Hello lovely 7Sagers!

Is there a September 2016 BR group? If there isn't, when might one be getting started?

Hey guys!

We're so excited to let you know that 7sage branded merchandise (so many items!) is now available to purchase here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/7sage

Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions :D

Flaw Intensive (with Sage Jimmy Dahroug)

Wednesday 3/9 at 7pm ET

Sage Jimmy (173) will be taking us to Logical Reasoning: Flaw bootcamp this Wednesday, so get pumped to ramp up your LR skills and join this webinar.

To join the webinar, please do the following:

Flaw Intensive with Jimmy

Wed, Mar 9, 2016 7pm ET

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

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/220506293

You can also dial in using your phone.

United States +1 (872) 240-3212

Access Code: 220-506-293

Note on all webinars: Only the live webinars are free and open to the public. No recordings will be made publicly available, but we do make webinar recordings available to 7sage's students as part of the paid course. So if you want to get some great webinar content for free, be sure to attend the live version. Furthermore, any recording or broadcasting of webinars is strictly prohibited (Periscope, screencapture, etc.) and constitutes a violation of LSAC's copyright. Copyright infringement is not a good way to start a legal career.

I'm plan to take the LSAT later this year (September/December-worst case), would it be too soon to visit some schools I plan on applying to? Or is best to wait until I've taken the LSAT? Some of the schools I plan on applying are local, so it wouldn't be a problem to schedule a visit and drive to them. Thoughts?

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-53-section-3-question-13

I can't see the difference between the flaw in B and the the flaw in the incorrect answer choices....

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-53-section-1-question-02

Hey! Can someone explain to me why for (section 1 Q2) the answer is B? Frederick does not comment on representing genres at all......or did I miss something?

Hey guys, so I am having trouble with logical reasoning. On every section at this point I get at least minus -10, more like 11 or 12. However when I BR I get them all correct, sometimes maybe 1 wrong. I'm just wondering what this means. It's very frustrating because when I BR I feel like I know the correct answer and don't understand why I didn't choose it the first time.. Does this mean it is more of a timing issue and I need to focus on recognizing correct answer choices more quickly? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

7Sagers,

I’m David, the editor who wrote the Personal Statement course. Have you written a letter of continuing interest? Send it to me and I might edit it for free, as long as I can use it anonymously in a lesson or webinar in the future.

I’ll be picking two LOCI for free editing altogether. Send them to David.Busis (at) gmail.com.

Here’s the schedule this week:

BR GROUPS

Tuesday, Mar 8th at 8PM ET: PT 53

Click here to join this conversation: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/219480381

Thursday, Mar 10th at 8PM ET: PT 72

Click here to join this conversation: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/219480381

LSATurday, Mar 12th at 8PM ET: PT54

Click here to join this conversation: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/219480381

June BR Group Schedule: http://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/6171/june-test-takers-group-br-schedule-updated

You can also dial in to the BR call by using your phone.

United States +1 (571) 317-3112

Access Code: 219-480-381

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Be sure to announce in the comments which group(s) you’re planning on attending.

Fine Print (NOTE: you all want to be lawyers; reading fine print is what lawyers do, so READ IT!)

BR GROUP NOTES:

I scored a brutal 144 last October without much preparation, and English being my third language didn't make it any easier. :( Then I picked up 7sage and couldn't let go for the next 5 months, I spent about 30 hours weekly going through all the lessons, PS, timed PTs and explanations. Just checked my score today for the February exam, got a 160. I'm quiet satisfied tbh. Thank you 7sage for helping me get closer to my dream, I couldn't have done it without you.

I also registered for the June exam today, hopefully this time I will crack 165+! The major concern I have is that will my 144 score hinder my overall law school application?

Hello all: Scored a 151 on the Feb exam with moderate self prep-perfectly average-I'm aiming for a 157. I know it seems that so many people who post on LSAT sites bemoan their mid 160s score. I've come to believe that there are a lot of score fibbers out there, or the top 10% of LSAT takers disproportionately post and complain compared to all LSAT takers. Either way, we in the 148-153 range have the numbers-the overwhelming majority. As such, I'm working, like most of you, to get out of the "middle" and into the 154-158: 60% to 75% range. Anyway, my question is about the curriculum itself; I'm a bit unclear about the approach, do you recommend sitting for all of the lessons via video before attempting the sections in PTs 1-35? Could you advise?

The law school I am applying does not accept transcripts through LSDAS and do not ask me to register for the service, they only ask for LSAC account number to check LSAT score. Can the law school see my writing sample in other ways (e.g online) if no document is sent to them by LSAC?

I'm curious to know what people think about skipping over answer choices if a really attractive answer presents itself early. So, say it's a Strengthen question, you immediately see the gap and prephrase, and then answer choice A is exactly what you were looking for. I see two ways to handle this. The first is to select A, move on, and pocket the extra 20-30 seconds it would have taken to eliminate B-E. The second is to do your due diligence and eliminate the other answers anyway in order to avoid what seems like a really easy trap. I'm never quite sure what to do when I run into this. Is there an official 7Sage orthodoxy addressing this? What do y'all do?

I am have now completed my personal statement. I know it needs a lot of improvement and I would like for someone to please revise it for me.

Please and thanks in advance!

Proctors: Very professional and helpful.

Facilities: Really great - held in the SU law school building. One advantage here - you can take PTs in this building to get used to the space before your administration (I suggest coming on a Friday, when they have less classes). I took 3-4 PTs here before my actual test and really felt at ease due to familiarity with the space.

What kind of room: Large lecture style classroom.

How many in the room: Probably 50

Desks: Long table desks shared by 2 students each for the administration - there was plenty of room to work.

Left-handed accommodation: I didn't pay attention to this, but there was so much space it probably wasn't an issue.

Noise levels: Very quiet.

Parking: Tough in this area, unless you want to pay for on campus parking; I got dropped off

Time elapsed from arrival to test: This was my only complaint, mandated arrival time was 8:30, then check-in, after which you are not allowed to use the bathroom... we didn't begin the test until close to 10, so it can be a long time to wait before the break to use the bathroom.

Irregularities or mishaps: One person did not have a scantron inside her shrink-wrapped test booklet. The proctors had to stop the whole room to go find her a scantron, and it probably delayed our start time by about 15 minutes. However, I'm not sure the test center or proctors could have done anything differently to avoid this.

Other comments: My main complaint is the severe restrictions on bathroom use, but the LSAC is to blame for that, not the test center.

Would you take the test here again? Yes

Date[s] of Exam[s]: 12/5/15

BR Group!!!! PT 52! Home of the classic Centaurs and Unicorns question!

Saturday, Mar 5th at 8PM ET: PT52

Click here to join this conversation: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/219480381

June BR Group Schedule: http://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/6171/june-test-takers-group-br-schedule-updated

Please click the link and comment if you plan on participating.

You can also dial in to the BR call by using your phone.

United States +1 (571) 317-3112

Access Code: 219-480-381

Note:

I'm wondering how folks actually organize the physical workspace for LG? How and where do you actually write on the paper? I'm kind of old and have done my current job for a couple of decades. In that context I've come to the conclusion that when I'm feeling in the weeds, it's usually reflected in my workspace. If my workspace feels dirty, I feel lost and underwater. Cleaning up the workspace is usually my first action when I have those feelings.

It seems that in the context of LG, the workspace is the page. How do people keep that page organized?

People often discourage erasures. Frequent copying of multiple game boards seems impractical. People also seem to discourage writing on master game boards.

I see the logic of these ideas, but they seem to crash up against reality fairly hard.

For example, if one is translating the rules as one goes, and then drawing inferences one is likely to end up with rules that are entirely represented on the game board and no longer need to take up physical or mental space in the rules list. One must either erase it, cross it out or leave it, none of which make for neat pages. After "crashing" rules together I often end up with a bunch of crossed out or erased rules and have a hard time recognizing which rules must still be considered. Likewise, I often end up with floaters in odd spaces, which doesn't provide clarity.

JY almost always uses his magical eraser when demonstrating because, I assume, it offers clarity. Other times there are obvious edits where the video has been paused and the rules and game boards re-written to provide clarity. That clean clarity seems to be a factor in his speed.

The LSAT allows neither erasers nor editing of the space/time continuum, so how do you folks keep your page relatively clean and organized?

Likewise, how do you handle questions wherein there are too many game boards to copy in a timely fashion. JY handles this by using his magic copy and paste feature and also his magical eraser. Again, I believe that magic is generally prohibited on the LSAT (?) and thus not an option. How do you handle conditions that are added by question stems without writing on your master boards?

I wrote my personal statement and already submitted it to one school, the only school I have a shot of not having to move out-of-state, but I have a bad feeling about it now. I performed really bad on the Feb LSAT. I was not prepared. I will have to retake the June, and fortunately, the school I applied to accepts the June LSAT. Overall, I will be applying to many other schools shortly, and would greatly appreciate a set of unbiased (not friends, not family, and not paid to) eyes. Thank you!

Dear 7sage community,

Could someone please explain to me why answer E is correct? I can justify eliminating answers A,B,C,D, but not picking E. Most of all, I cannot comprehend how to apply the 'can be false' principle to a statement containing 'some' and a negation ('not'). By now my brain hurts from all the theories I tried to convince myself of.

Thanks a lot!

See here: https://classic.7sage.com/lesson/the-embezzler-weaken-question

The Embezzler (weaken EXCEPT question)

This question gave a lot of people trouble, particularly regarding why answer choice (C) weakened the argument. After reflection, I believe I may have unpacked the reason why this is a clear cut wrong answer choice. However, I am wondering how C does not straight up contradict the conclusion of the argument, which we are not supposed to do in weaken questions. I am grateful for any input or feedback on this attempt. Let's begin!

minor premise: embezzler had special knowledge and access

sub-conclusion/major premise 1: embezzler is an accountant or actuary

major premise 2: an accountant would probably not make the mistake which revealed the embezzlement

main conclusion: it is likely that the embezzler is an actuary

Answer choice (C) states that there are 8 accountants and 2 actuaries

This is where things got dicey. Many people felt that the premise that "an accountant would probably not make the mistake" affected the probability that answer choice (C) was hinting at. However,there seem to be two major assumptions made to jump from the premise that "an accountant probably would not make the mistake" to the conclusion that "it is likely an actuary is the embezzler." First, the assumption that, because an accountant probably would not make the mistake, that therefore an actuary probably would make the mistake. Second, and this is a huge unstated assumption, the person who made the mistake is the person who committed the crime.

For example, even if we accept that an actuary has a greater likelihood of making the mistake that led to the discovery of the crime, is it not possible that an actuary could make the mistake but not have committed the crime? Therefore, the likelihood of committing the mistake and the likelihood of committing the crime are separate and distinct from each other. Conflating the two is a major assumption of the argument and a major reason for confusion on answer choice (C).

If we separate the assumption that the person who committed the mistake is the person that committed the crime from the conclusion that an actuary likely committed the crime we can use simple probability in looking at answer choice (C). Granted, this requires us to assume that of all accountant and actuary employees at XYZ Corporation, each person had an equal chance of either committing or not committing the crime. However, this lets us avoid introducing confusion of who was more likely to have committed the crime versus who was more likely to have made the mistake that led to the discover of the crime. Then the answer choice weakens the argument by stating that we would have to concede it seems there is greater probability that an accountant was the person who committed the crime.

That solves it for me.

However, I would really appreciate insight on how this answer choice does not both (1) directly contradict the conclusion and (2) avoids the assumptions that provide the support from premise to conclusion.

Regarding (1), C in English becomes It is likely that an accountant is the embezzler; this is in direct contradiction to the stated conclusion in the stimulus that "it is likely an actuary is the embezzler." Maybe it depends on the definition of "likely?" In other sources, I see it means, possible to be true, but I also see at as being used as probable (that is, in probability we could not say that it is probable if there was actually only a 20% chance, as is the case of actuaries being the culprit in answer choice (C)).

We accept the premises and conclusion as true, as we must for weaken questions. Now if I told you that there is an 80% probability of an accountant being the embezzler, how could you seriously hold on to the truth of your conclusion that "it is likely an actuary is the embezzler?" Unless likely is meant as "could be true?"

Regarding (2), the support provided by the major premise that an accountant would probably not make the mistake ties into the conclusion by (a) assuming the person who commits the mistake also committed the crime and (b) that the actuary is more likely to commit the mistake. Answer choice (C) doesn't go after any of these. It instead focuses on the probability of the person who committed the crime, which seems just attacks the conclusion directly and changes it's outcome.

In other words, looking at the unstated assumption which conflates those who made the mistake with those who committed the crime, the main conclusion really just states a probability that has no relation to the rest of the argument except via extreme assumptions. Then answer choice C directly changes this probability.

After further parsing this, I would actually say the major conclusion does not follow from the premises and that the argument has made the flaw of confusing likelihood of committing the crime with likelihood of making the mistake. The detective spent all his time discussing the likelihood of the mistake but then expressed his conclusion as one of likelihood of committing the crime (which we know nothing about). C introduces information about the likelihood of the occupation for those who could have committed the crime. But this entirely shifts the detective's erroneous conclusion.

Thanks!

Hi All. I know JY emphasizes to write small, fast and neat in logic games and NO ERASING. I'm not sure exactly on the actual test sheet what I'm supposed to for sequence question. Seems there there are 2 ways. Have one master diagram and eliminate pieces like you would playing chess in your head to figure out each question. Or draw a fresh diagram for each question along with a new _ _ _ _ _ grid . And he eliminates pieces so essentially is erasing them to pare down and yet we can't erase. I mean I CAN...but he says not to. Can anyone tell me how I should be doing this?

I don't intend on working during my 1L year, but how many people here plan on working during law school? How many hours?

Proctors: Two easygoing proctors. They want you to do well so they are worried that there are no distractions (such as, people coughing/sneezing too much, noise outside the classroom, and people with annoying tics). Proctors do not mind if you take a couple of more seconds (after time is up) to finish with the section (they even wait for you:)

Facilities: Restrooms are kind of far from the classrooms (but if you run to your way there and your way back, you are just fine! The running also help you to release stress).

Kind of Classroom: small classroom

How many in the classroom: 20 (we all have a lot of space in between us)

Desk: Fabric tablet arm chair (very comfortable; your buns won't hurt after being seated for 5 hours).

Left Handed Accommodation: There were two people who were accommodated accordingly.

Noise Level: The classrooms that were assigned for LSAT purposes were isolated from main hallways, food courts, or populated areas. LSAT takers were in classrooms that were close to each other. In other words, no noise.

Parking: Free, plentiful, very close to the area where we had to meet before going to our corresponding classrooms.

Time elapsed from arrival to test: 1h 15m. Got there at 7:30 AM, we started the exam at 8:45 AM

Irregularities/mishaps: None. All the proctors were very efficient and super nice.

Dates of Exam: June 2015 and October 2015

Other Comments: I love the atmosphere at Broward College; you can feel the positive energy, which really helped me that day because I didn't sleep well, I was nervous and had a lot of anxiety. Proctors were very friendly and you can feel that they want you to do well. I highly recommend Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida

I recently received my acceptance and scholarship notice via email from my first choice school. (Thank you 7Sage)

Is it recommended that I return a thank you email to both emails?

Thanks!

I have been studying for more than six months at this point. I am hoping to take the June 2016 LSAT. My last 10 preptest have been between 159-163 with three of the preptest at a 161 and three at a 159. My goal is around a 165. I was getting around -3 or -2 on the games but my last PT (71) I got -6 but in BR I got -0. I just started taking the 70s PT and my LR score has dropped from averaging around -5 or -6 to -8 or -9 per each section. On RC I average -7. I am feeling super discouraged. Any tips on what I can do differently in my studying? Ways to improve my score? Should I go through the 7sage curriculum or the trainer again? I will say that my first timed test score was a 149.