Diagnostic (69): 146

[sydney19877]

Hey guys,

I took test 69 as a diagnostic, and got only a 146. I'm currently signed up for the February 2014 LSAT.

I need to get 170+ so that I can get a scholarship from a local school, I just can't afford to take up more student loans in addition to what I already have from grad school.

Is this doable?

I feel like I suck at reading long passages, and large amounts of text kinda phase me out. I'm not sure if I'm just too stupid or if I can really improve THAT MUCH with practice. If I had a diagnostic at least in the 150s, I'd feel much better. But I don't know where to go from a 146 and poor reading/comprehension skills to start with.

[MoMettaMonk]

There are people on this forum who have done it, but it's a long process and a lot of hard work. Make sure that you're using the right materials to study. You'll get lots of suggestions if you ask around the forums (I can personally recommend the Manhattan books and Velocity LG). The other thing that you should do is practice reading LSAT like material. Read newspapers and magazines like the Economist, the New York Times, or the WSJ. Even reading dense fiction like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones can be helpful. You just have to remember that reading is a lot like learning an instrument, it is a skill, and it takes a lot of practice. The more you practice it consistently the quicker passages that once seemed incredibly difficult will become easy.

[Kimikho]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=216881&p=7099092&hilit=diagnostic#p7099092

[wowhio]

The advice I would give is to be willing to spend money on LSAT prep, knowing it will pay off in the end. This doesn't mean taking a prep course necessarily (though it could, if that's what you think would work best for you)... It means be willing to spend the money to invest in the books you'll need and all the practice tests you can get your hands on. Believe me, it will pay off.

I self-studied and was shooting for a big score improvement too. There have been lots of forums about this so go get as much advice as possible but for starters, go get:
- The PowerScore Logic Games Bible
- The PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible
- AS MANY OFFICIAL PRACTICE TESTS AS YOU CAN FIND

I also really liked the one Fox LSAT Prep Book I had. Basically, it's just a full length practice test with really good (and oddly entertaining) explanations, which can be super helpful.

Oh, and when you're using the official practice tests... Start with the older ones and work towards the newer ones. The newest ones are most similar to the test now so you'll want them for the homestretch of studying.

[RhymesLikeDimes]

What were your section scores? A -18 on LG is nothing to worry about, but if you did horribly on RC, that's going to be hard to fix. LR is in-between, but doable with enough time and effort.

[jk148706]

If you have a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of patience, willingness to put in the work, and some luck, you can do it.

[Mojosodope]

study hard, the test is very learnable