Hi all -

Many of you have listened to the Skip It webinar, as have I, and have found it to be incredibly useful.

-side note, if you have not, I would highly recommend you do so asap-

I was thinking about how important skipping is and was trying to come up with a relevant analogy to help elucidate the implications of skipping. (they are already some great analogies out there both in the webinar and elsewhere, such as skipped questions operating as generating "a return on interest")

Anyways, here goes something that I think is a useful way to think about it. Suppose you are on a basketball court and you have a certain amount of time to attempt 100 shots. Each of the 100 shots are assigned from varying distances from the basket (the father away = the difficulty level of questions). And shot difficulty does not necessarily go up with the number of shots taken. Taking more time on a shot is correlated with a higher chance of missing, although taking the time to think about the best way to approach the shot can be of help. Your score is based off how many shots you made, regardless of difficulty. You are allowed to skip a shot and comeback to it at the end (if there is a full court shot, you can leave it for the end).

Now, suppose this is your strategy - you go in order, 1-100.

Why on earth would you leave layups at the end that you might not even get to?? And try half and full court shots (i.e. curve breaker questions), simply because that is the order they are presented in?

OR, you could go for all the layups, and short distance shots first, developing confidence along the way. Then with ample time left, think about your approach on the harder shots, with the potential help of coming back to them with a new approach. Every basket is the same in the game - one point - there are not three pointers. Which strategy do you think will guarantee a better score? Even if you are a great basketball player, this method would still be the way to go.

Skipping is a powerful tool and allows for you to perform at the upper end of you range. This mental framework has helped me think about test taking strategy since I have a good BR score but am suffering with lower PT performance, which I think is a common theme for many test takers. I think skipping is key for closing the gap.

If this post has confused you beyond comprehension, then I am quite sorry and I would suggest inducing some sort of amnesia. But for me at least, it helped me think about the importance of skipping. Let me know what you guys think. And please post if there is something in the analogy I forgot about that could make it more solid.

Admin edit:

https://classic.7sage.com/why-you-must-skip-questions-on-the-lsat/

https://classic.7sage.com/webinar/skip-it/

I was hoping to get some advice:

I've completed most of the course and am scheduled to begin taking 3-4 PTs/week until the January exam. I understand the blind review method, but I wanted to ask if you think it is ineffective to review and study each and every questions (including those I was 100% confident in) rather than only those I got right by chance, or questions I skipped/ran out of time for.

How do you spend those last 7 days?

Is there actually a difference in exam difficulty in regards to the month. I heard June exams tend to be quite harder than other exams. And the December exams can tend to be easier. I feel that when I take a June exam its always a lot rougher on me. What do you guys think?

I'm currently stressing out considering I completed the base 7sage course and have seen great increases in my scores (155 on diagnostic, 163 average, 167 max) throughout PT 30's-40's. My all time highest was just last week on PT 44 when I got a 167, so riding that high I took PT 85 this morning and got a 158. I haven't scored so low since July, and while I know it there is a degree of variety, a drop of 9 points within a week is very concerning. I have heard that recent PT's are slightly different, could this have contributed to it? I usually average about -4.4 on LR, -6.1 on LG, and -6.6 on RC. On 85 I got -7 on each LR, -6 on LG, and -9 on RC.

I'm trying not to let this get to my head, but November is my last chance to take the test (3rd try within a year). I could definitely use some advice on how to spend this final week. Should I go back to the basic lessons, keep drilling, or take another recent PT to hopefully do better and get the bad taste out of my mouth going into test day? As of now I am leaning towards taking another PT tomorrow for reassurance but I also don't want to burn myself out. No matter what I am taking Thursday and Friday completely off from studying for peace of mind.

Hey guys :)

I was just wondering if anyone has advice regarding RC. I've tried drilling the memory method again and again but it just doesn't seem to be working. RC is the thing holding me back from hitting 170 because I don't have the slightest chance of even reading one of the passages. I'm stuck and I'm not sure where to go from here. I think I'm understanding the material but I'm spending about 6-7 minutes answering the questions.

I'm about to wrap up the application process, and to pass time I've been watching videos of moot court arguments, but I've watched mostly Yale and Harvard students. It seems so intimidating given how quickly they talk and the questions they're asked. Are all law school 1L presentations like this? I think I'm getting ahead of myself because I'm judging myself based on how well I can follow along with their arguments but i'm not even a law school student yet! Do you feel you've been well prepared to argue like these people on youtube?? I'm nervous now even though I was excited about law school before.

Q: Do minority students who do not fit the tradition URM (under-represented minority) definition get any boost in admissions by submitting a diversity statement?

I understand that traditionally URM includes African Americans, some Hispanics, and Native Americans. How about "non-traditional URMs" (e.g. U.S. applicants who are ethnic minorities, foreign-born, and/or economically disadvantaged)?

I understand the importance of the diversity statement, but is there any measurable boost from it?

Thanks everyone. It's good to be part of this community. I am learning a lot already. :)

Can someone explain this to me? This is a pfmr question but the answer looks like a contrapositive based on JY's explanation. For some reason I can't seem to understand why this is flawed and the comments don't have any additional help. Thanks.

Admin note: edited title

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-74-section-4-question-25/

Just curious. I imagine they give you plenty, but just wanted to know

nm

A will go to B except when C happens.

Maybe it can be done conditionally, I'm not sure. I've been thinking about writing C as a sufficient (either positive or negated), but I realized that except is saying something totally different then our typical conditional "lawgic." Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's saying that when it's satisfied, the rule is irrelevant and when it's negated, nothing happens----the rule still stands while also not triggering anything. This is polar opposite of the way our conditionals are understood. So I was thinking it ought be represented in a special way.

J.Y. used the diagram method, but it doesn't really sit well with my style of understanding. I was wondering what others do.

Thanks!

So I have a bit of a dilemma (not really). I am taking the November test next Saturday and I have been drilling RC pretty much this entire week and I am curious to see what improvements, if any, I have made. However, I also have the opportunity to go to an open house for a school that I already applied to and according to my applicaton status am in the "final review stage". I could take the PT during the week but the longer I delay it the less time I have to review it. Yet, if I go to the open house maybe there would be an opportunity to talk to someone on the admissions committee and put a face to the name. Still I am above both medians so I guess chances are already in my favor.

Thoughts ?

Any idea of how good a predictor the 7sage law school admissions predictor is and where it's getting its data from?

PT 54 (June 2008), LR1 Q9. This is a Necessary Assumption question I got wrong initially but got correct on the blind review after grudgingly going with (A).

Here's the argument as I see it: the new minimum wage increase means that the museum's expenses exceed its revenue, so now it has to make adjustments that will impact museum-goers.

The correct answer is (A): Some of the museum's employee's are not paid significantly more than the minimum wage.

I skipped over (A) initially because it sounded so weak the way it's phrased with the word 'significantly.' I now get the basic idea, and I get that all the other answer choices are just plain wrong, but STILL. Anyone care to chime in and perhaps share how they navigate around a word like this? I don't recall seeing it in the CC.

Hi all, I'm considering applying early to Columbia Law School with the idea in mind that my chances are very low. Columbia Law is my dream school and, though my LSAT score of 165 does not make my chances too high, there were occasions where people in my range did get in, so I'm betting my chances on that.

Brief background, I'm thinking of retaking the LSAT next year and would really begin applying next year as well. I am not planning on applying to other law schools this year, and applying to Columbia Law early is somewhat of a whim, with the thoughts that if I get in, fantastic! If not, I'll just apply again next year.

I've read through several posts on whether re-applying hurts my admission chances and it seems as though the consensus falls in "depends on the school." My questions, so, are as follows:

Thanks in advance!

Ive been studying for about 3 months and Now that I have a grasp on the test I want to purchased 7sage to hone my skills. My problem is that I dont know where to start. Im considering the 7sage starter or the premium and I would gradually work my way up to the ultimate+. I worry thst since im not a true beginner to the lsat that The starter pack will feel like busy work and i wont see any improvement in my understanding of the lsat. Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

Hey guys,

I've been having a lot of trouble understanding the explanation behind this game, which is also explained in the curriculum under sequencing games with a twist as the third example.

There can only be one repeating product on the board. For the rule "G is not advertised during a given week unless either J or else O is also advertised that week", JY says that we know that G cannot repeat b/c it'd carry another component with it. However, I don't understand why this is necessarily known, when G could repeat and bring J one time and bring O the second time. Am I missing something?

Thanks y'all!

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-21-section-1-game-4/

https://classic.7sage.com/lesson/sequencing-game-wa-twist-3-game-board-setup/

I don't know if this helps, but sometimes, I think of events in life as my dying act. You know the saying: live every day like it's your last? Corny, and perhaps morbid, but if used correctly, I think it can help us focus our mental energy. For example, the LSAT: if the LSAT were the final act in my life, it would matter not to me whether I achieve a certain score; instead, what would matter to me would just be that I tried my best. The goal in life is to find contentment and satisfaction, and all that really requires is just knowing we did what we could. The score is unchangeable, and meaningless in this scenario, since I would be long gone.

This perspective helps to treat the test as an end for its own sake, and not merely as a means to something else, even if it so clearly is. This perspective also helps to divide big goals into smaller steps so we can focus on one thing at a time. This exercise is a classic buddhist meditation, and I assume is part of the reason why some monks are so chilled about everything. I hope it can help you.

Hi 7Sagers,

I’ve been dreadfully remiss in introducing three new members of our team, two of whom aren’t really new anymore. Better late than never, though!

First, I want you to meet Selene Steelman, who spent the last fourteen years reviewing files at the Cardozo School of Law. Selene’s bottom-up knowledge of the entire law school admissions process has already brought a new level of depth to our consulting and editorial services. In addition to sitting on Cardozo’s Admissions Committee, Selene directed the LL.M. Admissions department, so she’s an amazing resource for our international clients—not to mention everyone else. I feel lucky to work with her!

Many of you have already benefitted from the writing expertise of Kurt Pitzer, a journalist and author who’s published two books—The Bomb in My Garden and Eating with the Enemy—that were acclaimed by the New York Times. Kurt has written for numerous magazines and newspapers, and his documentary work in Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo earned him the Lange-Taylor Prize. No one who receives Kurt’s feedback would be surprised to hear of his success. Sometimes I pin his editorial letters to the wall and just kinda waft my hands towards my nose while I inhale, as if his words were an incense that could make me smarter. (Hasn’t worked yet.)

Finally, I want to introduce Aaron Thier, my former classmate and hair rival at Yale. (It really wasn’t much of a contest, though. Just look at this guy). Aaron is the author of the brilliant and stunningly inventive novels The Ghost Apple (a semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize) and Mr. Eternity (a finalist for the same award). His latest book, The World is a Narrow Bridge, came out this summer. I kept hearing about Aaron and his work as I went to book-type things in New York—including the book release party for 7Sage editor Amy’s story collection—so I was thrilled when he agreed to come on board. I still am.

Say hello in the comments!

I was wondering how the process of applying early decision for a URM is? I'm very nervous to apply early decision anywhere because of the possibility of not receiving a scholarship. I was wondering if being a URM would help concerning the aid I would possibly receive.

I've been studying since September for the November test and I've brought myself up to the upper 160s (168 average from 157). I want a 170+ on the actual exam. Should I keep drilling on my weak points and take next week's test or should I postpone til January? I really wanted to apply this cycle, and I'm not that far off from my goal, so I'm leaning towards taking this upcoming test and retaking in January/postponing applications if I don't meet my goal. Any thoughts?

November'18 Study Group | Pep Rally | Sunday, November 11th, 2018 | 6:30 PM EST

https://i0.wp.com/www.telltaletv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/tumblr_ox143kyX5W1sars6fo1_540.gif?ssl=1

Just a lil something to keep in mind for test day :wink:

Whether you are a part of the group or not, please be sure to join us this week, to cheer on those taking the November LSAT. We will also have some special guests who are voluntarily taking time out of their busy lives to share their experiences and answer questions.

So join us, cheer those taking it on, and walk out after taking the test with a sense of accomplishment.

Doing it on the weekend this time so hopefully its more accomodating AND we can discuss what to do (and not to do) during the last week!

Love you all and remember your value and worth as a person does not depend on how you score! (3(/p)

November 18 Study Group

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

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Hi Everyone!

First post here. So I'm trying to find Flaw questions where the five answers are of the following type:

I noticed that for the Flaw questions that specifically list out flaws in plain-text, it's much easier for me to identify. Conversely, when the flaws aren't listed out specifically and are rather categorized to the common flaw types we see, I tend to miss a lot. Can anyone help guide me on how to find more of those flaw types? I'm Ultimate + so I have access to all the question types.