Help! Need some serious advice!

jordan-ferrari

So i took my first ever cold diagnostic LSAT exam on Tuesday and i scored a 140.
I just started the Kaplan Review Course this week and its 3 nights a week.
My LSAT is June 12th.
So i have 33 days to raise my score.

My goal is a 160.

Is that possible? Does anyone else have kind of similiar experience? Any study tips that really helped?

I am not pushing my exam date back. I am already registered. So its happening no matter what.

Thank you!!

Sprinkles

Hate to say this but you're going to be in for a rude awakening come June. While a 20 point increase is certainly possible, to do so in one month is asking a lot. What's the issue in pushing back your exam date?

sophie74

Unfortunately I agree with above. It is worth it to push the exam date back if you are not confident about reaching your goal. Look at it this way-- you already paid for the exam. Whether or not you take the test, that fact is not changing. It's a sunk cost. If you are ready by June 12, by all means, take it. But if you are not, don't waste a take (you only get 3), and end up with a less than ideal score. I would prepare as if you were taking it June 12, because that can only help you in the long run, but try to be open to the fact that you may have to push it back-- and that's okay.

If you take it in Sept, you are still in a great spot to apply for 2018, if that's what your goal is. That's just my 2 cents--don't sell yourself short just because you already registered!

JustDoIt

1. Don't test.
2. Sign up for 7Sage
3. Complete the core curriculum
4. Start PTing again
5. Re-evaluate your position.

I'm not plugging but honestly my score wouldn't be where it's at without the strategies and especially this community. It's so hard to raise your score that much. There's so much you can learn from this test. Take your time with it. It's a journey. But if you truly want the score, I don't think you will get it in a month. It takes a long time to learn and master the strategies, especially if you are in the 140s. You can do it! But you will be much better position to get a 160 if you give yourself an adequate opportunity to do so.

Hope this helps!

nessa.k13.0

Don't do it. You already know you aren't where you need to be and you can get there.

Alex

@"jordan-ferrari" said:

I am not pushing my exam date back. I am already registered. So its happening no matter what.

If you refuse to push your date back then there's not much advice anyone can give you. Unfortunately, the best advice anyone can offer is about something you've already made your mind up about....

I've been a nerd and have been frequenting law school forums since 2011. I've never heard of a 20 point increase in 33 days. Writing 140 means you're getting about 38 questions right out of 100. Just for comparison, a 160 is getting about 73/100. I hope you see why this is problematic.

Also, consider that admissions people will not look favorably on your application if you end up with a low LSAT score because you didn't prepare. Even if you retake and end up with a 160+ it will still lead them to question your judgement.

Furthermore, you'll end up burning finite LSAT material trying to rush to prepare in a month. This is probably the most troubling part from my standpoint. It's kind of a catch-22 in your case. To prep properly, you'll need to take PTs from the most recent tests. If you need to retake -- which is highly likely if you want a 160 -- you'll have burned precious material. Conversely, if you only use older prep material you'll definitely be unprepared for the test you're likely to sit for in June.

The only possible advice I can think of would be to forgo the Kaplan class and work on the Logic Games section. It seems that most students find the quickest improvement with the least effort for this section. It's very formulaic and learning to diagram the different games properly would increase your score I'm sure. The free logic games videos 7Sage offers are probably your best bet.

Also, pick up a copy of The LSAT Trainer and go through that. It might not be the best/most detailed book, but I think if I had a month to prep, I'd probably just use that and 7Sage's LG videos.

I hope you reconsider. Either way, good luck and god's speed.

Alex

@JustDoIt said:
1. Don't test.
2. Sign up for 7Sage
3. Complete the core curriculum
4. Start PTing again
5. Re-evaluate your position.

I'm not plugging but honestly my score wouldn't be where it's at without the strategies and especially this community. It's so hard to raise your score that much. There's so much you can learn from this test. Take your time with it. It's a journey. But if you truly want the score, I don't think you will get it in a month. It takes a long time to learn and master the strategies, especially if you are in the 140s. You can do it! But you will be much better position to get a 160 if you give yourself an adequate opportunity to do so.

Hope this helps!

I didn't see this before I posted, but I think this is solid, op.

Daniel.Sieradzki

OP, do NOT take the June test! You have been given some excellent advice on here, please heed it.

You need to give the LSAT the respect it deserves. The reality is that it is the biggest factor in the law school admissions process and the only major one that you can control at this point (GPA is likely set). It is the difference between going to the school of your dreams on a scholarship or paying full price at a low-ranked school and not having a job at the end of it (or at least not one involving the law).

As Alex pointed out, there is a big difference between a 140 and a 160. You can certainly do it, but it takes a lot of time and work.

On the most recent LSAT (PT 80), a 140 required 38/101 questions correct. A 160 required 74/101. That is almost double! However, that does not even begin to address the real challenge, which is question difficulty. I just analyzed an LR section on a recent PT. Out of 26 questions on that section, there were 9 "easy" questions (1 star), 3 "semi-easy" questions (2 star), 6 medium difficulty questions (3 star), 2 hard questions (4 star), and 6 satanic questions (5 star). The reality is that you are likely getting your 140 from the easy questions (about 9 in each section). Not only will you have to double your accuracy, but you will have to tackle medium and hard questions. I truly believe you can do this, but it is essential that you take the time it takes, which is certainly longer than one month.

I understand that you paid $180 to sign up for June. Because I have lived on the poverty line for most of my life, I know the value of $180, it can be the difference between paying rent or living on the streets. That being said, it is a sunk cost at this point. Do not waste a take and lower your confidence in an attempt to justify a sunk cost. I think you can still change your test date until May 16. That will only cost $90. Please take September or even December. You application would still be early in the cycle and you would have a WAY better score!

Please believe me when I say that I am telling you this because I want the best for you. Take the time to achieve your goals.

As for prep materials, I have gone through almost everything. 7Sage and the LSAT Trainer are the best stuff I have found. I also think it is also important to realize that more is not always better. I would just stick with those two. Even if you get other stuff for free or very cheap, it will likely just add more confusion.

In any case, I wish you all the best. Please reconsider taking June!

akistotle

I agree with the comments above. You should postpone.

That being said, I don't know your situation, so if you really NEED to take the June LSAT, I recommend that you focus on Logic Games. It is usually most learnable if you practice the right way.

Pink Dust

damn, 140 to 160 in month is so hard. Take it in September and at least give yourself a fair chance at this exam. I'm sure you owe that to yourself assuming you've worked really hard in undergrad to get a good GPA.

inactive

You're falling right into that trap
https://7sage.com/lesson/the-three-worst-lsat-mistakes/

imharris

@jordan-ferrari i took the february test after two months of prep knowing that i wasn't ready. i wasted one of three attempts we get in a two year period. i cancelled my score before it posted and felt like a fool for thinking i would be ready. getting ready now for the june test.

improvements--
averages week before feb test:
LG: -12.3
RC: -11.7
LR: -9.6

current averages:
LG: -0.2
RC: -2.2
LR: -3.2

you have until may 16th to change the date of your lsat. i cannot stress this enough: please do it for yourself. $90 to change a test date is cheaper than $180 to retake it. a higher lsat score will potentially earn you so much more in scholarships.

lastly, i do not think the lsat is designed to test how smart you are. it's designed to test how well you can study and focus over an extended period of time. you are setting yourself up for failure by only studying for a month. you cannot muscle your way through this test.

if i were a competitive, HYS, everyone look out for themselves type of student i would tell you to take the june test. your score will help push me up into a higher percentile. but i'm not. i wasted so much time and money (including wasted dollars on kaplan) in my first two months of lsat study that i want no one else to go through that. please consider postponing.

stephy95182020

I was going to take the June LSAT and I started prepping around January but fell off because I prioritized school. I thought maybe I could cram last minute and I tried once school was over about a week ago.I spread myself too thin and underestimated the LSAT study material if I want a decent score. As hard as it was, I withdrew from the June LSAT because like @sophie74 said, you only get 3 chances - I would rather wait (im now planning to take the September one) and dedicate to studying to get a good score rather than ruin my rep, stress tf out, and waste a chance. Moneywise, I can see your dilemma, but no amount is worth your future.

dml277

@"stephanie.salinas95" You actually have unlimited takes starting September, but you still made the right move in postponing the test. Taking it when you're ready is definitely still the way to go!

stephy95182020

@dml277 really?? i thought you could only take it 3 times every 2 years.. i read this somewhere on the lsac website if im not mistaken, does this apply to exams before the september one? or is this not true?

akistotle

@"stephanie.salinas95" said:
@dml277 really?? i thought you could only take it 3 times every 2 years.. i read this somewhere on the lsac website if im not mistaken, does this apply to exams before the september one? or is this not true?

LSAC changed its policy some days ago:
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/11103/confirmed-unlimited-lsat-takes

Sami

@"stephanie.salinas95" said:
@dml277 really?? i thought you could only take it 3 times every 2 years.. i read this somewhere on the lsac website if im not mistaken, does this apply to exams before the september one? or is this not true?

It starts this September. I am not sure about key details but It seems a lot will be changing. Scary but exciting as well.

@akistotle Thanks for posting the link.

stephy95182020

Yeah that is crazy, definitely made my day. Thanks @akistotle !

Alex

@"Daniel.Sieradzki" said:

On the most recent LSAT (PT 80), a 140 required 38/101 questions correct. A 160 required 74/101. That is almost double! However, that does not even begin to address the real challenge, which is question difficulty. I just analyzed an LR section on a recent PT. Out of 26 questions on that section, there were 9 "easy" questions (1 star), 3 "semi-easy" questions (2 star), 6 medium difficulty questions (3 star), 2 hard questions (4 star), and 6 satanic questions (5 star). The reality is that you are likely getting your 140 from the easy questions (about 9 in each section). Not only will you have to double your accuracy, but you will have to tackle medium and hard questions.

This is probably the best reasoning for delaying. Such an overlooked point.