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Improving Score for September 2018
Hi everyone! I'm going to give some background about myself first for context before asking my question. I started "studying" for the LSAT during the summer of 2016. I took the diagnostic test that comes with this course (June 2007) and scored a 154. I was working full-time and heading into my final year of school, so I already had a lot on my plate and I didn't properly set time aside to study. I originally wanted to write in the fall of 2016, but I pushed it twice (December 2016 and then February 2017). Eventually, I wrote in February 2017 (having done virtually 0 studying) because I had submit any score for my law school applications, and (unsurprisingly) I scored 154 again. Fast forward to today, I didn't get accepted anywhere (duh) and I'm trying to study again to re-apply in the fall of 2018.
I took the same diagnostic test again, scored 152, and my section breakdown (same order as the test) is as follows:
- 19/23 (LG)
- 20/25 (LR)
- 15/25 (LR)
- 10/27 (RC)
My best section by far is LG, with my worst section being RC. My question is: how much can I expect to improve my score by the September 2018 test date? I'll have about another 1.5 to 2 months of full-time studying to get through the core curriculum, and after that I'll be working full-time again until September so my study time will be cut (but hopefully I can do at least 1 PT a week on top of reviewing the curriculum).
I am hoping to get to at least 165 to offset a less-than-competitive average from undergrad, and if I could get to 170 that would be a dream. Am I aiming too high? Or should I be approaching this differently? Any advice or past experiences would be greatly appreciated!
Comments
Hi there ! Long time lurker on 7 sage forum but i don't really post much. My situation is quite similar to yours so I felt inclined to reply and give back what I can to this wonderful community. I want to be brutally honest. When I first started studying for the LSAT, I started with the Powerscore Bibles and have read all 3 and also read most of the Manhattan Prep Test books. Then I found 7sage and have gone through the core curriculum like twice now. My initial diagnostic was around a 150 and am now PTing at around the 162 range. It took me countless hours of non-stop studying for over a year now ( mind you I'm probably not the smartest guy around here) . The LSAT is different for everyone and perhaps my skill set was not quite suited. The thing about your score is that your reading comprehension score is low just like mine and that is an extremely hard thing to improve on. I read The Economist every week / Bloomberg Business everyday just for the small chance of improving my reading comprehension score. How long that will take you to improve I have no idea as I am still struggling myself with RC. I am also aiming for a 165 - 170 for the upcoming June LSAT and i'm not sure If i will make it..... I think the best way to boost your score for LR is to find out what TYPE of questions you are missing and DRILL the shit out of them. The LSAT has been an incredibly long journey for me and a lot of times I felt like giving up since a lot of my friends / family have basically written me off =(. I don't know what keeps me going but I've got a lot of blind faith in J.Y and all those that have came before me. I've read the success stories of Accounts Playable / Can't Get Right / Not Ralph Nader and it just makes me want to strive for more. My course is about to expire but fuck it I am ready to hit the extension button if need be. I certainly believe you can achieve your target score but I don't know how long it will take you as it is different for everyone. Best of luck !
I did sit for September 2016 test and got 154. My diagnostic was 142 and my average was right at 154 so I did score within expected range for me.
I did study for the remainder of the year off and on, but really started focusing on LSAT from June 2017. Right now I am averaging 167 on timed LSAT. It took me two years to get from 154 to where I am now.
I am registered for June LSAT and still struggle to maybe hit that 170 till then.
That being said nothing is impossible, the question is how much time you are willing to wait for it to become possible.
Wow I am so glad to hear someone that's been on the LSAT grind for longer / as long as I have. You got this Kateryna !!! That's like the most true MBT statement I have ever heard "the question is how much time you are willing to wait for it to become possible".
@VanishingTaxAct Thank you! My closest family and friends gave up on me after I got admitted to schools with 154 and I decided to not go and instead take a gap year and study. Some days I feel like failure and some days I envy those who sat for LSAT with me and are about to be done with 1L. But I know for sure that none of that would matter when I get into my dream law school. So keep your chin up and lets keep grinding:)
In my completely unprofessional opinion, 170 would be an unlikely stretch but 165 might be possible. It took me from about March to December of last year to go from 155 diagnostic to 168 on test day. I didn't put my all into studying for a few months though and was working full time the whole time. So I'd say it was about 3-4 months of off and on studying and about 5 months of focused studying. I haven't cracked 170 yet but I haven't been studying since I took the test in early December. About to go back to it though as I decided to retake and reapply.
LG is typically the section where you can see the fastest and easiest gains, but you're already doing pretty well there. So your points are mostly going to have to come from RC and LR which I think just take more time to improve. So that's why I'm a little more hesitant to say you can reach your goal score by September. It's good that you have lots of time right now for the cc though.
I definitely think you could hit those scores eventually, and maybe even by the November test, but September is just going to be a tight time frame. I think it's good to set your goals high though. It'll be nose to the grindstone until September, but you have a shot at it. Good luck!
Your diagnostic score (154) and breakdown looks EXACTLY like mine from last July. My best section was LG and worst was RC. On September 2017 LSAT, I scored a 161, and on December LSAT, I didn't perform (160) as well as my then-PT average (high 160's). I lost a lot of momentum after the Fall 2018 admission and am currently getting back on track for June 2018 (PTing mid to high 160's).
I studied while working full time, so you can do it too. While I didn't have much success within 5 months (July to December), it can be totally different for you if you do it wisely.
For instance, when I was PTing during July-December, I didn't know about 7Sage or the Blind Review process. I scored my weekly PT and moved on. I think it would have made a tremendous difference had I done BR for all those wasted PTs.
Also, since you have some time left, I would recommend you get familiar with RC subject areas by reading/listening to Scientific American, National Geographic, or audio books. Here is a good post about audio books: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/3035/audiobooks-to-help-your-rc.
YOU CAN DO IT. Good luck!
Hmm. Your LG is already fairly high but your RC is seriously lagging. I would drill RC intensely and also make a habit of reading dense material everyday, and treating said material. Identify the main idea, the purpose of each paragraph, authors attitude, major turning points. I used to get a 10 or 11 on rc when I first started out but I got it up to a 21 on my official take. I got this after 2 years of full time studying. You might get there faster than I or take longer. Be patient and strategic.
How do you study for RC? LR?
I'd make sure you're able to execute what I think are some of the most fundamental skills for those sections: dissecting arguments, understanding the relationships between its parts, and finding flaws.
Hope this very general advice helps.
I found that getting through the LR on the curriculum did wonders for my RC. Also, JY's techniques for summarizing has been very helpful, too. My pre-CC diagnostic was a 154 (on 7sage, it says 153, because I input a couple questions in wrong for grading. D'oh). The PT right after CC was a 159. I finished the CC while working, going to school full time, and having family obligations, in roughly 2-3 months. I have till June to see if I can get it up just a few more points (Sure, I'd LOVE to get a whole lot more points, but if I get just what I NEED on test day, I'll be happy as a freaking clam). I'll have all of May off school, so I will be living and breathing LSAT. I could retest in Sept, or even delay a year, but I really don't want to drag this process out. This juggling act has been rather detrimental to me in many ways.
Anyway, I hope that helps give you an idea of what is possible and practical.
@westcoastbestcoast Thank you for your advice! I think I am going to focus on the core curriculum and get that done, while making time to strengthen RC on the side. Yourself and other users mentioned reading materials and audiobooks as a good tool, so I'm definitely going to look into that. Do you have any particular reading materials that you would recommend?
@Jane1990 Thank you for your response! It's encouraging to see someone else who was in a similar position with positive results. I am definitely going to take your advice on the reading materials and audiobooks, that seems to be a good option recommended by a lot of users. Do you have any humanities or law materials that you found particularly helpful? My background is science/engineering so I think it would be good for me to focus a bit more heavily on other reading materials.
Also, good luck with your June test! Your hard work will pay off and you're going to ace it
@"Leah M B" Thank you for your advice! A lot of what you're saying makes sense, and I am also wondering if September will be too soon of an expectation to set my sights on. My biggest issue is, I want to know how I'm doing before going through the whole law school application process again (to avoid wasting my time, energy and money..and also the heartache...). So maybe closer to the fall, if I find that I've been improving well, and I decide to reapply for sure, I can push my test to November to give myself more time. I should also have a better idea with my PT scores closer to then, so we'll see. Good luck with your studying
I want to recommend the AMAs on the 7Sage youtube channel as a supplement to actual studying as well.
@AudaciousRed Thank you for your response! It's encouraging to see someone in a similar situation and it definitely helps to give me a better picture of what to expect. Juggling studying while doing everything else (school, working, etc) really is a bummer, so hang in there! Good luck with your June write, I am sure all of your hard work is going to pay off
@oldpueblolsatprep Thank you for your response! I currently don't have a concrete study strategy outside of working on the core curriculum..I think I am going to supplement that with stuff on the side to improve RC, that was recommended by yourself and other users (reading materials and audiobooks). Hopefully with time it can start to show some significant results.
@Kateryna Thank you for your response! What you're saying about expectations makes sense, as a few other users have said: 170 could be possible but maybe with a more realistic time frame. That's something I am trying to think over (rethinking my timeline or maybe the score that I am aiming for). But it's awesome and encouraging to hear that you were in the same starting spot as me and that you were able to improve that much! Good luck with the June write, I am sure your hard work will pay off, and I hope you crack the 170
@VanishingTaxAct Thanks a lot for your advice and your input! It's encouraging to see that so many people were one day in the same starting spot for me (it makes me feel less and less that my studying is hopeless). What you're saying about expectations and improving RC makes a lot of sense and it's in-line with what a lot of people are saying. Maybe I can improve my score by that much, but it will just be a matter of time. So hopefully I can figure something out that gives the most returns (probably going to start with some solid reading materials).
Also, I just wanted to say, don't let anyone around you discourage you or stop you from going for it! At the end of the day, you're only doing it for you, so as long as you're happy with it and you want it, then go for it
When all of your hard work pays off, it will feel so much better. Good luck with the June write and I hope you get your dream score!