Hey everyone,

I was just picking out my schools to apply to on LSAC for U.S and Canada schools and noticed they have one school under the international section, the University of Melbourne.

I ended up looking it up and doing a bit of research on it and the school seems to have a really good international reputation. Scored 8th worldwide for law schools and seems to have a distinguished staff and alumni. As a Canadian, I have been so focused on Canadian and U.S schools that I didn't even consider Australia (I'd already ruled out UK cause of Brexit among other things).

Anyways, I've never been to Australia, but would be open to moving there (I lived abroad for 5 years so I know I adjust well). Anyone spent any time in Melbourne? Any thoughts on what the culture is like and other pros and cons of living in Australia?

Anyone else considering applying there or know anything else about the law program there that would be good to consider?

Hey all,

So I'm finding myself a bit confused on the LG fool proofing method. Not the actual method, but which games I'm using. I have seen lots of people say the games from 1-35, but I'm not sure where this "packet" of games is on 7sage. What I did was take all the games from the LG section in the CC that J.Y went over, as they seem like a good large sample of the different kinds of games you need to master, and I'm fool proofing those. But those games don't seem to be all games from tests 1-35. Honestly, when I looked online, I couldn't even find the LSAT tests from below 7. I did purchase the 7-12 tests and I'm doing some of those games to mix it up as their style is quite different from the newer games.

So I'm just a bit confused about the 1-35 packet thing. I feel like if I master the games in the CC that that is probably good enough, as well as throwing in some of the games from earlier prep tests to test my ability to handle weird games. I also plan to spend a lot of time with miscellaneous games.

Am I approaching this wrong?

Thanks!

Hey Sagers,

This is a question for those of you who have been doing LG for a while. I'm trying to perfect my timing for LG through slight method and strategy changes.

Was hoping to just get some insight on different ways people approach "naked" questions on the LG section. Most notably "must be true", "could be true", etc. that leave a lot of open-ended options. I have a few random strategies I employ for these questions but no systematic approach. I always do all the "if" questions first so I can write out my gameboards and use those to potentially answer naked questions after, and that is helpful. But I also feel there are other strategies I could be employing for the naked questions. I often can get stuck on them because I feel overwhelmed and end up wasting a few precious moments.

I have come to realize that when I feel stuck, best thing is to just start brute forcing through, which is sometimes all you can do, but just wondering if people had other strategies for naked questions? This is just the last leg for me trying to make subtle shifts in strategy so that I can get the LG section in time and hopefully leave myself with a little extra time to do those horrible substitute condition questions :)

I feel confident in my ability to do LG and nearly always score perfect under untimed conditions, but still struggling to get them done in time under timed conditions without rushing at the end.

Thanks for any tips on naked questions if you have them!

Hey everyone,

sorry if this questions has already been answered, but I was just wondering if the full prep test 81 will be available on 7sage for printing and with explanations for questions before the September test? I know the Logic game answers are up, but just wondering if the rest of the test will have answers up and if the whole test will be downloadable here?

I'm wondering if I have to buy the entire new set of tests that includes the 80s from an online source. I'd prefer not to because I have already bought a ton of the 70s as individual tests online, so don't need to buy a new book. It would be great for me if 81 was downloadable here.

let me know if you know!

I've heard repeatedly on this forum and others that someone should expect to drop 3 or 4 points from their Testing average on the actual test day (because of nerves, new environment, etc).

I just want to suggest that this is a really self-defeating thought to have in your mind. I'm not saying don't be prepared to potentially do worse, but also don't go in assuming a 3 to 4 point drop in score. I've met at least 5 people that have told me they PEAKED on test day. That is, they scored their highest on test day, sometimes 2 or 3 points over their normal prep test score.

I'm not saying you should go in assuming you will score 2-3 points higher on test day, but I would suggest orienting oneself around a goal of peak performance instead of an assumption of dropping points.

The mind is a powerful thing.

Consider an Olympic athlete. Many athletes have "Peak" performance on the actual day of the Olympics, getting better and faster times than they ever did in practice. Some get nervous and do worse. Point is, it can go either way. I'd aim for thinking about Test Day as your peak day.

Of course work hard and get the best average score you can before test day, and be prepared for anything, but go into the test aiming to peak.

Just my 2 cents.

Hey just wondering if anyone else is having trouble loading the applications on LSAC for Yale and Harvard? I've tried multiple times on different days and it won't let me load the application. I thought it might be because of volume of people applying.

Any thoughts? Anyone else successfully uploaded or submitted?

Hey everyone,

Just having some trouble that I thought someone here could clarify. I'm looking at my online LSAT registration for September on the LSAC site, but I don't see any information there on where exactly the room is I'm taking the test etc. I know it is at UofT, but no idea what room and don't see an address. I also don't see times listed. I'm wondering if this is what you get info for when you print out your ticket? Which I can't do till August 30th.

I'm confused

Hey everyone,

I'm wondering what people's opinions are for the LSAT Trainer. I hear a lot of people talk here about it being a complimentary book for 7Sage material, but I'm wondering how necessary it is. I've been using 7Sage for the past 7 months and planning to write in September. I utilize both the CC and also listen to all the webinars and read many of the blogs and discussion board comments here. With all that, I wonder if the LSAT Trainer is really going to add anything I haven't yet gleaned from the content available here. I mean if it is just one more thing to read to drive home some points I already know, or a slightly different way of looking at some questions, I wonder if it is worth the time and investment or if my time is better spent at this point just drilling and doing PTs and Blind Reviews till test day.

Any thoughts appreciated!

This may just be me, so take it for what it is worth, but I think changing the LG foolproof bundle to include all LG games from 60s and 70s would be perhaps more useful that games from 20s and 30s. I mean they are ALL good practice, but I think the 60s and 70s (and 80s) games are more reflective of current games and are the best ones to foolproof. The "minus or add a rule" that was common on earlier games doesn't ever show up in the 60s and after. The substitution question (which has been a bitch for me to get the hang of) shows up on nearly every test from the 60s on and will likely show up on the next test. I wish I'd spent my foolproofing time on the substitution questions rather than the minus or add rule, the latter which will probably be irrelevant on the next test.

Just saying for me I think foolproofing later games is potentially more valuable (particularly 60s onward). I think there are some great weird games in the early tests worth doing, but also some that seem pretty unrepresentative of current tests. So I think doing early games is a great idea, but I think focusing foolproofing on later games is smarter.

Any thoughts?

Does anyone else find these questions insanely hard?

Granted I only started working with them in the newer Prep Tests since they didn't show up prior to the 60s, so I don't have as much practice with them. But I have tried watching J.Y's explanation on these and it still isn't helping me get them. I feel like when I do get them it is more luck than anything

I'm wondering if I should devote a day to just trying to figure out how to do these questions, or whether it is worth the time and effort. Anyone have any strategies they use?

I had a general question I was hoping some people here might have some views or insights on.

I'm Canadian and have done a ton of research on different law schools. University of Toronto is our #1 law school here, and I'd be totally happy to get in (average LSAT is 167, which I think is totally doable for me based on my current prep tests and my soft credentials). Although we have some other great law schools here in Canada, I don't really have a desire to move anywhere else in Canada, and UofT is the best, so I'm aiming high.

My absolute dream school, though, is Yale. It's mostly because of my more academic bent and I love their small class sizes and 6:1 student teacher ratio. They also really support people to take non-traditional paths with their law degree and I also feel I'd meet some exceptional people. I also realize getting into Yale is a bit of a lottery, so I'm speaking in hypotheticals if I can score a 170 or higher I'll at least apply (I have a book published with New York University Press and a few other creds that I think might make me at least worth looking at if my LSAT is high enough).

I'm considered also applying to Harvard. I'll be honest that Harvard doesn't entice me as much as Yale. Harvard seems much more geared towards streaming people into corporate law (nothing wrong with that if that is what you want to do, but not sure if it is for me). That said, it is still a great school and brand obviously, but it seems to me that Yale has a much better repayment program that adjusts to whatever work you decide to do after...

Anyways, that all said, I guess my larger question is whether it is worth going to either Yale or Harvard if one got in as a Canadian. That is, do people think the cost is worth the trade off of the prestige? For Yale I feel it could be because the program feels so up my alley of interest and is really unique, but even then I wonder if the price tag is worth it. A law degree at UofToronto is $32,000 a year, compared to 60K at Yale or Harvard.

I imagine that a degree from Yale or Harvard would be pretty transferable back to Canada if I decide to return after my degree? But I don't really know. I don't really have a strong desire to stay in the U.S after I graduate.

I realize I'm jumping the gun a bit, but it would be useful to get some feedback on this because it will help determine how many schools I apply to (each application is a lot of work and I want to put my best into them).

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

So I came across this thing in LG that got me a bit confused. Hoping someone can offer a quick clarification. Perhaps my brain just froze.

There is this one answer choice in LG that says:

If Hamadi is not appointed to the trial court than Perkins must be.

J.Y translated this as: H --> /P

but isn't it the other way around? In this case it is the "If" that is starting the conditional, not the "not". So shouldn't the translation be:

/H --> P

I don't know why I'm stumbling on this one but just can't see why he flipped it in this situation.

I came across this really great podcast on "Thinking LSAT" with two LSAT teachers riffing about what to do in the days following up to taking the LSAT, and some last minute tips to remember as you go into the test. I found it really informative and fun (they tell some really funny stories of some of the weirdest things that have happened during an LSAT so you can prepare for anything :))

I also found it calming and reassuring to listen to, so thought I'd share it. It was recorded for the last June LSAT, but the advice applies across the board

http://www.thinkinglsat.com/blog/ep-97-last-minute-advice-for-the-june-2017-lsat/

Best of luck to you all

Hey all,

So I realize J.Y's general rule for when to use a chart vs. when to use a standard grouping game board is that if the variables are only used once (are exhaustible) than use the regular grouping game board, and if the variables can be used more than once (inexhaustible) then use the chart. This generally works, but I find there are exceptions to this rule on certain games.

One example is game 3 in the C2 test. It's the game where you have to design three tricolor costumes, but the colors can be used more than once.

For this one, I found the standard grouping game set up way more helpful than a chart, and I noticed that J.Y also uses a standard grouping board.

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-c2-section-1-game-3/

I'm wondering if there is something about the game that makes it unique that I'm just not seeing?

Would really appreciate any insight as when to use chart vs. grouping is one of the only areas left I still feel a little unsure on.

thanks!

So one of my biggest areas of weakness is hard science passages in RC.

I've been trying to read Scientific America a bit more, and I realize some of it is just repetition of these kinds of passages, but I wonder if there are any other tips/tricks anyone would suggest in tackling these passages?

Reading comp is a strong area for me otherwise, but I can sometimes tank 5 or 6 questions if I get a really difficult science passage (I usually do fine on easier science passages, but some are really f-ing hard). I try to just focus on the structure of the argument, but I still feel it isn't enough and I always miss connections between details. I can't help but feel if I had the science background I wouldn't be so tripped up on these passages.

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to thank you all for the great time I've had on 7Sage. I really enjoyed my time here and you all made learning the LSAT sooo much more bearable.

I took the September test and was happy to get 2 points higher than my average PT range before test day. I've been reading some of the forum comments from others who were disappointed with marks, and some who scored a lot lower than their average range from PTs. I'm not big on preaching advice, but if I could offer one parting piece of it, I will just say there is no way I would have performed well on test day if it wasn't for my long time meditation practice and martial arts practice, which have all been training to keep me focused and centered no matter what is happening around me. I've really come to believe that 50% of this test is your skills and competence (which is super important!) and 50% is your psychological mindset, especially on test day. For those re-taking or just starting to study, if you can find some form of meditation practice and start doing it consistently, I don't think you will regret it.

With that I will just say again how grateful I am to have met you all and wish you nothing but the best with your future law careers!

Hey all,

So I'm starting to feel convinced that at a certain point in prep, it's better to focus on later tests. That is, if you aren't going to prep test every test out there (who has time for that, not me), then I think you have to somewhat chose your best use of time. I've raised the question here before about taking a stab at a later test (I had done all tests from 37-50 diligently in a row), and I was mostly advised not to jump ahead to a later test.

I decided on my own to try a later test (I know, sorry :), mainly just because I really wanted to see how much more "difficult" or "different" the test was down the road than the ones I was doing. I saw a significant drop in my score when I took Prep Test 79. I gave myself some leeway for the fact that it was a big jump, but I'm also more convinced than ever that at this point I'm best focusing my last 2 months before I take the test on the late 60s and 70s tests. I say that because they seem more representative of what the test I take will actually look like, and I think it's essential I get used to the more subtle wording of phrases, convoluted referential phrasing, and weird logic games that are more common on the later tests.

I'm still open to any thoughts on this though. I just kind of don't see the point of working through every test in the 50s and using up the time I have left on tests that aren't as representative of the test I'll be facing. Does anyone have any good arguments to the contrary?

Hey everyone,

So question 24 in section 2 of Prep Test 61.

This question I've been trying to grapple with for 3 days (seriously). I understand how conditionals work, but this question just doesn't work for me no matter how many times I do it, or listen to J.Y's explanation. I'm getting caught up on two things:

Here is the question:

Stimulus: It is unlikely that someone would see history as the working out of moral themes unless he or she held clear and unambiguous moral beliefs. However, one's inclination to morally judge human behavior decreases as one's knowledge of history increases. Consequently, the more history a person knows, the less likely that person is to view history as the working out of moral themes.

Stem: The conclusion of the argument is properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed?

So the right answer is:

B) The less inclined one is to morally judge human behavior, the less likely it is that one holds clear and unambiguous moral beliefs.

I actually got the right answer, but only through process of eliminating the wrong answers. I couldn't get full connection in this argument to get the answer as the missing sufficient assumption and it is driving me full out mad :)

The first thing that bothers me about this argument is the "unlikely" at the beginning, which I'm not sure exactly what to do with. The second thing is that the second premise [one's inclination to morally judge human behavior decreases as one's knowledge of history increases] does not ring to me as a conditional if/then type of sentence. I see that they are connected, but decreasing/increasing relationships aren't something I see fitting well into a conditional sentence sequence.

Secondly, even if I grant that this is a conditional statement, this is the logic drawing I end up with:

[P1] See history as working out of moral themes (SHWMT) ---> holds clear and unambiguous beliefs (HCUMB)

[P2] Morally judge human behavior decreases (MJHBd) ---> Knowledge of history increases (KHi)

[Conclusion] The more history a person knows (KHi) --> the less likely they are to view history as the working out of moral themes (/SHWMT)

So if I was to write this out in pure logic:

SHWMT --> HCUMB

MJHBd --> KHi

KHi --> /SHWMT

So even if I grant the weird statements around increasing/decreasing I still can't get from this to the missing premise:

The less inclined one is to morally judge human behavior (MJHBd) --> the less likely it is that one holds clear and unambiguous moral beliefs (/HCUMB)

MJHBd --> /HCUMB

I just can't wrap my head around this one as logically connecting in a sequence chain. Am I just having a brain stall?

Any thoughts @Sami ? :)

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-61-section-2-question-24/

was just curious if anyone knows whether the last June LSAT (prep test 81 I believe?) will be available before the September LSAT for review?

Just had a question regarding writing personal statements and other essays. Any insight from others would be appreciated!

@"David.Busis" also if you have any time/interest to add thoughts.

I'm in the final stages of writing my applications for here in Canada, and I notice that some schools have word limits for their personal statements and optional essays. University of Toronto and Western for example have very clear-cut word count limits and topics to focus on.

There are other schools though that don't offer any word length limit that I can see. I'm struggling with the latter because I don't know how long to make the essay. I'm especially struggling with this for my Osgoode application because they have SOOO many factors that they say to include or potentially include in the personal statement, but no word limit. Should I err on the side of doing a shorter essay? or does the lack of word limit mean they want it to be super long? Based on all the factors they say could/should be included, I could make it a 10 page essay.

Thanks for any thoughts!

Hey Everyone,

I signed up for the September LSAT about a month ago, but have yet to receive a package in the mail with all the info on what to bring, where to go etc.

I'm not sure if this is something that gets sent closer to test day? If anyone that has taken the test has any insight I'd appreciate it. I just want to make sure it didn't get lost in the mail.

Thanks

Hey guys,

Was just curious how people here deal with confidence blows when writing PTs. I notice that sometimes if I struggle on one section during a PT (especially if it is one of the early sections), sometimes it is hard to shake the confidence blow and that feeling it can carry into the other sections.

I have some little techniques I do to work with this, but just wondering how others deal with confidence blows in ways that help them get up quickly after feeling knocked off center.

Hey was just curious how others approach the prep tests. Do you diligently do the prep tests in order, or do you tend to jump around from 50s to 70s to 20s etc?

Just curious if there is a better strategy. I've been going pretty diligently in order from prep test 37, and I'm now in the 50s but also kind of want to just tackle test 80 for a thrill and to see how different it is. Is this a bad idea? Should I leave the later exams for closer to test day?

Hey everyone, not sure if I'm just blind, but I just did the early prep test 1 logic games section and can't find the answers anywhere. I just upgraded to the Ultimate+ package so it should have answers, no?

Hey everyone, was just curious if anyone knows whether our photo printout for the LSAT admissions form can be in black and white or if I need to take it to kinkos to print it out in color?

Seeing how anal LSAC seems to be about a lot of these kinds of details, just wanted to make sure!