150 Diagnostic to 170 on August

ntrepanier5

7sage as a learning platform and the community have helped me out so much in my own LSAT journey, so I just wanted to share a bit about that journey so others can find comfort in going through similar lows and see that it can all end up alright.

Took my diagnostic in December 2023 (with games) and got a 150 and was absolutely crushed. I'm still an undergrad and have done well in school so far, so to say that shook my confidence in my own intelligence and capacity to be a successful attorney is an understatement. I know others have started with lower diagnostics, but it was stilling crushing for me.

I did a prep class through my university from January to April that certainly helped, but even taking a lighter credit load I found I was too busy to really dedicate the time necessary to make the jump I wanted on this test. May was when the grind really started and I pulled the trigger and bought a 7sage subscription and . . . that changed everything. Drilling and actually learning how to BR/review my wrong answers for the first time totally changed how I studied. Part of the issue with my university prep class was we were never really shown how to review wrong answers, which I think is the absolute most important part of studying for this test. Within about two weeks of drilling/BRing on 7sage, my average score jumped by about 4-5 points.

I spent the rest of the summer grinding away without seeing too much progress until I saw a random decline in my scores over the course of two weeks. I ended up taking a week off from studying, which felt really counterintuitive at the time but I quickly realized was the right decision. My scores jumped back up and I felt well rested. I also broke 170 for the first time soon after, which really gave me confidence going into the test.

Which brings me to the test itself. I didn't 100% master the LSAT (inasmuch as that's possible) - I spent most of June-late July PTing around 160mid, with one blip at 170. That test, and the actual test itself on Aug 10, involved quite a bit of luck. During both tests my mind felt uncharacteristically clear and I saw through stimuli and answer choices faster and more accurately than I ever had before.

I'm happy that I got a 170 on August, but it also feels slightly hollow because I've seen so many people on this and other forums in similar spots that just got a little unlucky on the test and scored lower than their averages (I didn't get the crazy experimental LR or RC sections everyone is talking about for example). Which isn't to say that my score is only attributable to luck - it tooks eight months of grinding to build my skills to a point where I had the chance of seeing the test the way I did on August 10.

Anyways, here are what I see as takeaways from my journey others could benefit from:
1. There's certainly an element of luck to the LSAT (hence the inclusion of the Score Band), so don't stop grinding if you scored lower than you wanted on this test (or on a recent PT for those of you pushing for Sept and Oct).
2. Fluctuations in PT score / performance are super normal.
3. If you're feeling burned out, TAKE A BREAK! Especially in the week leading up to the test. You've already done the work, no amount of cramming in the last few days is going to radically boost your score, but burnout and fatigue can certainly TANK it.

Misc Info
My PT Progression: 150 (Diagnostic), 154, 156, 154, 160 (once I decided to stop studying for games), 155, 161, 161, 162 (first PT w 7sage), 162, 166!, 165, 164, 165, 166, 160, 159, 167, 170, 161, 166, 170 (actual thing).

Here's a link to a master list of flaws I made: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WmcrEgcgSKbEilV70O8FEiVq_a1AHwCSfxfj_cuhznw/edit?usp=sharing

Cheers and best of luck studying. On to the admissions grind!

gisellecruz19

Thank you for sharing! You did awesome, hoping for the same result next week!

katelyn1353

Congrats! Thanks for sharing the tips and document. Best of luck with applications!!

mas441

Thanks for such a detailed, honest account of your path to such an excellent score. Congratulations!

a3lla3lla

All I see is someone who grinded and their work being paid off, not just pure luck! Congratulations )))))