1) Should I let both of my recommenders be evaluators too?

2) If I like my December score and decide to apply this cycle with that score, would the June test be too late to negotiate scholarships?

I am the kind of person who starts to lose sleep the moment there is some pressure (even knowing i have a PT coming up consists as pressure). Is there anyone like this who has found ways to dealing with these sleep issues? my biggest problem is waking up earlier than i should causing me to only sleep about 5 hours

Hey Guys,

While 7Sage lists 19 different flaw types, The Trainer lists 3 (piece does not equal puzzle, apples do not equal oranges, and 1+1 does not equal 3). I'm a little confused - can the 19 different flaw types fall under these 3 categories? If so, do you prefer going by 7Sage or the Trainer's methods when doing flaw questions?

Thanks so much!

Hey all,

Are LSAT prep and law school applications tax deductible? IE books, 7sage course, lsat test, application fees, etc.

We have a completely different workshop scheduled for tomorrow with a completely different time and a completely different tutor.

Be on the lookout for the link for this conversation tomorrow at 12:30 pm ET!

Only 25 spots are available! First come, first served!

Saturday, Dec. 12th at 1PM ET: Necessary Assumption LR Questions with @"Quick Silver"

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

• We are NOT going to use Skype for these sessions.

And here's the link. Join NOW: Limited to the first 25 people. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/742937805

There will be a recording available later this weekend. Instructions for obtaining it will follow.

Hey y'all,

I'm gettin' all gussied up to run this here Blind Review workshop for y'all. Here's a preview:

Here's what you need to do:

1) You'll need to click the link once I put it in here (that will not occur until 6:30PM CENTRAL—as in Texas—time). Once the link is live, I will edit this post and change the title. You will also need to install the GoToMeeting app: http://support.citrixonline.com/en_US/Meeting/help_files/G2M010002?Title=Download+GoToMeeting

2) If you haven't already, go ahead and do the first LR section of the June 2007 PT. If you don't have that, click here: http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/prep/freesampletest/section-2

3) Go ahead and read through the [free] sections on Blind Review, either in the 7sage course (find it by clicking "Course --> Syllabus") or here: http://classic.7sage.com/the-blind-review-how-to-correctly-prep-for-lsat-part-1/

Think about your questions. I (and your fellow 7sage students) will be ready to answer them. Come ready to do some real work :D

Hey everyone,

I'm hoping that I can get a bit of candid advice from you (especially from high-scorers).

I booked myself in to write the February LSAT. I need a 160+ in order to have a real shot at any schools.

I've been studying for about 7 months altogether. 3 months last year, then I took a break, and now I've been studying since September of this year.

My diagnostic was a 140. I've written ten preptests since September. I started at a 158 on my first preptest in september, and then went up and down between 151 (lowest) and 159 (highest). My last three tests have been a 158, 155, 158.

I am usually 3-4 raw points short of a 160. My weakest points are RC (-7 per section) and LR (-3 to -7 per section). I've also improved in LG but still not perfect.

I BR anywhere between 173 (highest) and 167 (lowest).

I'm 25 years old and really, really want to get a 160 on the Feb LSAT so that I don't have to wait until 2017 to start lawschool (my parents are also getting on my nerves to be honest).

With that said, I was thinking that my best shot at attaining a 160+ for February is to take either 1 of 2 options:

1) to keep writing preptests, and keep blind-reviewing every question and hope that I can break 160 by sometime before February 6th.

& then pick up the 7sage course if I am not hitting my target score by February (while postponing until June)

2) Pick up the 7sage course, go through it all before February (I'd likely pick up the Ultimate because I hear that it can give me more help for LR), write a preptest or two, and be at my goal score before February 6th (is this realistic? how long does the course take? I can put in 10-12 hours a day.)

What would you do?

Any advice would help.

Thanks in advance!

N

Hi 7sagers,

A little bit of background. I have a 2.4 ugpa. Needless to say, my chances ride or die by my score on the LSAT. After working as a paralegal for two years, I loved it enough that I decided I would be willing to go to law school for full price.

Given my low gpa, my goal is to just go to a west coast school in the top 100, preferably Richardson at University of Hawaii where I'm from and want to practice. I got a 156 on my first LSAT and made a lot of progress prepping for December (was prepping in the high 160s over seven practice tests before the exam). After taking the December test though, my gut feeling is I scored in the low 160s. Not good enough.

While obviously I can't make a judgement until I actually see what I get, after taking the exam two times, the feeling is discouraging. Is it unrealistic to bank on a good LSAT to compensate for an exceedingly low gpa? Have any of the experienced posters seen it happen? Sometimes it feels like i'm trying to climb out of a really deep hole that nobody ever has before.

Wednesday’s workshop with Corey was a great success. Now Nicole is going to show us how to get the most out of our blind review process, so that we don’t feel we’re going about the process blind.

Be on the lookout for the link for this conversation at 7:30 pm ET!

Only 25 spots are available! First come, first served!

Friday, Dec. 11th at 8PM ET: Blind Review with @nicole.hopkins

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

• We are NOT going to use Skype for these sessions.

So the first semester of my senior year just ended. I was originally going to have my apps in about a month ago, but I had to switch one of my LOR references. I just finished finals, so my grades for the semester come out in less than a week. Should I wait to submit my apps until I have my new transcripts sent in to LSAC? I already have my transcripts in, just not with this most recent semester's grades on them. My GPA will probably jump like .02... lol... Basically I'm asking if waiting to submit my apps will be worth the time (like a week total) I will lose before I apply? Everyone's always empasizing that you should get your apps in early because schools work on a rolling basis... what do you guys think?

@Pacifico

@LSATsagha

@nicole.hopkins

Hey guys I was at the Active Reading Webinar last night and I typed up a bunch of notes for people who couldn't attend. I had to leave early for work so I didn't get everything but here are the notes I was able to get. Also thank you to Corey, David and the entire 7sage staff for arranging these webinars because they were extremely helpful and I look forward to being on another one tonight.

Active Reading Webinar Notes:

1. What is the Goal of Active Reading: The process of absorbing, contemplating, and engaging with a stimulus or passage to be able to better understand and predict answer choices

• If you learn to do this well it cuts down on the time it takes to find the answers correctly

• Want to make the test emotional because it offers a connection between you and the test and makes taking one an intuitive process rather than just a test. If you make it emotional while reading then you can remember easier. Emotional memories will go into long-term memories rather than just short term.

2. How do you do Actively Read:

• READ SLOWLY & TAKE BREAKS: Although this may seem counterintuitive by reading slowly and taking breaks at the end of certain sentences you avoid the “What the Hell did I just read” syndrome. Take the time up front to make sure you understand each sentence and how it fits in with the stimulus

i. This is done while you’re reading and again before you go to the answer choices

• Work on Pre-phrasing/anticipating the answer choices:

i. A common misconception is that you can’t anticipate the answer choices in certain types of questions or in RC but this is wrong

1. Even if your pre-phrase is wrong by doing this step you’re engaging with the material more, making an emotional connection and will be able to remember it more clearly

ii. You can only pre-phrase an answer if you understood what you read which was why you need to slow down and understand what you read

• Think of this active reading like setting up your game board in logic games:

i. We’ve learned to “spend the time upfront and reap the rewards later” with LG, why not apply that to LR and RC

1. Spend time pre-phrasing anticipating answer choices (i.e. making inferences) with LR

ii. With RC the passage is your game board and your job is to be able to eliminate unnecessary material and be able to locate what you need

1. Take pleasure in the fact that everything you need to answer a question in RC is in front of you on the page

• Approach reading everything on the test like a friend who you know lies to you:

i. If someone in real life said a bad argument you’d call them out on it rather than just ignore it, by rushing through and trying to get to an answer choice you give their crappy argument credibility

3. What should I specifically look for to actively Read:

• Strength of words: Important because you need to see how the strength of the passage/stimulus relates to the strength of the answer

i. Conditional indicators/operators: “if, unless, must, etc.

ii. “Most, some, all”: These make eliminating answer choices easier because you know it’s out of the scope, this needs to match what was said in the stimulus

iii. Ex: For a MBT Question: If the stimulus says some drugs help with headaches and an answer choice says all drugs help with headaches we know that it is too strong an answer choice

• Group Descriptors: How they’re describing the comparison between 2 groups

i. Ask yourself “what do we know”

ii. Do we assume that everything is the same or are there differences between the 2 groups

• Correlational phrases and causation phrases: Can help you see the overall flow of the passage and further engage yourself

i. These are helpful because they can help you zero in on a conclusion

4. Know that when you first start this it will take a long time but will slowly become faster almost like a computer program:

• On the webinar we saw one question take over 8 minutes to explain but when he did it in real-time and explained it, it took just over 2 minutes

June 2007 Test Examples:

Note that you can use whatever “system of notation” you like, the main point is to understand why he marked those words and the process at which he used to read and get the correct answer choices

Section 2 Question 15:

15. A new government policy has been developed to avoid many serious cases of influenza. This goal will be accomplished by the annual vaccination of high-risk individuals: everyone 65 and older as well as anyone with a chronic disease that might cause them to experience complications from the influenza virus. Each year’s vaccination will protect only against the strain of the influenza virus deemed most likely to be prevalent that year, so every year it will be necessary for all high-risk individuals to receive a vaccine for a different strain of the virus.

Which one of the following is an assumption that

would allow the conclusion above to be properly drawn?

Marks we made:

1. Circle “Many serious cases”: Defines the parameters of what we’re talking about (strength of words)

a. Could help eliminate an answer if it said “All cases…”

2. Underline influenza: That’s what the subject of the cases are

a. Answer choice could refer to a different disease

3. Dash at the end of the first sentence: “Stop sign that breaks up the stimulus”

a. Allows me to pause and comprehend what I just read before moving on

4. Circle high risk: Describes the individual

a. Bracket the definition they give of high risk (may be useful and breaks up text visually)

5. Circle “only against”: Strong word (strength of word)

6. Underline “most likely”: Strong word (strength of word)

7. Dash after year: This is our premise and enforces the fact that I understand this is the premise

a. “Each year’s vaccination will protect only against the strain of the influenza virus deemed most likely to be prevalent that year”

b. What do we takeaway from this:

i. Vaccine protects only against 1 strain

ii. The strain that is most prevalent that year

8. Underline “so”: Conclusion indicator

a. You need to be actively engaging and ripping apart their conclusion

b. Conclusion: “every year it will be necessary for all high-risk individuals to receive a vaccine for a different strain of the virus.”

c. Stop and compare premise to conclusion

i. High-risk: Used in both the same way

ii. Strain of virus: Used differently

1. P: Most common strain

2. Different strain each year

9. Pre-phrase: “The strain that is most prevalent every year is different, not a continual one strain”

10. Navigate Answer choices and choose D

Section 2 Question 17:

17. Hospital executive: At a recent conference on nonprofit management, several computer experts maintained that the most significant threat faced by large institutions such as universities and hospitals is unauthorized access to confidential data. In light of this testimony, we should make the protection of our clients’ confidentiality our highest priority.

Steps:

1. Read who is saying this: “Hospital executive”, sometimes it seems unnecessary but other times it can help you build an emotional connection to an answer

2. Circle Non-profit management: Relevant subject of the conference

3. Underline “most significant”: Strong phrase (strength of word)

4. Underline “access to confidential date”: States what the problem is

5. Circle “should”: conclusion indicator

6. Underline “highest priority”: Strong phrase (strength of word)

7. Label premise: “Several computer experts maintained that the most significant threat faced by large institutions and hospitals is unauthorized access to confidential data”

8. Label conclusion: “We should make the protection of our clients’ confidentiality our highest priority”

9. Stop and think about this: “At a hospital what should my highest priority be”

a. Shouldn’t it be my health and not confidentiality?

b. Yet computer experts are saying the most significant threat is my confidentiality therefore we’re going to make it our highest priority

c. Is this enough to warrant this?

d. Better yet should we be taking advice from computer experts?

e. If this were real life you would call them out on this in a heartbeat.

10. Takeaway: If you have a prescripted conclusion you need to try and understand why they’re saying what they’re saying

a. “Should”: Makes this a prescripted conclusion

i. Why are you telling me that this is best for me?

ii. After looking at this at a laser focused level we can see the absurdity when computer experts give advice on the most important priority in a hospital to doctors

11. With that in mind we can easily find that answer choice B is correct

Hey guys! Here's the official Feb. LSAT Discussion Thread. Please keep all discussions of the Feb. 2016 LSAT here.

Here's some ground rules, taken from my usual sticky:

We know that everyone will be excited to discuss what was on the Feb '16 LSAT, but mentioning specifics about the test (e.g., "I got B for question 6" or "the 3rd LG was sequencing") can get both us and you in a lot of trouble with LSAC. Saying that the test was hard/easy without going into detail is okay, but anything more specific is not okay. LSAC monitors this forum.

If you're unsure what may be too specific, feel free to PM me with what you'd like to post.

One exception is you can say which section was the experimental. For example, the LG with "flowers" was experimental. That's okay.

TL;DR: PLEASE don't talk specifics about February's LSAT!

Have fun discussing!

------------------------

Please note that the information below will change to reflect the information we get! Contribute if you can without going into too much detail. If you think something is wrong or should be added, please post in the thread and let me know.

Real Sections:

LG:

- Pillows and Mirrors

- Madrid, Paris, and London / Cities

- Volunteers

- Photographs of Authors / Bookstore

RC:

- Shrubs & Bushes

- Urban Smart Growth / Suburban Sprawl

- Employees Rights / Workplace Ethics

- Female Sculptor

LR:

- Moths / Bats / Tweek Tweek Sound

- Physics / Psychology

- Intention Pollution

- Politican

- High Cholesterol

- Vital Interests

- Nests / Fleas

- Broca Area / Bilinguals

- Altruistic Behavior / Monkeys

- Redefining Church

- Bacteria Fungi

- Wolves and Wolf Subspecies

- Machine with blue/green light

- Outdoors vs. Treadmill

- Intentionally creating art

- Electronic toll systems

- Burglars with initials G and S

- Cellphone insurance deductible

- Laughter and social bonding

- Desires and beliefs

- Absinthe

- Neanderthals' food

- Expanding downtown

- Damming a river

- Gala / Music Awards

- Skin Disorder / Cancer

UNCONFIRMED:

If you can confirm that these are real / experimental, please do so by replying to this thread or PMing me.

None right now!

What’s your criteria for owning a game? By owning as in- you won’t have to look at that game for awhile and when you come back to it in say 2 weeks or so(or I don’t know in how long really) the speed at which you can recall the inferences won’t have diminished.

Perhaps finishing it well ahead of the suggested time? (like if it’s a 5 minute game- and you finish in 3:30~ 4 mins. Or if it’s a 12 minute game, maybe finishing in 10 minutes or sooner and if it’s an 10 minute game- maybe finishing in 8 minutes.)

After repeating a game for 5 times or so, I find myself plateauing/maxing out time-wise.

Anyway, thoughts?

I translated the following into lawgic:

ES and SPIL --> OS

SPIL---> OS/e

/E and SPIL

Therefore, ES--> OS

I don't understand why in the video explanation the second sentence is dismissed. What does JW mean when he mentions it is not a necessary condition? So he strikes it out along with part of the last sentence and I don't understand why he does that either.

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-60-section-1-question-03/

When it comes to CAUSATION strengthening and CAUSATION weakening questions, I know how to do them, but I have a hard time determining if causation is in the conclusion, which is needed to approach these questions correctly.

Can some please tell me what to toll for in order to do the correct?

UPDATE: There is a schedule change. Saturday’s Flaw/Assumption workshop (12/12) will be repscheduled. We have something in the works. When we have more definite details, we’ll let you know.

NOTE: If there is a workshop tomorrow, there will be a time change. It will now be at 1:00 EST instead of 8:00 EST.

Hey All,

Since yesterday, I haven't been able to see the answers posted on logic games explanations videos.

Usually I'll go to the specific game through the 7sage website and then just scroll down to confirm my answers. However, since yesterday, I haven't been able to see the answers and have had to literally watch the video and fast forward it to find out.

I'm using Firefox browser on a Mac and have tried Safari as well, but its the same issue.

Any advice?

Thanks!

N

Is it better to blind review immediately after, or at least on the same day as, taking a full PT as opposed to say the next day? While I like to give the questions a fresh look after some rest, I feel as though I may be undermining the process in some way by doing it like that. Of course this includes not looking at the answers until the full BR is done.

Hello,

For some odd reason, I am having trouble with mastering sufficient assumption questions, despite watching explanation videos. However, I tend to perform very well on necessary assumption questions--it seems much easier to me. Do any have advice or tips or strategies that help get SA questions right consistently. I'm tired of skipping over SA questions because they hurt my score :(

I'm curious to know what you guy's gut feeling was in relation to your actual score, and how many of your answers were actual guesses. I have a gut feeling score, but I'm hoping I did a couple better... :/

I still don't understand why answer choice E is wrong. My understanding is, iIf stress is a symptom of a weakened immune system, then wouldn't that mean that symptoms such as stress then lead to or cause the weakened immune system?

stress as a symptom---> weakened immune system

I don't understand how and why Jon explained it that a weakened immune system is the sufficient and stress is the necessary? And that the causal relationship is flipped.

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-60-section-1-question-07/

Only 25 spots are available! First come, first served!

Wednesday, Dec. 9th at 8PM ET: Active Reading with @c.janson35

Click here to join this conversation:https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/618065093

Be sure to download the software if you haven’t already!

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

• We are NOT going to use Skype for these sessions.

When I do the SA quizzes, I do exceptionally well. Actually, I have gotten all of the problems correct. However, when it comes to actually doing the SA problems on the test, I have a hard time transcribing the majority of the SA problems.

Can someone please give me advice on how to overcome this.

Very frustrated!!!

Admin note: Please don't post your title in all caps.

When I do the SA quizzes, I do exceptionally well. Actually, I have gotten all of the problems correct. However, when it comes to actually doing the SA problems on the test, I have a hard time transcribing the majority of the SA problems.

Can someone please give me advice on how to overcome this.

Very frustrated!!!

Admin note: Please don't post titles in all caps.

Tonight is our inaugural workshop, led by Sage and Tutor Corey Janson! He’s gonna help us get better at ACTIVE READING!

Be on the lookout for the link for this conversation at 7:30 ET!

Only 25 spots are available! First come, first served!

Wednesday, Dec. 9th at 8PM ET: Active Reading with @c.janson35

Click here to join this conversation:https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/618065093

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

• We are NOT going to use Skype for these sessions.