I can't tell you whether or not to take the test, but I will say this: the higher your score, the more each and every question matters. What I mean by that is that the difference between a 170 and a 171 can be a single question. Similarly, the difference between a 169 and 170 can be 1 to 2 questions. Please don't be discouraged! You are completely capable of getting the score you want, and higher. I think if you do decide to take the test in Dec, then you should focus on your mindset. Find ways to cope with the nerves and build confidence in yourself and your abilities, even if they aren't necessarily LSAT related. If you decide not to take the Dec test, then keep in mind that the test would likely be scary in Feb, Mar, Apr, May or June (if they offered it all those months lol) or anytime you take it. One person who scored a 180 on the test said that she thought of the test date like a wedding day. It's a scary day, but it's a happy day, a happy occasion which signifies the first step of a beautiful and exciting path that you're choosing to walk in life. It's a day to showcase something amazing that you've been working on for months and months! I loved hearing that, and I hope it helps you in some way.

At any rate, I guess overall my advice is to try your best to be as logical as you can about the whole thing and not act out of anxiety alone. I withdrew from the Sep test because I could tell in the days leading up to it that I was far from ready, far from reaching my potential. I was afraid not just of the test, but bc I felt unprepared even after having studied for 3+ months. I was PTing in the 150-153 range. Now that I have worked much harder these past months, and moved through the CC with 7sage, I'm averaging about 165-168 with a high of 171. My goal is above 170, so I'm not super happy with where I am, but I am confident that withdrawing in Sep was the best decision I could have made.

Try to get to the base of those anxious feelings and see if they are logical ideas, or just seeds of doubt and fear which are completely natural when approaching a big test. Whether you take it in Dec or decide to take it later, I am confident that you will do very well :) Keep on keeping on

Being able to quickly recognize question stems is a time saver. Especially with NA, SA, PSA questions and other similar questions. Instead of flashcards with isolated question stems, I wrote down the question stem for every LR question in both sections every time I BR a PT. Then I would check my answer against 7sage's classifications when grading.

When you take the test, you circle every single question you're not 100 percent sure about right? Well I watch video explanations for every question I circled, after BR. Even some I didn't circle. It helps confirm my thought processes, build confidence, reveal incorrect lines of thinking that luckily led me to the right answer in one case, and get better and much better at discerning appealing trap answer choices on the next questions I faced.

For RC, I read hard articles (esp science bc those were most intimidating for me)and made myself analyze them, figure out the main point, understand the meaning of hard terms used.

After reviewing a PT, write down what you learned from it. This can be as simple ad "go faster on RC," or "once you get your LG answer, just move on" or "need to watch SA question type lectures again" and even "be more confident!!" Looking at your notes before each PT will remind you of what you need to keep in mind; I got that technique from someone who scored in the high 170s and even PT'd 180 before. Reflecting on what you learn with very PT is very important.

If you are properly completing your BR and foolproofing games (including and particularly the hardest games you encounter, as those are the time warps), then perhaps you might try taking a break for a day in order to relax and let everything soak in. Then reapply yourself to the next PT all you can. Be confident You've got this!

I'm super late on this...but I'd like to post anyway. I prefer Main Point questions because they feel like the easiest to me, and MBT questions because I like using conditional logic. I also enjoy flaw/des weakening questions where the argument makes a personal attack because I find them kind of entertaining. "Some chemists believe X but they're wrong because chemists know nothing unlike us cool physicists" kind of arguments lol

Oh, blurry eyesight? I am so sorry to hear that. I would suggest trying to change your mindset a bit. In addition to deep breathing, it can be helpful to think to yourself, "I have prepared for this day" or "I have done my best up to this point, now it's time to show them what I can do." Beyond that, just take it one question at a time. Someone who scored a 180 on the LSAT wrote that she thought of test day like a wedding day, because it's nerve- wracking yet also exciting, and it's the first step of a path you've chosen and which is an exciting endeavor ahead of you.

I'm not sure how this might help at all, as I know we are after test day now. But try not to worry! You have done what you could, and it sounds like you worked hard to prepare. Worrying now won't help, and before you know it you'll know your score.

I wish you the best! Stay encouraged

I would look up challenging articles on Scientific American, the Economist, and others and then meticulously read over them without the titles. I would highlight words and paragraphs, information I thought might be asked about if it were on the exam, and I tried to figure out the main point and what the title might be. I did this untimed and found it very helpful because intimidation was a big challenge for me when approaching RC, and getting up close and personal with pieces on gene mutations, black holes, recent developments in medical research and the science behind telescopes helped me a lot with my confidence (science passages were the worst for me). Plus, the LSAT includes difficult passages but offers context with difficult terms and questions that are based on the text alone. Meanwhile, I feel that these tough articles tend to assume the reader already knows something about the subject matter and sometimes uses jargon very difficult for me to grasp when depending entirely on context. In this way, when I moved back to reading and practicing actual RC passages, they didn't seem as scary and difficult as they once had.

I know you are discouraged, and I know just how that feels. I hit a wall a while back where all I saw on PT's was 150 -> 152 -> 154 -> 150. It was like a nightmare. For some time, I thought I would never be capable of higher than 154. I believed I wasn't smart enough, wasn't good enough, etc. But in the end, that self doubt was nothing but a waste of valuable prep time. Today, my highest score was a 171 (that I know of, there is still Dec LSAT).

The point I'm making is that I don't think your problem is in what you are capable of. I believe you are more than capable of the score you want. I feel like your issue is with the stress, the mind game, the discouragement, the strategies you're using, etc. Mind set is very important in all this.

I do not believe this is a question of your abilities at all, seriously! I can not emphasize this enough. A person who scored 180 said that "the LSAT more than anything else tests your discipline and dedication." And I believe this is one hundred percent correct. Those are definitely two key things in LSAT prep, and in law school as well.

It is up to you whether or not you continue, whether or not you pursue this career. But please, please do not let discouragement or self doubt be the thing the turns you away from your goals. Try taking a few days off, then critically evaluating your prep strategy, and asking different high scorers for new prep advice. Definitely stop testing for a bit, use some of the other ways to practice and nurture your skill sets, piece by piece. Then after that, try tackling a fresh test confidently. Believe in yourself! That will make all the difference. Best!

Hi there! I never use a second copy of the test, I just extensively go over the same copy I have before I grade it. I like seeing the marks from my previous thought processes under timed conditions and reanalyzing the answer choices I thought were wrong with fresh eyes and unlimited time. Seeing what I picked as correct on the page gives me the chance to both confront and defend those answer choices, as well as the lines of thinking that informed them. I have found this very helpful

@ Sure! It's tough to say, because I tended to focus on daily goals based on what I wanted to accomplish that day (Finish X lessons of the Core Curriculum, or BR Y section of my latest PT) as opposed to how long it would take. I also tend to take breaks when I study and practice, with the exception of full timed PT's. Overall though, I studied pretty much every day, with a rare day off doing nothing LSAT related and an occasional "break day" on which I would study, but only for 30 minutes or so foolproofing a few games and such. On the average day I'd say I spent about 3 hours. My longest day was maybe 6 hours, but again, I'm not sure due to the breaks. Nearing the end of my prep after I finished the Core Curriculum, I liked to take a PT, then take a few days reviewing intensely, and sometimes a day off before doing my next PT the following day. I took no days off in the weeks following the September almost-take because I was coming to terms with how serious a challenge the LSAT is, and then as I moved forward in my practice and improved I eased up a little bit. This ease up was also the result of full timed PT's being more fatiguing than problem sets and lessons which I could do day after day. I hope this helps! Best to you :)

I studied about 5 hours per day on average, but some days I studied only 30 minutes or so (these were break days). I took breaks every couple of hours. "Studying" for me meant moving through the Core Curriculum and reviewing it as well. I didn't use PTing and BRing to study until I completed the curriculum, as it was very helpful to me to know how to approach each question and increase in speed.

You can do it! Just take the test seriously (it's a beast of a challenge, but certainly conquerable with diligence) and put in the work each day. I have already taken the LSAT but I decided to chime in anyway...Please be encouraged :) https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/14063/first-lowest-pt-150-highest-pt-171-encouragement

I agree with keets993 I'd say. This will not be easy at all, but it is doable! You should not continue to take PTs until you have worked much more with the basics. Focus on using the Core Curriculum to attack the test part by part and improve in speed and accuracy in each section. Taking full LSATs won't be helpful until you've done that and know what strategies to use for each section and question type. I studied for about 6 months, but just over 3 months in I was still scoring in the low 150s. When I got 7sage Starter and learned how to really study, took the test more seriously (it's a real challenge unlike any I had ever faced) studying smarter and harder for about 2 and a half months, my score improved 21 points to my highest score. Believe in yourself and dedicate time to this every day. If it might help, here is my encouragement post :) https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/14063/first-lowest-pt-150-highest-pt-171-encouragement

Put in the work and stay strong!

Hi there! I used the same recommendation letters for all of the schools to which I applied. My personal statement was the same as well, but I wrote additional Why X essays where appropriate. My diversity statement was tweaked a bit for each school. I have heard other applicants say that admissions officers understand you are applying to a number of schools and are not necessarily expecting a personal statement tailored to them. Some schools with multiple required essays or optional essays even say "use the personal statement you send to law schools in general for essay X, but for essay Y do this." Of course, make sure to be meticulous that you send the right essays to the right schools and follow their instructions! hope this helps you some! Good luck :)

Perhaps I was overthinking it and freaking out about nothing. It's hard for me to resist reading into these things. Thank you so much for your reply! I really appreciate it.