Improvement Estimate? Forum

Prepare for the LSAT or discuss it with others in this forum.
Post Reply
TLatting

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 1:22 pm

Improvement Estimate?

Post by TLatting » Thu Mar 15, 2018 8:10 pm

So I took a practice LSAT without any studying at all while I was in undergrad two years ago and scored a 154. I then took the February 2016 LSAT without studying also. (probably not the wisest decision) I scored a 155. This will be my first time taking the test and studying for it first. I'm studying LG and LR hard after work everyday. I'm just wondering how much improvement you guys think I will see, or how much would be reasonably possible? I am hoping for a good score to compensate for my GPA (3.3). I am planning to take the June test, and then the September if I am not satisfied with my score. Thanks everyone!

terminator924

New
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:39 pm

Re: Improvement Estimate?

Post by terminator924 » Thu Mar 15, 2018 8:57 pm

A 155 is an excellent diagnostic score. It is very reasonable that a lot of hard work and study, done in the right manner, can get you a 170+ score. What score are you looking for? The improvement that you get really depends on how you study, and of course, how much you study. Try foolproofing for LG, and for LR, just use PS or Manhattan to drill specific types that are giving you trouble.

Law 202x

New
Posts: 78
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:05 pm

Re: Improvement Estimate?

Post by Law 202x » Fri Mar 16, 2018 2:44 am

I can tell you what mine was like since I had a 156 diagnostic so we're pretty close. I started with taking three PTs, and made a 156 on each one of them. I was making no improvement and I was running out of time to study so I just rescheduled to a later time. When I came back about a year and a half later with no practice, I made a 158. My next two tests I also made a 158 and then my seventh test I made a 163. The improvement represented a significant improvement in LG which I am horribly weak in and a more modest boost in LR. So basically I took 7 PTs and then did some study on some of the later tests to try to figure out why I missed certain questions. Then I sat for the exam and made a 161. I think it's pretty good in regard to the fact that it would have been my second highest PT score and aside from an abnormally large spike in my last practice test it likely would have been my best performance until that point. In retrospect, thirty days was not sufficient time for preparing for such a test but it gave me a good experience so that I can go in for the June exam, and tweak my practice methods a little bit and try to make a better score in June.

So if you can make similar progress, I think you could be in the low 160s within about a month to six weeks time.

albanach

Gold
Posts: 1986
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:05 pm

Re: Improvement Estimate?

Post by albanach » Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:16 am

1) the test is learnable. If you study hard, and follow the guides on here, you can do well. Well is relative in some way to your natural ability, but the techniques in the guides will let you maximize your performance.

2) Don't sit for June unless you're ready. You're ready when you've either completed the guides, taken all the past tests and plateaued, or are comfortably scoring in timed tests a range that would get you into your target schools.

3) Don't be afraid to wait. Many folk spend a year mastering the LSAT. Some achieve that in weeks. You won't know until you start properly studying how naturally this will come to you. Every point you give up by taking the test earlier means giving up on a higher ranked school, scholarship dollars, or both. Yes, this could also mean delaying law school by a year.

TLatting

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 1:22 pm

Re: Improvement Estimate?

Post by TLatting » Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:05 pm

terminator924 wrote:A 155 is an excellent diagnostic score. It is very reasonable that a lot of hard work and study, done in the right manner, can get you a 170+ score. What score are you looking for? The improvement that you get really depends on how you study, and of course, how much you study. Try foolproofing for LG, and for LR, just use PS or Manhattan to drill specific types that are giving you trouble.

Thanks for the reply! I don’t have a certain score I am shooting for. I’m hoping to be competitive for UT Austin/Vandy, but I’m afraid my GPA may be too low (3.3-3.4). I graduated in ‘16 so I can’t change my GPA now.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Pozzo

Gold
Posts: 1918
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 3:36 pm

Re: Improvement Estimate?

Post by Pozzo » Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:35 pm

There's no way to "estimate" your improvement. There are people who go from mid-150s to 170+ all the time. What you should do is look at your goals, see what schools give you the best shot at those goals, and study the hell out of the LSAT to make sure your score is not the reason you're not accepted. I wouldn't rush to take the June test. If you're not making your goal scores by then, keep studying. And for reference, here's a couple of ways your GPA plays out in the T20, first with a 165-170, then with a 171-175. Your GPA will be a hurdle at the very top, but you can still have a lot of options. Follow the guides on here, buy the books, make it happen.

Image

Image

blueprint-nick

New
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:15 pm

Re: Improvement Estimate?

Post by blueprint-nick » Tue Mar 20, 2018 1:56 pm

TLatting wrote:So I took a practice LSAT without any studying at all while I was in undergrad two years ago and scored a 154. I then took the February 2016 LSAT without studying also. (probably not the wisest decision) I scored a 155. This will be my first time taking the test and studying for it first. I'm studying LG and LR hard after work everyday. I'm just wondering how much improvement you guys think I will see, or how much would be reasonably possible? I am hoping for a good score to compensate for my GPA (3.3). I am planning to take the June test, and then the September if I am not satisfied with my score. Thanks everyone!
Our students at Blueprint see an average score increase of 11 points. So for you that would be 166. That is the average. If you work harder than most you are likely to see a larger increase than that. I do not think it is unrealistic for you to shoot for a 170+. However, it is impossible to estimate your increase without knowing your effort.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


Post Reply

Return to “LSAT Prep and Discussion Forum”