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Taking October LSAT for the first time - only done 33% of core curiculum
Hello. How screwed am i? My diagnostic was 150, and im booked for October LSAT. I can dedicate about 30-40 hours a week until my test date. Im only done 33.9% of the 7sage core curriculum. is this feasible? what is the best strategy?
feasible?
- yes50 votes
- no34.00%
- fuck no66.00%
Comments
I mean, without knowing your timeline or intentions, I'd say not to rush into the LSAT and take it when you feel very ready and certain.
Yeah it's hard to give feedback without your timeline or goals. If you just want to score a 155 that's probably feasible with a 150 diagnostic.
Even if you finish the CC before the Oct exam, you still need time to take practice tests to gauge how well you absorbed the material and how well you can answer questions under timed pressure. Burnout is also a big factor, you may say you can devote 8 hours a day to studying but in reality those 8 hours probably won't be as productive and focused as they could be.
I am already signed up for October, and will definitely take November as well. I am applying for this cycler (2021). My GPA is around 89%, so I think anything above 160 is okay.
You don't want to take it when you aren't ready and have it freak you out for November. Ideally you really need to take PTs and practice after you finish the core. Finishing the core isn't going to do anything for your RC. LG also takes a lot of practice after the core. I would also be wary of thinking you can study that much. Burn out is definitely real.
If I were you I'd cancel October and stick with November, then take it again later if need be. November is still a perfectly fine time to take it. At this point you have less than a month to get a basic understanding of the fundamentals and practice it timed. However, if you're already familiar with logic games, formal logic, RC strategies etc. then this might be more feasible. Good luck!
I think October is too close and that you are better off taking the November one which is in 2 months.
40 hours of LSAT per week is going to burn you out right in time for your brain to be mush the first week of October! Don't do that!
I'm not sure whether it is in your best interest to take the October test. I will say it sounds like it would be good to put in roughly 25 hours per week and set a goal score for November. Don't stop studying until you're satisfied with your score -- i.e. get ready to apply with your Oct/Nov score, but be prepared to take the January or February exams if your cycle is not going well or you know you could do better.
If this is your first application cycle, consider that rushing in with a bad LSAT score (whatever that means for you) could very well result in reapplying next cycle, speaking from experience. I wish someone had told me to slow down and do it right the first time.
I appreciate all the feedback! I was orginally planning to study during the four months of summer, but a series of family issues/mental health problems really affected my progress. It wasn't until last month that I really buckled down and took LSAT prep seriously. My reasoning behind booking October was that I could always rely on the November score. I REALLY want to apply for this application cycle, so putting it off for January was too scary for me.
I've received plenty of advice that a month or two is enough for LSAT if you are 100% dedicated. I guess this was bad advice given the responses on here. Yikes.
If you are already planning on taking it again in November then I think it could be helpful to get one test under your belt. For me, nerves played a huge role in my lower than PT average first test score so I think it would be useful to have some familiarity with the test even if you don't end up getting the score you want to finish with!
Thank you! I am the type to get highly anxious so that was also a factor in doing October. Thanks for the feedback. Also love the name. I bet Rory would get a 170+ and KILL RC lol
it's hard to say, because we don't know what you will score once you finish the CC! But finishing the CC is only the first step...after that, a lot of drilling and timed PTs is usually what it takes to steadily improve your score. So, if you are aiming for your full potential, I would say you definitely wouldn't be able to achieve that for October. But that's not to say you can't get a good score, or the score you want ! But if you're shooting for your very best, I recommend not taking October or maybe even November. The higher and higher you score, the harder and harder it gets to claw for every point.
If you are rich go for it. If not don't. Just withdraw. 150 diagnostic is pretty good. You should shoot for 165+
Don’t pay for a low-rank school! Let’s say if you got 160 then you have a good chance to get a full scholarship in low-rank school, if the score is 165 then you are a good candidate to go for free to a decent regional school. When you have 168+ the doors of most top law school will be open for you and some of them for free.
You need more information honestly. Take a PT or two. Your 7sage membership means that you have 90 PTs available. Gage yourself now and before the cancellation deadline. Maybe you are already 10 points better. If so, great, go for it. Maybe you are only 1-2 points better. Then you would want some more time to study and improve. You might also want to look at your strategy. If you don't have time to finish the CC before your test is there a way to get the points you need without finishing? If you only need a 162 to get into your targets and aren't worrying about maximizing scholarship aid that is very different than "I want to get into Vanderbilt with a 50% or better scholarship". Evaluate yourself and your goals honestly.
I had a 165 diagnostic, spent a month on Khan Academy mostly doing problem sets, then signed up for 7sage and have been group/partner BRing for a couple of weeks. It has really worked for me. I will be selectively using the core curriculum going forward, but, with only a couple percent of the CC complete I am now PTing in the mid+ 170's. What each person needs content-wise, methodologically, and time wise is different just like our goals are different. The great thing about 7sage I think is that there is content and advice to meet the full spectrum of starting points and goals. I which I had started here sooner.
Also, not necessarily bad advice. It really depends upon the person. If LG are your weak point for example, many people improve 5 or more points there just from grinding LG games over and over. Focus on what you need to do to get where you need to be, don't waste time, energy, and motivation second guessing yourself. Control what you can, develop a strategy for what you can't. You can do this, whether you do it in October, November, or both.
You could fast track through some of the core curriculum - watching it at 1.7 the speed for instance. The key is practicing what you've learned - esp for Logic Games and Logical Reasoning. Timing is the biggest killer for logic games whereby if you do not complete all 4 of the games, your score will take a hit. Logical reasoning takes up most of the core curriculum so what you could do is focus on going through each lesson while not necessarily watching all of the examples he will go through or doing all the problem sets. That will take considerably less time but you definitely will not grasp each concept as fully as possible. Then, complete some practice tests and use the analytics tool to see which specific questions (esp for Logical Reasoning) are your weakest and shore up your knowledge there. The only thing is watching each lesson is a whole new concept every time and that could be quite draining. Maybe if you rush through the core curriculum for the next 2 weeks and spend the remaining time going through 1 practice test a day, you could still get a decent score by October. As a first time test taker, you should have access to Score Preview for $45 whereby you can cancel your score within 6 days of receiving it. Then you can still take the November LSAT and potentially get a higher score.
It will be a grind and a half regardless of your decision but feel confident that you have a high GPA and that is a large part of your law school apps. You can also blow them away with a great personal statement and as long as you have a decent LSAT score, you will still be a solid candidate! Good luck
Of course, do what makes you most comfortable! Haha I chose the name specifically for that reason. And if you ever need a study buddy let me know - I am also taking in October!