I'm aiming for a 170-175 in September. I'm studying full-time for the LSAT until then. Chat, am I cooked? I'm getting a tutor too 🥲

Hi all! I have several accomodations and sadly, LSAC keeps messing up my exam administrations. First, I had a missing proctor (in-person which made it worse) and then during my retest, they provided the wrong exam on lawhub. I'm not sure how often issues like this happen, but it seems like they are getting confused when administering/scheduling my exam (even though I have pretty normal accommodations). If you have accommodations (or even if you don't), be aware that your exam could get messed up as well. If this happens, please advocate for yourself! You can file a complaint online for a standard exam or via email for a retest. LSAC can cancel your score without impacting your limit and making it clear it is their fault for the cancelation, and could get you rescheduled for another admin without you having to pay for a new exam all over again.

I also suggest reading your accommodations out to the proctor and explaining them so there is no confusion. That said, LSAC has screwed up every testing admin for me which sucks after months of studying, making this LSAT journey last wayyyy longer than it needs to. And even if they provide solutions, they typically aren't that fair either. Very frustrating experience for me, but hope that other disabled test takers don't have these experiences as well.

When I first met Leah in 2024, she had already been studying for the LSAT for a year. Over the next two years, she worked tirelessly: both on bringing her LSAT up to her goal score (173) and on one of the best applications I've ever seen.

Next year, she'll be attending Michigan Law with significant merit aid. We sat down to discuss her whole journey: from her initial diagnostic through the TESTING DISASTERS that almost literally sank her candidacy on test day -- and the smart choices she made in a particularly hectic admissions season.

No. matter who you are, if you're aiming for a top school, there's something you can learn from Leah's experience.

We'll be covering more "Getting In" stories all summer. Let me know if you have any feedback or questions you'd like us to address. And if you'd prefer to listen to the podcast version of this discussion, find the 7Sage LSAT podcast on Spotify/Apple Podcasts/An RSS feed near you.

Just in: Argument ER and Numbers Blitz. If you need a study break, go play and tell us what you think!

Play now.

Went from a 160 diagnostic a month ago to a 179 PT!!! 7Sage is great.

Did anyone else notice the auto sync with law hub where it pulls all your tests? It's messing up with my analytics because it is pulling from what I did in like 2025.

tbh i'm not in the mood to go on a scavenger hunt of the LSAC website and they're closed tmrw; just need to make sure i don't need to apply for it as an accommodation or smth.

So I graduated with an upper second class honours in a British degree and my CAS evaluation came back as "Above Average" - I'm not sure how to translate that into GPA on my profile, and I think it's better not to try since it's simply different. With the searching through other people options on 7sage, I think it would be useful if other users with a non-American degree could share their equivelant for the GPA!

One week until June LSAT score release. How are we feeling 7Sage?

Personally, I have been doing the online equivalent of pacing up and down my room. Lurking on forums, calculating admissions odds based on hypothetical scores, and checking LSAC for... something???

Can this week please go a little faster?!

Hello everyone,

I’ll be hosting a free LSAT Reading Comprehension study group tonight where we’ll work through a full passage and discuss strategies, common patterns, and approaches that consistently show up on the LSAT.

Just for transparency: I do offer private tutoring, but this study group is completely free and open to anyone.

I typically host these sessions every Thursday at 7:30 PM ET, and I’d love to have you join us if you can.

RC Study Group Thursday, June 18 | 7:30–9:00 PM ET

Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/dvz-wxnu-ger

Dial-in: (US) +1 240-366-5287 PIN: 873 992 246#

Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight!

I will touch on my tutoring services at the end. But first, I wanted to share some broad practical tips I wish I would've known during my study journey.

Part I: Before You Start Studying

1. The LSAT is a skills-based test, not an IQ test.

The only time it's an IQ test is the first time you take it. After that, the sky is really the limit score wise, it just depends on the amount of work and time someone is willing to put in.

2. If you're still in college, make sure you're focused on GPA.

If you're not getting straight A's, you probably shouldn't be studying for the LSAT right now. Your GPA is permanent. The LSAT can always wait.

3. Consistency is how growth occurs.

I like to tell my students studying for the LSAT is a lot like working out. One week apart you probably won't see much improvement. After two weeks maybe a little. After a month or two you start to notice some solid gains, but it will still feel like you haven't changed much. Improvement is incremental and often difficult to see. Sometimes your score won't fully reflect how much you've improved, but that doesn't mean the growth isn't happening.

4. Take a diagnostic test.

Realize your score is probably not going to be where you want it to be. Many people push this off because they don't want to see a disappointing score, but all you're really doing is limiting what you'll eventually see as growth in the future.

Part II: Learning the Test

5. Learn the fundamentals, but don't only learn through theory.

Learn how to break down arguments, understand conditional reasoning, recognize question types, and how to make predictions. But don't study exclusively through books or a study program. Make sure you're mixing in drills, timed sections, and occasional practice tests as well.

6. Become extremely critical of everything you read.

If an argument isn't fully proven, it's a bad argument. Too many people approach the LSAT with an everyday mindset of, "Well, I see where they're coming from." On the LSAT, that doesn't matter. If someone makes an argument that isn't fully proven, it is a bad argument.

7. Don't push off RC.

Many people think, "I'm going to focus on LR first and then work on RC once I've mastered LR." This is a big mistake. RC is a slow battle, and the best way to improve is to do at least one passage every day from the moment you start studying until the day you take the test.

8. Start incorporating timed work early.

In the beginning, I recommend doing one timed LR section and one timed RC section each week with immediate review afterward. I personally tell my students to customize their blind review to only questions they missed or flagged but find a review workflow that works for you.

Part III: Improvement and Review

9. Stop worrying about finishing sections.

Unless you're scoring in the high 160s, I don't think you should be worried about finishing sections. If you're finishing a section and scoring 13/25, you're missing easy questions to get to hard ones. Focus on accuracy first because accuracy leads to confidence, confidence leads to speed, and speed leads to more questions finished.

Students always tell me, "There's no way I can get my goal score without finishing." My response is that I scored a 180 and guessed on the last question of one section because I ran out of time, so I humbly disagree.

10. Review is where your gains are made.

Too many people focus on quantity over quality. When you miss a question, you didn't make one mistake, you made two. You failed to identify the correct answer and selected the wrong answer. 

This applies to RC as much as LR. Most people review LR far better than RC, but reviewing RC thoroughly is just as important.

11. Lock the hell in.

You're competing against very smart people who are willing to commit hours every day to studying. 

12. But also, don't overstudy.

If you're training for a marathon, you don't run a marathon every day leading up to it. For most people, 1-3 focused hours a day, 6-7 days a week, with maybe one day pushing into the 3-5 hour range, is all you need. The key is that those hours are actually focused. Not studying while scrolling your phone or with a tv show on. Just pure locked in studying.

Something I hear often is, "I'm just too busy to study everyday." The harsh reality is that most people are busy and your competition is finding time to study. If you can't commit to studying consistently, ask yourself whether becoming a lawyer is really important to you right now.

Part IV: Applications

13. Stop rushing.

Everyone always has an artificial deadline when the reality is that you should be getting the best score possible. The LSAT and GPA make up the vast majority of your application, and you can take the LSAT up to five times. There is very little reason not to maximize your score before applying.

If you plan on taking the test, I recommend signing up for at least two administrations and after the first one until score release treat it like you failed. Unless you score drastically above your normal PT range on the first exam, you've essentially given yourself another month to improve.

14. Apply early, but don't sacrifice your score.

Applying early matters, but applying on day one isn't critical. Many schools sit on applications and review them in batches. If you can apply in September with a 165 or later in October with a 170, the choice is obvious.

Likewise, forcing an application at the end of a cycle because you "need" to go to law school the following year is a great way to put yourself into unnecessary debt. You don't need law school next year, and that type of thinking can get you into trouble.

15. Write the Why X essay.

When you apply, do the optional "Why This School?" essay. Schools are weighing these more heavily than they used to because they want to know whether you're actually interested in attending. If they're setting aside a seat and potentially scholarship money for you, they want to know there's a realistic chance you'll enroll.

Part V: Concluding Thoughts/Tutoring

Everyone's journey is different, and though it can feel very isolating at times, everything you're going through and feeling has been felt by countless other students before you.

I do offer one-on-one tutoring and admissions advice and have had great success with 80+ students. If interested, feel free to comment below or send me a DM.

If you found this helpful, please upvote it so others can see it and read through it as well.

Hi 7Sage community! I have a quick question on a concept/logic that I've been getting confused about recently in LR, specifically for causal stimuli.

I learned that one way to weaken a causal conclusion (e.g., A causes B) would be to show: when there is no cause, there is still an effect (e.g., even without A, B happens). However, I'm confused because the conclusion doesn't say that A is the ONLY cause. Hence, doesn't saying that when there is no cause A and we still see effect B not necessarily weaken?

***

More concrete example would be:

• P: Children who play violent games have shown violent behavior.

• C: We can hypothesize that violent games cause violent behavior.

• Question: Which answer choice would weaken the argument above?

  • AC: Some children who have never played violent video games show violent behavior.

For this AC, my line of reasoning would be: we don't have the purported cause (playing violent games) but we still see the purported effect (showing violent behavior). Hence, the conclusion's causal relationship can be weakened -- this would be the classic no-cause, see-effect weakener.

But I'm also thinking: the conclusion did not say violent games are the only cause of violent behavior, which means the conclusion takes into account other causes. Hence, this AC does not weaken but rather has no effect.

Which line of reasoning would be correct?

This has been bothering me for the past few days -- I would love to get clarification. Thank you! :)

LSAC is not removing the pause button. Nor do they require an additional link to pause an exam. It's still located in the top right. Nobody asked for this extra link.

Hi,

I am currently studying for the August 2026 LSAT. I wrote the Jan 2026 test and scored a 157, and I am aiming for a 165 this time around.

I am currently scoring around a -5 on RC sections (I am happy with this), and around a -5/-4 on LR.

However, I wanted to get some advice as to how I can continue to improve on LR, ideally I can reach a consistent -4/-3.

I've noticed that during timed sections, I will usually get 1/2 easy question incorrect, followed by 2/3 hardest level questions incorrect. During BR I will get it down to -1/-2.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the most efficient way to close this gap?

I am currently drilling my priority tags, doing around 3 timed sections a week, and BRing everything I do.

Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide.

Thank you in advance.

I can see that the old interface option is long gone from the drilling options, which is good because the June tests are officially over. However, the blind review interface remains that of the old interface.

I'm sure that changing it to the new interface is already somewhere on the agenda, as blind reviewing in the new interface can allow us to really get proficient in using its features.

I have been studying for just about a year. I've taken it twice (both rushed) so now I am finally taking my time. I have been just doing drills recently with an average of a 160 equivalent so i am feeling pretty good. That being said, I want a 160. I've got 7 weeks. Help!

I just got the best score (-1) that I've received on a drill section ever! I recognize this is only a section and not a PT, so it's not reflective of what I'd get overall, of course, but I'm sharing because I'm proud of myself.

For context, my first PT was 157. I'm aiming for a 160-165 on the test in August. I'm planning to test in October, November (if that's possible to take it again so soon - let me know if you know lol), and December as well if needed.

I am just curious—if this were to be the case—how much time would LSAC give? I would think at least 6 months to 1 year notice, simply because of how much prep goes into studying, but I don't know how much time historically LSAC has given for changes. Anyone have any educated guesses or ideas?

175 score, Cornell grad magna cum laude. I'm also an LSAT instructor/tutor with 10 years private tutoring experience and five years of experience at a major test prep company where I tutored one-on-one, taught in front of a classroom and consulted on essays and apps.

I have helped countless LSAT students achieve their law school goals. The LSAT can feel like an insurmountable challenge and is viewed as the predictive indicator of law school success. LSAT requires a way of thinking that might feel unfamiliar to most. It's not a test of intelligence - it is a test of pattern recognition and understanding of the structure of arguments. I help you study strategically so that you develop the skills you will need on test day, such as reading critically, inductive and deductive reasoning, and organizing evidence. I lay the foundation for the skills you will need to succeed in law school! I identify the techniques that will be most useful to you on test day and shore up against weaknesses so you can attack the test with confidence.

I also help craft graduate application essays, supplemental essays, law school application personal statements, and academic papers. I help with ideation, conceptualization, style, grammar, vocabulary, and structure. I guide, support, and help develop craft, de-stressing an often-fraught process.

Feel free to reach out! Happy to chat about where you are on your law school journey.

Hi!

I have a little problem with the practice block breakdowns. When you choose your study schedule, ie 3-4 hours a day, it generates a block for that amount of time. That being said, what is counted in that time is only the drills/sections assigned. The issue comes in when reviewing the drills/sections. Reviewing takes about the same amount of time, 3-4 hours, if not significantly longer. There's no day in the study block allotted specifically to reviewing missed questions over the course of that study week. So, with the review, the 3-4 hour schedule finds itself becoming closer to 8 hours of studying per day. Is there a way to update this in order for it to account for review hours? If I were to set my study goal higher, it would only affect it by including 4 more hours of drills/sections, and not any time for review.

I can LR drill all day until the cows come home. 100-75% accuracy on individual drills regardless of question type.

As soon as I start a section, my brain goes kaput. I average around -12 on LR. I literally do not know how I keep forgetting the lessons learned or put the whole picture together. Advice to overcome this issue?

Hi! My name is El. I'm a 175 scorer, and I've helped 10 previous students raise their scores by an average of 7 points. If you're currently scoring around the 150s or below, I'd like to work with you.

In my experience, those who score in that range aren't struggling with specific question types - they're struggling with the test as a whole. I have some ideas that I'd like to explore surrounding a mental reframing of the test on a high level, with the goal of making your independent study time and future tutoring more effective by building a solid foundation. If you feel like taking the test is like stumbling through thick fog, I'd like to see if I can show you a different approach.

This will be a non-traditional tutoring program with three main components: unstructured conversation (talking broadly about the test as a whole, what it expects of you, what it's selecting for, why law school admissions rely on it), verbalized reasoning (watching a 175 scorer (me) go through a series of questions and explain their approach and reasoning in real time, to better understand what the mindset of a high scorer actually looks like in practice), and live analysis (I watch you do the same thing, and then give comprehensive notes on where I see you second-guessing, wasting time, or making key mistakes). By doing this, we'll develop stronger, more intuitive answers to the basic difficulties of the LSAT: What does a strong prephrase look like? What's a good reason to eliminate an answer, and what's a bad one? When should you feel confident when moving on, and when should you flag? How should you manage pace vs. accuracy? A high scorer usually develops their instincts through trial and error and lots of drilling - I believe that a targeted course can expedite this process.

I am looking for someone who is willing to commit to roughly 4 hours (2 classes) a week over the course of a month, in addition to some time spent after each class talking about what worked and what didn't. I may also assign homework, depending on our conversations and your progress.

I normally charge $3040 for 8 classes, at a rate of $380/class. For this program, I'm taking on a small first cohort at $200/class ($1600 total) while I build this out. If you're interested, please reach out via DMs, or book a free consultation through my site where we can talk specifics, try out a few practice problems, and see if we'd be a good fit.

Hey All! Just a plug for today's AMA class. If you enjoy this forum but were like "what if I could ask these questions LIVE?" then this class is for you!

Details here.

And FYI that we do this every Wednesday at the same time!

Hi all, I'm about 2 weeks into my studying with a 151 diagnostic, planning to take in September. I have been solely focused on LR right now and watching fast track videos, along with J.Y's LR Basics series on YouTube. I have been drilling about 5-10 LR questions a day as I become more familiar with the different types of questions.

When should I start taking practice tests? I know that's an important part of studying but I don't want to just "waste" practice tests when I haven't even looked at RC yet. Just curious when you started taking more practice tests and at what frequency. Thanks!