173 -> 180 August 2022

coldbrewithoat

Good morning everyone

For those who have gotten from the low 170s to the high 170s in a few months, I would love to hear your strategies. I have cleared my summer so I can give 110% focus to the LSAT during June, July, and August, with the goal of applying at the beginning of the admissions cycle in September.

A little about me: I got a 154 diagnostic score in the spring of 2021. I studied the basics from June 2021 to October 2021, but burnt out because of work/school and took a four-month break. At this point, I was testing in the 165-168 range.

In February 2022, I registered for the April 2022 LSAT to motivate myself to get started again. I am a senior in college with a double major, so I studied as rigorously as I could while balancing other academic responsibilities. A few weeks ago, I PT'd at a 173 (174 BR) after reading Ellen Cassidy's LR Loophole workbook from cover to cover. Realizing that I wanted to jump from a 173 to 178+ in a matter of days, I got super panicked. My following PT was a 168 because my anxiety was so high. I came to terms with the fact that I'm not ready to test yet, withdrew from April, and now plan to take August.

I deal with chronic illness and have high levels of anxiety, plus sensory processing issues. So, things like self-care rituals and testing/studying environment really matter to me. What should I do with these next few months of my time?

To other folks in this community with anxiety/health issues, how do you manage them? The pressure is on for August since I'm applying in September and I want to make it count.

Thank you for your support!!!

Matt Sorr

Following. I don’t have any experience with what you’re asking but I wish you the best of luck and I’m sure you can do it!

Scott Milam

I went from a 168 diagnostic in April of 2021 to a 180 on the June 2021 test. You can hear at bit more about my story here (https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/31292/7sage-podcast-episode-62-7sage-tutor-scott-168-to-180-lsat), but I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have!

Short version: I studied 4-6 hours a day for 10 weeks. Most of my improvement was in LG, but I had to deal with consistency issue in LR and RC as well. I can definitely tell you that the tactics that get you TO the 170s differ from those that get you to the high 170s. While getting to the 170s requires a lot of studying and skill development, pressing through to the next score bracket required that I intensely review my PTs and go over each wrong answer with exacting attention.

coldbrewithoat

@"Scott Milam" said:
I went from a 168 diagnostic in April of 2021 to a 180 on the June 2021 test. You can here at bit more about my story here (https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/31292/7sage-podcast-episode-62-7sage-tutor-scott-168-to-180-lsat), but I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have!

Short version: I studied 4-6 hours a day for 10 weeks. Most of my improvement was in LG, but I had to deal with consistency issue in LR and RC as well. I can definitely tell you that the tactics that get you TO the 170s differ from those that get you to the high 170s. While getting to the 170s requires a lot of studying and skill development, pressing through to the next score bracket required that I intensely review my PTs and go over each wrong answer with exacting attention.

Wow Scott, this is both helpful and impressive. So excited to read your story!