Hi everyone, I wanted to share a strategy that has worked very well for me in improving my performance on LR questions. I've been coming to the realization that around 95% of the time I get a question wrong, it is because I didn't understand the stimulus. At first, I blamed myself for this, saying that I simply was not smart enough to decipher what I was reading, and this, of course, did not help me whatsoever. But, as I started to progress through the lessons, I realized that the LSAT is intentionally confusing. If the test were written by sane, normal, and non-sadistic people who wrote English in the way we all do, the LSAT would be one of the easier standardized tests. So, I decided to look for places where I could find arguments contained in very complex and confusing wording and language. And that is when I stumbled across this thing called the Supreme Court. I found that the arguments they were presenting were strikingly similar to some of the arguments I've encountered on the LSAT in terms of complexity, grammar, etc. So I got to reading cases and this is the strategy I followed.

This trained both my comprehension and my memory skills. So far, I've done about 20 cases and I've noticed sizable improvements in my stimulus comprehension since then.

This is the book I used: https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-Court-Decisions-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143121995

(It is part of a larger series of civic books; I strongly recommend that you check out the other books).

While I haven't gotten to preparing for the reading comprehension section of the test, I am sure this will aid me in that too.

(P.S. Besides just improving your LSAT performance, I feel as though reading SCOTUS cases will be of other use as well. First, it is important to know your rights. Second, the Supreme Court is kinda important to the law and stuff and I think a prospective lawyer should know at least some things about the law.)

(P.P.S. Another strategy that may help is imagining that every argument you come across on the LSAT is being presented by your least favorite Justice; I think that will allow you to more readily see flaws in the reasoning.)

Hi there,

Does anyone have any tips on how to properly use the Microsoft tablet provided by LSAC?

Last PT I took was 74 and got a 165. Missed 8 in RC. Need help with RC strategy. Taking LSAT in June.

Hey guys!

I am studying for the August /October LSAT and currently working full time. I've been able to do about 3 hours of studying each week night where I have been focusing on the CC. Is there a reason the course is structured to do the core curriculum and then straight practice tests? My study schedule with start and end dates has me studying 40+ hours a week, but it seems like that would be more manageable if I spread the core curriculum out and mixed it with Prep Test.

Would it be more beneficial for me to do the core curriculum during the week and a prep test each Saturday, or is that a terrible idea? My first diagnostic was a 150 raw and 164 BL. My goal is to get 170+. It seems like I will need to work on speed and confidence in my questions, and my logic is that doing a prep test each week will help strengthen those muscles.

Thanks in advance!

I had a question for people who are applying as a STEM Major who are in a similar position as me. I finished college with a 3.77 GPA and a chemistry degree. However, I am not great at standardized tests, and before taking the actual test, am guessing I will score roughly 155 on the test based on PT's. I believe this is considered a "reverse splitter" applicant. I wanted to know if you are similar to myself, if you were accepted anywhere and what scholarship offers you have been getting? Also if there are any schools that look more favorably upon reverse splitters. Thanks so much for the help, I really appreciate it!!!

Okay, I've heard from a podcast or two that NYU allegedly does NOT like multiple LSAT takes and that in the past have asked for an addendum requesting applicants to describe why the average of there scores should not be considered. (and I know... i know... USNWR only requires reporting the highest, but again I've heard that this is something that NYU has asked for in the past)

I can't seem to find anything like this online now so do you think this has changed or what?

It seems I consistently make 1-3 LR confidence errors per test. If any of you have had this issue, how have you fixed it? Thanks for the help :)

Is anybody else having trouble logging into LSAC on a Mac? Not just today, but in general. I've tried on three browsers, cleared cache, cleared cookies, private browsing, etc but I always get stuck on the screen with the blue background with a spinning blue wheel next to my cursor. Once in a while I can log into LawHub, but for about a month I haven't been able to log into LSAC. I have been able to do it on my PC at work, so it's not my account. Help!! November approaches...

I need help with trying to answer the questions that ask something along the lines of "Which of following could substitute the condition (insert rule here)"? I don't know how to approach these at all.

Example: PT M20.S2.Q11

Just making sure I am right for the right reasons

Not being able to hear -----> Not every permutation is understandable----> Not Spoken Language completely effecient.

AC E

Im torn....the last couple weeks for me have been really rough with covid and family situations. My PTs have been ranging from 152-159. I already have an LSAt score under my belt of a 153. I really need a 161 for my top choice school. Would it be horrible to wait until January? Ive already paid for November but I don't mind loosing the money. I am trying to apply this cycle. tia

Hey guys,

Hope you all did well on December LSAT. Is anyone thinking about applying to Fordham or has already applied? I heard mixed reviews about acceptances and was wondering if anyone has some insight.

Thanks!

I have plateaued at about 167-169 with a BR score about 10 points higher every time. My goal is to close this gap as much as possible before January by focusing on timing, process, and specific weaknesses. I'm debating whether to get a tutor, but thought I would throw this out there to see if anyone is in a similar position and is interested in studying?

Goals: Specifically work on timing, process hitches, and targeting specific weaknesses

Suggested Method: For at lease one PT each week (in the 70 - 80s) reviewing any timing issues, missed question or questions that took a long time, and addressing why and brainstorming how to fix.

Message me if you're interested in studying like this! I am open to doing whatever works best for folks, zoom/discord etc. I am a non-traditional applicant and work, but I have a pretty flexible schedule.

Thanks!

Are there 2 June Lsat flext test versions?

Hiyo! Looking for a study buddy in the NE Ohio area. I'll be taking in June. E-mail me at bluesmurf13@gmail.com if you're down. Thanks much!

Hey all,

Is there a good way to get better at the questions involving finding the main point of the passage(s) and understanding/analyzing the purpose of a phrase in context? Also, parsing out the attitude of the author. I'm not doing well with these and unfortunately, they are the kinds of questions that are included in most passage sections without fail. SOS

-TP

Hi All,

Hopefully you clicked because you also want someone who can help you stay on track with LSAT studying. My PT average is in the 160s, so I'm hoping to find someone who's scoring within that range or better. I'm open to partnering with someone averaging lower, though!

Me:

-Grad student in philosophy.

-My timezone is EST.

-My loosely planned test date is August 2021.

-Current PT average: Mid-160s.

The general plan:

-We do 1 timed PT a week and we discuss the answers we got wrong.

-We can meet over zoom or discord.

-We can meet once first and see how it goes from there.

Shoot me a DM or leave a message. Thanks!

I know this is a very basic necessary/sufficient question but could someone validate the way I diagramed the logic?

Stim:

Professor: both O parents --> only O child

Student: not [both O parents --> only O child], but the student switched the professor's statement around to mean [only O child --> both O parents]. So given his logic, /both O parents --> /only O child (since he's Type B).

ACs:

A) only O child --> both O parents

B) both O parents --> /type B child

C) both B parents --> only O children

D) irrelevant

E) both B parents --> type B children

#help

Hey everyone!

I had some thoughts tonight on the exam, and I thought it might be useful to put them out there into the LSAT community at large. Hopefully there's someone who finds this helpful :)

So, something that's been stewing in the back of my mind for the past week or so, is this idea of the bell curve. How can we use that to our advantage when we approach the test? Obviously, we all know that there are easier questions and harder questions... and we all reach a point where we feel like we should be getting the easy questions correct, after all, they're the easiest questions we see, and we want to have some idea that our studying is paying off, right? But, up until recently I had a mental block with these questions. So concerned I was about my pride (haha), not wanting to miss an "easy" question, that I was sinking way too much time into them, trying to make sure I got them right.

But, here's what I realized: The writers want to maintain their curve, and we all know this... but for me personally, I wasn't putting enough time into thinking about what this really meant. The LSAT is so good at manipulating us into choosing the wrong answer, we forget that on certain questions, they're manipulating us into choosing the right answer. At times, the LSAT seems like this force of nature... it's a test with amazing psychometrics. It knows us better than we know ourselves. But, instead of always seeing it as a bad thing, we can reframe it in a positive way, and it could help us to move faster during the questions that we know we probably got right but... we just wanted to "be extra sure" about. I think there are two major (and probably obvious reasons) for adopting this mentality.

First, it saves time. If we can get these questions lightning fast, it will save us so much precious time that we need for the 8 or so really, really tough questions. This is also a really important fail-safe on this test. Something that I have come to realize, (because I've had some very wise people tell me) is that mistakes will be made... I will misread, it's just going to happen. The more time you have to play with, the better chance you have of correcting these errors. Second, it saves brain power... so much brain power for when you're exhausted and you're worried about time and everything else that comes with this exam.

So, let the LSAT steer you where it wants you to go, that way you'll be ready to take over the reigns when it's time to shine!

p.s., check out the LSAT Lab video where they talk about moving through the first 10 questions on instinct. I think it definitely shaped helped my view on this.

Hello all,

I am at a PT plateau of 160-163. I am consistent LG 0 to -1. My poor performance areas are LR and RC. LR fluctuating with -6 to -10 at times. RC -6 to -12. RC is a real wildcard. I have started to read more material and have signed up for a subscription with The Spectator, read Arts & Letters Daily, and Science Daily. I am doing 2-4 passages of RC everyday to try and improve.

For LR I ordered supplemental material. The Manhattan Prep LR text and Nathan Fox's LR Encyclopedia. Any advice would be greatly appreciated on which LR material to use. I also have The Loophole. I would like to bring my LR and RC down to 7 or below to get a score in the mid to upper 160s. Please share your improvement stories or how you think I should change up my studying.

Thank you :)

Hello 7 sage community. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

I have noticed that my score in older prep tests ( PT40-60 ) are consistently higher than the newer ones ( PT 70-89 ). I am wondering has anyone experienced this? And how did you study to do better on the newer tests? What are some main differences between the older prep tests and newer ones?

Any insights / advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you.

I've been taking a few PT's and doing BR. Everytime I go back to do BR, I end up second guessing some of my correct answers. Does any one have any tips on how not to second guess on the right answer? I know that there's a sentiment that if you are second guessing, it's probably because you didn't understand the question fully the first time. I honestly feel like I do understand the questions the first time, that's why I chose the correct answer the first time. However, during BR at least one other answer starts to become more appealing. Is anyone else having issues with second guessing during BR?

fgfsdg

I am sorry if this has been posted a thousand times over - partially I need to get my thoughts onto paper (or screen?), and I feel I need some recommendations from people who have been in the same boat or think that they can help.

I am feeling quite pessimistic on the LR curriculum, but I am unsure the best way to proceed. As I am going through these question sets I get frustrated while reading. The frustration comes from getting confused while reading and getting mentally exhausted. On harder four-star and five-star difficulty questions I typically only get one or two correct of the five - very discouraging.

I have started to go to past questions and review past lessons in order to reflect and understand, but then I retake question sets with the same score as before. For now, I will review past lessons on weekends. But I feel that although I have finished 35% of the core curriculum I have made 0% progress.

Is this typical during the harder questions, even with going back? During the curriculum, is it encouraged to go back to previous parts of the course and re-learn, or should I continue to follow the core curriculum and expect more improvement through PTs?

Hi there -- does anyone know how long it typically takes to get off the waitlist for a one time edit?

I am in the final review stages (hopefully) after many rewrites. I really want to start submitting apps, but I am nervous to without having someone outside of my friends and family take a look at my PS.

Thanks!