Overheard at the LSAT Forum

[MoMettaMonk]

I thought about not posting this, but it's just so bad. I used to think that most of these were exaggerations, but based on my most recent experience, they're right on the money. So below are his statements and in parenthesis, support for those statements.

A state school kid started trying to enlighten me before the test, even though my expression basically said "if you don't possess coffee that you are going to offer me, then leave me the hell alone." He had what in his mind were wise points: you should always answer E (because his college professor made that the correct answer the most often), I should only focus on the first three games and the first three passages (because it's impossible to finish them all), and that if I had any last minute questions I should ask him now (because he took a Princeton review course, is retaking a 151 and is sure it was a fluke --- this time he's sure to break 160).

I shit you not. This actually happened to me. I didn't have the heart to destroy this kid by telling him that I was retaking a 172 because I knew I could beat it easily and that his suggestions were awful advice.

I rarely root for people to fail, but I think this guy warrants an exception.

<---- State School Pleb

[AnonymousAlterEgoC]

I rarely root for people to fail, but I think this guy warrants an exception.

<---- State School Pleb

As a fellow State School Pleb (well, large public), I disagree. He was not attacking state school plebs. He was remarking that one of them is lazy and arrogant. However, I agree that the tone of his last paragraph switches to become pretty elitist.

[wtrc]

I rarely root for people to fail, but I think this guy warrants an exception.

<---- State School Pleb

As a fellow State School Pleb (well, large public), I disagree. He was not attacking state school plebs. He was remarking that one of them is lazy and arrogant. However, I agree that the tone of his last paragraph switches to become pretty elitist.

Just to chime in here that I don't think DD was saying "State School Kid" in a condescending tone at all, particularly since DD wants to... go to a State School for Law School. Just background info there, that was presented in not the best way I guess.

Re the last paragraph, I don't think it's elitist to say "If I work hard, I can do better than most people on this test, and I'll prove it." The vast majority of people that get good scores today study hundreds or even thousands of hours to get them--- for me it was absolutely the most time-consuming thing I ever did. When others (like the kid DD mentions) study for like a few weeks total, and then try to lecture others in a condescending way with awful advice... I can see the frustration there...

[northwood]

My only fault with DD's point is that he prefaced his statement with State School Kid, which, when read in the context of the remaining post, appears to be a wide swipe against all state school kids. As such, it could be interpreted as both arrogant and elitist. If it was just " some random taker", im sure there would be little quarrel about the post, and probably more posters would have agreed with it.... That is all..

[rinkrat19]

I rarely root for people to fail, but I think this guy warrants an exception.

<---- State School Pleb

As a fellow State School Pleb (well, large public), I disagree. He was not attacking state school plebs. He was remarking that one of them is lazy and arrogant. However, I agree that the tone of his last paragraph switches to become pretty elitist.

Just to chime in here that I don't think DD was saying "State School Kid" in a condescending tone at all, particularly since DD wants to... go to a State School for Law School. Just background info there, that was presented in not the best way I guess.

Re the last paragraph, I don't think it's elitist to say "If I work hard, I can do better than most people on this test, and I'll prove it." The vast majority of people that get good scores today study hundreds or even thousands of hours to get them--- for me it was absolutely the most time-consuming thing I ever did. When others (like the kid DD mentions) study for like a few weeks total, and then try to lecture others in a condescending way with awful advice... I can see the frustration there...

There was literally zero purpose in including the "state school" detail if he didn't mean to take a swipe at public schools.

Plenty of public school grads at my T14, incidentally. Including me.

[mephistopheles]

fuck private school

[DocHawkeye]

Plenty of public school grads at my T14, incidentally. Including me.

It is worth noting that nearly 1/4 of the T14 are, indeed, public schools.

[midwest17]

A state school kid started trying to enlighten me before the test

what do you mean

Perhaps "I, or my parents likely overspent on my undergraduate education, so I'm validating this choice by asserting my private educations pseudo-sueperiority over all others."

[iditarod]

.

[McGruff]

Guy next to me used the mini pencils that you get a golf course. He also erased half of his writing sample and started over.

this got lost in all the state school debacle but how did he erase if he was using golf minipencils? they don't have erasers...

[IrishJew]

Assistant Dean of Admissions is in the room and says "I don't even really understand how they grade this thing. I simply look at the score and look at what other people have scored to compare. Is it curved? Do you get certain points per question?"

Dear GOD, that would scare the shit out of me. Please say it's not a T14.

Could be. Some schools in the T-14 definitely have deans who don't know shit and have never been to law school. But what do you care, a high score is a high score, a low score is a low score. Compare applicant to other applicants, that pretty SOP from Harvard down to Bubmlefuck U. (I'd be surprised if it was T-3 though.)

[ManoftheHour]

the girl next to me spent 2 mins writing and started her nap. at first i was like what are you doing like leaning on the desk i mean how can you write? then i realized...i was like i wish i can be just like you...and the 5 mins call woke her up i saw she had 4 lines on her answer sheet. great. that is literally "I don't give a shit about writing but i still wrote something so i will not be disqualified"

She probably got a 170+. At least she's not one of those people that freak out about the essay portion. Anyone that freaks out about the essay portion is TTT because he/she could not even perform a simple google search to find information that reveals how dumb the essay portion is.

[ManoftheHour]

Guy next to me used the mini pencils that you get a golf course. He also erased half of his writing sample and started over.

this got lost in all the state school debacle but how did he erase if he was using golf minipencils? they don't have erasers...

[rinkrat19]

Guy next to me used the mini pencils that you get a golf course. He also erased half of his writing sample and started over.

this got lost in all the state school debacle but how did he erase if he was using golf minipencils? they don't have erasers...

My god. If only there were such a thing as erasers not attached to pencils.

[IrishJew]

I think they cut out the photo on her license and taped it on.

say what

Actually I would have done the exact same thing and even thought of this before the test. (Screw it, if I forget this damn picture I'll just cut up my license and get a new one, much easier than prepping for a new LSAT.)

[Foxtrot2013]

Just stumbled across this thread. This is orgasmic!!!

[McGruff]

My god. If only there were such a thing as erasers not attached to pencils.

Yeah I guess that's possible, lol at someone bringing golf pencils and a separate eraser tho

[JustHawkin]

My god. If only there were such a thing as erasers not attached to pencils.

Yeah I guess that's possible, lol at someone bringing golf pencils and a separate eraser tho

Those get dull as crap by the 18th hole. I can't imagine a whole section...

[John Winger]

My god. If only there were such a thing as erasers not attached to pencils.

Yeah I guess that's possible, lol at someone bringing golf pencils and a separate eraser tho

Those get dull as crap by the 18th hole. I can't imagine a whole section...

I think he robbed his local golf course of their pencil supply. He had a bunch of them... and a giant eraser. It was just odd to see someone using those, especially if they aren't considered #2 pencils.

[Daily_Double]

.

[Cicero76]

Haha, I didn't mean anything negative by my post above and I'm certainly not elitist, just another guy struggling to get somewhere, and I didn't mean to insult anyone in the process. If that kid I described is reading this, I wish him good luck, it just strikes me as odd that he felt the need to share his views about the test with others and I whenever he got the chance for various reasons, when his views were in fact misguided. I mean, he was just so sure they were correct points that I kind of felt bad. That's all I was trying to say.

Whether or not he attended a state school had no relevance, I just tend to add unnecessary details when I write to paint a better picture, though it looks like I failed miserably in that effort. What was most annoying about it, and I think it would annoy most others as well, is someone acting in the role of an expert, while polluting other's views and concentration right before such an important test.

This state school pleb forgives you; we all misspeak on the internets.

[SEngland]

Haha, I didn't mean anything negative by my post above and I'm certainly not elitist, just another guy struggling to get somewhere, and I didn't mean to insult anyone in the process. If that kid I described is reading this, I wish him good luck, it just strikes me as odd that he felt the need to share his views about the test with others and I whenever he got the chance for various reasons, when his views were in fact misguided. I mean, he was just so sure they were correct points that I kind of felt bad. That's all I was trying to say.

Whether or not he attended a state school had no relevance, I just tend to add unnecessary details when I write to paint a better picture, though it looks like I failed miserably in that effort. What was most annoying about it, and I think it would annoy most others as well, is someone acting in the role of an expert, while polluting other's views and concentration right before such an important test.

This state school pleb forgives you; we all misspeak on the internets.

State school, private school, who gives a fuck. It doesn't matter now anyway.

[algonquin]

Haha, I didn't mean anything negative by my post above and I'm certainly not elitist, just another guy struggling to get somewhere, and I didn't mean to insult anyone in the process. If that kid I described is reading this, I wish him good luck, it just strikes me as odd that he felt the need to share his views about the test with others and I whenever he got the chance for various reasons, when his views were in fact misguided. I mean, he was just so sure they were correct points that I kind of felt bad. That's all I was trying to say.

Whether or not he attended a state school had no relevance, I just tend to add unnecessary details when I write to paint a better picture, though it looks like I failed miserably in that effort. What was most annoying about it, and I think it would annoy most others as well, is someone acting in the role of an expert, while polluting other's views and concentration right before such an important test.

This state school pleb forgives you; we all misspeak on the internets.

State school, private school, who gives a fuck. It doesn't matter now anyway.

You know what *does* matter? What kind of pencil you used.

[iamgeorgebush]

People who get 166 might not be lazy, but they got no place going to law school. Retake or don't go

This is such nonsense...with a strong enough GPA, a 166 could get you into Berkeley, whose median is 167.

Even without a strong GPA, the T14-or-bust mentality isn't necessarily warranted. There are people who go to lower-ranked law schools, do very well at those law schools, and end up having very successful careers. I know several such people.

[North]

People who get 166 might not be lazy, but they got no place going to law school. Retake or don't go

This is such nonsense...with a strong enough GPA, a 166 could get you into Berkeley, whose median is 167.

Even without a strong GPA, the T14-or-bust mentality isn't necessarily warranted. There are people who go to lower-ranked law schools, do very well at those law schools, and end up having very successful careers. I know several such people.

Who wants to turn this babbling into a Flaw LR question?