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TLDR:
- LSAT is a marathon not a sprint don’t burn yourself out
- 7Sage tutoring is actually worth the money
- Give yourself more time to study that you think you’ll need
- Celebrate the small wins!
- Yes, you can bring your score up significantly but it takes time
- If I can raise my score by 23 points so can you, but you have to have GRIT
- Be proud of whatever score you receive by knowing that you gave it your all
The first time I took the LSAT (my diagnostic test) I literally scored a 45. No, you didn’t read that wrong, no it wasn’t a 145, quite literally it was 45. For reference I have never done well at standardized tests, (I'm both dyslexic and have ADHD) I did so embarrassingly bad on the SAT that I didn’t send my scores to universities. But after religiously studying with the 7sage curriculum and receiving the accommodations I desperately needed, I was able to earn a 145 on my second exam roughly four months after my diagnostic! While it was a significant improvement, it wasn’t anywhere near where I wanted to be. I wanted a 170.
I knew that the higher the score I received the more scholarships I could potentially get. I’m an immigrant and first generation college graduate and knew my parents wouldn’t be able to help me financially during law school. I also knew I wanted to go into civil rights work, so I couldn’t rely on any big law money to pay off loans. So I got to work GRINDING on studying for this test.
I worked full time at a law office and every night after work I would come home and study for 2-3 hours each night, except for Fridays which were my rest days. I would take a practice test Saturday mornings and spend Sundays reviewing the results. My mindset for this exam was it is a marathon, not a sprint. I would still go out and have fun with my friends on Saturday nights but instead of drinking tequila sodas like everyone else, I was drinking seltzer water with lemon because I knew I had to be up the next day to study. For an entire year I was primarily sober at parties and events, and still had a great time!
I started studying in January 2023, convinced that I could pull my score up to at least the high 160s by August, and boy was I delusional. I’m sure others would be able to do that, but I most certainly was not. I decided to defer applying for a year to get my score up. I ended up scoring a 161 on the November LSAT. While it wasn’t my dream score and I knew I would have to take the test again, I was still INCREDIBLY proud of myself. Up to that point I had been scoring in the high 150s, so this was a major win. You need to celebrate the small wins along the way.
I used my law firm bonus to pay for tutoring through 7Sage and it was some of the best money I ever spent. They helped me break down what I was missing and I began scoring in the high 160s and had my first 170! I was signed up for the April 2024 LSAT ready to absolutely crush it, and then got laid off from my law firm job (rip) two weeks beforehand. I ended up choking on the test and got a 163. While happy my score had gone up, I was devaaaaastated it didn’t reflect my practice tests. I decided to take a break from studying and took two months off because I was burned out. I started studying again in June 2024 while starting to write my applications and took the September LSAT scoring a 168 in the 95 percentile!
While I had scored higher on practice tests before (I only got to that 170 once) I was still so unbelievably proud of myself because I knew I had given this test everything I could have. I sent out my applications this past fall and am eagerly waiting to hear back from schools
Comments
Thank you for sharing your story! It is truly inspiring, congratulations on your 168! That's an amazing accomplishment! Especially while working is so impressive!!
I hope to get there soon. I scored in the high 140s on my November LSAT and aim to be in the high 160s by the June exam! I will be using all your tips
Thanks so much, I felt dumb after studying for 8 months I scored a 147. I thought I was getting them all down. Starting to restudy and thought to retake in April. My practice is at a 149. I need about a 155 to get into my law school of choice and earn some scholarships I hope but this is encouraging to me
Do you recommend a tutor in particular?
Congratulations!! As a first gen latina myself, it's been hard working towards the score I want. I scored a 138 on my very first diagnostic, and I'm also studying after work and schoolwork (I work at a law firm also LOL). Your story is inspiring, and thank you for sharing. I hope you get all the scholarship money you're looking for!!
This is amazing! Congratulations on all of your hard work and every single one of your well-deserved achievements. You should be so proud of yourself!
I don't think a 45 is a possible score
120 is the lowest possible score. Regardless, nice work on the improvement and congrats on the score!
Lol how did you get a 45 if the minimum score is a 120?