101 Ways to A Higher LSAT: Featuring Law School Expert!

I am very excited to announce that I am a featured case study in the book: 101 Ways to Score Higher on Your LSAT: What You Need to Know About the Law School Admission Test Explained Simply by Linda C. Ashar.

If you're just starting to think about the LSAT (especially those of you applying for Fall 2010 admission and beyond), this book is a great, unbiased resource from a company that's not trying to sell you anything.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the book.

December or February LSAT? 6 Tips for LSAT Test Day.

Here are the 4 most common questions that I'm hearing this week from people scheduled to take the December LSAT:

1. I have the flu. What do I do?
2. This is my first time taking the LSAT and I'm not ready. What do I do?
3. If I postpone until February, is that too late in the rolling admission process?
4. Why do law schools say they will accept February LSAT scores?

If December would be your first time taking the LSAT and you're feeling unprepared or ill, then you have 2 options: (1) take the LSAT and see how you feel about it, keeping in mind you can cancel it if you really feel terrible during the exam, or (2) wait until the February LSAT.

If it's not your first time, you have to decide how you feel about relying on your previous score(s). If you are ok with the options that score will leave you in terms of a schools list, then go ahead and submit your applications and see what happens. If you aren't happy with your results, you can take the LSAT next June or October and apply early in the cycle for Fall 2010.

If you are someone who is scoring in the 140s on practice tests, please don't take the exam when you're sick. You'll come back with a score that won't get you serious consideration at any school, and this is especially true if your GPA is not strong. Plus, you'll have to deal with the ego blow that will haunt you whenever you do retake the test, and you'll have to write a pathetic "Boy, I sure do wish I'd done better on the LSAT" Addendum.

Waiting until February is not ideal, but if you get your applications submitted in the next few weeks you may be able to mitigate some of the disadvantage from applying so late in the cycle. Of course, it's always a gamble to come up with a schools list without a final LSAT score. You can create a schools list based on the range of practice LSAT results you've gotten, erring on the side of your lower scores to be safe and to make up for applying late in the cycle.

Lastly, I know schools say they "accept" February LSAT scores. However, you need to understand what that means. The earliest your application will be reviewed is March, at which point most schools will already have dozens or hundreds of applicants on their waitlists. So, in order for you to be admitted you would need to have an LSAT score that makes them want to take you over the others already on the waitlist. When schools say they "accept" February LSATs, it means they hold out for those really competitive candidates.

6 TIPS FOR LSAT TEST DAY:

I hope those of you taking the LSAT this weekend are ready, healthy, and well rested.
1. Go in with the attitude of proving what you can do.
2. Don't think about your final score.
3. Look at each question as a challenge that you welcome.
4. Don't worry about the guy next to you.
5. Don't talk to anyone during breaks (especially people who talk about already having a 172 but trying for a 179).
6. Do what works for you - eat the snacks that work for you, entertain your own superstitions, and try not to get distracted by rude proctors or clicking pencils. After all, those factors will be present in law school and during the bar exam - get used to them now.

Good luck everyone!

LSAT Advice

I'm not an LSAT tutor, but sometimes my clients give me great tips to pass on. Here are a sampling:



From S:

I am feeling much better about my LSAT progress ever since I finished the PowerScore books and utilized the materials at: www.testsherpa.com .

Back when I was in college my favorite calculus professor used to say, "If you don't understand a particular concept in your text book, don't give up . . . just get a different text book." He was right. Often times a different text author would explain something in a way that even a knucklehead like me could understand. Eventually I would find that author.

The games were still killing me so with my teacher's words in mind I went online looking for a different explanation, and I found TestSherpa. The owner of TestSherpa gave me links to his four-hour long "Logic Games Workshop" and I'll be doing that tonight at home, after I leave work. I have a feeling that's going to solidify things a lot for me and then I'll resume taking practice tests tomorrow. The material's good and helpful. Why does he charge so little? I'm thinking maybe he's a disgruntled ex-LSAC employee or something.

Anyway, I think www.testsherpa.com is a wonderful little find. I'll let you know how much I improve. I have a feeling I'll have some good news about TestSherpa to share with others.

From J:

By the way, the Powerscore Logical Reasoning Bible is also good. I liked the Logic Games one so much I decided to order another to try to further improve my Logical Reasoning scores, and I'm glad I did. Both books include good information and techniques for approaching formal logic and conditional reasoning, and they interact well with each other. I was in the US for the last few weeks and skimmed through a few of the general-purpose LSAT prep books (Princeton Review, Barrons etc) in a bookstore, and I was amazed at how superficial and generic they were in their advice. I've always been quite suspicious of the whole standardized-test-prep racket, so I feel strange writing these gushy testimonials, but Powerscore really does offer exceptionally effective methods.

Tips for December LSAT Takers

Here are some previous posts that will offer insight and advice for those of you taking (or retaking) the LSAT in December:

Pre-LSAT Advice (with just a caveat - I am no longer accepting clients with LSATs below the mid-140s because I have not seen them be overwhelmingly successful in their admission attempts recently and I do not want to give anyone false hope - only realistic hope.)

Countdown to the December LSAT (it's a little early for this pre-Thanksgiving advice but I hope it will still make you feel better)

What if you don't feel ready for the December LSAT? What are your alternatives? When reading this post, remember it's from last year so you have to change the dates in your head.....

Choosing an LSAT Prep Course

There are basically 3 options for LSAT preparation:
1. Self-study;
2. A formal in-class prep course; and
3. Private tutoring.

(Please take note: failing to prepare and taking the LSAT cold are NOT options. See my guest blog post on this topic at integrated learning).

#1 - Self Study
Independent study for the LSAT works best for people who generally perform well on standardized tests - those near-perfect SAT scores tend to predict near-perfect LSAT scores. The best materials are using actual LSAT tests, and although I'm not an LSAT tutor I always recommend reviewing the answers to the questions you get right in addition to those you got wrong. (Often right answers as accidental....)

Also, preparing for the LSAT requires 2-3 months of consistent study. When you're consistently hitting within a range of 5-7 points on timed practice exams, then you're probably ready to take the exam and hit the score that is the correct measure of your aptitude. Remember - setting a goal score NEVER works; it only sets you up for disappointment.

#2 - Formal Prep Course
A formal in-class prep-course offers materials and benefit of discipline - someone gives you a study guide and a calendar and takes you through things step by step. Mostly, this makes you sit in a chair and think about the LSAT over a good 8-10 week period. You know all the big-gun companies: Testmasters, BluePrint, Powerscore, Kaplan, Princeton Review, yadda yadda yadda. I haven't participated in any of these, but the concept is the same. Pick one with a schedule that works for you, where the people seem customer service oriented, and go for it.

#3 - Private Tutoring
If your schedule prohibits the prep course, and/or you know you learn best with individualized tutoring and attention, then all the big companies offer this option, of course. There are a few other options also - Integrated Learning, and Test Prep NY are two that I'm familiar with.

Remember, if something smells fishy about an LSAT prep company, it probably is. See this post about Questionable LSAT Vendors.

I hope this helps!