiar to native speakers either. Don't be discouraged -- everyone was once a beginner!
Good luck to everyone! Please feel free to reach out if you have any question about test prepping! I am happy to help!
QS
Hi I have a quick question on Q12, the disagreement question. I understand that passage A supports the idea that public funding can encourage the establishment of social capital. But I am not clear why B disagrees with it.. Is it because public funding creates arts that people don't like? It's the latest released test and I can't find any explanation on this online. I am wondering if any 7sager has finished this test and would be so kind as to help! Thank you!
.#help
Admin Note: Edited title. Please use the format: "PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of the question"
I know there is an accommodation option for reading out loud during test. You may need a doctor's note or something similar to be qualified for this accommodation.
It seems we have a very slow cycle based on Spivey (and my personal feeling)! I submitted everything at the end of Nov and there has been not too much movement so far .. I was thinking about setting up a post-application group to get connected! Will anyone be interested?
Hey I would like to try this!
The correct answer should interact with the conclusion AND the connection between premises and conclusion. As maxjab00 explained, AC A may help with the premise, but it does not explain why the "melting snow" is the cause (as it only stated there's more rain, but it does not necessarily connect more rain and melting snow -- how do we know there will be melting snow as well?)
AC B and C looked alike, but as the statement is more about mountain regions in general rather than a specific area within a given mountain regions, AC B fits better. Hope it helps.
All I can say is please don't cancel your score, unless you can recall exactly which question(s) you got wrong! You'll be surprised to know how many 170+ test takers canceled their score just because they 'thought' they underperformed. The real score will very likely be close to your avg. practice one!
Hi! I scored 171 on the Oct test, and would like to share my experience! I would first figure out what type of reader you are. Please refer to the post by LSATHacks here https://lsathacks.com/guide/reading-comprehension/reading-speed-lsat/.
If you are a fast reader, I would recommend strategies taught by LSAThacks or LSAT tutors (Mike Kim). Basically, you should aim at 2 mins for each passage, and you should always refer back to the passage when doing questions (less time on the first read but may have to re-read part of the passage when doing questions).
I am a slow(er) reader, so my strategy is slightly different. Instead of aiming for the 2 mins benchmark, I read as thoroughly as I could, and when I read, I tried my best to understand the authors' points and connect examples, cases, and arguments back to these points. JY's explanation videos are highly suitable for slow readers. They really taught me how to read passages holistically instead of treating each paragraph separately as broken pieces. I spend an average 4 - 4.5 mins on each passage, but 30 secs - less than 1 mins on each question, since after understanding the passage, I don't have to re-read or consistently refer back. Hope it helps!
It is haha and it's not only offered by Princeton Law!
I got the same question and got help from 7sagers - it's okay to use LORs from last year for next cycle, if there is not too much you want to change on those letters. You can consider to reach out to recommenders again if you accomplish big projects for your job/study and want them to update the information
So I think what's the flaw in E is that Emily fails to consider the chance of the flying animal between trees could be a mammal, which is similar to the editor's error.
I got my LORs in Dec 2019 - I planned to apply for this 2020 cycle but decided to apply for the 2021 one instead. Should I reach out to LORs for letter resubmission? I checked my LSAC account and was not clear should I ask them to resubmit or to edit the existing one. Does anyone have an idea on this? Thank you so much for any input in advance!
Definitely didn't see this looonnnnggg waiting back when I applied! Would anyone recommend retaking and aiming for a higher LSAT score now, since we are waiting for decisions anyway?
I think I read on the application instruction that if your undergraduate school use English as the primary teaching language, it may waive the Tofel test requirement. It won't hurt to reach out to schools' admission offices and ask -- most of them will get back to you within two days.
There is a chance just give LSAC a call! I know ppl who changed date for free due to medical reasons.
@ yep I had one about outkast/rap and mali,evolution,paternalism for the other RC section. It seems the mali one may be the real one (internal screaming)
Same here ... just finished Nov test and underperformed on LG. Would like to join a study for Jan 2021 test.
If you perform decently on RC and LR I would keep the score, so you can have a score and apply before roughly half of applicants for this cycle (just my two cents). Usually I have -0 on LG but maybe not the one I had on Nov flex (I had one game about theater; games were not hard but I had a hard time to focus well). Nevertheless I think I'll keep my score and retake in Jan if needed.
Hi I scored a 171 on the Oct test and PTed in the mid-high 170s before the test.
For RC improvement, active reading helped me the most. Check out the response from one 7sage tutor within this post https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/comment/189467
Questions on the real test are going to be like the ones in 80s and 90s. Good luck!
I think they are differed based on their different goals (which you already pointed out)
Strengthen - correct answer choice makes conclusion more likely to be true
Necessary - correct answer choice is a must in order for the conclusion to be true (different from sufficient assumption, the conclusion for necessary does not have to be 100% valid, but the answer choice/assumption must be true for the conclusion to be true)
Hi 7sagers! I am planning to take October test, and I want to form a small study group of 2-3 people before the test for a better study experience. Currently I am scoring high 160s - low 170s, and my weakness is RC. I do better on LR and LG - if you need help on LR/LG but good at RC, we can help each other out (complementary skills are ideal but all are welcomed! Seriously LSAT is a beast and we'll come up with a better 'surviving strategy' if we work together!) I locate in east coast area and have fairly flexible schedule. Feel free to message me if you are interested!
I finished my Northwestern Kira interview yesterday! There were six questions (30 sec preparation; 60 secs answering)
One failed experience that led to success later
Motivate one disengaged team member
The proudest accomplishment
What do you excepting from NW (I think this one is new)
One more thing to tell the Admission Office
Why Northwestern
Thanks for sharing! Simply the law school itself will be a three-year-long investment (both financially and timely), and it's great to know people's insights on this investment as well as the 'return' afterward.
7sage also has it's own consultant group and it's decent! I purchased the administrative consultant package and worked with a former administrative officer from Northwestern and a fantastic editor. Their package includes applications to ten schools. DM if you want some more detail!
Yes as sarakimmel said, your file will be on hold by most schools till your Jan score releasing, and schools will (re)evaluate your profile with an increased score.
Test anxiety is the real thing! A couple of things may help
take each PT to resemble the real one (include the check-in session, ask a friend to watch you over zoom, take only one 10 mins break, etc.)
in-depth review and analysis of all wrong and flag questions (to get familiar with wrong AC patterns and train your intuition in identifying these patterns quickly)
mental health maintenance (therapy; meditation; social life; online gaming)
Also if you believe anxiety really gets in your way (from scoring higher), I know accommodation could be a potential option if you're eligible.
Good luck! You got this.
Following this post! And I think you should try for a higher score if you already signed up for the November test @-Han ! I am in a similar boat, got a 171 in Oct test, which was a bit below the median of some top schools (and my GPA is below 25 percentile of all schools;, and I am debating if to write the Jan test. Any advice is welcome!