Help?

Graduate School Law School
1

<p>I'm really stressed out right now. I registered to take the February LSAT because the June test doesn't fit in with my schedule, and the September one is cutting it too close for my comfort, I'd rather apply as early as possible to maximize my chances.</p>

<p>The problem is that since I decided to take the February test, I had to sign up for an online course (none of the classroom courses fit in with my winter break schedule and I had already bought my plane tickets). </p>

<p>I started using the online course about 2 weeks ago and it's been okay, but I still have some concerns. I got a 164 on a diagnostic test I took in an unrelated book (I think it was kaplan or something). Then I took another diagnostic test to start out the Princeton Review online course, and got a 160. I just took my second online test and got a 161, which is hardly an improvement at all. </p>

<p>I'm just so worried that a month and a half isn't going to be enough time to learn this stuff, and more importantly that the online course isn't gonna cut it in terms of teaching me the games section, which is what I struggle with the most.</p>

<p>I know this isn't a specific question, but do you guys have any suggestions for me?</p>

<p>Btw, I'm aiming for a 172-3+, my GPA is 3.7 at Northwestern (probably gonna stay that way til the end of this year), and at the moment my favorite schools are Northwestern, U Chicago, Penn and I will, of course, apply to HYS etc. just to see what happens.</p>

<p>This is all assuming I can make some progress on the LSAT!</p>

2

<p>lily- please don't panic. I have had numerous times (my daughter included) that your score can dip at the beginning of your studies. It may be caused as you are adjusting to the information that you just learned and it takes a while for you to catch on. After the dip in score, it should (hopefully) begin to climb.
if your diagnostic started off with a 164- you should be in pretty good shape.
my d started in low 150's- dipped and then went up about 15 points from the time she started to study. (she did Kaplan classes)
once you get closer to the February exam, if your score in not where you want it to be, I suggest you make the time and take the LSAT in the spring or Sept/Oct. instead of February. You may need more time to study for the exam.</p>

3

<p>Hire a private tutor and use your time to focus on your personal weakness. I'd say you can get where you want with approx. 10 hours of private time and good luck to you.</p>

4

<p>lily- I meant to say, "I have HEARD numerous times... " </p>

<p>but Hazmat is making a very good point. It may be worth your while to get a private tutor.</p>

5

<p>Not to highjack the thread, but I have a quick question. I finish finals next Tuesday and I am planning on taking the February LSAT. Is seven weeks generally enough time to prepare for it? I will not have a job over break, so I can devout a large chunk of each day to studying.</p>

6

<p>Lilybbloom -- I think that sometimes, all the talk of "study, study, study...anyone can ace the LSAT" allows students to ignore the reality that sometimes, stuff happens. I did quite well on a diagnostic LSAT, then took a practice course and worked a little bit with a private tutor...my score climbed and climbed, and then I took the test and scored below even my diagnostic. Studied until the next sitting, took it again, and scored one point higher. What're ya gonna do?</p>

<p>If you take (or re-take, for that matter) the test in September, it won't be too late for you to apply early. Many schools put their applications up in early September, but don't begin accepting them until October (by which time you would have your Sept. LSAT score). Anyway, in the first month or two of the application season, a few weeks in any direction shouldn't make much difference (this is probably true until at least winter break, but I won't push my luck). I can't back that up factually...it's just the advice I read and heard all through my own cycle. Of course, taking the test twice is still not ideal, but it's becoming less of an issue.</p>

<p>The only real piece of advice I have comes from personal experience. Scoring so well in my practice tests, I researched a number of schools that ended up being out of my league. I should have prepared myself better by learning about a wider range of schools so that when my scores arrived, I didn't have to make so many decisions in so little time. As it was, I ended up doing a lot of useless applications. So, while the schools you're looking at are all great and might end up being worth your while, I encourage you also to research schools that you can apply to even if you wind up with a 164 or a 160 on your LSAT (unless you're of the attitude that if you score lower than you need for the schools you want, you'll take time off and try again in the future, in which case I guess it's a moot point).</p>

<p>FYI, even though I was unhappy with my performance on the LSAT, I'm heading to a top school, and one that probably would've been my first or second choice no matter how I had scored (interestingly, if I shared my stats, most posters here would probably tell me "no chance"). Things have a way of working out. I just would've saved myself a lot of stress if I'd been better prepared.</p>

<p>So, suggestions: Keep studying, try adding a new element to your studying (a different workbook, a private tutor...not every method works for every person), and prepare yourself for the possibility that your eventual score may or may not be as high as you'd like.</p>

<p>This, too, shall pass ;)</p>

7

<p>i don't know law school admissions (judging by the fact that i'm not IN law school), but i do know the lsat...pretty pointless thing to be good at in the real world. oh well.</p>

<p>imho, seven weeks is enough time to study for the lsat, depending (do you hate me now?) on your background. some people have backgrounds and/or minds that allow the lsat to come really quickly. for example, i did debate; the first time i looked at an lsat, i felt like i was in a debate round, so i was happy. people who have philosophy or computer science backgrounds also often find the lsat comes quickly. also, i think it depends on how you're studying. i, personally, think the lsat is a really cool game that the testmakers made up to amuse themselves, in large part. it has so many little tricks and rules that one NEEDS to be familiar with to do well. if you're studying with some sort of study aid, tutor, or class that focuses on that, i think you'll pick things up quicker.</p>

<p>as for lily, i agree with marny. i taught the lsat for a few years, and score dips are one of the most common things we see, especially for people starting out with a good score. it takes a while to absorb and effectively apply the things you're learning. you're re-learning how to do something that you're already pretty good at (mid-160's is a great score to be starting out with). and while i don't know how you take the lsat, one thing to be aware of is the trap of thinking too much on the lsat. the first time you take it, you don't have all these rules in your head that you feel like you need to be applying; as you begin studying, you know more things and the lsat begins to seem more complicated. it's good to think, but it's also really dangerous (i think :) to overthink. remember that the lsat is fundamentally testing a way of thinking, and the testmakers want you to reason using their paradigm to get a good score. if you're doing a question, and have it narrowed down to, say, two answer choices, and then you start trying to figure out which one is right...that's where things could get ugly. you're using your brain and your way of reasoning, and you're getting farther and farther away from the testmakers way of reasoning. i usually find that (since what you need to answer the question is ALWAYS there in the question) if i can't figure out which answer is correct, i've missed something (usually a single word) in the question.</p>

<p>anyways. that ended up being longer than i intended. :) good luck to both of you!!!</p>

8

<p>Agree with studend615. </p>

<p>You need to be realistic.</p>