I am very uninformed about the entire process, and I would appreciate any help or suggestions.

I deferred admissions last fall at the in-state flagship where I currently work in secondary education. I received a small scholarship to a school that is ranked around 90, but the dominant school in the state I am 75-80% likely to practice. My December score only improved 3 points, but I am now nine points higher than their 75th, though below their 50th in GPA. However, I have a good story since undergrad and the ability to tell it well. I do not know if they will offer more with the marginal improvement.

I was accepted early admissions last month to a neighboring flagship ranked around 35. They are the second strongest school in the state where I reside, physically closer to the city where I would most like to live than the in-state school, and obviously stronger in 49 other states. Due to a childhood move from current state, I lived there for public middle and high school, college (at a small religious school), and even my first job. None of my family currently lives there.

My score is 2-3 points higher than their 75th, but GPA is right at their 25th. They claim "holistic admissions", and GPA minus one semester jumps substantially, plus I have heard it's much easier to find high GPA than high test admits.

Should I be able to at least negotiate in-state tuition? If so, how do I go about doing so?

I appreciate any guidance. I made a couple of misteps early on due to finding 7Sage late, and lack access to an undergrad advisor or anyone close to me who was been through anything similar.

December was my first LSAT attempt and although I did not meet my target score I'm pretty pumped about the fact that I have scored 0 wrong in the RC which has always been my worst section ever (scoring nearly 10-14 wrongs). I totally bombed my LG section which was to be expected given that I literally guessed last two of the four game sets but I'm still happy that I can improve on RC with practice!!!

I'm not done with my LSAT journey yet but would like to thank 7 Sage members for all their encouragement and support :) Love you guys and happy 2017!!

I decided to apply to law school late last summer, so I had to learn the LSAT on a short schedule from early August - December 4th.

However, I now know that I did not study enough to hit my target score (172 or above). Therefore, I will be retaking in June and shifting my applications to the next cycle.

Final Score: 169 (I took in Asia.. no details other than my raw score are available at this point)

Problems:

- Adjusting for vacations, studied for about 14 weeks total

- Did not address fundamental weakness in Logic Games

- Failed to fall asleep before test day, resulting in 3 hours of sleep the night before the test

- On test day, I felt ill from nerves and lack of sleep

- Bombed LG and was forced to blindly guess on at least 6 questions

Upside:

- Did not give up during the test

- Resisted urges to cancel score

- Probably performed very well on LR and RC

- I know to take a sleep aid the next "night before"

Overall, this is the score I deserved. When I walked out of December, I was 90% sure I wanted to cancel, but now I'm glad I have a real score on my record. I can do a post-mortem and figure out how I reacted to real test conditions.

Thanks to everyone at 7sage for supporting me during the early stages of my (now ongoing) studying :)

For the question, "Have you ever been subject to academic warning, probation or suspension at a school, college, university or other educational institution?" is that talking about academic related issues after high school? I was suspended in high school for uploading some pictures online. I tagged one guy's name in the pictures(like what people do on Facebook) and I didn't get his consent so his family threatened to sue the school if the school didn't punish me even though I took down pictures with him in it when he asked me to(or according to this student friends, the school punished me on their own because the student "didn't ask" the school to punish me). The school accused me of putting the student "in danger" which I thought was ridiculous because people tag other people in online pictures all the time. Most importantly, I did not get any criminal charges for this.

With this context, would I have to disclose this?

Am a big fan of knowing that on RC questions there is always specific, identifiable evidence for why an answer choice is right/wrong. However, I am struggling on this question.

Question: ""The passage suggests that Dworkin would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?"

I chose B:

"Judges should not use their moral intuition when it conflicts with the intentions of those legislators who authored the law being interpreted."

Because of lines 7-11:

"their own moral convictions, even if this means ignoring the letter of the law and the legal precedents for its interpretation. Dworkin regards this as an impermissible form of judicial activism that arrogates to judges powers properly reserved for legislators."

The passage clearly states Dworkin thinks judges should not override legislators by applying their own moral intuition. Why is this not captured in choice B?

I understand that E is something Dworkin would agree with given that legal positivists don't accept moral guides whereas Dworkin suggests they play a role in law.

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-35-section-2-passage-4-passage/

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-35-section-2-passage-4-questions/

I couldn't have done it without you, 7Sage. I love you all!

To my fellow 7sagers and LSAT warriors,

I would like to share my story prior to scores being released with the hopes of encouraging anyone who scores below their target.

First, if you happen to get a low score don’t worry about it, it’s not the end of the world. Do not spend the day beating yourself up over it. This is an incredibly hard test. The LSAT is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever undertaken in my life.

I decided I wanted to become an attorney way back in 2011. I had zero academic skills or knowledge when I began my journey. I mean ZERO. I don’t even have a high school diploma. I’ve failed countless times since then however every time I failed I paused, figured out what I did wrong, fixed it and kept going. I now have a BA in PSCI.

If a stranger would have come up to me and tell me that in 17 years I would be a combat veteran with a degree and hopes for law school I would have laughed in their face and called them insane.

The point I am trying to make is that if you are unhappy with your score don’t get upset and don’t worry, it is not the end of the world.

If you decide that you must put off applying, do not let, that upset you too much. Any thing good in life takes time, hard work, and dedication. I am 33 yrs old, and am 90% sure that I’m going to have to retake. I doubt I will start l1 until I am 34.

I would like to share some advice given to my by my former plt. Commander who now owns his own firm and argued in front of the 9th circuit as a law student. He told me that I will face many obstacles and setbacks. However, when that happens I need to step back, do an AAR, figure out what I did wrong, learn from it, don’t dwell on it and move on.

I just thought I would do my best to encourage everyone here that no matter how hard or bad it gets, DON’T QUIT!! NEVER GIVE UP!

I sincerely hope all of you receive great news today or tomorrow. I have enjoyed reading all the posts here at 7sage. Thank you for reading my jumbled incoherent attempt at encouragement!

-Paul Pederson

(JY, Dillon, and the rest of 7sage staff, you all are amazing. I can not thank you enough for what you have done and continue to do with 7sage and LSAT prep. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.)

For some strange reason, I find myself preforming better on passages that have less questions (5-6), regardless of difficulty. I use the same methods for all passages.

Has anyone noticed this?

Can someone give me some pointers that may help me do better with passages with more questions?

Hello, 7Sage. I took the September test, and the December test (My score dropped for the December test :( ), and I'm planning for another retake by June or September. My account expires in about three days, and I'm interested in buying the PT 79 Explanation to extend my account, but it seems like the explanation is not up yet. Should I go ahead and just extend my account and not wait for the explanation? Thanks so much!

Hello,

I took the December LSAT. For the top school that I want to attend, my LSAT score is within the range of scores admitted to their school and my GPA is above their MEDIAN. During my practice test, I had an obnoxious proctor(https://classic.7sage.com/forums/discussion/9671/my-nerves-got-to-me-for-the-first-section#latest) which resulted in me having a nervous break down during the first section. For like ten minutes, I was on the same question over and over again. Fortunately, I recovered and the other four sections I did well on. I was hoping the first section was the experimental but it was not, in fact, had the first section been the experimental and the third section been real, my score would have been astronomically better. Due to this, I have registered to take the Feb LSAT. I am continuing to practice and am confident my score this time around will be better than in December. However, my top choice sent me an email saying that put my application on hold since i am retaking the lsat in February. Feb LSAT scores wont be returned into March and I am afraid that if I wait to long, it will be harder to get in. Should i take the application off hold and have them evaluate me now? My score is below their median but within range and my GPA is above their median.

7Sagers,

On Tuesday, January 10th, at 9 p.m. EST, I’ll answer all your last-minute application questions. Still trying to figure out your diversity statement? Can’t decide whether you should send a “Why X” essay? Wondering whether to contact the admissions department about the slip-up? In the mood to feel schadenfreude about other people’s catastrophes? Come on over.

Post your questions below in as much detail as possible. I’ll answer written questions first, then move on to your live questions.

Webinar: Last-Minute Application Questions, Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST

Tue, Jan 10, 2017 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM EST

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/141587037

You can also dial in using your phone.

United States +1 (571) 317-3122

Access Code: 141-587-037

First GoToMeeting? Try a test session:   http://help.citrix.com/getready

The very thing I was worried about happened yesterday.. T_T...

I got 3 points lower on the December retake than my initial September test. (160 -> 157)

What's going to happen now?

I have no intention of retaking the LSAT anymore..

Do I need to write an addendum for this drop or is it negligible?

Will I get a worse chance at schools that I'm applying to (T40-50ish schools) because of this drop?

Any words of encouragement will be appreciated...

Creating this thread to quell some of the anxiety. ;) Will be updated when it's actually Grey Day.

Feel free to chat here about it.

Only did practice tests leading up for prep. Just signed up for 7sage after the Dec. 2016 test. I'm looking to study the 7sage program and increase my points by 5-10 to bump up into the 150's. My weakness was spread across the sections as I averaged similar scores in each sections. My Logical Reasoning scores were the highest with a score of +18 in one section (the section that saved me & made up for my mishaps in the others). If anyone that has had success has any advice I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance. I wish everyone who is studying the best of luck in their endeavors. - Dean

Does anyone know when JY will be hosting the next blind review session?

I'm a non-URM and have average softs with 2-3 years of work experience.

If I don't mind paying a sticker, which T-14 schools should I apply? Do I even have a shot (especially at Michigan, UVA, Northwestern) with such low LSAT?

I understand the 7sage method of improving on games (referring to the flowchart that is mentioned in the core curriculum) but I find that over the last 6 months I haven't improved at all on logic games. The only pattern I've come across with my scores on this section is that usually I can get 2/4 games but the remaining 2 I'm completely lost.

After I watch the video explanations I can re-create in the inferences very quickly, but then when I go onto the next prep-test I run into the same thing; 2/4 games I can do, but take too long to complete, then I end up having to guess and bomb two games. This process is something that has been on rinse and repeat for the last while and I want to know what am I doing wrong? It doesn't feel like I'm benefiting at all from the 7sage method to master games, as my understanding of games is still so low; its feels as if I'm making the inferences out of memory of the video not so much my understanding of how the game boards/pieces are operating.

Any advice on what I should do differently would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

Note: It could also just be that I'm an idiot

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering,

When is usually the last day when we receive notice from schools that we apply?

School starts on August, right?

Will we be able to find out all results by April?

Or can some results arrive on May and after?

Thank you!

So I just got my December LSAT results back, and as expected, I didn't do very well (155), I knew right after that exam that it hadn't gone great. I choked on the logic games section, and underperformed on the LR. I need some advice on whether I should take the February one, or wait until June... Essentially my situation is as follows:

I am from Canada, and my GPA is slightly lower than the median for most people applying to law schools here. The average applicant has an A- average which is 80-83% (with a 162 LSAT), mine is a B+ 77%, or so (differs from school to school but this is just a snapshot). This isn't from lack of ability (I got straight A's my final year of university), just lack of focus or motivation my first few years. I already paid for a handful of applications for this coming admission cycle and obviously would like to go somewhere but I am not sure if I should put myself through 1 month of extreme stress with a large chance of not getting a high LSAT mark (163-165) I currently need (and blowing another LSAT write). From what I have learned in JY's course, crushing the LSAT is a habitual process that most people get to from months and months of constant repetition and practice. I put in a couple months of full time studying but clearly that wasn't enough.

A handful of people have recommended that I register for classes at the university I graduated from as an unclassified student and take a year of classes that I am interested in (I am a huge history/politics buff) to bring up my GPA. On average, Canadian law schools tend to weigh GPA slightly higher than the LSAT. I shot myself in the foot by not becoming absolutely stellar at LG's, I was averaging 16/23 on the 8 PT's I took before my actual write. Assuming I did well in all these classes, It would alleviate some LSAT pressure.

The only downsides to waiting until June is that I wasted $800 on applications since February's LSAT is the last score accepted for admission in Fall 2017, and I delay my law school aspirations a bit (I am currently 26 years old).

Anybody who has advice, opinions, or general comments....please let me know!

FML.

-7 LR

-3 LG

-10 RC

(crying inside)

So, I just checked my application status for GW and it says my future lsat score has been received. Does this mean the scores are out for schools? I don't see anything on my LSAC acct; my application was on hold for my test scores.

Hi everyone,

I hope those of you who sat the Dec. LSAT killed it!!

I had applied to schools well before my Dec. Lsat with just a September score and had notified schools that I will be retaking in Dec. Now that my Dec. score is in and my LSAT score isn't pending anymore i'm wondering if I should nudge the admissions office to make my application complete. How fast or slow are they in updating files...does anyone have experience with this? My 2 options are to either ignore it and let them do their thing or notify them about my Dec LSAT and let them know that I don't intend to retake in February. Let me know what you guys think!

Thank you.

So I am sure many of you are sitting in anxiety and fretting over the what ifs as much as I am right now waiting for the score to be released. My advisor is a wonderful professor and a lawyer himself. As he said, welcome to the profession; it's a lot of money to take tests and a lot waiting. Well, I guess there is a silver lining in all of this. I am very blessed to be graduating my university a semester early with a 3.8. My whole life I have been a good student. I never really had to study until college. Granted I would study prior to this, but I have a very good memory and a lot came naturally (except math and science). Alas, when I took the SAT that was not my thing. I have never been so wonderful at standardized tests. It just is something that is an internal battle for me. The test anxiety gets to me.

Now coming to the LSAT...my new enemy. I began studying with Kaplan and took a course last May. I studied for 5 weeks and in my eyes "bombed" the LSAT. I was devastated. I probably should have listened to my gut and put off until September like a good friend of mine did. There has never been something in my life that has been so challenging academically. I just don't understand how one test could mean so much and could be such a barrier for so many people. If you have enough determination and will to succeed, the law school process will be what you make of it. I have a few friends who did not do wonderfully on the LSAT (in the low 150s) and are doing wonderfully in law school and on the Dean''s List.

I know that once the LSAT is behind me I will be able to take the huge leap of faith and give it my all in law school. Although, right now I am feeling pretty defeated. I have been studying waiting for the December results just in case I need to take again in February as I am already signed up. Many people not in this position question my motives. They think I should just give up and not bother. They don't understand why I have to miss out on going to many events or study so much. Its because I have this fire inside of me to succeed and reach my goals. I am sure many of you have already stopped reading, bravo if you made it here lol, but I just know that we all have that same feeling. Friends of mine in the same boat see the gut wrenching fear that the LSAT process gives. The anxiety. The fear of both wanting to know and not wanting to see it pop up. The need to plan ten steps ahead before you can even get to step one. However, eventually, we will all get there. Thank you JY and 7Sage for helping us on this journey. And for some reason writing this word wall has been therapeutic. I'm done now. Good luck to all!

what is an lsat score band and should i care?

Hi guys,

Just got my LSAT score and I scored a 167, lesser than I expected and lesser than my last few tests average. I was planning on applying for fall 2018 anyway. Should I take the LSAT again? If I do, it will be my third attempt, in my first attempt I had scored a 157.