Hi everyone,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice, resources or recommendations on how to sharpen one's skills at recognizing valid / invalid argument forms in the LR sections. I know there is lots about this is in the core curriculum but it's mainly within the context of formal diagramming lawgic-type methods. I feel like this is giving me trouble in Flaw, NA/SA/PSA question types which are my worst along with Strengthen and Weakening questions. I can actually get Parallel Method of Reasoning (Flaw and Regular) questions because of how basic the structures tend to be, but usually only in blind review. I'm basically terrible at every type of question that involves being critical about and analyzing the merits of an abstract argument :( Any help would be appreciated!

So i have a superficial understanding of this methodology, but i just cant wrap my head completely around whats happening, can i get someones take?

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-69-section-4-question-14/

So I think that taking a year off will increase my chances of admission (one more year of grades to boost GPA).

Should I just wait to apply? Does it hurt my chances if I get rejected this year and re-apply next year??

Also, if I were to get accepted to a school, decide to take the year off then re-apply, does that hurt my chances of re-admission?? Thanks!!

I took the September LSAT and did not reach my target score. It was my first test, nerves kicked in, and I only studied for about 3 months while working full-time. I am not able to study full time and quit my job, but my boss allowed me to have a 4 days/week schedule (Tues-Fri) to allot time for studying. I signed up for the December LSAT, but I do feel that I haven't had much time to study after September. However, the partial refund deadline was yesterday, and if I do decide to withdraw, $180 down the drain.

I plan to turn in my applications early (by next week), and I'm wondering if I don't do so well again, and decide to take the February LSAT, would hurt my chances taking it three times and later into the cycle? I will write an addendum.

To add context: My GPA is not high (double-majored, 3.4). I prefer not to wait another year for the next round of applications since I stalled one year already. I am sort of non-traditional, 3 years out of school.

I appreciate any insight and advice, thanks!

How are you handling the FAFSA and application timing?

My situation is a little unique; I have to write waivers for parental information for schools that require it of older students (it's a long story, we're not in touch, but I was never formally an emancipated minor.) Every school is a little different on what it wants and what kind of info, et cetera. It's a lot of additional work (they need letters from other people, et cetera) and I am unsure if I need to be working on that while I am also pulling everything else together for my main application. I am applying to schools that do seem to take need into account (Georgetown and Cornell as well as stretching to HY) and financial aid will be a huge part of my decision.

Anybody? Any ideas?

Yesterday I had the privilege of working through a problem with J.Y. It’s in here if you are curious;

https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/13637/pt-82-br-sessions-with-j-y-spoiler-warning

The question was PT82.S4.Q14 a weakening question.

After working through it I can see where I was confused. I see how the two answer choices that stumped me are different.

My question is, that on some questions, I find myself really struggling to see how they work. This is ESPECIALLY true for weakening questions. On some of these questions I have a really hard time seeing how any AC does something to the argument or, more succinctly, the conclusion. Only through really intense scrutiny of these kinds of problems am I able to get to the answer. Obviously I do not have the time to do this kind of in-depth analysis during a test.

For example on the question J.Y. Helped me with I was able to eliminate 3 answer choices fairly easily. I was then stuck between two. No matter how much I read them, I thought they said the same thing. It took really comparing them to understand that one of the AC did something the other didn’t. Only after I saw how they were different, was I able to see how the right answer weakened the argument. I should have been able to spot this right away.

I don’t like feeling “on my heels” like that during a test. I like to have a semi clear idea of what to look for or, at the very least, when I read the right answer knowing right away that I've found the right one.

Another example was PT35.S4.Q20

I had no clue how the AC worked until I had a chance to really dig deep into it. By then I've wasted far too much time and screw myself for the rest of the section. It's one of the many issues I am still trying to address before my next test.

Any suggestions on how to approach questions like this in a better way? I know what I'm asking is really abstract, but I hope I make sense.

Thoughts?

Just wanted to say thank you to 7Sage. My GPA is way below the 25th percentile of pretty much every T14 school (3.49), but because of 7Sage, my LSAT skyrocketed from a 160 (Feb. 2017) to a 171 (Sept. 2017), and I'm now 2/2 at law schools including an offer from Duke!

Hello 7Sage Community! As a non traditional prospective law school student who has been out of school for awhile (94) and thinks this is a necessity, I would love to find a mentor to walk with me, share their advice and experience with applying to law school and attending law school. I truly believe having a mentor in the area that you are pursuing your dream/passion is vital. I am new to Houston TX, so I'm not sure what avenues are available to seek out this information. I would like to know if anyone has any ideas and/or suggestions on how to find a mentor. Thanks in advance!

What do you guys eat the night before, eat for breakfast and snack on, for stamina? Trying to get a rhythm going in preperation for December

Hey all, first i'd like to provide some background in case some of you have been in my shoes in the past. My diagnostic was a low 150 with a 170 BR. Even though I feel that I understand the material and the language of the test, the time constraint really freaks me out. Like most people here, I want to hit my ceiling and have given myself a year to study.

My question is regarding the expected score increase after CC. What improvement should one expect after completing the CC? In the long-run I realize this isn't all that important, but I want to make sure that I'm not wasting PT's if I haven't truly mastered the material.

If my first PT after completing the CC is still low 150's what should I do?

Thanks :)

So with the December test coming up, I am freaking out a little bit now.

I have been scoring -13/-10 on timed LR sections. I need to get to at least -8 or -7 since I am now realistically aiming between 160-165 for the upcoming test date.

I feel like this strongly has to do with flaw and necessary assumption questions. I struggle with these a lot.

I have already went back to the CC and reviewed the relevant sections.. but I still don't seem to improve. I have even drilled them down to bits but no improvement.

Overall, I often have trouble predicting or paraphrasing answers. I'm guessing this is probably why I score so low on LR.

How can I improve on this?

Hey guys,

PT82 is now available for $5.97 for a limited time:

https://classic.7sage.com/addons/

If you have Ultimate+, then you already have access to this PrepTest in your Syllabus.

The explanations are not yet complete! We currently have LG videos up, but everything else is missing until we complete the rest of the PT. Until then, you'll receive the printable test, LG explanations, and quickview videos. Once the explanations are complete, they will be added on if you own the PT form 7Sage or have Ultimate+.

Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

I have been teetering back and forth on whether to write an addendum explaining why I have multiple transcripts. I haven't been able to find much advice on this, so I am hoping that someone on here might be able to help! I have a lot of transcripts on LSAC right now... as in 6.

When I was a sophomore in college I decided to change my major. In order to graduate on time, I took summer courses in my hometown. Unfortunately, my college was strict about which courses from which universities were transferable, so now I have transcripts from three different universities for courses I took over the summer. I also have one transcript from a Spanish class I took at a community college during my senior year, my transcript from my graduating institution, and now I'm in grad school so one from there as well. I'm not sure if this will cause concern for admissions offices. I could have probably stayed at my school over the summer (although very few people do), but I had jobs/internships at home and none of these courses were offered online over the summers. I worry about coming off as someone who didn't put in the effort to fully complete their major at their graduating institution. For the record the courses were: an elective computer class, two spanish classes, and macro-econ course

Hi, I just updated my windows today and was trying to print PTs from Chrome but I just can't seem to find the print button.

I have cleared the cache, restarted the computer multiple times but the print button won't show up. All I see is the thumbnail and zoom in button. This seems strange because I was able to print fine before the update.

Please help!

So...I'm pretty sure that the title explains itself. I am usually anal about my outgoing emails, especially when they are to law school admissions offices. I reread this specific email like 10 times and ended up having to change something, but didn't notice that I needed to change it in two spots. Basically, I had to change the quantity of something from 2 to 3, but only did it in one place.

"...I took 3 classes at [X Institution] in [X years] before I was enrolled full-time in any undergraduate institution. Those 2 classes show up on my transcript and contribute to my overall GPA..."

What are the chances this will hurt me? I sent it to a T14 school...do they consult previous emails from applicants when looking at their applications?

I AM SO MAD THAT I DID THIS!

I currrently average -7.4 over 5 pts in logic games, my best was -4 and my worst was in my september lsat (lol). Anyway, im looking to compensate and better this section and ordered the logic games powerbible to supplement the core curriculum. What kind of improvement is realistic from here till december lsat?

I got a 172 in September and have a 3.49 lsac gpa with a stem major. I'm applying this cycle and planning on blanketing T14. I'm trying to decide whether or not to retake in December and try to get a slightly higher score to mitigate low gpa...but I don't know if it's worth it. I wouldn't be able to complete my application until scores are released in January and I don't know if a few points increase would significantly increase my admission chances or if that's worth the later app submission. If I don't retake, I would submit all my apps by Thanksgiving. What do you guys think?

Hi, I'm currently studying for the December LSAT (20-25 hours a week + a full course load + clubs and a sport). I've changed my studying habits from the first time around I was studying. I began in early May with the expectations of taking the September test. I only depended on the PowerScore Bibles (all 3) and I purchased two PrepTest books. I honestly didn't utilize the best techniques at first and in a strange way, luck was on my side. I got stuck in Irma back home and LSAC moved my test for free to any date. I wanted to take it in December because I wanted to get it over with and I didn't want to keep prolonging it. Anyways, with the whole stress of balancing everything and keeping up with assignments, exams, and papers. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed especially at this point towards the end of the term. I've changed my studying to taking 1-2 PrepTests a week under timed conditions at the library on the silent floor. I'm seeing gradual improvements with fluctuations. I always return to the questions I got wrong and the ones I got correct. For the ones I get wrong, I identify the type of question and I also make note of questions that I narrow the two possible answers and answers that I second guess and either select the wrong answer or I just change the answer completely.

I'm noticing this is my main problem. If I didn't second guess myself, I would score 165+. I'd just like to know if anyone else encounters this and what is the best way to overcome this? I also had this same issue with the SAT but that was so long ago I honestly forgot what it felt like. Timing is really not my problem at this point, it's more an issue of accuracy and self-trust. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Over my last couple of ptests I have scored in my goal range for one (ex -4) and then like 5 below that (-10). It's really hurting my score. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this problem and if there was a solution for it. It's frustrating because I know what my potential is and I am not even close on one LR section to it.

Hey 7Sagers, I'm leading BR calls for PT 82 (September 2017 LSAT).

I'm holding 6 sessions total. 2 for each of LR 1, LR 2, and RC. Each session will focus on only one section of PT 82.

All sessions will start at 6:30p ET and end at 8:30p.

Multiple sessions are meant to accomodate people's various schedules and to reduce class size per session.

What happens in these sessions?

I'll ask students to state which questions were circled for BR. We'll work through the questions the group nominates. I generally try to ask students questions to elicit the right response. Please wear headphones and try to be in a quiet place.

How should I prepare?

Take PT 82 and have the questions you'd like to BR ready. The first thing I'll ask everyone is which questions they'd like to BR.

Next Session

6:30p - 8:30p ET

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

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/270891637

You can also dial in using your phone.

United States: +1 (646) 749-3131

Access Code: 270-891-637

Joining from a video-conferencing room or system?

Dial: 67.217.95.2##270891637

Cisco devices: 270891637@67.217.95.2

First GoToMeeting? Let's do a quick system check: https://link.gotomeeting.com/system-check

Future Sessions

[no more sessions]

Obtaining PT 82

If you have an Ultimate+ account, you will be able to view and print PT 82 under the Syllabus. You can also purchase PT 82 as an add-on to your existing course here.

Past Sessions

11/10 Friday - Section 1 - LR

11/11 Saturday - Section 4 - LR

11/13 Monday - Section 3 - RC, Passages 1 and 2

11/14 Tuesday - Section 3 - RC, Passage 3

11/15 Wednesday - Section 1 - LR

11/16 Thursday - Section 4 - LR

11/18 Saturday - Section 3 - RC, Passage 4

I signed up for the premium course in able to get more out of the lessons, but with the December LSAT being less than a month away, I am finding myself overwhelmed with all of the lessons. Is there anyway to cut down the number of lessons and only flush out what is necessary?

I know they all are necessary, but again, just trying to get as much in before the December exam.

Apparently there has been talks of a GOP tax plan to tax tuition waivers for grad school as income. If this proposal gets passed, does this mean that merit scholarships and stipends will be subject to tax for law school?

I took the actual test in September and got a 163. I did a full blind review once the test was released and got a 180 with fairly little resistance from the test. Now that the test has been released as a PT is there any benefit to taking it as a PT under fully timed conditions?

Is it worth my time taking it?

I wrote one of my PS about an experience that really solidified my interest in becoming a lawyer; spending a summer doing an independent research project in Arizona on US-Mexico border policy. One particularly memorable event, which I write about at length, was in an Operation Streamline proceeding - to learn a bit more about the program you can read this NYT piece on it from a few years back, but it's a really dehumanizing proceeding with pretty appalling due process issues.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/us/split-second-justice-as-us-cracks-down-on-border-crossers.html

Anyway, while I go in depth about the proceeding in the PS, I decided to cut all the exposition explaining what exactly Operation Streamline's purpose and history is for length. Is it a crazy idea to hyperlink to that article on my first mention of Streamline, or should I just assume admissions readers will look it up if they're not already familiar with the program?