Is 6 months enough time to prepare for the LSAT?

Comments

• Ohnoeshalpme Alum Member ⭐

  October 2018 2531 karma

  What was your diagnostic, and what is your goal score? What is your section breakdown?
• itsemmarobyn Member

  October 2018 edited October 2018 272 karma

  @Ohnoeshalpme diagnostic 148 (BR 156) goal score 170. Score breakdown: 57% LG, 48% LR, 60% LR, 48% RC.
• 4 Likes

  Ohnoeshalpme Alum Member ⭐

  October 2018 2531 karma

  There are a few things here that need to be addressed.

  First, as a disclaimer, it is definitely possible to make that improvement in 6 months, but it's impossible to predict whether you can actually maintain 40h/week for that entire time. It's easy to set that schedule in advance, but usually people who study that much burn out after 2-3 months. I personally recommend doing some light prep during the school year so that you have a head start and a better sense of how much LSAT studying you are willing to do.

  Second, you need to shoot for getting all apps in by December 2019. Any time after December will be considered late and your odds of acceptance decrease significantly (20-30%). You have 13 months before the next November test so there's no foreseeable reason you can't be finished by then.

  Third, you need to be participating in at least a part-time job from May-October. From the admissions reps that I have spoken to, they all say that having a long gap in your resume leading up to the LSAT is a huge red flag. Law schools expect you to manage multiple responsibilities on top of your studies.

  Your score breakdown is pretty consistent with most students on 7sage. Unfortunately your BR score tells me that you still have a lot of fundamentals to master before you are going to start scoring higher. The 7sage curriculum is excellent for building those fundamentals but it takes a good amount of time to work through all of the lessons. As a personal anecdote, my diagnostic was a 149 with a BR of 170 and it still took me 13 months before I started scoring in the mid 160's on a consistent basis. Your ego, your social life and your responsibilities all start telling you to quit this test after you stop seeing improvement. The best way to combat this through a holistic routine that enhances your life and your ability to study. Once May rolls around, I recommend that you start working out regularly, volunteering at a non-profit 10+ hours a week, meditating and eating a balanced diet. All of these things are essential to your mental health and will bring guaranteed returns on your LSAT score and your applications in general.

  If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to message me
• itsemmarobyn Member

  October 2018 272 karma

  @Ohnoeshalpme thank you so much, that was really helpful info! I will message if I have more questions
• PineapplePizzaSucks Member

  October 2018 534 karma

  I would say, based on my own experience, that 6 months would not have been even close to enough time. My diagnostic was 154 and it took me about 6 months to get to a 162 on the real exam with an average PT of 165 leading up to the exam. Much of this is due to inconsistent study habits. If you can dedicate at least 15-20 hours a week, almost every week, then you may be able to do it. But, if you are a full-time student or have a full-time job, you may find it difficult to stick to that kind of commitment for an entire 6 months. Again, not saying a 22 point jump in 6 months is impossible, just that I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it. Take a good look at where you are in life and what kind of commitment you can realistically make over these next 6 months. Good luck!
• 1 Like

  Harvey_l Alum Member

  October 2018 268 karma

  I've known a friend who diagnosed 156 and jumped to 173 on the actual LSAT in just three months of 7sage + LSAT Trainer. (This is during the time he was a full time student at his university, and studying roughly 2-3 hours a day.)

  Six months is achievable, and for some people, learning the LSAT a specific way just clicks for them! For example, 7sage's approach to mechanistically translating some passages on MBT or SA really clicks with me rather than the LSAT trainer's attempts to, "train my intuition." (I really love math, so the lawgic thing helps me alot.)
• 1 Like

  keepcalmandneuron Alum Member

  October 2018 470 karma

  The best schedule is the one that you can stick to!