if my parents have received a bachelor's degree in another country do i say yes or no to being a first generation college student? i just wanted to clarify if it matters where they got their degree from

I have a 2.0 cumulative LSAC gpa but my degree summary gpa is a 3.25. I attended previous institutions like community colleges and another four year school. I am currently a senior and I am graduating this spring 2024. I took the lsat last month and got a 140. I was hoping to get it up to at least a 150 on this upcoming January exam, but I feel like in my case a 150 wouldn't even help. I am feeling very discouraged and depressed about my overall chances of getting into any law school with this cumulative gpa. I didn't do well at all my first few years in college and I had to do some soul searching and figure out what I wanted to do with my life and these past two years I have improved my grades and overall academic trajectory. I know I could write an addendum and explain why my gpa is the way it is but I feel hopeless because its a 2.0. Can anyone offer any advice or wisdom for my situation.

Based on an examination of three types of rates (small, average size, and large), a recent study found that in rats, SIZE↑ correlates with HEART PROBLEMS↓. In other words, the study found that the greater a rat is, the less likely it is to have heart problems.

RRE EXCEPT. Four of the answer choices must be able to CONTRIBUTE to an explanation of this correlation; one does not. I did not do a pre-phrase here and went straight to the answers.

(A) Compared to large rats, smaller rats are more likely to have fatal diseases that strike earlier than heart problems. Under timed conditions, I took this to suggest: Small rats generally are more likely to die before heart disease strikes, so that heart disease will be overrepresented among the surviving small rats. However, this inference does not follow. If small rats tend to die young, the total NUMBER of surviving small rats that gets heart disease might be smaller, but there is no indication that there would be a corresponding increase in the PROPORTION of small rats that gets heart disease. This answer choice thus does not contribute to an explanation the observed correlation and thus must be right.

(B) Small rats are more likely to have blood vessel issues that causally contribute to heart disease. This helps to explain the correlation.

(C) Larger rats have less stress than smaller ones. If you assume that stress is causally related to heart disease, this contributes to an explanation. Under timed conditions, I thought that this assumption was too big of a jump, but compared to (A) this answer choice still is better. (A) does not contribute to an explanation at all, (C) does so if we make an additional assumption that seems fairly plausible from a common-sense perspective.

(D) The most common cause of heart disease in rats also causes them to be small. This explains the observed correlation by identifying a joint cause of small size and heart disease among rats.

(E) Larger rats do more exercises than smaller rats that causally contribute to heart health. This contributes to an explanation.

(C) is right, (A) is wrong. Under timed conditions, I had taken (A) to lead to a sampling bias making smaller rats not afflicted by heart disease less likely to survive such that heart disease becomes overrepresented among the surviving small rats. However, this inference is false. Just because small rats might be more likely to die for reasons other than heart disease, heart disease does not have to afflict a greater proportion of the surviving rats. I made a mistake here in assessing the implications of this answer choice and then switched to (C) because (C) requires an additional assumption to be explanatory ('Stress causes heart disease').

Takeaways: I originally had chosen the right answer (A) but then switched to (C) after mistakenly making the above-described inference. I likely was overthinking (A). I need to keep an open eye for the distinction between NUMBERS and PROPORTIONs. If unsure, close my eyes for a couple of seconds, do some deep breaths, calm down and reflect. I definitely felt uncomfortable in selecting my answer but could not quite identify what went wrong. NUMBERS vs. PROPORTIONs is a crucial distinction here, similar to e.g. POSSIBILITY vs. ACTUALITY, INATE vs. ACQUIRED, or MENTAL STATE vs. REALITY. Be vigilant, stay alert to these commonly used distinctions.

I just started studying for my LSAT and finished 9 to 10 problem sets (MSS in LR). I'm feeling tired and making more mistakes as a result. Most are due to lack of attention to detail. I'd like to push through and finish the lesson, but I also feel like I am wasting my time (and valuable practice questions) if I keep doing practice questions while tired.

Is it better to keep practicing when tired, accepting I will make mistakes, or get some sleep and continue the next day?

So I'd like to give some background regarding my current life situation and my statistics applying to law school. Last year, my LSAT score was 148 and I have a 3.4 GPA. I had an amazing personal statement and letters of recommendations were great. I also had a couple months experience working at law firms at the time. However, I was naive and chose not to retake the LSAT and really was on the shit end of the stick. I was waitlisted everywhere and didn't get in to any law school. There is nothing I can do except to look forward and move on and learn from my mistakes. So, I retook the LSAT for November 2023 and I got 154 LSAT. Now, I spoke with my law school advisor and he is telling me that I absolutely need a new letter of recommendation (preferably from current employer which is a law firm) and to add what I have done in the past year in to my personal statement. I'm skeptical on how much this really matters in comparison to my LSAT score jump and I'm just not sure if it's worth going through the hassle of getting a letter of recommendation from my employer, who is a pain in the ass tbh.

So here are my current stats - 154 LSAT, 3.4 GPA, bachelor's degree in philosophy from UCI, 1 years and 10 months experience working at law firms, great personal statement, letters of recommendation, and resume, a re-applicant, I've attended a few schools law school events and have gone on campus tours, and I'm applying in December.

I'm applying to local schools in Southern California - Loyola, Southwestern, California Western, USD, and Western State.

Now my questions and concerns are as follows:

I understand that an updated personal statement definitely matters and I will update it within this week. However, is it really worth getting a new letter of recommnedation when my old letters of recommendations were already solid?

As a re-applicant, I'm very unsure how these law schools will look at me and my application. I know my LSAT score is a big plus but do law schools really care about the other things in my application compared to my LSAT score?

Is the fact that I applied with my previous LSAT score and chose not to retake it until a year after I got denied a bad look? After all, I have a +6 boost in my score.

I could just be overthinking and need to chill tf out. If this is the case, please drop a comment telling me to do. It would be much appreciated.

Thanks to all who took the time to read through my post and current life situation. I look forward to seeing your guys comments.

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone wanted to study together for the LSAT test for January?

Message me.

Best,

Tenzin

Hi everyone! Need some advice here- I took the April '23 LSAT and scored a 169. Took the summer off after graduating and am now back to studying for the Feb '24 LSAT.

For some background: when I 'took' PT 45 in pieces beginning of Oct (taking sections over a few days) I got a 172 (174 BR), now I'm back to PT'ing around high 160s. I've been alternating between drilling and taking sections - should I just stick to drilling? I feel like I have the potential but I'm getting a bit frustrated.

My latest PT was PT 86 (167, 169 BR). -2 LR, -1 LG (-0 BR), -5 RC (-4 BR), and -6 LR (-5 BR). I do have a tutor and we've been working on weaknesses but I want to make sure I'm making the most of my time outside those weekly meetings.

Right now my plan is to drill LR weaknesses (NA, PSAr, Streng, PSAa, SA, MC, Method, Weak, MBF - whew that feels like a lot!), drill LG weaknesses (InoSeq, GrpPure), and slow wayyyyyy down when doing/drilling RC.

Any recommendations or suggestions would be great - thank you!

I emailed inquiring help for logging in. I can log into the app just fine but online suddenly does not work for me. Can someone please tell me the email to send it to? I sent it to studentservice@7sage.com

Is that the correct address! I really need the bigger computer screen to help with games.

Thank you for the help!

Hi all! I am taking the January LSAT, but I am wanting to submit my applications for fall 2024 now. Should I add an addendum that states that, especially if most law schools already have a section that allows me to indicate this?

In August, I hit 159 in one of my preptests. I took the LSAT and unfortunately bombed it, scoring a 153 or so. My goal has been a 170+. After a break from studying, I resumed studying around mid to late October to prepare for the January LSAT. Since then, I've been averaging a 157-159. My BR also remains between 163-164. The highest BR I've ever gotten was a 168. I'm starting to feel that day was just luck. I panicked last week and shifted my exam date to February. As you can imagine, this feels pretty heartbreaking. I took a PT today, scored a 158. BR 163. I've been consistent and thorough. I spend 4-6 hours of my day studying. Sometimes more. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm starting to fear that maybe this is my limit. While I don't want to accept that, it may just be a hard pill to swallow. It's pathetic but I can't help but cry right now.

To break down my progress, I average a -5 to -2 in LG, -9 in LR, and a -10 in RC.

My goal this December is to bring LG down to a -0 which I think I am on track doing and LR to a -5. I fluctuate a bit too much with RC to get comfortable but I will try to work on my time when reading passages more as I noticed time is a my limiting factor there.

Most of my frustration lies with LR. I would appreciate any tips. I've read various forums and have incorporated these tips into my regime but after today I don't know anymore.

Trying out PrepTest B - Section 1 - Question 23 (Deep tillage is even more deleterious to the world's top soil supply than previously believed...) I understand why C is the right answer but I just can't seem to explain to myself why A isn't the right answer. Thoughts?

Admin note: edited title; please use the format of "PT#.S#.Q# - [first set of words]"

Could someone please explain this to me more. Thanks!

How many practice tests is too many to take in the span of a week? I have registered for the January LSAT and have only started studying Oct 30. Which will give me 2 months and a week of prep, which I know is not ideal. I have completed all power score bibles, so I have been doing their logic games workbook and doing random sections. Because of my limited time, would doing more than 1 practice LSAT a week hurt more than help?

I started studying in September but had to pause mid-September to early November for work. I'm aiming for a 177-178, but I can only manage -1 on LG, -2 or 3 on LR, and -1 or 2 on RC and have been at that level for two weeks with no improvement. Should I just give up on January? I'd like to hear from people that have been able to get past a plateau.

Does anyone have experience in getting their doctor's note for LSAT accommodations via a doctor from BetterHelp.com (the mental health program)?

Does anyone have suggestions of gift to say thanks to recommenders? I saw an old post suggesting a mug from the school you got into. Idk if I'd want to be on the receiving end of a mug from a random school lol

Hi! just wanted to know how everyone's improvement was after just one month of studying! Starting score and what it was after a month!

Hey, everyone.

I never thought I'd be back at square 1 again to redo this exam. I took it in 2021 and got a 154 which was a huge jump from my 137 in 2017. I started my first year at law school from 2022-2023. Unfortunately, since I was not eligible for any loans, I worked full time and overtime throughout my 1L to pay for tuition, and attended school part time. My grades suffered and ultimately my health, too. I was dismissed just at the start of the Fall 2023 semester with no permission for an appeal, though the school was aware of my financial circumstances, and the dismissal letter stated that I was 'facing significant non-academic issues that placed tremendous demands on [your] time'. I tried to apply to a few schools just a few weeks ago after I finally got over the initial shock of being dismissed and having a tarnished record, but none of them allow me to even put in an application for another 2 years after this dismissal. I signed up for the June 2024 exam to see if I can get a higher score, with the intention to try and apply again in Fall 2024 with the hope of returning to law school in 2025 [not my previous law school and ideally a higher ranked one]. Have any of you been in this kind of situation?

For the record, I am not a poor student, but I am financially poor. As an immigrant, I am not allowed to ask for loans. I have paid out of pocket for all my education and even relied on TAP for my undergrad and grad degrees. I graduated from Harvard University with a 3.25 for my Bachelors [took 6 years] and later on with 3.69 for my Masters [took 3 years], and I have 9 years experience as a certified family law paralegal. I'm currently self-employed as an educational consultant and I prepare legal documents for low-income clients with family law cases. My hope was that I would finish law school by my late 30s so I could still commission for JAG and help military personnel going through family law cases, since military and veterans are under-represented in family law courts due to stereo-types associated with their experience, careers, and health.

I'm not saying I'm a great candidate compared to others who already hold multiple degrees and other doctorates, or those with higher LSAT scores, but this dismissal is making me doubt if future law schools would even care to consider these circumstances in conjunction with my experience and note that I am not a bad student.

At this point, is it even worth re-taking this exam and starting from scratch?

For both questions, the task is the same-look for the option will make the conclusion 100% true?

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!

I did this question as part of a drill for the PAI section of the core curriculum. After reading the question 5 times I am starting to understand why the correct answer is correct. However, I really have to stretch my mind to have it make sense. I expect I am not seeing it from the correct angle. Can any of you all help me understand?

Thanks!

Hello,

I am currently looking for someone who can study with me and to also provide me with tips to get my section timing better. Just got my score back from November and I’m thinking I should retake as I feel I can get a few more points. I sit in the 140 range.

Currently, logic games is my best section and reading comp is my worst section.

We can zoom and I’d totally be willing to help you where needed.

Hi everyone - I took the LSAT last November and got a 149. I studied for a few months and this November I got a 149 again. What am I doing wrong? I went through the majority of the core curriculum but haven't done that much drilling overall, so maybe that is my problem?

I am very frustrated. I am signed up to take the January LSAT again.

Hey Team!

I took the November LSAT and scored a 180. I wanted to come on here to thank JY and the 7Sage team for their materials and keeping the community vibrant, as well as leave some parting words for struggling LSAT takers.

I think my diagnostic was around a 158. I studied on and off for two years because I was working full-time, but quit this past June to focus on the LSAT. Logic Games were extremely unintuitive to me, but I kept doing sets and watching JY's videos until they made sense. For RC and LR, I found that not highlighting and instead giving differential weight to the conclusion and tone of the author or conclusion in connection to premise was easier for me and also saved time. For context, I read a lot of literature and was an English major in undergrad, so this might work better for people who have existing reading skills.

That said, I was plateau'd between around 165-168 for three months. It was awful and demoralizing, and what helped me improve was grinding LG and then relaxing in my approach toward LR and RC. I found I was anxious about a lot of questions to the point that I wasn't actually trying to solve them. I spent some time sitting with difficult LR questions and simply trying to understand the logic through a lens of language and simple understanding. I hope that helps someone here!

Anyway, I'll be leaving here but good luck to everyone. The LSAT does not define you, but you can see massive score increases if you work for it. Lots of love!

Hi all! I am registered to take the January 2024 (+ potentially February) test and was wondering if anyone would like to form an in-person study group. I have been studying for ~6 months and am looking to fine-tune my skills and stay motivated.

Zoom works as well!