@jasminesade220 said:

"Resources" --> "LSAT Analytics" --> "Trends"

and then scroll down, yup

Try searching the forums for past discussions about this topic? I think very few of the frequent users will have too much insight on this topic, since we're mostly still 0L or pre-application.

if you have the money for it, ultimate plus is the clear winner. It's not about the tests. It's about the access to practice questions and the flexibility to build custom drills and tests.

@sc1293486 said:

I'm also a Berkeley BLOS final candidate, so we'll see how that goes. If there's anything I could do to help out (reading personal statements, why x's, application process for any of the schools that I mentioned) I'd be more than happy to help out--please feel free to message me.

Oh wow, you are in the running for some great things. Keep your head up. None of your choices will be bad.

@joezim425753 said:

Yeah @joezim425753 pretty much nailed it on the head. Plus Columbia puts a lot of people on the waitlist, so it’s important to stand out.

Oh damn. I had no idea about all this inside baseball information. I just threw everything I had at the wall and hoped something stuck.

@yifeiwang926 said:

@yifeiwang926 said:

@yifeiwang926 said:

@yifeiwang926 said:

@shaw5563 said:

THIS IS A BIG ONE: I love organizing my notes by color. That can mean using different colored pens or just highlighters on the computer. This helps keep it organized and I know when ideas shift.

Thanks for the feedback! Love the coloured highlighters. What note apps do you use on the computer?

If I'm understanding you, you're advocating for a triple layered system, computer -> paper -> computer, instead of my original two layered system.

You won't have time to do that. I don't know how to memorize things. It's definitely something I wish I was better at and it would have helped.

Blind regurgitation is highly rewarded in law school.

Thanks for the feedback! How were you able to blind regurgitate? What method helped you put the material in your brain in the first place? Just rereading/rewriting the notes 100 times?

I didn't. Don't be me!

lollll... Yeah, I'm trying to reach out to current students and grads to ask for study tips now. hahahaha

Damn though, from 158 to 173.

@joezim425753 said:

@yifeiwang926 I actually think the gamble would be to actually write a "Why X" since they're usually not advised for T6.

Oh really? Why is that? I know that they don't ask for it, but I never knew that it was not advised.

@shaw5563 said:

I only rewrote my notes one time or max twice. I tried to read before the class, listen to lectures, ask questions if needed, go to office hours, and just create a study guide for myself with my lecture notes and book notes. To be honest, memorization hasn’t really been a problem for me, so I would only need to do this for some classes. I learn by relating the information to myself, then just reviewing stuff as we go along in the semester. It never felt like I was a cramming at the end then.

Once I write something down and organize it, it just sticks. If I find that I still haven’t learned the concepts, I would then make flash cards. It all depends on the information, how you learn best, and what tools you use. I know some people take notes on iPads because they can record the lectures at the same time. That may be helpful in law school too.

Oh, recording lectures is a great idea! Thanks!

@rn6zj35: "WOW, I left NYU or Top 14 for this dude." Even if you don't want it to be in your head, the thought might creep in.

This is such good advice. Very insightful and logical. Our minds can work in weird and hidden ways.

@yifeiwang926: I'm not a believer in relationships where one party undertakes graduate education and the other does not

This is anecdotal, but very reasonable. The academic, social, and emotional pressure is a lot to handle. My relationship and most of my friends' who went into Law/Med with a relationship, broke off the relationship during the program. Sure, you might be the exception, but be prepared and know what you care about more between this relationship and your career.

I believe you can get just about any job out of UCLA that you could get out of NYU if you have good enough grades, and work hard enough, but the reputation and respect you get out of a T6 school is a realistic difference. I felt it extensively during my time at UCLA, when two friends with similar or lower stats at Stanford would receive way greater preference in recruiting.

Lastly, to answer your question, as a graduate of UCLA, I have to say that USC is very comparable in most ways to UCLA in its ability to teach and provide opportunities in SoCal. So considering a full ride and assuming UCLA can't give you anything after negotiations, I have to recommend USC over UCLA (I believe UCLA may be willing to offer you something though, if you ask). This gap is bridged mostly by it's strong, smaller, tighter alumni network. The difference gets bigger as the distance increases from LA though.

@shaw5563 said:

Ofcourse it’s not necessary to do the three steps in every scenario. I’m not a law student, so I’m not sure how much time we will have. But in undergrad, I did take 30 credits of upper level classes at the same time, and was still able to make the time to take these notes. It’s like you’re studying for the test from the beginning rather than cramming at the end. Sometimes just typing it in your computer, then jotting some notes by writing helped. I learn best by writing and truly memorize the ideas. Sometimes, I needed to add more information from the books and other resources to my computer notes. I’m not sure how exactly helpful it was to just say the following without offering any help for it.

@yifeiwang926 said:

You won't have time to do that. I don't know how to memorize things. It's definitely something I wish I was better at and it would have helped.

Also, I’m sure these strategies will need to be adjusted once in law school. I’m pretty confident in them for myself because they worked in the past even when I had a crazy workload, with 30+ credits, internship, research, and volunteering. That’s why I suggested what I said worked best for me.

Thanks. That's very impressive. Can I ask how you decided what material should be transferred over to the next version though, or did you rewrite everything? Did you to talk to the professor/TA/alumni to get an idea of what direction the exams were going?

@yifeiwang926 said:

@yifeiwang926 said:

@shaw5563 said:

THIS IS A BIG ONE: I love organizing my notes by color. That can mean using different colored pens or just highlighters on the computer. This helps keep it organized and I know when ideas shift.

Thanks for the feedback! Love the coloured highlighters. What note apps do you use on the computer?

If I'm understanding you, you're advocating for a triple layered system, computer -> paper -> computer, instead of my original two layered system.

You won't have time to do that. I don't know how to memorize things. It's definitely something I wish I was better at and it would have helped.

Blind regurgitation is highly rewarded in law school.

Thanks for the feedback! How were you able to blind regurgitate? What method helped you put the material in your brain in the first place? Just rereading/rewriting the notes 100 times?

@joezim425753 said:

@yifeiwang926 said:

Can I ask what it means to "save all that stuff for LOCI"? Do you have a storage of things to say about a school for when you get waitlisted that is distinct from the things in the "why X" essays you wrote?

Yes I do for the T6 schools I applied to, because I didn’t write a “Why X” essay for them. I want to be able to write a killer LOCI if I get waitlisted that doesn’t just recycle a “Why X” essay that would already be on my record. I’m not claiming that this will definitely work, it’s just my personal strategy. Another thing to keep in mind is that a bad “Why X” essay can hurt you, whereas a strong essay probably won’t move the needle very much in comparison to your LSAT, GPA, PS, or Resume. T6 schools don’t ask for them, so I didn’t think it was worth the risk. OP can do whatever works for them, though.

Interesting gamble. Let us know how it works out? Did you go with this plan because you were pretty confident that you wouldn't get rejected based on your GPA, and LSAT?

@3687 said:

@yifeiwang926 what do you think of LSATMax? And thank you for your recommendations...

I've heard good things about LSATMax, but haven't tried it myself. They seem to have a very similar curriculum to 7sage, and similar prices. I would say that 7sage is better for self starters (no "homework" or "textbooks", and only drills that you do yourself), and has a great community. You can see this by how open the program is and how the much of the materials and forums are open to everyone for free. LSATMax might be better for people who need more structure and hand-holding. The idea of studying LSAT on mobile is also interesting, but I doubt the effectiveness of any LSAT program that can be done over mobile. But apparently, because there are fewer students, you can more easily get access to the teachers/owners of LSATMax. You probably can't go wrong with either.

Like @839204 says, take a diagnostic test first though, yeah.

@shaw5563 said:

THIS IS A BIG ONE: I love organizing my notes by color. That can mean using different colored pens or just highlighters on the computer. This helps keep it organized and I know when ideas shift.

Thanks for the feedback! Love the coloured highlighters. What note apps do you use on the computer?

If I'm understanding you, you're advocating for a triple layered system, computer -> paper -> computer, instead of my original two layered system.

It happens. No one is perfect. Try to see if the instructions require a header. If they do, I suspect that you should probably email them to amend your application. This is just my opinion though, and you should probably try to get on the wednesday office hour and ask David.

Try creating and following a system/process and not a goal. The test is a marathon in itself and not a sprint. You will surely burn out and feel miserable if you count every step, or even every kilometer. Create a routine, and follow that routine to the best of your ability. It will give your life a framework and foundation. Having the expectation of what you will be doing everyday will help you do it. But also build breaks and spontaneity into your routine once or twice a week, or a few days in a month. Focus on yourself, and your tasks at hand. Ignore any comparisons to others, and even to yourself. Always be critical and retrospective, but also always believe in your ability to improve. Always try to improve the system that 7sage and you have created and get feedback, but also believe in the system and its ability to help you. Fix your sleep schedule and follow it with discipline, and control you food, alcohol, and caffeine consumption. Your body, biologically, will automatically respond positively to this. Also try finding a hobby or two, or a part time job to pursue while you're studying. The world loses colour if we don't fill our lives with variety. It is the spice of life after all.

I wish to help, but don't read the rest if you can't handle tough love. It's just my perspective.

Objectively, you must treat this like a trial by fire. Remember, however you are feeling right now, and however you respond at every moment, are indications of how you will feel and respond in law school. So think really hard about why you're doing this in the first place. I know this is not a great analogy and people can excel in law school without a great LSAT, but if you are already this burnt out during the warm up, how do you expect to run the actual marathon that is law school? Dig deep, and really grasp firmly on why you're doing this, and use this motivation to propel you through the doldrums, otherwise, maybe it isn't worth it, and it's better to realize this now than after 100k down the drain. I'm an economist by study, so it's all just cost/benefit to me, and I apologize if I come across negatively. I don't mean to. I just want to discuss both sides with you. So what if your score goes down, so what if you don't feel any improvement. If that's enough to give you pause, then quit while you're ahead, kid. Just treat your situation like a flaw question, and pre-phrase some reasons something seemingly bad doesn't necessarily mean something bad.

I think I've read your comments before, and remember you as a smart and analytical person who has what it takes to triumph over the LSAT. Believe in yourself. And make that belief iron. Posts like these are only temporary relief. The only source of motivation that is evergreen is your own mind, and if you can't find fuel within that, you will sputter and choke. To throw in a corny quote: Know thyself, and you will know thy enemy. Hope my comment helps somehow.

@nikitamunjal950 said:

I like your comment very much. I was trying to say something similar at the start, but completely couldn't put it into words.

Yes. I think I would recommend reviewing, or going through the CC twice. I consistently document questions in the CC that I got wrong or have trouble with, and basically do "fool-proofing" on them, whether they're LR, RC, or LG. I also BR them when I do them again.

@yifeiwang926 said:

Ah, ok. I see that the weakening method can be more clear, and that it makes sense that different people will do it differently. Like JY says, their core logic in all these questions are the same, at the end of the day, which method works best just depends on the individual's reasoning style.

As a tangent, if you want to be stronger at identifying the flaw/gap, I recommend doing an intensive session of Flaw questions (maybe 50-100 questions), and documenting a list of common flaw archetypes. The LSAT Trainer also does a good job of describing a common flaw archetypes, and I highly recommend going through the first few chapters. Apologies for the unsolicited advice. Hope it can help.

https://ulife.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/blog/2014/03/03/how-to-wait-and-be-waitlisted-without-losing-it/

First, congrats on being on hold. I was recently rejected by my ED, so look on the bright side, you're a survivor. Hope this link helps.

This is the ultimate question for 0Ls. Unfortunately, I think they're obscur by design, and that no one has the time, resources, and motivation to really do a comparison. It seems like the only decisive factor is whether you have the money for it. I agree with @doneill3389668 that the sample is self selecting and biased. Personally, though I believe that these courses are likely to help, because law school is also obscur by design, and these classes provide insights for us so that we don't have to trial and error, and learn from experience. I personally learn best by absorbing the experience of others, so I will definitely be taking one of these prep courses, and it helps that larrylawlaw is recommended by 7sage. Maybe I'll make a comparison of these courses if I get a chance.

I've had a friend who got there in 3 weeks, and a friend who got there in 3 years. Everyone else is everyone else, and only you know you. Only you will know how long it will take, and what works best for you once you've actually started. 7Sage, Manhattan, and LSATTrainer are good. I do not recommend Powerscore or Blueprint.

@joezim425753 said:

The deadline is in four days so whatever you write would be pretty rushed at this point. From what I've read, the T6 schools tend to assume that you want to go there. You can do what you want, but personally I am saving all of that stuff for my LOCI if I get waitlisted.

Can I ask what it means to "save all that stuff for LOCI"? Do you have a storage of things to say about a school for when you get waitlisted that is distinct from the things in the "why X" essays you wrote?

Hope you find a way to keep it going =)