I'm back on 7sage, bad cycle, now reapplying

Comments

• 1 Like

  FixedDice Member

  February 2019 edited February 2019 1804 karma

  A reapplicant here. About a month ago, I was admitted to a T13 that admitted me during a previous cycle.

  I have begun studying for the Sept 2019 LSAT (possibly July if progress is faster).

  Don't ever think about pulling your LSAT closer (for lack of better terms). It will create unnecessary psychological pressure. If your performance doesn't meet your expectation by June, you will have wasted money (though the LSAC seems to be getting more generous with its refund policies); if your performance does meet your expectation, you will have time to solidify or even improve your performance.

  Last BR, I hit 165, but ended up with a 155 on actual LSAT. UGPA is 3.72, non-URM.
  (Will I have a shot at any T14?)

  If you want any realistic shot at T13s, then you probably want to score... say, 168 at the very least.

  My plan is to use the LSAT trainer first, Powerscore Bibles, and also 7sage for drills and exams.

  Just choose and stick to one curriculum. Using all those books is a waste of time because they (1) all point in the same direction and (2) will make you use up valuable PT questions.

  I really hope pushing a year will make a difference (I honestly will not have any updates on my resume between that time).

  Do something, like volunteering for 1-2 days. You do not want any gaps in your résumé.

  Can I re-apply to the schools I was rejected from with the SAME LOR and PS/opt essays?

  You can. We live in a free country. But it will probably reflect poorly on you. You have what, 7 months between now and the September LSAT? Surely it wouldn't take much of your time to brainstorm and write a few sentences every now and then.
• 1 Like

  futurelawstudent Member

  February 2019 118 karma

  I agree with @FixedDice esp. about sticking to one LSAT course and its methodology. The question of whether or not you need new LOR and essays came up in the 7Sage podcast #9 where David Busis was talking to Selene Steelman the Admissions Director at Cardozo. You might want to listen to that.
• cqas190517 Alum Member 🍌

  February 2019 535 karma

  In somewhat in the same boat, but I’ve picked up the LSAT trainer and I click with it much more than 7Sage 🤷🏼‍♀️ I advise that you do branch out and find the method that works for you because you never know, and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.
• turnercm Alum Member ⏰ 🍌

  February 2019 770 karma

  Ask recommenders if you can reuse the letters and tweak the essays at the beginning at least so they don’t look identical, and review it to make sure it’s perfect.

  Ask someone to review your essays to make sure there weren’t any glaring issues.

  Actually, when this application season dies down a bit, ask the admissions committee if they can give feedback on how to strengthen the application. It may be more than an LSAT score.

  Apply early!
• Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  February 2019 8392 karma

  First, I'm really sorry you're disappointed with your cycle. That's not a good feeling. But kudos to you for making the decision that you can take some time to make put yourself in a better position and try again.

  I agree with the others on mixing LSAT study materials. I haven't used the trainer myself, but I have heard that it is complementary to 7sage. However, I started with Powerscore and found the materials to leave a lot lacking. I think their LG book is particularly bad. (Maybe better than Kaplan and some others, but pales in comparison to 7sage.) It's hard to mix styles, so I'd stick with one at a time. If you've gone through the whole cc on 7sage though, the trainer could be another good resource.

  It is ok to re-use LORs. It's best to contact your recommenders though and make sure it is ok with them, and give them the option to update their letters if they would like.

  As far as essays go, you definitely should at the very least do a significant re-write of your current one. Using the exact same essays can come across as lazy and that you are not putting forth your best effort. The schools want to know that you really want to go there and are willing to put in the work. So, I'd highly advise if you want to stick to the same topic to at least do a significant edit and re-write. For optional essays, you should do the same. When it comes down to it, writing can always be improved, so it doesn't make sense to stop and just re-use the same materials. It's never perfect, so you might as well take the opportunity to have more people read over your essays and get feedback on how to improve them.

  I am in the middle of my 2nd cycle. Happy to answer questions, but still waiting on responses from a number of schools so I don't entirely know yet how my outcomes compare. So far though, I have been admitted to 2 schools that WL'd me last year, one with a very good scholarship. One school offered me significantly less scholarship money this year compared to last, but I plan on putting in a lot of effort to show them I am serious about attending and negotiate to get it back up.

  Best of luck to you!