The 160s Club! Join all ye 170 hopefuls! Forum

[Doxide]

Someone in my last thread gave me the great idea for this post.

Are you like me and countless others? Stuck in the 160s quagmire with no light at the end of the tunnel? Have you been taking test after test trying to break the 170 barrier? This thread is for all the normal kids out there who aren't trying to boost their cold 177 to a 180. Who just want it to all be over.

Post your progress and your stories and your trouble areas. Let's all get there together! Or you can just rant and pull your hair out.

[dakatz]

My first diagnostic with minimal prep beforehand came out to 160 so I'm definitely in this boat. I began a prep course 2 weeks ago and I feel like I'm learning a lot. I just need to work on my time management. I would say about 10 of the 20 questions I answered incorrectly on my first diagnostic were due to nothing more than lack of time. With 2 months, I still think I have a chance at getting 170 or something close to it.

[solotee]

Yes! Finally a home!

I think we can collectively pull through by posting any breakthroughs, suggestions and commenting on recent progress. Any experienced 170'ers that pulled themselves out of the 160's hole are more than welcome to chip in!

PT B (today)

LG: -12 (worst ever, it came out of nowhere )
LR1: -4 (ran out of time on 1 problem)
LR2: -3
RC: -4 (from -9 diagnostics, thnx TLS!!)

Raw: 78 Scaled: 163
Please post your current progress!

September 26th, 2009: 171

Let's do this guys

[cunni1775]

I'm in. Last 3 PT's, 164, 166, 163. RC and games fluctuate from -3 to -10 (Grrrrrr.) LR I'm pretty consistent with -4, -5 but I think I can get it down to -5 combined for game day. LG will come with more drilling and I'm trying to read more dense material in order to get my mind right for RC. I just typically run out of time on both LG and RC.

[Genki]

Just got a 169. This is my third 169 and I've yet to break 170.
Hope to get a 172+ on the Sept Test.

[cunni1775]

P.S. you know you are consumed with all things LSAT when you are posting on TLS at 12 AM on a Tuesday!

[grandslam]

I got a 169 in June. Hoping to get a 173+ in Sept.

I can't seem to motivate myself though - going through the whole studying ordeal again is going to be terrible. This thread might be good for me

[redrdstr]

PT 12 (7/25)
LG: -0
LR1: -5
LR2: -6
RC: -11 (God, I suck at reading!)

Raw: 79 Scaled: 162

I'm not trying to be greedy, I just want a 170. Is that too much to ask for?

[tintin]

count me in. 168 in june. was practicing 170+ before the test. hoping to do that in sept!

[rsg87]

I was never able to break into the 170s until the actual exam and got a 171. I feel like I was concentrating more when I knew it was the actual exam.

[Slimpee]

Can I play, too?

164 in June. Hoping for 170 in Sept.

On the June test I went -7 combined in LR, -2 in RC and -10 in LG.

I did one of each last week and went -2 LR, -2 RC and -1 LG. I had already seen the LG section, so it certainly isn't representative, but i was still glad to be able to diagram and answer all the questions w/in 35 minutes. I'm not sure i've ever finished a new-to-me LG section w/in 35 minutes.

LG seems to becoming a bit less intimidating so if I can improve to where I can finish in time consistently (a BIG if) and improve a bit in LR and RC (or at least not go down much), a 170 is w/ in my grasp!

[solotee]

I'm in. Last 3 PT's, 164, 166, 163. RC and games fluctuate from -3 to -10 (Grrrrrr.) LR I'm pretty consistent with -4, -5 but I think I can get it down to -5 combined for game day. LG will come with more drilling and I'm trying to read more dense material in order to get my mind right for RC. I just typically run out of time on both LG and RC.

At this point in the game, I would be hesitant to allocate the precious time left for LSAT studying by reading dense material unrelated to the LSAT unless you've exhausted all of your PT's. My RC has considerably been improving over the past 3 weeks. (-9, -7, -4, -3 etc). I did this just by using real RC passages from older exams and redoing them after marking the one's I got wrong, supplemented by advice from TLS.

Here's a good article on RC
http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/ne ... -tips.html

[cendien]

June 168 checking in. Aiming for a 173+, but I'll likely be thrilled with a 171 or higher.

Been looking at admissions graphs to boost my motivation to study - I really don't want to take this test again!

[knola002]

Any experienced 170'ers that pulled themselves out of the 160's hole are more than welcome to chip in!

First three PT scores were 160 (9/23 on LG, blech), 166, and 168. Took me two months, but I broke 170 eventually, and am scoring above that consistently. Just keep pounding away (in an intelligent, focused sort of way), you'll break it.

[jodyschmidt]

The bad: I am a college dropout who is currently a part time paralegal at a friend's law firm
The good: I got a near perfect LSAT score around 2000 and taught at Princeton Review for 2 years as a result, so, if you post a problem (probably best as a JPEG hosted at imageshack or photobucket), from any section, I may be able to throw in a cool pointer or two.

Me bored! Looking to help someone with my meager skill set.
Toss a problem here, lest there is some other forum for that, since I am a total newbie, in which case, I'll shut up and go to appropriate thread.

Cheers and much success to all!

[solotee]

The bad: I am a college dropout who is currently a part time paralegal at a friend's law firm
The good: I got a near perfect LSAT score around 2000 and taught at Princeton Review for 2 years as a result, so, if you post a problem (probably best as a JPEG hosted at imageshack or photobucket), from any section, I may be able to throw in a cool pointer or two.

Me bored! Looking to help someone with my meager skill set.
Toss a problem here, lest there is some other forum for that, since I am a total newbie, in which case, I'll shut up and go to appropriate thread.

Cheers and much success to all!

No I'm pretty sure you're in the right thread. Thnx for the offer, I'll take you up on it.

[insidethetwenty]

June 163 checking in. Count me in for the 170+ hopeful wagon.

FTR, my post count is finally scooting toward the LSAT score I want...

[Slimpee]

FTR, my post count is finally scooting toward the LSAT score I want...

I think the same thing whenever I see a number falling between 165-180. When I run (which is rarely) I try to keep my heartrate above a 165 because that's where I want to be on the LSAT.

[ChiCity22]

This thread defines the current state of my life...currently scoring mid 160's with a 167 high

[acharyainc]

being in this rut SUCKS!

164-168 consistently. Have re-read the LRB, have practice without time, have examined mistakes but nothing works. Grrrrr. In the words of a few tls-ers "i wanna punch a baby"

[emciosn]

June 163 checking in. Count me in for the 170+ hopeful wagon.

FTR, my post count is finally scooting toward the LSAT score I want...

Funny thing actually. I happened to hit 180 on my post count the night before the June test scores were released and everyone in the waiting thread told me to not post anymore. I didn't and when scores came back I got my 170 I attribute it totally to my post count.

In another note, I notice a lot of people having trouble with RC right now. My experience was that RC was the last section to get better or "click" for me. I just pounded away at actually RC sections (I never read the economist etc.) and eventually my scores started to get a lot better. I went -13 on my diagnostic for RC, the -2 on the real thing (actually ended up being my best section) so there is hope for all of you, just keep plugging away!

[ILbadger]

I have taken two cold PT's (timed )165 and 166. I have yet to purchase the study bibles but will shortly before school starts. I am taking 18 credits this semester with Friday's completely class free, which is when I plan on studying for the LSAT. I am tentatively set to take in June, but I might in February if I start scoring near the high 160's. My goal is a 171. Is there anything else one can do to study other then make themselves comfortable with the time pressure?

[Jay-Electronica]

How do you convert your raw to a scaled score?

[emciosn]

How do you convert your raw to a scaled score?

There should be a scale at the end of your PT that tells you a scaled score for a corresponding raw score.

[generals10]

Member, but hopefully not for long (about 2 months, to be exact). Should have canceled my June score (got a 164 after cold testing at a 167 and PT averaging at 171); haven't gotten below a 175 on 7 PT's since (mid-90s tests, so grain of salt). Aiming for a 176+ in September but honestly will be happy with anything above a 170.

P.S. That attitude I slipped into in the previous sentence is, I think, a terrible one to have. I have a good GPA and approached the June test thinking "I need to do well enough to not ruin my GPA" instead of "I want to do as well as I can, squeezing the most out of my potential and getting as many acceptances and as much money as possible." I'm trying to adopt that attitude this time around and credit that -- along with focusing on my major weaknesses, logic games and stamina -- with my improved PT scores so far.

P.P.S. Is the consensus that all the top schools (except for some top-5) will pretty much consider your higher score now, as long as there is a significant difference? I've seen mixed things on this issue...