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Seeking advice
kylelanders
Free Trial Member
Hi everyone,
New here so nice meeting you all. I'd like some advice on my next course of action given my situation.
I've written the LSAT twice and scored a 154 both times, once in September 2017 and once in December 2017. I've used a mix of self-studying, various books, and tutors, and my practice tests usually average around 156.
I'm signed up for February 2018 but I realize I have a lot of work to do, and there are just 35 days until the test.
I would love to focus on the June 2018 test instead, or even September 2018, because I find that despite what some others think, this test will take quite a long time and a lot of patience and practice to truly master. However, February is the last administration for this admission cycle of the schools I applied to.
I don't feel comfortable waiting another admission cycle because of the pressure at home and socially overall to be employed and have my career on track already. My family and friends are surprised it's taking so long to do well on a single test, and I sense that they don't think it's for me.
I honestly think I can do it if I have enough time and support, but I'm not sure those will be available after February.
Any tips will be appreciated!
Comments
I know it is tough, and maybe what I'm about to say is hard to believe but sometimes your biggest supporter is going to be yourself. I'm a single mother of 3 kids, I left my job, although got the offer to work PT from home which is nice, which I did accept, and I sold my house for the profit and do nothing but study for the LSAT and spend time with my kids. I've had to make stringent sacrifices and cutbacks but my kids are fed, happy, healthy. Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't have a solid career yet (I had a quasi solid one as a paralegal but as I've always wanted to be an attorney, I'm not settling for a lifetime of being a step down) and I should for my kids but I'm working my butt off to get there and unfortunately it's not an overnight thing. I've been a paralegal for nearly a decade, and while in undergrad full time, I managed to become a single mother of 3 blessings. So my biggest supporters are all age 5 and under. I'm a first generation college student. My parents, family, etc., are very unfamiliar with college and especially a rigorous grad/professional program such as law school so I feel they think I am crazy for how I'm living my life (sounds like a rebellious one, no?) Lol. I mentioned to my father, I may consider the June test and he was so confused, responded with "how do you know it will be the same test you're studying for now if you're studying for February?" I have a wonderful father, a true hardworking laborer. And I have an estranged mother who obviously is of no support. And I'm an only child, so my father is on board with whatever I do but the understanding isn't always clear on his end, and sometimes explaining it can seem like a moot point. Sometimes it is lonely, but my only LSAT understanding love and acceptance comes from 7sage. What I am getting at is you have to do what's right for you. Do what you know is best for you. You've got to do you.
Studying for the LSAT is hard. I'm doing all I can now and hoping for the best for this cycle. But it sometimes is very lonely, and I have to be my biggest supporter.
I just want to say that your story is very inspiring. Wishing you all the best!
Hey, welcome to 7Sage, you're in the right place!
I had the benefit of great moral support from friends and family, so it was easy for me to take the time I needed, at least as far as that went. I started with a 140's diagnostic and worked my way up to an official 163. In the extra time I took off, I ultimately managed to work my way up to a 176. I don't have to explain the difference that makes, and I doubt I have to say it was totally worth it.
If you're going to delay though, you need to know how you're going to get better. It's not just going to happen by doing the same thing you've been doing for another year. You've got to have a plan, you've got to do something different. For me, that meant joining 7Sage and starting over with a new curriculum from a clean slate. So what are you going to do differently? What are you going to do better? You need to form concrete answers to those questions.
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That's really thoughtful of you to say. Thank you.
The present value of your time is relatively small because your career is not on track yet. Right now, it financially and mathematically makes sense to focus on the LSAT and get the best score you can to increase your future value. The LSAT is going to be the single most important factor for admissions which will ultimately be the biggest factor in what careers/jobs are available to you.
Having negative pressure to just apply sucks but don't let it make you do something you'll regret. I can tell from your post that you know you're capable of way more than a 154. Follow @"Cant Get Right"'s post and figure out a plan to do things differently and get that score you need to go to your dream school.
Welcome to 7sage! One of the nice things about having such an open forum on a study platform is that we become each other's support group. Eventually, you want to score better for yourself and you just can't think about your family/friends.
I also suggest reading Spivey's blog about "late" LSATs: http://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/late/
I would not necessarily recommend taking in June, thinking you're going to be automatically admitted for Fall 2018. But, it is always a possibility if you absolutely cannot sit out a cycle
The other thing to remember is that you're the one going to law school, you're the one starting a legal career, and you're the one living the life that will result from it all. It may suck right now, but when all this turns out beautifully, no one will remember that you took an extra year. No one ever said, "Johnny got in at Harvard, but it took him a year longer than he originally expected. What a loser."
If you need support, turn to people who know what you're going through. Start going to the 7Sage study groups and stay active on the forums. We know what you're dealing with, and you've got our support. As great as my family and friends were, they couldn't hope to understand what I was going through. My 7Sage folks are the ones who really got me through this. (Thanks y'all!) And if your friends or anyone else are giving you shit, tell them to take a full length PT and then y'all can talk afterwards if they've still got something to say.
Hey! I know exactly what you are feeling. I faced eviction if I didn't get my applications in this cycle. People just don't understand what it's like going through this process. This includes older lawyers... My dad's friend, a well established lawyer, kept telling my dad I was wasting my time and that I should just apply. That added pressure sucked for sure.
Don't let them phase you. They were adamant that I submit my applications after my Sept score. I didn't listen, and instead relied on the 7Sage community to keep pushing forward. I retook the test in December despite their objections. I improved from a 163 to a 171 and have opened many new doors. I owe it entirely to talking to people here who understood what I was going through.
Keep your head up, and fight for yourself!! We got your back
Welcome!! So happy to have you here! I'm so happy you posted this because there are so many people on this forum who can relate to you. And like the others said, your friends and family won't understand the journey and that's complete OK. That is what this discussion forum is here for - your new friends on 7Sage will keep you going. You don't how many times I have come to this forum feeling defeated, desperate and ready to give up and there's always someone who says the exact thing I need to hear to keep going. First, don't get discouraged about waiting a year... or even longer. The LSAT is the single most important thing in this step of your law school journey. And if you going 7Sage, JY, the teacher, does an amazing job explaining that in one of the first videos in the curriculum. Don't rush it. Give it and yourself the chance you deserve to get into a great school. Secondly, don't listen to your friends and family. They are great but they have no idea what they are talking about. And that's ok, they'll understand why you didn't listen to them once you get into that dream school. Third join 7Sage! I know a lot of us probably sound like salespeople lol - but I swear we're not, we're not getting paid we just love the curriculum that much. I tried other study materials before joining and haven't found anything even remotely close to the advantage 7Sage gives you. This is going to be a long and difficult journey but you can totally do it. We all believe in you.
I would recommend not taking it in February. That said, if you feel you have to, I would try to focus on making substantial gains in one section before the test.
Usually the easiest section to improve is logic games so I would start with that. Begin foolproofing games 1-35 ASAP and get as far as you can while taking PTs on the weekend. Hopefully, your improvement in the one section will be fairly sunstantial and a good start for your future June or September take. It may also help prove to your family the potential benefit of studying (the score you could get by replicating that success on the other sections). Additionally, talk to your family about the scholarships that become available as the result of an increase in LSAT score. They will relate to the dollar figure better than the prestige of one school over another.
I too studied for a retake despite the skepticism of my family that I could do meaningfully better. After my retake they started harassing my sister about how she should have retaken the DAT(Dental Admissions Test) and didn't stop untill she accepted a fully funded position in a joint program yesterday. The point of that for me isn't that my family is awful. They saw I wasn't enjoying the LSAT studying and they didn't think standardized tests could be improved on much so they wanted what was best for me. Then having seen retaking worked they wanted to apply the lesson to helping my sister. However, in reality, we had both done our research and knew the relative importance of our admission's tests in our application processes as well as how much work it would take to improve.
You have done the same. You know it pays off to retake the LSAT with adequate study time. You either have to convince your family or ignore them. Don't cave to them and ruin your future. They probably mean well, but are not in a position to know well
Hi again.
I would answer each of you individually but I figured I'd reply to you all at once.
Thank you very much for your kind words, helpful advice and inspiring stories! I've read them all and am pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the passion in your responses. It's refreshing to get feedback from people who have shared the same experience of writing and struggling with this test.
I wish you all the best in your own journeys and I'm very grateful for your support.
KL
Hey so I know a lot of people already responded, but I figured to chime in too. It's pretty normal for people who have not taken the LSAT/applied recently to be completely misinformed. Although I only had to take the test twice, I also had to deal with all of the pushback after I decided to take an extra year off, and then postponing retake from Sept to Dec. Turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. As others have said, you can explain to your family how much having a higher score improves your employment and income projections, and hopefully they can understand. I know you said you are anxious to get your career on track, but isn't that exactly what you are doing when studying for the LSAT? At the end of the day, you know much better what your goals are, and what you need to get there, than does your family, so don't sell yourself short on this process for the wrong reason. Good luck!
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Hi, So don't worry about what family/friends are saying. This test is a special one and it takes awhile to get prepared for it. They're probably imagining it like the SAT/ACT, but this test is very different. It's also different from school exams. So it's likely ignorance on their part. Just be patient, remember they probably haven't taken this test, and remember we're here for you.
@"sbc.mom_3x" , I agree with so much of what you're saying. I also went through paralegal training and I knew full well the entire time I wanted and needed a JD. I'm so much looking forward to our reaching these goals in our careers. Keep on keeping on.
This - what he said. You can do it lady. I had my heart set on December when I bombed the Sept test. But, I wasn't ready. Then it was February and I've just realized that I'm not ready for February, so, onward to June. I suggest calling your schools and telling them that you are taking the June LSAT and if they could please review your application with the June score even though it may be after their deadline. You never know - take a look at the article that @kimmy_m66 posted. Now, study your butt off for June. Go. Now.
I had to reply to you too because I almost cried reading your story. I, too, was a paralegal for a few years and always wanted more. And I have two little ones also - 7 and 4, and its tough to study having kids! I know it gets lonely sometimes but then I come to the boards and get uplifted again. Hang in there - you do this for you and fulfill your dream. You are on your way. See it realized in your mind.
You are too kind. It is overwhelming at times but I don't think it's supposed to be easy. Nothing worthwhile is. Realizing and accepting that was monumental to get me where I am today. And I'm far from where I'm going to be, but I am closer everyday. It definitely wouldn't be the same without 7sage. This page, group, it's all so wonderful. I talk to my 5 year old about the LSAT and he has held flash cards for me. Maybe one day he'll be taking the LSAT and he won't be entirely unfamiliar with it, he'll know he's got to study study study. I wouldn't pressure my kids. But that's part of why parental pressure is common. They just haven't been there to understand it.
I think it's a great example for kids and helping them see the process of setting college, graduate/professional admission, and career goals.