Advice - June 2018 LSAT

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• 2 Likes

  Sami Live Member Sage ⭐ 7Sage Tutor

  February 2018 edited February 2018 10789 karma

  I have used LSAT trainer and its a really good book but its not comprehensive. Obviously I love 7sage or I wouldn't be here. 7sage is comprehensive; the videos are very informational and it suits my learning style better as I like learning by watching videos. JY does an amazing job at explaining the questions and the strategies for each sections are really good. There are also a lot of quizzes to master the basics as well as drill materials from older PTs. A lot of the prep companies will use new materials for drills, ruining fresh PT's in the process.

  I have no idea about Alpha score. I had done blueprint before and its similar to LSAT trainer for me in that it was good for basics but it wasn't helpful to me to break into mid 160's and higher. Their section strategies were pretty bad or non-existent.

  If you want to see for yourself if 7sage would work for you, start with the free logic games videos they have on Youtube. Honestly, they were so good and I was getting so much return on my time from it that I couldn't help but buy the ultimate plus package. I am so grateful I did. It really was the best investment I could have made for LSAT and their LR and RC explanations are equally great. Also, with the package you not only get explanations for the LG videos but you also get to learn the fundamentals of logic games and good habits, something which the faster we incorporate into taking sections the better.

  So I hope this helped. Good luck!
• 2 Likes

  Eric25 Member

  February 2018 720 karma

  7sage is by far the best investment choice for the LSAT. The lessons by JY are invaluable, the community is extremely helpful and social It is the best place to learn the material by far. Here are the course reviews, everyone says basically the same thing, that 7sage is the best

  https://7sage.com/lsat-course-reviews/
• Ohnoeshalpme Alum Member ⭐

  February 2018 2531 karma

  7sage is worth every penny.
• 1 Like

  LCMama2017 Alum Member

  February 2018 2134 karma

  You sound like me just about a year ago. I'm surprised that you found bad reviews for the LSAT Trainer - I've actually heard very good things about it.

  Well, I'm a 7Sager so I am a bit biased but here is my story. I took Kaplan last summer and like you, it was worthless. All that money, sheesh. JY has a different aproach to the test and his style is different from Kaplan. I saw this immediately when I reviewed the free LG videos. After a few weeks I decided to try the free trial period and honestly, I was hooked. I really liked the way JY taught and specially the grammar! He starts from the very, very beginning of life and builds upon each rock. I am about half way through the CC and I think its great. The courses are really clicking with me and I'm understanding it in a way I never did with Kaplan - even parallel reasoning! I hated parallel reasoning but now that I've seen the videos I understand how to approach them and there is not so much hate there.

  Anyway, everyone's experience is different. I would urge you to review as many free videos as you can find for all the different courses. That is how I ended up making my decision - I just liked JY's manner of speaking and his way of explaining the material. So far, so good. Good luck.
• 1 Like

  AudaciousRed Alum Member

  February 2018 2689 karma

  You know, I bought the PowerScore bibles, and they helped a little bit with the concepts, but not a great deal. I have been stuck for a while doing it myself. Books are cool and all, but they're not like someone showing you why something is the way it is. Half the time, I'd do a section on LG, not understand what I did wrong, check the book, still not get it, and wind up watching 7sage's free LG explanations anyway.

  So far, from the time I took a PT under self studying, to the time I did a baseline PT here, I've already seen a small gain, having only had the free introductory lessons. That and the price sold me on giving it a try. Once I unlocked the rest of the core lessons, I immediately knew I got my money's worth. There is a TON of content here. Try their free trial and see if you like it.

  What I have really liked about it is that I can re-watch the videos over and over again until it clicks. It's not a one time lesson, and I can go back and forth as I please through the syllabus. I can star/bookmark lessons I want to go over again that maybe I had trouble with. And I love how active the forums are and how helpful everyone is. I get the feel that there is genuine interest in helping people succeed.

  Just a tip: start from the ground up. I was tempted to skip a lot of the early sections, having done recent classes in college with logic and English. Don't. While much of it may be boring, occasionally, you realize a new way of doing something that makes better sense. The grammar section had a tidbit that revolutionized how I process certain LSAT words like "unless", "if", "the only", etc. (I love that "lightbulb going off" feeling).
• 1 Like

  Habeas Porpoise Alum Member Sage ⭐

  February 2018 edited February 2018 1866 karma

  First off, it's awesome that you're keeping at it, even 10 years later. And the LSAT is most definitely not a reflection of your intelligence, so don't let your score get you down. It's very learnable. I started out with a diagnostic of 147, and am now scoring just under 170.

  That said, I highly recommend 7Sage. Immediately after the core-curriculum I was scoring in the high 150s. After drilling, fool-proofing, taking and BR-ing PTs, I've been slowly making my way up.
  Overall, I think the lessons are a good length, each lesson is useful (i.e. not just fluff), and the methods really do work. Blind review has been a revolutionary concept for me, personally, and I think fool-proofing is key for games (which started out as my worst section, but now I score no worse than -2). Additionally, the community here is great. Other users are supportive, and there are also webinars from high-scorers you can watch to find some motivation or learn some new strategies. I also recommend joining a BR-call. I've made some amazing friends from BR-calls whom I talk to outside of 7Sage. It's nice to study together, and it's nice to just chat with people who understand both the intellectual and emotional aspects of this test. We cheer each other on through the ups and downs.

  On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of the LSAT Trainer. I don't think it's bad, but it doesn't really mesh with my learning style. I felt like it was quite wordy and didn't get to the point, which made it hard for me to stick with it. I was also already finding success with 7Sage at that point, so I can't say I'm completely unbiased. Maybe someone who started out with the Trainer has better insight.
  But I do believe that the Trainer can be a useful supplement to 7Sage, to fill in gaps where maybe JY's strategy for tackling a question-type/section doesn't work for you. I adopted a couple of the notation strategies for LG, and I know several people really like the Trainer's RC method.

  Regardless, I recommend using the trial for 7Sage and seeing how it goes. If you find the video lessons aren't for you, I believe you can cancel/not upgrade.

  Best of luck!

  Edit: I just realized that your post says June 2018 LSAT. I'm not sure you'll be able to get through 7Sage + PTing in four months. It depends on your goal score, but I think the September/November exams would be more feasible.
• AudaciousRed Alum Member

  February 2018 2689 karma

  Yeah. There was no money or credit cards up front for the free trial. They only wanted that once I decided to buy in to the program.
• 1 Like

  Ignatius Alum Member

  February 2018 382 karma

  I've read through the entire Trainer and I feel like it was a nice primer to the lsat, particularly for developing a more intuitive approach to the test. However, it does lack the rigor and mechanical techniques that are offered in the 7Sage curriculum and the Powerscore bibles. Imagine a spectrum where you have the Trainer on one end representing an intuitive approach. The Powerscore bibles are on the opposite end indicating a more mechanical approach. 7sage falls right in the middle, offering a good mix of the two.

  I was a student who was stuck in the 150s for about 6 months after solid studying, and 7sage has helped me get passed that hurdle,of course with a tremendous amount of hard work on my part. With that said, I honestly believe 7sage is all you'll need.
• 1 Like

  Ignatius Alum Member

  February 2018 382 karma

  I just wanted to add that I think 7sage is worth it for the games curriculum alone.

  best of luck.
• e_217Cas Alum Member

  February 2018 59 karma

  Thanks for all the comments.

  @ ALCMama2017 - I also read good comments about LSAT Training until I went to Amazon to purchase the book there and saw the real reviews and that's what turned me off from even thinking about purchasing it.

  Does the 7sage course follow a specific order in where you start your lessons? Or is it just, you sign up, and have access to a bunch of videos and you select what order you want to start?I need order and guidance.

  Also, does it spend more time on LG than LR questions. As I've been watching videos and testing out some of the questions, I've noticed that LR is just as hard as LG. I know some courses favor one section over an another.

  Sorry for the million questions,and thank you all in advance for your help and input.
• 1 Like

  LindsMitch Alum Member

  February 2018 edited February 2018 589 karma

  Cannot recommend 7sage highly enough. I did some self-studying prior to joining 7sage, mostly with PowerScore material (which isn't bad either, but not nearly as comprehensive). Not only are the explanations so thorough (for every single question!!) and the strategies given for all three sections super helpful, detailed, and practical, the community is such an added bonus if you need additional help, clarification, or guidance. If you join the course, you will notice lots of discussion happening beneath each lesson which has proved very helpful for when I'm in need of an alternate way of understanding a question.

  @e_217Cas To your question above, yes there is a specific order of content called the Core Curriculum. It provides a great amount of structure as you work through the fundamentals of the test, from how to understand question structure and grammar to working on each type of LR question, LG strategy, and the different types of RC passages. After the Core Curriculum, you can begin doing PTs. You can also punch in your projected test date and 7sage will produce a recommended study schedule for you so that you can be sure to finish the course on time, along with PTs. I don't think it really favors any one particular section, as it provides comprehensive help and lessons for all three. What is cool is that once you finish the CC (especially if you purchase the Ultimate + package), you can kind of tailor 7sage to suit your needs, as there are lots of drilling resources for all 3 sections. The analytics feature is also super handy, as you are able to track your progress and section breakdowns so you can pinpoint problem areas.

  Definitely think 7sage is the way to go. If you join, welcome! Whatever you do, good luck to you and I think it's awesome you are choosing to pursue a dream 10 years later
• 1 Like

  Habeas Porpoise Alum Member Sage ⭐

  February 2018 edited February 2018 1866 karma

  @e_217Cas said:
  Does the 7sage course follow a specific order in where you start your lessons? Or is it just, you sign up, and have access to a bunch of videos and you select what order you want to start?I need order and guidance.

  Yes, there's a deliberate order to the CC! The lessons go from LR to LG to RC, and the lessons build on each other.

  @e_217Cas said:
  Also, does it spend more time on LG than LR questions. As I've been watching videos and testing out some of the questions, I've noticed that LR is just as hard as LG. I know some courses favor one section over an another.

  Actually LR makes up the bulk of the curriculum. The foundational logic courses in the LR curriculum are pretty important for LG, and parts of RC as well.
• LCMama2017 Alum Member

  February 2018 2134 karma

  I would highly suggest you do the videos in order. There is also a schedule of how many hours a week you should be studying depending on the package you get and your test date. This will be helpful for you to look at before you buy.

  LR is tough and it should be - its 50% of the test! So you should def spend quality time with the LR videos first.
• 1 Like

  e_217Cas Alum Member

  February 2018 59 karma

  OK I'm sold and I'm excited! Thank you all for the help! ))
• 1 Like

  LCMama2017 Alum Member

  February 2018 2134 karma

  Great! Hit the ground running! And come back to the boards if you need any help!
• 1 Like

  Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  February 2018 8392 karma

  I'm so happy to see everyone chiming in here. I'm right on board with everyone else. It's a fantastic curriculum. I started self-studying with the Powerscore bibles and while I made some progress, I was also left even more confused in other ways. 7sage really turned that all around for me. It's indeed comprehensive in all 3 parts to the test.

  A few things: the analytics alone are almost worth the price to me. It's so fantastic. When you take full PTs, you can enter in your scores and then it gives you tons of detailed information on your accuracy on different types of questions and which questions you should focus your studying on. It's so great to see tons of graphs and charts showing both your progress and your areas that need improvement.

  And on a personal note, I've said it a hundred times but I'll keep saying it: 7sage is maybe the most generous company I've come across. I love the ethos around here. Not only is it an incredible course, but it is intentionally one of the lowest priced courses on the market. They are actively trying to make LSAT learning accessible for everyone, and I love it. They do some give aways here on the message board and for people that attend webinars, and are just all around kind, thoughtful humans who truly want to help everyone succeed.

  Can't say enough good things about 7sage. You're making a great choice!
• studyingandrestudying Core Member

  February 2018 5254 karma

  This is the best place to study for the LSAT. You may occasionally go to other quality sites, but in my opinion, this one is the home base. I wish I'd joined a long time ago, but I'm also excited about my future studying here as it's helping my productivity and completion of the work.
• 1 Like

  Trust But Verify Alum Member

  February 2018 432 karma

  7sage starter packet and LSAT Trainer are sweet for your pockets and mind. Manhattan has good books too.