170 and 3.0 GPA. I know I have a slim shot at T-14 without early decision. Anyone have luck getting into Penn through ED with these numbers? I'm looking at early decision at UVA or Georgetown, neither of which I'm too thrilled about. UVA while BL placement is great, I don't like the location. Georgetown is the black sheep of the T-14 with not too great BL placement. I like NU but that means I can't ED any other school until after I receive my decision in late December.

Any splitters have success without doing early decision?

Ok, about that time again. I finally have a full re-write of my PS that I'd love for someone to read over for me. Happy to read your PS, DS, or other essay in exchange! Thanks fam.

Hey all,

While waiting for my Oct LSAT score, I am preparing to ED either NYU or Cornell because I want to work in NYC after law school. However, I am a bit uncertain as to how to choose my ED school wisely to maximize my chances.

Basic info:

International;

167 LSAT; waiting for Oct LSAT- felt good about it so probably would be higher than 167;

3.41 UGPA but has a valid reason for writing a good addendum, according to some responses I got here. ESL and last two years GPAs were 3.88 and 3.75. Political Science major;

Diversity- I identify as LGBTQ;

2 years out of undergrad- did a master of social work degree in another country;

Strong rec and extracurricular- I have a strong focus in social entrepreneurship and social work, and won a fellowship to deliver a social innovation project in a another country during my senior year in college. Will hope to do some sort of social entrepreneurship and law work after law school.

What do you all think? Where should I submit my ED to to boost my chances? I am open to suggestions other than NYU and Cornell as well.

Much appreciated,

TC

Hey guys,

I speak primarily to those who have done foolproofing and put all their heart into improving LG for a long time but still struggle with the games.

I have foolproofed the games again and again for the last twelve months but whenever I face a fresh game section, I struggle very much with registering new rules into my head and pushing out inferences.

I have come to accept LG as my main weak point, contrary to the popular opinion that LG is the easiest section to improve.

Although I have been down in the lonely dumps on numerous occasions, I have not given up improving LG. The progress has been painfully slow, but practicing games is better than not doing games.

That is my LG philosophy and I no longer beat myself up too much for losing so many precious points on this section.

If you are in the same boat as me, you are the unicorn I've been searching for. Let us not be disheartened but continue doing what we can to minimize the damage in LG.

And I'm beginning to think that it is possible to score well on this exam without having the mastery on the logic games that has been so elusive to me. It is not the end of the world to suck at LG. My realistic goal is to suck less each day.

I believe in us. Let us keep at it!

Just wanted to see the general consensus on whether you time each game or the section as a whole? I've been doing really well on the LGs most of the time, but a couple of times, I've been pretty jammed at the end and feel like I took much time earlier. Any strategies for being quicker too?

Thanks! Good luck to everyone!

I thought I’d take some time to write this out for you. It’s becoming clear that the LSAT is a good reflector of Law School success for so many reasons that extend beyond just the “logic” of the test. I feel many of these things go overlooked, but are important to keep in mind.

1.) There is NO handholding in law school. They will throw you into the fire right away. It is 100% on you to sit down, sift through all the information being thrown at you, and pick out important take aways. You need to learn how to learn the law on your own.

This is much like what we have to do on the lsat. We are presented with an unfamiliar type of test in which you need to figure out what it is you are suppose to be learning. You have to learn how to learn logic. It’s very much a personal challenge that you have to devlop through on your own. Just like law school.

2.) the way to prepare for finals is to take practice tests and make outlines. You have to dedicate weekends to work on outlines and take full practice tests. This is one big way to prepare for finals. You need to have the discipline to work on your time off.

This is exactly what you do with the lsat. If you want to be successful on that test you need to tell your friends “no” to going out all the time. You need to take a significant amount of your own free time to sit down and do the LSAT. If you can do that, it is an indicator you have the potential to be successful.

3.) you have to want it. Law school doesn’t come easy and it is easy to let the work “slip” into the back seat. Doing the readings, staying on top of office hours, and briefing cases can become easy to “put off”. If you put it off until finals come you’re screwed. Cramming in law school is just not an option.

Which is exactly like the lsat. You can’t cram for that test. It just doesn’t work like that. You need time to develop the understanding of the logic and how to properly spot and apply it. Just like the law where you have to learn to spot issues and apply the law. The parallel is uncanny.

These are just a few of the parallels I notice so far. So when you hear that the lsat “isn’t even what we learn in law school” it’s because that is looking at it wrong. It’s not the subject matter that the LSAT tests, it’s your ability and desire to learn subjects that are largely unfamiliar and your dedication to that pursuit.

Keep at it 7Sage, you will be successful!

Back to Civ Pro reading.....

I am having trouble deciding where to discuss my chronic illness - in my Personal Statement or in my Diversity Statement. I was diagnosed epilepsy when I was a child, but things have gotten much more severe in the last ~5 years. My struggles in recent years have really shaped me, and I feel that they do a pretty good job of showing who I am as a person in a positive light. Overall, I think this is the most meaningful topic that I have to discuss in my admissions essays. Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on which essay I should use this topic for? Or if I could potentially use the topic for both?

If I don't write about my illness in my Diversity Statement, I honestly have zero idea what I would write about. I do not have a very diverse background otherwise. If I don't write about it in my Personal Statement, I think I could come up with something else to write about, but I don't think it would be nearly as compelling. Since the Personal Statement is more significant in the application, I am not sure that I should sacrifice a stronger essay in order to have a topic that seems applicable to the Diversity Statement. At the same time I am still questioning whether it is a good idea to have a neurological disability be at the center of my application - I have been told by many that it is not uncommon for people (even those on a law school admissions panel) to associate an illness like mine with being mentally handicapped which could me a serious negative on my application.

I am just about ready to apply but when going to upload my resume a few law schools (only on LSAC, not on their websites) said to include some version of this information on the resume:

-List your extracurricular activities since entering undergraduate school, the hours per week devoted to such activities, and the dates of the activities.

-List your positions of employment since high school (either full- or part-time), the number of hours per week devoted to each position, and the dates of employment.

I'm a non-traditional student who graduated in 2010 and has been working as a full-time high school teacher. I do not remember all of my hours and odd jobs and extracurriculars. Also, adding these details would push my resume past 2 pages. Has anyone had a similar experience who applied? What did you do? Any advice?

A little over a week ago I submitted my law school applications. It was quite a relief. However, shortly after a very significant life event occurred that I'd like to speak about on my application. Is it possible to reach out to admissions offices and submit a supplementary essay? Would asking to do this look bad? I honestly have no clue who to talk to about this so any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

Does anyone else ever feel like the RC is sometimes total wild card? Sometimes it's a breeze and I get -2, but sometimes the passages just don't click for me and I end up getting -8.

Has anyone else experienced this? What are your tips for narrowing down this wide variation of error rate?

Thank you and happy Monday :)

Is there an explanation video for this question?

Admin note: edited title

For those of you who have submitted the Columbia App, anybody can't log in to the portal? Mine was saying there was a technical issue since I got the original email. Thanks

When I began formulating my personal essays/statement, I tried to focus on providing an interesting narrative that I thought helped to explain how different specific events have lead me to a way of approaching the idea of the law. I've tried to maintain a narrative form, rather than going all-out abstract essay.

However, I was recently reviewing some personal statements online, and I noticed that a number of people made note of their academic achievements. For instance, UofT, arguably Canada's #1 law school, provides this online document for prospective applicants: https://www.law.utoronto.ca/documents/JD/UofT_Law_Personal_Statements_Examples.pdf

What have other people's experience been with this? Is it best to "slip" these in? Gotta say, when I've tried to work them in so far, I kinda feel like a prig.

Saw the other thread about writing a GPA Addendum and I was wondering if my situation would apply/it would be worth it. I have a cumulative GPA of a 2.91(Yeah I know) due to a couple of instances that occurred throughout my collegiate career. The first 3 semesters of college my GPA was a 3.2/3.6/3.98 until the spring semester my sophomore year. The night before the first day of classes I was involved in a DUI Hit-and-Run in which I hit my head on the window and suffered severe trauma to my brain. I was on academic accommodation's for pretty much the entire semester and ended up getting around a 2.1. Following that semester I transferred to ASU and got around a 3.0-3.2 the rest of the time that I was in school. The reason I was wondering if I should write an addendum is because I had a strong GPA up until my accident and noticeably had to work harder in school and to pay for my bills because of the trauma and financial obligations that arouse due to the accident. If I wrote an addendum I would probably approach it from the point of view that the accident made it to where I needed to work harder in and out of school due to the cost both mentally and financially. Wonder what you all think, any feedback/input is appreciated! I took the LSAT last year and got a 150, had a little bit of bubbling error due to me rushing. Taking it again in November and should hopefully bring my score closer to the 160s

EDIT: I was the one hit by the drunk driver. Wasn't sure if that was clear.

Hello! I'm revising my PS currently and am wondering about using non-English words in the essay, as well as more technical words vs "common" words. For example, using "Pipipi snail" instead of "black nerite." Even then, should I just say "sea snail?" Or another example, using "a'a" or "basalt" vs "lava rock." I assume everyone knows what basalt is, but then again, maybe not! I know they're smart people, but I'm not sure how much knowledge I should assume the readers should have. It's part of my upbringing and general knowledge to use these words, and I feel it's more authentically myself to use the words I've used, but I'm paranoid they won't know what I'm talking about so should I use simpler words for the admission's officers clarity? Thanks for any help!

Never thought I'd still be struggling with LG but here I am with one month left and I still average -5 on LG. I know the one month left posts are common and probably repetitive but I feel like i'm so close yet so far away. My average is only 5 points below my target score and I know going -1 or -0 on LG would be enough to get me comfortably into the high 160s. Am I wasting my time redoing games and trying to foolproof them? I've foolproofed before and saw some improvement but whenever I'm doing the timed test I typically bomb 1 game. As soon as I realize I missed something or and having difficulty with a game my brain just shuts off and I panic. This doesn't happen with any other section. Speed is also still a problem. If I do easy games in under 5 mins I tend to miss a questions due to overconfidence.

My Stats: 3.82 162. Top tier research University.

Work experience in fed government internship, and in public interest law organization for an internship. Experience at a software startup too and currently working as a paralegal in SF Big Law firm.

Study abroad experiences in Asia.

Languages include Mandarin.

I’m also a non-AA URM.

So: should I maximize my chance at NYU by EDying? My goal is for NYC Big Law and eventually government work. I really like the school’s vibe; I had a great experience touring the school. If I get a Root-Tilden, it’s a done deal. But my lsat is low!

I am applying to Cal, Harvard, Columbia, and UChicago

Any shot at those?

My PS and DS and LORs are strong.

Hi! I am an international student who studied in a liberal arts college in the states and had a cumulative gpa of 3.41.

Although my cumulative gpa is low, a closer look would reveal a significant and consistent upward trend in my grades. Specifically, it went like 2.98, 3.23, 3.88, and 3.75 for my four years (my major gpa was 3.7 in political science), and the courses I took increased in difficulties as I progressed (especially the last two years,where I took high level political science and economic classes). I had been educated in a drastically different country and English was my second language when I got into college, and adjusting to that new environment was definitely a challenge.

I was wondering how strong a case I can make, given these facts, and how much would it matter for T14 law schools when they look at my gpa.

Thanks in advance!

TC

So, I was reviewing my application form. I was pressing buttons to see how to use one of my LSAC CAS Report waivers and I used ended up submitting the app which I didn't think was possible since I did not have a LSAT score. So, does this negatively effect me? Do I need to resubmit the app in December when I get my November score back?

I created this thread so that those taking the test in Asia, Australia and New Zealand can discuss the test! (Sorry, I should have made this before the test in Europe, Middle East, and Africa :sweat:)

Test Dates:

Score Release: Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Rules:

✅ Asking questions like “Was the LG with "flowers" experimental?” is okay.

❌ Don't mention specifics like "the 3rd LG was sequencing."

Please mention the region you took the test in (“I took it in Asia”).

Hi Im korean and I took October test in korea.

It was a terrible day for me. I didn't do very well on virtually all sections and expecting lower score than my previous test in July.

So heres what happened.

When the time for section 5 was about to be finished I found that one of my answers in section 2 of the scranton was not fully erased. So I erased the mark fully and in the process of doing so I erased part of my answers and blackened them .

The proctor saw it and told me it was a violation as I "worked" on different section and gave me a gold slip saying 'I marked on one question in section 2.'

In doing so I did not turn back the pages to section 2 or anything of that sort but just erased the incomplete marks and blackened the answer that was recorded so as to avoid the technical difficulties because of the machine's misreading my answer.

From my search I found out yellow slip is a deal breaker and considered as a serious offense. But i feel like erasing the incomplete marks as a 'violation' that wil be on my record permanently seems rather disproportionately harsh

The proctor did not deny he didnt see that I turned back to different section but merely saw me marking on different section. The whole incident destroyed my day and the prospect that this would go in my permanent recors is disheartening. I want to make my case to LSAC though it would be very difficult to overturn the case in my favor.

Anybody had similar experience? I really beed some help on how to deal with this entire mess.

Is it a bad idea to use tests prior to 34 for practice? Clearly, the LSAT has evolved quite a bit. However, I venture to guess that there is still a lot to be gained from earlier tests, even outside of LG.

Hey ya'll --

About 4 years ago I participated in a peaceful, organized protest that involved a sit-in. I was arrested for something like "blocking passage" (I think in DC it might be called "Crowding, obstructing, or incommoding"). Basically, I was taken to a processing center with the other protestors, paid a nominal fee (something like $75-$100) and went on my merry way. All of this was planned--and I had gone to a session on peaceful civil disobedience beforehand / knew that the arrest would take place.

That said, I'm looking for advice discussing this on the character and fitness portions of applications. Are any of ya'll going to have to disclose something similar? And does anyone have any insight into how admissions committees view these types of things?

Also, is anyone going to be listing traffic incidents on their apps? (Ex., a ticket for a red light).

Many things to anyone that can respond --

Kyle

Does someone know where to find September 2018 LSAT ?

For those who received accommodations for additional time, how are you studying for it? With work, it's nearly impossible to fit an entire full length exam in. So I'm basically doing a section a day and reviewing it. However, I fear I'm not taking into account how draining the duration of the exam may be. How can I better prepare for this? Any advice is welcomed, thanks!