156 Diagnostic to 171!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share some things I learned during my 7sage-ing in case they help anyone. For background, I started studied for the LSAT in September of last year aiming for a 170. My diagnostic (completely blind) was 156. My first LSAT was April 2022 and I got a 166. I re-grouped and took the test again in June scoring a 171!!!! Now, I’m feeling really optimistic about getting into my dream school of UCLA! (Or maybe even thinking about NYU)!!!!

1. Time and proper focus is everything. I’m certain if I devoted more time I could’ve scored a 175 since my BR scores have been in that range, but my priority was being done taking the LSAT by June. If you’re discouraged by your scores you really need to sit and think, is my priority to go to law school or is it to get my dream lsat score and go to a “dream T-14”? Your answer to this should really be driving your studying. With infinite time I’m sure all of us could score 170+, but we can also all go to law school and be wonderful lawyers without that score. Don’t get bogged down in all this high scoring nonsense.

2. I started Core Curriculum before it was shortened so this may not apply anymore, but I think the best thing I did was skip unnecessary practice drills during the core curriculum. I’d do all the lessons but only drill past a certain point if I was really struggling. Don’t feel like you need to do all of the material. Also, I went into studying strong on reading comprehension, so I completely skipped RC core curriculum to devote that time and energy to logic games. The most important part of studying is figuring out what YOU are doing wrong and where YOU need help.

3. FOOLPROOFING WORKS! I hated foolproofing and at times felt annoyed with how long the logic games curriculum was, but truly it was the thing that helped me most.

4. BLIND REVIEW. I think possibly the best thing about the 7sage method.

5. Create a testing routine. What brought my score up between April and June was making sure no matter what I had a system of taking the test with timing markers (like I want to finish the first ten LR questions in 8 minutes to leave room for review) that I was consistently hitting. Confidence is what matters most on test day, and you need to be confident in your routine.

6. Don’t waste time taking PT after PT after PT. PT’s are just benchmarks, and at first it’s helpful to take a lot to build up stamina, but after they don’t actually help you improve. Drills and careful blind review is where your score increase happens. So, if you’re cramming in three PTs a week, I’m nearly certain you’re not devoting enough time to Blind Review and Drilling to improve.

That’s all I can think of on the top of my head, but message me if you’ve got any questions about my specific studying methods! Wishing everyone luck, and remember the LSAT is not a measure of your intellect, worth, or prospects for future success! You got this!