I am curious.. take any PTs before completing the CC? My goal is at least a 10pt increase, and I am sitting for the Feb. exam. (If I don't make it, I'll take June, but for now I set a goal of a 10 point increase and sit for Feb.). I have 10 pts, and have no trouble buying more, and am working my way through the CC now. I realize I would face disappointment if I don't see a difference in score yet, then sort of just wasted a test, or maybe I would see a slight increase? Have any of you taken PTs before completing the CC? I have the starter for now.. and printed the custom study schedule and so far am ahead of it, b/c studying is basically my full-time job right now, thank God for this opportunity. So, anyway... take a couple of tests here and there or wait until completely done with the starter CC? That will put me around mid to end of January and give me about 4 or 5 weeks to take all of my PTs before the Feb. test.. My fear is not getting enough timed-test practice in ...

So was the perfect score v4 watch banned from the December lsat or was I the only one had his watch taken away 5 min before the exam started?

Let's wish a Happy Birthday to our friend who has always been there to help us all reach our dreams.

Best wishes on your birthday, buddy!

https://media.giphy.com/media/l0Iy4ppWvwQ4SXPxK/giphy.gif

Hey all,

I am consistently missing 2-3 on each section. So no obvious weaknesses are popping out to me. Still, I need to make the jump from the high160s to mid-170's consistently. Who has done this? How does one do this? Lol any help appreciated.

Thanks 7sage (3(/p)

Proctors: 3 middle aged women, lead proctor was a university dean and professional demeanor.

Facilities: large brick academic building (MLK Jr. Communication Arts Center)

What kind of room: Mid-century-mod yellow lecture hall (tiered with steps), brick walls, no windows, lights optimal--not too bright (I worry about fluorescent-bulb-induced migraines and that was not an issue). Temperature was perfect (on a cold day).

How many in the room: around 50, and another 50 in another similar lecture hall.

Desks: generous space to spread out on long tables, with testers seated in every other chair. Chairs were attached to tables but swivel and tilt made them extremely comfortable for such a design. I am short (5'1") and my feet reached firmly to the floor, which is always a plus!

Left-handed accommodation: I am not left-handed, but I assume this is not needed due to table setup

Noise levels: quiet, except one train horn that scared the bejezus out of half the test-takers during the writing section.

Parking: plentiful, free -- but I was dropped off and that was easy too at the circle in front of the test building.

Time elapsed from arrival to test: testing started as on-time as I can imagine, about 20 minutes after the published start-time.

Irregularities or mishaps: Prior to the start of the test the proctors made a mistake with booklet distribution, realized their mistake and retrieved booklets to pass them out again in the correct order (by serial number)-- this was handled professionally but caused a huge wave of laughter through the room, which was an awesome way to break the pre-test anxiety! This was my first LSAT, so not sure if this is normal: at the end, we were released 45 minutes later than I was expecting if the test had started perfectly on-time-- I assume this is due to the time spent re-distributing materials after the break and prior to the writing section.

Other comments: The combination of desk space, chair comfort, and optimal lighting made this a winning test center!

Would you take the test here again? Absolutely, I will.

Date[s] of Exam[s]: 12/2/17

There's gotta be something wrong with my learning skills. I started out at 156 and I can't top 162 practically a year later. It's super confusing and frustrating - I started out going -4 or -3 on logical reasoning and -8 or -9 on RC and -15 on games. I decided to focus on the latter two since I was worse on them but it's completely backfired. I've managed to significantly improve on RC (I just needed to go faster) and now get -3 or -4, but I haven't improved at all on the games- and my logical reasoning has, inexplicably, gotten significantly worse - now I'm averaging -6. What the heck?

Is anyone in a similar boat where they've just plateaued? My diagnostic was decent so I was sure I would be able to top 165 on the test and I'm really frustrated. Why am I getting worse in logical reasoning? So weird.

During section 2 I get a bit of a crick in my neck, I previously asked the proctor how high can I raise my test booklet off the table and she said she'd 'just let me know' big mistake! During section 3 I had it raised off the desk and she stood in front of me during a LG question and started waving her hands, startling and distracting me from this already difficult task. Luckily I'm certain it was an experimental section. Anyone have a similar issue with this test?

Hey all,

Hope everyone is dealing with their post-LSAT anxiety well. For me, the exam felt fine. Much better than September, and I think I have a good shot at getting my goal score.

Still, I feel like I should register for the February exam just in case...even though I'm planning on applying this cycle. The testing center I use, and really really like, fills up pretty quickly, so I kinda want to get a spot just in case.

Thoughts?

Do we need to memorize which logical operators belong to which group #? Is that the idea? Or is it more to grasp the concept of the language and be able to read the sentence and know which is the necessary vs sufficient, thereby knowing placement for sc --> nc. I hope this makes sense. I am at about 13% in the CC and doing the quizzes. I am finding myself, in order to be fast, having to look at my notes to determine to which group the logical operator belongs. Am I acting to fast, do I need to work on identifying it not by group numbers, or do I? Am I to be working on accuracy and understanding here before speed?

Two questions. I have my apps ready to go and I've been submitting them over the past few days to many T-20's. I took the LSAT yesterday and I believe I scored at least 3 points higher(+/- 5) than September.

First: Do I need to email the schools and tell them to hold off on reviewing my app until scores arrive? Most schools seem to take over a month to render a decision and even longer to waitlist/deny. Would it be safe to just send the apps and count on my scores being in before they review my app?

Second: Is it alright to send an additional addendum after you have submitted an application? If My score increases by more than 5 points I would like to explain the reason behind the increase.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

Any pre post during lsat - funny stories? Share them here!

On yesterday’s test, I was stuck between (A) and (C). I originally bubbled in C but realized that A was the correct answer. As time was running out, I hastily erased C and bubbled in only about 60% of A before time was called.

Im pretty confident that A is the correct answer but I was wondering if the scantron machine will process A as my correct answer even if it’s not bubbled in entirely.

I'm also waiting on a couple of my recommenders to finish their letters for me. So at the very least, I need to wait for them... Right? Should I send my incomplete applications in, and supplement the letters later? Is it going to hurt my application that it will be coming in close to the deadline?

I've heard that getting the apps in as early as possible is important for the T14 schools, but for the rest, it makes very little difference. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Proctors: Excellent. Kind, professional, quiet during test. Really happy with them.

Facilities: Law school classroom. Building is newer, so pretty comfortable and well-equipped.

What kind of room: Large classroom, basement level, typical law class set up with tiered rows, long connected desks.

How many in the room: around 50

Desks: Long connected desk that runs length of row, seated us every other seat. Plenty of room to spread out whatever you need.

Left-handed accommodation: not necessary

Noise levels: Quiet

Parking: Small visitor parking lot on campus next to law school ($6 for all day). I arrived at 7:45 and got a spot, but at about 8:00am there was a rush and the lot quickly filled up. Outside of that, there is metered on-street parking (runs on Saturdays, max 4 hours so doesn't really work). I believe there are some other paid parking lots in the neighborhood, but not much other parking on campus. Arrive early, or be ready to park somewhere else!

Time elapsed from arrival to test: Arrived 8am, check in began 8:30, test began at about 9:30.

Irregularities or mishaps: None! Totally smooth.

Other comments: Visible clock on wall, chairs were ok but not super comfy. Temperature and lighting all comfortable and ideal. Vending machines with sodas and snacks available and accessible at break (accepts credit cards!). Large restroom, but line was long for rooms that started break slightly later. Hustle to the restroom if you want to go on break.

Would you take the test here again? Absolutely! Probably the best option in Seattle area, with the exception of limited parking.

Date[s] of Exam[s]: 12/2/17

Backstory: I took multivariable calculus as a junior in high school (yeah I know, I was pretty far ahead), and skipped any math my senior year of high school to do a legal internship instead. By the time I took linear algebra my freshman year of college, it had been well over a year and a half since I had done any math, and even though linear is considered the "easy one" (at least compared to real analysis), it was by far my worst grade in college (a C+), although my grades across the board my freshman fall were pretty mediocre. It also made me remember that I absolutely hated math, and I never took another math course again. Is this something worth writing an addendum for, even though it's just one grade as opposed to say, a personal tragedy that seriously affects somebody's grades across the board for a semester?

Finished the Dec LSAT. Regardless of the outcome, how do you deal with the anxiety of waiting? Does anyone have any strategy? That's something I'm seriously struggling with, and I am really sure I will continue to struggle with it in the coming days :(

I just took the Dec. 2017 exam in Staten Island and there was basically every possible distraction you could think of, the worst one being a music/theatre practice taking place in the classroom DIRECTLY above. There were people singing OPERA and playing the piano during an entire LG section (no one thought to go upstairs and ask them to stop). The proctors also had full conversations/giggled throughout various sections and since I was sitting right in front of them it was incredibly distracting. On top of this, the heater began making really loud banging noises non-stop for almost an entire LR section.

I don't want to cancel my score, but all these disturbances definitely made it harder to focus which significantly slowed me down. If I complain could I get my next exam free? Advice?

Hi all,

I'm planning on applying to most of the T14, and I have already drafted a 2 page PS. Berkeley, however, has a 4 page limit. My pre-law advisor (at my undergrad institution) said that I should just submit a 2 pager (because it's apparently quite strong as is and "less is more").

Do you all agree? Should I keep it as short as possible, or should I fill the space? I would love to get @"David.Busis"' opinion, if possible!!

I'm the kind of person who tends to write a lot in general, but I know that's a habit I'll have to work on in law school. I would think concision is a trait law school admissions committees value, no?

Is it true that step 3 and 6 are the same? We, twice, have to piece together the information?

Hi Guys,

I just have a question for weakening / flaw answer choices. Although there is some over lap between the two, I know that they are distinct and I understand how to approach them differently. However, sometimes I have difficulty distinguishing the KEY difference between their answer choices. For example, if a answer choice in a weakening questions presents a flaw can that be the right answer choice? In other words, what are they key differences in their respected answer choices.

Thanks,

Nas

Who has better journalism ethics?

Congratulations to everyone who wrote yesterday. Hopefully you’re all enjoying some hard earned time off.

I’m looking for a bit of guidance on how to handle what felt like a BAD write yesterday. December was the last admissible write for my only school option next year (extenuating circumstances preventing me from studying elsewhere). I’m applying with a splitter GPA that would require a 167/168+ for admittance next year. They also average scores, so a low score stays with me. If I don’t start next cycle, I’ll be upgrading classes to boost my gpa for 2019.

PT average has been in the 172-175 range for 40 plus PTs. Lowest write in 2 plus months was a 168.

Yesterday’s Test:

RC - Felt good while writing, but I’ve had a fair bit of RC variability in writing recently ranging from -1 to -5. This felt like a strong section, so I’d hope for something at the bottom end of that.

LR1 - Total blur. I had to guess on a minimum of one question and was rushed on 3-4. As a whole I don’t feel very confident about this section. LR has traditionally been my strongest section with a -1.5 average, but I feel like this could have been anywhere from -3 to -8.

LG - Felt good on three games, but fear I may have misdiagrammed one. Guessed on two due to time. I’m thinking -5+.

LR2 - Felt like a normal LR section, but it’s tough to say.

I have no idea what to make of my potential score. Mt best guesses are ranging between -12/13 if I performed better than expect on the LR1 to -20.

Options:

If I cancel and rewrite, I’m pushing myself into the next admissions cycle and upgrading. I strongly feel that I could perform better on a second write, but the prospect of setting everything back a year is far from ideal.

Chance it on this test/cycle and risk a low score that requires a higher GPA requirement subsequently.

TL;DR

How reliable an indicator is feeling like you bombed the exam the day after the test?

What would you do?

So one of my worst fears came true. I caught a horrible cold right before the LSAT. My throat started to hurt Thursday, Friday my brain felt foggy all morning, and I was bed-ridden by the evening. I slept for a maximum of 4 hours because I couldn't stop coughing and my throat hurt immensely. On Saturday morning, I wasn't as bad as I was Friday evening and night but I was sick enough that I would have stayed home from work had it been a normal weekday. But, as we all know, it was not - so I wrote my LSAT in a haze of sickness and exhaustion. I know it went poorly.

I scored 3 points under my average in Sept., with a 167 (with a 3 question bubbling error ugh). I'm Canadian and need a scholarship to go to a top American uni (the Canadian dollar is very weak and our universities are just way cheaper for law, so scholarship is absolutely necessary to validate the American route). My GPA is above the median at almost all of the T14s, and I have some cool experiences under my belt, so I knew I had that if I nailed this Dec. LSAT, I would have a really good chance at a great school and $$. The Harvard dream felt almost reachable. I worked my butt off and brought up my PT average to a 172.6, with my highest PT being a 176. I felt like 10% of the anxiety that riddled me going into the week of the Sept. LSAT. I was in a place where I was ready to rock this test. But alas, sickness.

Now, my question:

Would it be at all helpful for me to go to a clinic and get a doctor's note verifying my sickness to submit along with an explanation of why my second score didn't increase to what I expected (or perhaps why it decreased [ughhhhh])? Would this be a smart thing for me to do or is it a waste of time and money (I don't have health care coverage right now)? I'm pretty positive I don't have strep and I got the flu shot a month ago so it's not the flu - it's just a stupid, inconvenient, relentless, common cold.

I'm genuinely crushed by this whole situation, so any advice is welcomed. Thanks guys.

Hi everyone,

I took the LSAT for the first time today (after not feeling prepared for September and canceling the day before), and actually felt okay about my chances at 160+. That is, until I panicked during the Games (last section), and unknowingly mis-bubbled starting mid-way through the section. I'd say I was actually doing okay on the games (moving slowly but ensuring I did the first 3 games right), and had 5 minutes left for the last one. After setting up the last game, I realized that on the second game, I'd skipped the first question (intending to go back), but didn't skip the corresponding bubble. At this point, there was about 2 - 3 minutes left and I hadn't circled my previous answers in the booklet. After trying to shift them down and randomly marking the last 3 questions, I realized that I still hadn't correctly bubbled one of the answers in the middle -indicating that perhaps (or even probably) I hadn't actually fixed the bubbling correctly. I was able to correct that answer, but have no idea if the 10-15 answers below it were bubbled correctly or not.

I'm applying this admissions cycle with targets of Vandy, Duke, and Emory (URM applicant, strong softs). Should I cancel and re-take in February (sending in materials early and explaining the mishap) or let the score come (expecting as low as 140s) and promise to have a higher score in February?

I know the mis-bubbling is my fault and definitely take responsibility, just wondering if I should cancel. Any advice is appreciated!

Despite my long journey of preperation for yesterday, my neurosis is not stopping the "what if's" in my head. So I am strongly considering registering for feb, and not wasting an entire month that I could be studying while waiting for scores to release. I am applying for Fall of next year and I am wondering if anyone knows how I would go about disclosing or not disclosing my choice to take feb in my applications... Do I tell schools that I will be taking feb? Will that mean that they will not yet consider my application until feb scores release? Or do I simply send out apps with December score and approach said schools with my feb score when it releases? Not sure how this exactly works. Sorry this is so convoluted but I'm sure the 7 sage community knows what I'm trying to get at ...