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Any Advice for non-Native?
Hi all,
I got my PhD in Electrical and computer engineering and currently doing my postdoc in biomedical. I took LSAT Sep 2017 without any preparation and scored 137. I started to study for LSAT for about 5 months. I also took the power score classes in addition to 7 Sage. I studied all the materials and took most of the PTs. I also started to read books in train or bus, to improve my reading skills. In 2018 I scored 153. That was very discouraging to me. I wanted to give up but I still believe there should be a method for us as non- native to pass this exam. What I learned is I am not fast reader which I need to be. I know the principles but I am always short in time and this issue is very bold in RC. I will never get to finish more than 2 passages in RC. I can read science passages better than the others. When it comes to humanities or history,... I am the most dumb person ever 
I cant read and understand at the same time. Mostly, I need to read twice a passage to get the point. In LR, in the best case, I will miss last 3-4 questions. LR is better than RC because the questions are short and I wont loose the track. I can finish the games better than other sections.
If I want to try in one more time (I guess that is the last time I will try) in June 2019, what you will suggest? What else can I read/practice? How long each day should I study for LSAT?
I appreciate ant thought.
Comments
First of all, I can assure you that you are not the most dumb person ever. The English on this test is crazy hard even for native speakers. I think you should try to maximize your LG points. That'll be the easiest to improve. Reading a lot (I don't think it matters too much what the subject matter is) will help a lot too. Do you have a goal score/school in mind? And just out of curiosity, if you have a PhD and are doing postdoc, why do you want to go to law school?
@MissChanandler Thanks for your thoughts. Actually the games are the best part of me I miss at most 4 of them! JY was great in LG he thinks exactly like me and due to my engineering back ground I am familiar with these type of questions.
I need some score around 165+ . I know that is very hard though!
No problem! I think you should have a set goal score for yourself. A 164 is a lot different than a 170 but they're both around 165+. I think it's doable, but it'll definitely take some time. It's good that you're giving yourself until June of 2019, but it might take longer than that. For RC, I would recommend keeping the passages and redoing them frequently. You'll get better at reading that way and you'll start to learn what the questions are looking for.
Yes I know it is hard. I am not sure what should I read? just the passages in previous LSATs?
That will definitely be the best practice for the LSAT. If you're looking for stuff to read outside of specific study time, I would read history/humanities books since you have trouble with those passages. Heck even watching history documentaries in English could help with subject matter familiarity and vocabulary!
Thanks! I will get into it but it is really hard for me to start again. I am not sure how it is plausible to score 165+
Do law schools ever reduce weight of LSAT scores for non native english speakers? My impression was that they did
@"Sam Tyler" Did they? How you found it? I have never heard about it!!
Nope, they do not. Especially not for internationals without a reportable GPA, since LSAT is the only comparable measure they can look at. Ultimately, schools would like to see that you will be able to get through the rigor of law school.
As a fellow non-native speaker, I could feel your pain. I started studying late May and just took the September test. RC was also my worst part, I normally got - 10+, for the PTs I'd taken, I averaged -1~-2 on LG, -4 in LR in total. But the real test still caught me off guard... Though I think 165 should still be an achievable goal for you, you survived your PhD! My suggestion is focusing on RCs instead of taking full PTs, and do analysis on the questions you get wrong. I started doing that 2 weeks before the September test, it helped a bit. I've signed up for the November test, hopefully I can get some more improvement in RC. Good luck~!
I recommend that you reach out to one of 7Sage's approved tutors: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/4760/7sages-approved-tutors/p1
Working with tutors has definitely helped me. It's hard for me to give advice without fully understanding what you are struggling with, but I was in a similar position as yours. When I first started, I was scoring in 130s and I could finish only two passages in RC. My current PT average is 170+ and I scored in the 96/97 percentile on the official test (I'm still trying to get a 170+ on the next test).
Nope, law schools do not do that. @Vibrio is right. For international applicants with no reportable GPAs, LSAT is the only measure they look at.
Since we are all trying to get in to J.D. programs (not LL.M), schools can't reduce the weight. They have to look at native speakers and non-native speakers equally. They probably would recommend LL.M. programs for foreign lawyers whose English competence isn't good enough.
Some schools say that they don't require TOEFL scores because LSAT scores show their English language proficiency. Schools unfortunately don't think of being an ESL applicant as a diversity factor since they don't report that percentage.