My name is Stephanie Gonzalez. I have been using the email address of stephgmeister[at]gmail.com since the beginning of time. However, this may seem adolescent and ridiculous because "meister" is not apart of my last name at all, it was just one of the options that wasn't taken. Also, this email works great with the space I have on the header of my resume. Does anyone advice against using this email address?
After months and months of studying, February will be the second time I take the LSAT and time is still getting the best of me...
I was diagnosed with ADHD 5 years ago and used testing accommodations throughout college but when I heard (never verified) that LSAC flagged those who took the test with extended time and inquired about it to a of couple law schools, they told me that they weighed the scores differently so I automatically ruled it out of my agenda. However, I recently found out that as of over a year ago they NO longer flag those who take the test with accommodations. I couldn't believe it and I wish I submitted the necessary forms by the deadline. ( semi good news: I still have time to do so for the June test and that will be my last chance. But I am so burnt out I wouldn't want to take the test again five months from now)
I wanted to ask if there is anyone out there in a similar situation or who has ADHD and was granted more time on tests? I also mistakenly assumed since this diagnosis is very common, they would just not even accept it. There's a great article written about those who deserve accommodation and those who use it as a cop out. http://abovethelaw.com/2014/05/the-lsat-cant-discriminate-against-the-disabled-so-time-for-everybody-to-get-add/
I am very much the type of person to not have a disability define who I am (especially one such as ADHD) but the extra time is necessary in my situation in order to truly portray my capabilities.
Hello fellow sagers,
I'm looking for advice from people who have been on the same boat and who have ideally gotten out of it successfully by doing (x).
I am consistently scoring +70-72 which is anywhere from 157-159. I am aiming to break 160 but I know on test day there's a high possibility to miss a few more points vs during PT's at home... Thus, I want to be consistently earning 80 points per practice test.
I have been BR'ing very intensely and the only thing I seem to be consistent in is LG's. For some tests my RC is very low (-12) while the other sections make up for it, in other tests, I get -3 on one LR section and -11 on another LR. I attribute the discrepancies in LR to unfamiliar stimulus vs the cookie cutter ones I get correct and have seen time and time again. My RC usually never exceeds (-7) therefore, I know this is something I should be doing more timed sections in.
I am reaching out for advice because I don't really know how to best utilize the last couple weeks before test day. Maybe investing in a private tutor would help? If any of you have seen one or have a good method of how to go about what I've discussed, I'd really appreciate any feedback!
Thank you,
Stephanie
Can someone explain why B is wrong? After watching the explanations I see why D is a better answer but while timed I thought that B was nice and subtle.
Thanks so much for introducing me to J.Oliver! This is so great. Any other recommendations are welcomed. Frontline documentaries are always inspiring although usually with zero humor.
Thanks guys for your insight. And @, I have never thought of that before, but that is a really great point! Now I just have to see whether or not lsac will let me extend my deadline as I'm not ready for June. But since the accommodations were already approved they should always be approved no matter which date I extend it to. Is there a limit to how many times I can extend?
Hey Guys!
I haven't purchased a 7sage course yet and I don't even know if I need a course. Ive taken the test twice already and I think what I struggle most on is knowing how to use my time leading up for the test, ex drilling more, PTing more etc. Does 7sage help with that? My past test scores have been extremely low after much studying, I haven't passed a 150 therefore I decided to request accommodations for my disability.
Recently I was granted testing accommodations and will now receive 54min per section! It is the third time I will take the test therefore I can not mess this up. Should I practice as if I have 35 min per section? Where do I find strategies for people who are taking the test with extended time? If someone in a similar situation has done something remarkable to improve their score please let me know!
Any advice would help.
Thank you!
@ , Do you know what the number is parentheses represent in the LSN charts? I found those charts confusing, for some you can pick the year and for others you can't...
I am having a very difficult time coming up with low resolution summaries during timed tests, I usually only do them for the first one or two paragraphs and then am pressed for time. I really appreciate the change in core curriculum with JY emphasizing this however it would be very helpful if the summaries were also included in the explanations! I have nothing to compare my summaries to.
Is anybody else struggling with this? For those of you whom have mastered this your input is appreciated!
Thanks,
Stephanie
Oh no I completely forgot to check back in and assumed one had to have a paid account with 7 sage. Is there a way I could have access to the link still? Please.
Do you have to have a paid membership with 7 sage to attend the forum? And is there still space?
I attended David B's webinar and he suggested we apply to schools in Oct/Nov but is it possible to apply in Sept?
Hello everyone,
I am an UMR (first generation Mexican-American) and a bunch of priority deadlines are this Thursday so I just want to make sure I'm not overlooking a certain school. I know the ivy leagues tend to be good for this but based on my LSAT and GPA of 159 and 3.24, I am not applying to those schools.
I am applying to UC Hastings (top choice), Chicago- Kent, UC Irvine, U of Wisconsin.... any other recommendations?
So far I have submitted apps for Pepperdine, USD and U of Denver.
Thank you,
Stephanie
Hello,
I just begun my 7sage course. It is awesome so far however can someone tell me where they have purchased PT's 36-52? I looked a 10 pack test from Cambridge LSAT which included these tests but for $400!!
Have you guys just purchased them individually? Even for some individually I have seen them for $24 each. Please help me!
First off, thank you 7 sage for having these awesome e-docs we get to print from! I just recently noticed that now the dates are appearing when I print and its making the content actually a little more blurry and smaller. Is there anyway to have them switch back to how they used to be? Or is there a special setting that I am unaware of?
Thank you!
When will there be another one??
will there be another crash course? Im so bummed I missed this :(
Hello 7 sage community!
Just wanted to give those studying hard for the LSAT a glimmer of hope during these hard times. 3 years ago, I was studying for the LSAT for the 3rd time. I had been studying on and off since I graduated undergrad in 2014. It was not until I committed to 7sage and studied full time in 2017 that I began to see results. My first score was a 148 and my final score was a 159. I was one correct question away from a 160. Although that one point was extremely frustrating, I took my chances and decided to apply to schools anyway.
I know there are a TON of overachievers on this site and you'll find plenty more in law school --- but my 159 helped get me a full- tuition scholarship at Northeastern University School of Law (NUSL). For those wanting to go into public interest, I highly recommend this school. It has solidified my path to pursue social justice and luckily, I will graduate debt-free! That being said, a 159 is still below Northeastern's median LSAT score of 162. I had a ton of public interest experience, am a minority (child of Mexican immigrants), and the first to graduate college in my family. I think this diversity came to an advantage as over half of the school is white. Nevertheless, the big picture is that I am not perfect, I did not have super high LSAT scores, my GPA was a 3.25, but a full ride is attainable! I am now a 2L at NUSL and would be happy to answer any questions you may have!
Happy studying,
Stephanie
Isn't "having learned to THINK about themselves as unathletic" a mental aspect? Had trouble eliminating D) even after Blind review. Please help clear this up for me. Thanks
I'm pretty sure law schools take the highest score out of the LSAT's taken, but would anyone know if this is true or how to find out? Does it depend on the school?
@ thank you so much for your post! What is the name of this podcast? Are they on stitcher? I have very little data on my phone plan but love being able to listen to podcasts. Any other law school ones you recommend?
Thanks!
-Steph
Hey guys,
Hope there's been good news going around. I got into one of my top choices which is University of San Diego and they offered me a 36k scholarship for the first year, with the option of it being renewable if I keep my GPA above a 2.8. That seems pretty easy but I hear law school is on a different grade scale than undergrad. I'm a first- generation college student so I'm really trying to maximize my funding. Wondering if anyone has any tips or advice/forums/blogs anything on how to get the max financial aid.
Also, has anyone attempted to be flown out to schools on their dime? I'm trying to do that but am feeling uncomfortable approaching it.
Thanks,
Stephanie
I had 2 RC's, one comparative was on happiness and the other was on sprawls. So I think the sprawl one is real, also the first passage for the other one was really hard and on geology and volcanoes if I can remember correctly, I remember I thought I really efffed up and then when I got another RC which was the one on shrubs, I thought the test had given me a second chance!
What really messed me up on this question was the question stem. Why is it just a Parallel reasoning question versus Parallel Flaw? After reading the stimulus it is clear that the argument is flawed however the q-stem doesn't point that out. I chose C) only because it was the only valid argument but I knew it didn't match so on BR I chose D).
Please help!!
In 2012, I received a NP in Intro to Political Science which LSAC considers an F. Long story short, I took that class a long time ago when I was first considering law school and it was purely for educational enrichment, I took it over the summer for christ sake.
Should I explain this in the addenda? I do have a reasonable excuse for not taking the final, the professor was very strict about when he wanted his tests done and when I exceeded the time allotted for both tests with my one Philosophy final (with testing accommodations), I asked for an extension and it wasn't granted. If it were any other class maybe it wouldn't matter but since I'm applying to law school I feel as though I should explain this. But I also don't want to look really dumb by exceeding the time limit for two tests with just one. The philosophy final was super writing heavy but still.
Any thoughts? Suggestions?
Thank you,
Steph
Hi there!
I think a lot of this test is psychological, with that said I can totally can empathize with you because I have been there. And even though I am not scoring where I want to be (165 to higher), I know everything about the test so learning new strategies isn't gonna help me, I've tried everything, something I hadn't been doing though until recently is seeing which questions I spend more time on and knowing when to let go, sometimes it can be scary because i'll be stuck on a most strongly supported question very early on but instead of sitting there re-reading for 2 min I should circle it and come back or take 30 sec and give it my best guess. There isn't a magic formula here but I do know that the more time you spend on the questions you got wrong is the most time wasted cause you get no points which you deserve! If you can see which questions give you most difficulty and practice them during studying I think this might help. Again, I can't say it'll guarantee improvement an esp not right away. For RC for ex, I miss an average of 10 which really brings my score down but I can't seem to read a passage in less than 4 minutes without sacrificing understanding and Im usually always at the 10 min mark after passage 1. For LR, the suggestion I mentioned has worked better for me.
Also, not knowing why you want to go to law school may be playing a role in underperformance, I know it did for me! I constantly went back and forth between deciding about grad school, law school or a job.... and even if you don't know.... being ok with not knowing is a step in the right direction and will hopefully help ease your mind and not get in the way with your commitment to the LSAT.
Good luck and send me a message if you need moral support from someone in a similar situation who is overcoming it.
Thanks for sharing! So did your dad go to law school?
Hello All!
I am seeking out anybody who has done more research than I have on schools and esp if you are a minority. So stats first my highest LSAT is a 159 and my LSAC GPA is a 3.23... I know this seems rather low compared to many of you guys on this site but I can't do more about it, hoping my community experience and diversity will help out a bit...
I'm first generation Mex-American and first generation college student interested and have worked in public interest law. I'm mostly applying to schools in CA but anything above the top 40 seems pretty out of reach for me with my low GPA and within the median LSAT score. Wondering if you guys know of any schools that are more open to diversity or resources to look this up?
Also for scholarships, I thought there would be a lot more external ones for minorities but I have only found 1 through the hispanic scholarship fund (for entering students at least). A lot of them seem to be targeted for current law students (1L, 2L) and the schools also offer merit ones right when you apply so you don't need a separate application. I have searched within my city and found a couple I am applying to but being minority isn't a requirement.
Any advice is welcome, thank you!
-Steph
Hi David,
Thanks for this great opportunity!
Bio: I am first generation Mexican- American whose only family in the United States consists of my mother and sister. My older sister and I were the first people in our family (we come from a huge family, mom has 10 brothers and sisters) to ever graduate from university. I am extremely passionate about food and want to improve our current food system which is built on the exploitation of humans (mostly undocumented) and animals.
My biggest worry about my application is my GPA since I have 2 "No Passes" from classes I took just for fun (I didn't know these counted as F's btw until after the fact) which brought my cumulative GPA from 3.5 to a 3.24. However, I was approved for testing accommodations for the LSAT. Do you think that if I score a 170 my 3.24 will still make me a very good candidate at my top choice school: UCLA?
My first idea for my personal statement would be about how I came to develop a passion for what we eat (Mom became diabetic and I realized that we live in a culture that does not support our health, we are constantly bombarded with junk food advertising and weight loss pills, Big Ag has taken over leaving farmers with barely enough means to scrape by and the rest of us to figure out what to eat by chasing convenience.
My second idea would be about my Mexican mother coming to this country illegally with not even a dollar to her name, was worked like a slave, mistreated, but then was granted citizenship with farmworker papers and now provides affordable housing to low- income individuals in one of the most affluent cities in the country. She raised two daughters who also developed a passion for social justice and are advocates for positive change.
Even if I don't get chosen, I hope we can email or you can reply to my response. Thanks so much for doing this!
-Stephanie
thanks for your advice! I don't have a middle name so I'll try to think of something. My other email is Stephanie.gonzalez2991[at]gmail because 1992 was already taken and I don't think that email is any better....
This seriously BLOWS but luckily I had my request of 8 minute break after each section granted a while back! But how about everyone else? Do you guys not get any break except for the 15 minute one ????!!
I appreciate the responses!
I scored a 148 on my first exam, I'll call and see if that will automatically disqualify me in the first place- that would not have crossed my mind at al, so @, thanks for mentioning! Also, I thought the diagnosis could have been within the last 5 years but in the link @ sent me it specifically says 3 years :(
It's also a little confusing what the requirements are for extra time, that form you sent me is different from the ones I found on their website, part of the reason I didn't want to proceed with this is because I heard it was such a hassle and it sure seems like it esp since I would have to pay and be re-diagnosed since the last time I did it was 5 years ago. @, is this why you also didn't follow through with accommodations?