I am retaking, just need advice on how to study...

tcookPHL

Hi! Before everyone tells me to retake.... I am I received my LSAT score last night and I got a 149. While this was a 10 point increase from my diagnostic and I should be excited about that, we all know that this isn't going to get me into a T2 or T1 school. While a T1 school would be AMAZING, I am totally okay with going to a T2 school especially the ones in my region. That being said a score in the high 150's - low 160's would be ideal. When I was PTing, I was in this range which is why my score is sort of a surprise. Funny enough, I am not depressed nor have I even cried because I KNEW that damn 1st LR really fucked my day up. I increased dramatically on timing but I think now my issue is accuracy (where before it was the opposite).

Anyways, I need help trying to put together a study schedule, who to ask to help tutor me ( & do you accept credit cards @"Cant Get Right" ), if I should totally scratch 7sage and do an in-class program? I have a 3.65 GPA, a URM, extensive work experience, and hopefully a good personal statement (if anyone wants to read it). I have signed up for December so let's get to it!

nicole.brooklyn

One little spoken of resource that’s really helped me is the Thinking LSAT podcast. It’s two LSAT private tutors talking about the test and their students’ problems, as well as answering listeners’ questions. Their perspective is a bit different than 7sage’s, which I find balances my approach to the test. And, it’s free + you can listen to it at work or on the go

AllezAllez21

What are your section breakdowns?

I would definitely stick to 7Sage. I haven't personally taken a class but from what I can gather, they're not worth it. Group study calls from 7sage are a great way to get engaged and talking with other LSAT takers.

Generally, though, a score in the 150s range indicates that you need to keep working on your fundamental knowledge. That will be the best way to increase your score. So, make sure you really study hard on logical group indicators, diagramming LR questions, reviewing flaws, etc. It will depend on what you feel is your biggest weakness, but likely you'll need to do it all. That means going back into the core curriculum, redoing lessons and drilling appropriately.

For LG, you need to keep fool proofing. Massive volume. Hundreds of games. It takes time, it's a grind, but it will get you where you need to be.

For RC, I really advocate untimed work on passages. Take a passage, read it through, analyze the hell out of it, write out an analysis that has a summary of paragraphs, main point, purpose, tone, viewpoints, structure, etc. Then answer the questions. Then review. Then do it with another passage. Repeat.

For me, the LSAT came down to the right mix of quality and volume. It was about achieving the maximum amount of practice while never sacrificing the quality of my study.

Maddie D.

First of all, congrats on that amazing increase! Damn. And you have the absolute right mindset because even if you didn't hit your target you crushed your studies and lived to tell the tale after sitting for the exam. It's totally normal to not hit your goal score, especially on a first take (I should know, since I'll be retaking in December too ) I can't speak much to tutoring, but I did talk with my study group of Sagers on Skype last night about how to get back in the saddle. Correct me if I'm wrong, but have you taken a full study break since the test? That's what I did, so hopefully the advice I got will be a little helpful.

First piece of advice is to briefly check what you got wrong without going in and trying to redo the questions from the test. What I did last night was just look at the stimulus of each one I got wrong to see patterns, sort of like what the analytics page does for you on here. To get back on the horse, I'll be starting PTs again tomorrow (probably two per week with BR). Per my study group, starting back with a retake rather than a fresh PT is probably the best way to go. It's a happy medium between hitting the ground running and easing your mind back into the process after a break. If you feel good about timing, maybe don't totally bog yourself down with a ton of PTs right away. Beyond that, I'm personally just going to drill my weak spots some more and hang with JY in the CC where I need help between PTs. As far as changing study programs, this is obviously going to vary person to person, but I would hesitate to make that drastic of a change in such a short time frame. I think studying for a retake is so unique to each person that a class moving at its own pace may do you a disservice. Plus, as you mentioned, you have access to amazing tutors on here who can really help you tailor your experience if self-studying isn't giving you everything you need. That's just my two cents. Sorry that's not super specific but I hope something in there is helpful! As for personal statements, I'm totally down to swap if you want. Congrats again!

Tom_Tango

I second the Thinking LSAT podcast. Also check out Fox's books on LR. There's something about Nathan and Ben's explanations that I find very intuitive. Nothing bad about 7sage but at times the heavy focus on "Lawgic" seems too time-consuming and at times unnecessary. I'm sure JY's ways absolutely work but I liked the other approach. Again YMMV but I definitely would check it out.

lgsb0629

Hey!
Fellow URM here. I think you blind review the eff out of the problems you get wrong. Analyze the structure of the arguments, why wrong answers are wrong, etc. Also, make sure you have a strong fundamental base. I would stick to 7sage and hire a 7sage approved tutor.
You've got this!