General LSAT advice Forum

[sebastian0622]

I took the LSAT June 2009 and applied to law school for admission Fall 2010. I scored a 167 on the test and have been admitted at a few schools that interest me. I plan to enroll this fall. Upon registering at these boards and realizing how much preparation goes into the LSAT for people, I have a few questions:

1) My LSAT study consisted of about three hours of study while traveling one day, then two practice tests. On test day, I missed zero on the reading comp section, around 3-4 on each logical reasoning, and a lot (a dozen or so) on the logic games. This distribution seems conducive to me being able to improve, correct? Would it be reasonable to think, with prep, that I could get to the 170 area?

2) If I have an idea that I may want to transfer after my first year of law school, would it be advantageous to re-take the LSAT prior to that time? I could re-take this coming June and have that score in hand when it came time for transfer apps.

3) This is more of a college choice question: Even if I were to study hard and start practice testing in the 170's, would it be worth passing up on pretty good money from schools ranked 15-25 this fall in lieu of a chance to be more competitive next fall?

I really appreciate any advice you all could give. I am realizing pretty late in the game that I should have put some more effort and research into this whole process. The problem was that I simply intended all along to go to my state school (which is top 30) and set the bar pretty low in hindsight.

[rosiee]

I have an answer to question #1. Yes, you are extremely likely to improve your LSAT score dramatically. You can go in the mid 170s if you focus on logic games. There is a fantastic book out there (Powerscore logic games bible) that will help you immensely and make you manage to get -0 on the games. Trust me, it breaks it all down for you and makes it a piece of cake. You can do amazing on the test.

[sebastian0622]

bump (is that ok here)

[dynomite]

1) My LSAT study consisted of about three hours of study while traveling one day, then two practice tests. On test day, I missed zero on the reading comp section, around 3-4 on each logical reasoning, and a lot (a dozen or so) on the logic games. This distribution seems conducive to me being able to improve, correct? Would it be reasonable to think, with prep, that I could get to the 170 area?

If you buy the Powerscore Logic Games Bible and perhaps the Logical Reasoning Bible, and study both of these materials hard, you're probably looking at 175+. Congrats.

3) This is more of a college choice question: Even if I were to study hard and start practice testing in the 170's, would it be worth passing up on pretty good money from schools ranked 15-25 this fall in lieu of a chance to be more competitive next fall?

It's a question only you can answer. What's your goal after law school? BigLaw and lots of money at a firm in New York/Chicago/DC? A local nonprofit? A local smaller firm? A specialized field? You can't answer your question unless you answer these questions.

In a vacuum, it probably makes more sense to go to, say, Harvard or NYU than UConn, if that's your choice -- that said, if your dream is to work at a firm in the Hartford area UConn might have better placement locally.

If I were you, I'd find local people to give you advice. Local law professors who'd be willing to meet for coffee, alumni from your undergrad who work in law in the region, etc. Present the options to them and see what they have to say.

[Nom Sawyer]

I took the LSAT June 2009 and applied to law school for admission Fall 2010. I scored a 167 on the test and have been admitted at a few schools that interest me. I plan to enroll this fall. Upon registering at these boards and realizing how much preparation goes into the LSAT for people, I have a few questions:

1) My LSAT study consisted of about three hours of study while traveling one day, then two practice tests. On test day, I missed zero on the reading comp section, around 3-4 on each logical reasoning, and a lot (a dozen or so) on the logic games. This distribution seems conducive to me being able to improve, correct? Would it be reasonable to think, with prep, that I could get to the 170 area?

2) If I have an idea that I may want to transfer after my first year of law school, would it be advantageous to re-take the LSAT prior to that time? I could re-take this coming June and have that score in hand when it came time for transfer apps.

3) This is more of a college choice question: Even if I were to study hard and start practice testing in the 170's, would it be worth passing up on pretty good money from schools ranked 15-25 this fall in lieu of a chance to be more competitive next fall?

I really appreciate any advice you all could give. I am realizing pretty late in the game that I should have put some more effort and research into this whole process. The problem was that I simply intended all along to go to my state school (which is top 30) and set the bar pretty low in hindsight.

Based on what you said, only taking two practice tests and then scoring a 167 is very very good... most likely indicates you can score a 173+ on a retake, especially with a little more studying. I don't necessarily think you have to invest the 80~120 hours others state, but if you work hard on improving your games ( a section which should usually only have 1~4 mistakes for someone who can score that well in LR/RC) and polish up your logical reasoning a bit you'll def be in much better shape.

If I were you I'd buy a bunch more practice tests (or just go to Borders/Barnes & Nobles with a Notebook) and practice on them + review your mistakes until you feel solid about Logic Games and also bring down your LR mistakes. With an increase of 5 points your looking at jumping into T14 acceptances or an increase in scholarship offers by $60,000 to $90,000.. not a bad return for say 30 or 40 hours of extra study and delay of an year.

[sebastian0622]

Thanks for the response, dynomite.

I have a good offer from Emory and love Atlanta, so there is a good option on the table. Not sure if I want biglaw. Frankly, I'd be fine with working at a medium-sized firm and making $80-90k a year. With everyone talking about how bad the economy is right now, I want to make sure a school like Emory can deliver that to a median student. I would like to keep the possibility of an international law (gov't agency perhaps) or retirement-type job in academia open down the line, so those would be the motivating factors for the higher-ranked school I'd think?

I tend to think that a school like Emory/Wash U/Vandy would give me what I need, but I want other opinions.

[skynet]

What's your GPA?

I generally think that if you want to keep your options open, a higher-ranked school is worth trying for, but unless your LSAT score is the only thing holding you back, a re-take won't necessarily improve your prospects that much.

[dynomite]

Thanks for the response, dynomite. I have a good offer from Emory and love Atlanta, so there is a good option on the table. Not sure if I want biglaw. Frankly, I'd be fine with working at a medium-sized firm and making $80-90k a year. With everyone talking about how bad the economy is right now, I want to make sure a school like Emory can deliver that to a median student.

No problem.

Yeah, I think -- for a firm in Atlanta -- Emory is probably a great place to go; they'll have hundreds of alumni working in the region, and many at any decent sized Atlanta firm you look at. (I'm guessing, but this has to be true) That said, I'd want to talk to some students there and find out if that's the case. Maybe see if there's someone who went to your UG and Emory Law and is working in Atlanta? Your UG career office will almost certainly have someone on file who fits this bill.

I would like to keep the possibility of an international law (gov't agency perhaps) or retirement-type job in academia open down the line, so those would be the motivating factors for the higher-ranked school I'd think?

In that case, a T10 school might make more sense. Again, I'd suggest talking to professors/lawyers who'd be willing to talk to you (which, you might be surprised to learn, will be a lot).

[sebastian0622]

What's your GPA?

I generally think that if you want to keep your options open, a higher-ranked school is worth trying for, but unless your LSAT score is the only thing holding you back, a re-take won't necessarily improve your prospects that much.

This is a relevant question. My GPA is only 3.5, so I'm not sure how many extra doors a higher LSAT will really open.

[Nom Sawyer]

What's your GPA?

I generally think that if you want to keep your options open, a higher-ranked school is worth trying for, but unless your LSAT score is the only thing holding you back, a re-take won't necessarily improve your prospects that much.

This is a relevant question. My GPA is only 3.5, so I'm not sure how many extra doors a higher LSAT will really open.

With a 3.5 GPA you'll def have better options if you get a 170+ on the LSAT OP.. and looking at your career aspirations.. even if its a decent Midsize firm you'll be much more secure coming out of a T14 (especially if you have aspirations for academia later on).

At the 167-173 range, each point can really make a difference and it seems like you can jump 5-6 points if you retake. Also what is your offer from Emory right now? with those extra points that offer would increase by a substantial amount.

[skynet]

What's your GPA?

I generally think that if you want to keep your options open, a higher-ranked school is worth trying for, but unless your LSAT score is the only thing holding you back, a re-take won't necessarily improve your prospects that much.

This is a relevant question. My GPA is only 3.5, so I'm not sure how many extra doors a higher LSAT will really open.

With a 3.5 GPA you'll def have better options if you get a 170+ on the LSAT OP.. and looking at your career aspirations.. even if its a decent Midsize firm you'll be much more secure coming out of a T14 (especially if you have aspirations for academia later on).

At the 167-173 range, each point can really make a difference and it seems like you can jump 5-6 points if you retake. Also what is your offer from Emory right now? with those extra points that offer would increase by a substantial amount.

agreed. ITE, every little bit of extra prestige helps, and it sounds like you can buy a pretty substantial jump in your LS's prestige w/ relatively little effort. If you are committed to GA, Emory is not a bad choice, but if you want to keep your options more open, I think you could get into a T14 w/ your GPA and a 172+.

Edit: If nothing else you will increase your scholly offers from non-T14, so it seems like a can't-lose situation if you can stand to wait a year. With another year out of school, you may improve your softs while you are at it.