LSAT Question...vs. SAT

<p>I'm still in high school, but considering becoming a lawyer. Now, I know absolutely nothing about the LSAT...when do you typically take the test? I hear you usually take it once, unlike the SAT. Also, is it possible to compare the LSAT to the SAT? I mean, is the reading comprehension on the LSAT comparable to the one found on the SAT? Does it take more time to prepare for the LSAT than the SAT? Thanks for your opinions.</p>

<p>yeah i'm in high school, and because I'm a CC nerd, I am worried about the LSAT. I heard some law schools have score cutoffs--e.g., 165 min LSAT score.
That got me wondering: How hard is the LSAT, really? Is it more like the SAT, or does it have content-questions like an SAT subject test or an AP?</p>

<p>from what ive seen, its different. Its more logic based i think</p>

<p>get to college first...</p>

<p>Having said that, the SAT and the LSAT are not directly comparable--pretty much two entire different beasts. Some people call the LSAT, "the SAT on steroids". Personally, I don't agree with that.</p>

<p>The LSAT is supposed to be taken only once--but that may be changing soon. </p>

<p>You don't really need to start thinking about the LSAT until the very end of your sophomore year.</p>

<p>So you really can't compare the reading comprehension?</p>

<p>well...think logically, lol...</p>

<p>the sat seeks to evaluate your reading comprehension after K-12; the lsat seeks to evaluate it after k-16. Therein lies the difference.</p>

<p>But really, what difference does it make? If you don't prep for the LSAT (either on your own or with a course--whatever works for you), you will most certainly bomb it. Most people actually do that, they believe they don't need the prep and end up having to wait 5 years in order to re-take it after it has expired.</p>

<p>I guess some people just want re-assurance that if they got 800 on CR, then they'll do well on the CR for the LSAT.</p>

<p>Your SAT score is no predictor of success on the LSAT. I'm learning this the hard way. You could have an SAT score of 1600 and wind up with a 140 on the LSAT without serious, strenuous preparation.</p>

<p>SAT scores correlate well with the LSAT. But if you don't prepare for it, you have a chance to get seriously screwed on the LSAT.</p>

<p>I don't know if the SAT correlates to the LSAT or not. But I found the following: In 2005, the average LSAT score of students from Emory who took the LSAT was 156. In 2004, the average Stanford student scored 164. </p>

<p>Some people in this forum have suggested that you can estimate your LSAT score by taking your SAT verbal score, taking off the last digit and putting a 1 in front. Using that process would suggest that the average for Emory students who went on to take the LSAT got verbal scores of 560; and Stanford students got 640's. </p>

<p>LSAT scores go from 120 to 180. About 1% of all LSAT scores are 170 or above, about 99% are below.</p>

<p>Umm...this is going to sound stupid (maybe) but when are you supposed to take the LSAT?</p>

<p>For those who are going to attempt to enter law school after 4 years of college, the usual time to take it is after junior year in college, in the June or a fall sitting. Majority of law schools average your LSAT scores from multiple tests (rather than taking the highest) and thus it is best to take it once and do well.</p>

<p>The test is unrelated to the SAT. LSAT stands for Law School Admissions Test and it is not created by the College Board or its testing arm ETS which has the SAT.</p>

<p>I am a believer in the SAT score being a good predictor of the LSAT. I found the formula advanced above of taking off the last number of the SAT English score and then inserting 1 at the beginning very interesting but flawed. Despite the appeal of that formula, I doubt that it really works out that way. The top 1% of the LSAT population starts at 172. The top 1% of the SAT verbal starts at about 760. The formula would predict someone who got a 760 verbal to get a 176 LSAT. In fact he would get a 172, substantially less. And this assumes that we are talking about equivalent testing populations. In fact, the difference should be even greater because of the fact that the LSAT population - people shooting for law school - is, I am sure, more intelligent on average than the SAT population - people shooting for college, a fraction of whom may later shoot for graduate school.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Using that process would suggest that the average for Emory students who went on to take the LSAT got verbal scores of 560; and Stanford students got 640's.

[/quote]
Yeah, this is clearly far too low. The modifier is probably much more complex.</p>

<p>There is a distinct correlation. A sample size of about 200 scores showed that there is a strong, positive correlation with strength of the collinearity being about .6.</p>

<p>Math Scores and Verbal Scores alone were only correlated with a strength of about .5.</p>

<p>The above probably wouldn't make much sense to a person who hasn't taken stats but suffice it to say there is a fairly strong relationship with both parts of the SAT (the Old One) having a stronger relationship to your LSAT score than your verbal alone.</p>

<p>In general, while making a 1600 was no guarantee you would make a 180, the vast majority of people who made 1600 scored at least 170 and virtually all of the people who made 180's also made 1600's on their SAT's in that study.</p>

<p>does the other end of the spectrum hold true. Im worried cause I did horribly on my sats, does that mean that the same will hold true with the lsats.</p>

<p>If you "study" and prepare for the LSAT, you'll be fine.</p>

<p>I had a 1510 SAT (old scoring system) and got a 160 on my last LSAT diagnostic. Am I then an exception to the "strong correlation," or has my intelligence decreased markedly since entering college?</p>

<p>It probably has to do with the fact that you're comparing an actual test to a diagnostic.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I had a 1510 SAT (old scoring system) and got a 160 on my last LSAT diagnostic. Am I then an exception to the "strong correlation," or has my intelligence decreased markedly since entering college?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You're getting dumber, don't worry. I got a 1440 and 160 on my diagnostic. :)</p>