Iwasgoingtobeasenator's Nuggets of Wisdom Forum
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iwasgoingtobeasenator
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:14 pm
Iwasgoingtobeasenator's Nuggets of Wisdom
Ok, TLS has been kind of slow lately, so I am going to launch my own blog so I can share all of the tips/advice that I've come across.
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iwasgoingtobeasenator
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:14 pm
Re: Iwasgoingtobeasenator's Nuggets of Wisdom
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Last edited by iwasgoingtobeasenator on Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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iwasgoingtobeasenator
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:14 pm
Re: Iwasgoingtobeasenator's Nuggets of Wisdom
LSAT advice for NOobs.
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That test is important.
You might think that you're different and special because you volunteer often, because you have/might pursue a master's degree, or because you are a Fulbright Scholar or something. Those are all great, and they won't hurt you in the process, but make no mistake they don't substitute for that test score. I'm pretty bright and started at 153. My significant other is extremely bright and started at 166. I went to a 170, she went to a 172. I would have NEVER been accepted to my program with my LSAT, and the same can be said for my significant other. Our lives would have been very different had we walked into that test cold.
There is nothing dumber than saying "Oh, well I'm naturally bright so I'll be fine for the test, I'll only need 3-4 weeks to study." I'd say that most everyone who scores high on the LSAT is pretty bright, but you become very categorized by your LSAT score, in terms of which programs will/won't take you. Take a diagnostic at least 6 months before you have to take the test, see where you are. I had work to do to get my score, my SO had less work. Either way, a good score is attainable if you're willing to put in the effort, so do it.
Check out http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com
This website is a collection of self-reported data from anxious applicant past. Though self reported data isn't exactly perfect, you can see by looking year by year, and program by program, that there are definite patterns. The best portion of the website is a constructed graph that shows the accepted/waitlisted/denied applicants on an X-Y axis graph. You can see very clearly what numbers you need for your program. My program takes a significant majority of people with my LSAT, but practically no one with an LSAT 2 points lower.
Bottom line: Those extra points on the LSAT matter, and there is no such thing as "too good of a score" because all that a higher score can bring you is more acceptance letters and more scholarship money.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
That test is important.
You might think that you're different and special because you volunteer often, because you have/might pursue a master's degree, or because you are a Fulbright Scholar or something. Those are all great, and they won't hurt you in the process, but make no mistake they don't substitute for that test score. I'm pretty bright and started at 153. My significant other is extremely bright and started at 166. I went to a 170, she went to a 172. I would have NEVER been accepted to my program with my LSAT, and the same can be said for my significant other. Our lives would have been very different had we walked into that test cold.
There is nothing dumber than saying "Oh, well I'm naturally bright so I'll be fine for the test, I'll only need 3-4 weeks to study." I'd say that most everyone who scores high on the LSAT is pretty bright, but you become very categorized by your LSAT score, in terms of which programs will/won't take you. Take a diagnostic at least 6 months before you have to take the test, see where you are. I had work to do to get my score, my SO had less work. Either way, a good score is attainable if you're willing to put in the effort, so do it.
Check out http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com
This website is a collection of self-reported data from anxious applicant past. Though self reported data isn't exactly perfect, you can see by looking year by year, and program by program, that there are definite patterns. The best portion of the website is a constructed graph that shows the accepted/waitlisted/denied applicants on an X-Y axis graph. You can see very clearly what numbers you need for your program. My program takes a significant majority of people with my LSAT, but practically no one with an LSAT 2 points lower.
Bottom line: Those extra points on the LSAT matter, and there is no such thing as "too good of a score" because all that a higher score can bring you is more acceptance letters and more scholarship money.
