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[Username123]

you mentioned you're a first generation immigrant

are you esl?

English was my second language. However, I'm not an ESL student.

Everyone here simply seems to be calling bull shit on the fact that some people are just bad at standardized testing.

It's just tough to comprehend the fact that someone was studious and intelligent enough to earn a 3.9+ GPA, but isn't able to break average on the LSAT.

Did you put more time and effort into your LSAT study compared to your studies in UG? This test is, in most cases, a six figure investment and should be treated as such.

[runinthefront]

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[03152016]

from the first article i linked to, entitled "The Paradox of Dyslexia: Slow Reading, Fast Thinking"

[hunt godlink]

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[runinthefront]

you mentioned you're a first generation immigrant

are you esl?

English was my second language. However, I'm not an ESL student.

Everyone here simply seems to be calling bull shit on the fact that some people are just bad at standardized testing.

no, i'm not questioning whether you're bad at standardized testing
i'm trying to understand why you're bad at standardized testing

you clearly have had academic success despite your reading problems
i think you should consider getting tested for learning disorders, as i suspect you're not reaching your full potential

check out these links:
http://www.yalescientific.org/2011/04/t ... -thinking/
http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm
http://www.interdys.org/AreYouDyslexic_AdultTest.htm

So if it turns out that I do have a learning disorder, does that mean I am unfit for law school?

most law schools require a very,very extended showing of past testing accommodations before granting extra time

if you really read as slow as you imply, you're going to have a hard time not being near the bottom of the class at any T1 school come exam time

[hunt godlink]

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[03152016]

So if it turns out that I do have a learning disorder, does that mean I am unfit for law school?

absolutely not
a specialist may be able to help you overcome some of these obstacles and reach your full potential
plus, an official diagnosis may make you eligible for testing accommodations on your retake
i think it would be a great idea for you to do some more research and think about finding a specialist

[hunt godlink]

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[ilikebaseball]

most law schools require a very,very extended showing of past testing accommodations before granting extra time

if you really read as slow as you imply, you're going to have a hard time not being near the bottom of the class at any T1 school come exam time

I'm not looking for testing accommodations because I know that isn't feasible at this point.

Also, I'm not worried about potential academic success in law school. I could have gotten a 4.0 if I tried harder in two classes. At this moment, I'm just worried about getting in.

well, ill settle it for you. you wont get in.

in saying that, your potential for any law school is enormous if you get a good LSAT score

[hunt godlink]

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[hunt godlink]

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[runinthefront]

most law schools require a very,very extended showing of past testing accommodations before granting extra time

if you really read as slow as you imply, you're going to have a hard time not being near the bottom of the class at any T1 school come exam time

I'm not looking for testing accommodations because I know that isn't feasible at this point.

Also, I'm not worried about potential academic success in law school. I could have gotten a 4.0 if I tried harder in two classes. At this moment, I'm just worried about getting in.

without a 160 you won't get into any of the schools you listed. With a 160, your odds of getting into any of those schools are non-negligible, but still very,very low. If that's the only point of this thread, you seem to have gotten your answer. Good luck with getting more help/studying and retaking, if you choose to retake.

[ilikebaseball]

dont spend money on a course. Use 7sage and manhattan forums. The only things you need to buy are drills and PT's. 150 bucks should cover it.

This thread is pointless. A 150 isn't even close to what you need to get in, never mind make it affordable. If you don't wanna pursue a different career path your ONLY option is to study until you reach a higher score. That's it. You aren't getting into any good law schools with even a 5 point increase. You need to study on your own for a year, and then check back in with this same question. Shoot for the October exam.

That's your only option. Pretty simple deal.

[Username123]

dont spend money on a course. Use 7sage and manhattan forums. The only things you need to buy are drills and PT's. 150 bucks should cover it.

Check out Cambridge LSAT and buy one of their drilling/PT bundles for $200 (dk exact $ price).

And record your PT scores on lsatqa.com to analyze where your weak points during testing are coming from.

[kadyevna]

So if it turns out that I do have a learning disorder, does that mean I am unfit for law school?

absolutely not
a specialist may be able to help you overcome some of these obstacles and reach your full potential
plus, an official diagnosis may make you eligible for testing accommodations on your retake
i think it would be a great idea for you to do some more research and think about finding a specialist

god, i followed this thread from the very beginning and i have to say this, OP is unwilling to step out of his little bubble and listen. a 150 is 150, no matter how determined you are. im an immigrant, english is my third language. in my first diagnostic test, i needed 1 hour and half to finish a rc section, i spent 1 year and half and exhausted all lsat questions, powerscore bibles, and other sources. i took the kaplan in the beginning as well, it did not help at all. you have to work by yourself, simply sticking to a prep course isn't sufficient. i literally slept in school library 3 weeks before my second lsat retake and got a 173. now you have two choices, either you worked hard on you lsat, or face the reality.

P.S brut is SUPER nice and patient, i wish i had a tutor like her (or him)

[hunt godlink]

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[rdawkins28]

Probably not a troll. I know plenty of book smart kids, many of whom are Asians coincidentally, who do fine when they're tested exactly the material that they're taught. But when it comes to SAT/ACT/LSAT/MCAT, they choke because those require a little more than studying known material.

Heck, an in-law relative of mine (Asian American) was valedictorian in her large middle-class suburban fairly competitive high school. But that was pretty much her peak. She couldn't get a decent SAT/ACT to save her life. Tried the MCAT several times but couldn't get a decent score.

Either way, OP, unless you have really good connections, tons of money, and/or just an amazing go-getter, don't bother with law school. Not that you can't be a success since I've met plenty of lawyers who are dumb as f*ck when it comes to the law, but they seem to make a decent living. Can go more into this but it's not really the point of the thread.

Anyway, PM me if you want to chat about this since I come from a non-T14 and I work with/against non-T14 lawyers all the time. Can tell you what your potential law career might look like since it's going to be different from the TLS T14 experience.

[Louis1127]

Probably not a troll. I know plenty of book smart kids, many of whom are Asians coincidentally, who do fine when they're tested exactly the material that they're taught. But when it comes to SAT/ACT/LSAT/MCAT, they choke because those require a little more than studying known material.

Heck, an in-law relative of mine (Asian American) was valedictorian in her large middle-class suburban fairly competitive high school. But that was pretty much her peak. She couldn't get a decent SAT/ACT to save her life. Tried the MCAT several times but couldn't get a decent score.

The College Board, who administers the SAT, paints a different story than your anecdotes.

OP, I went from a 144 to a 160 and am retaking in Feb. Study hard. You can do even better than me. Do what baseball said- 7sage videos, manhattan forums, and I would add Hacking the LSAT free explanations. Then get your PTs and drill slowly (plenty of threads on this).

Finally,

Likewise, if I don't improve significantly on the February LSAT, my determination to become a lawyer also makes me inclined to settle for a tier two or tier three school and try to make it to the top of my class there. I'm not too fond of studying for the LSAT and be out of school for an entire year (May 2015 - September 2016), and I think I'd rather attend a sub-par law school.

You do realize that everyone tries to be at the top of the class, right? And it always ends up being just ten percent of the class.

[Rigo]

OP, February is way too soon. You're not going to improve in a month given your previous inability to improve in a year.

[jw316]

Anyway, PM me if you want to chat about this since I come from a non-T14 and I work with/against non-T14 lawyers all the time. Can tell you what your potential law career might look like since it's going to be different from the TLS T14 experience.

Hey just curious but why not do that in the thread? I think it can be valuable when someone who actually has experience chimes in

[rdawkins28]

Anyway, PM me if you want to chat about this since I come from a non-T14 and I work with/against non-T14 lawyers all the time. Can tell you what your potential law career might look like since it's going to be different from the TLS T14 experience.

Hey just curious but why not do that in the thread? I think it can be valuable when someone who actually has experience chimes in

Because TLS's motto is T14 or bust. And anything thought outside of that realm is laughed at.

[rdawkins28]

Probably not a troll. I know plenty of book smart kids, many of whom are Asians coincidentally, who do fine when they're tested exactly the material that they're taught. But when it comes to SAT/ACT/LSAT/MCAT, they choke because those require a little more than studying known material.

Heck, an in-law relative of mine (Asian American) was valedictorian in her large middle-class suburban fairly competitive high school. But that was pretty much her peak. She couldn't get a decent SAT/ACT to save her life. Tried the MCAT several times but couldn't get a decent score.

The College Board, who administers the SAT, paints a different story than your anecdotes.

OP, I went from a 144 to a 160 and am retaking in Feb. Study hard. You can do even better than me. Do what baseball said- 7sage videos, manhattan forums, and I would add Hacking the LSAT free explanations. Then get your PTs and drill slowly (plenty of threads on this).

I never said don't retake. Retake is pretty much one of the obvious answer that doesn't me to re-echo.

But I'm going beyond that. As an older practicing lawyer (think 50) who has lot of experience with Asian American students, especially first generations, I have a sense that he matches the profile of the high GPA, low ACT/SAT/LSAT/MCAT Asians.

Anyway, don't care enough to debate this anymore with you Louis.

OP, if you want some real life from a practicing lawyer, send me a message. And I have a son who's currently at 160 hoping to get up to 170+. We have helped some other kids in your boat and would be glad to help you too.

[encore1101]

At this point, my mind is pretty much set on law school.

Why though? What are your career goals?

I can foresee myself passing the bar if I studied enough for it because it's different than the other standardized tests.

I know I want to be a lawyer, and I'm trying to get into the highest ranked law school possible at the moment to optimize my career opportunities in the future.

Why do you think the bar is different from other standardized tests?

There's posts in the Bar Exam Prep and Discussion forum about people who have to retake because they similarly are bad at standardized tests. Are there different ways to be bad at standardized tests?

[Rigo]

Based on OP's school list, I'm assuming he's from California too. That state has a notoriously difficult bar exam as evidenced by super low passage rates (and those people don't have problems with standardized tests).

[pamphleteer]

Based on OP's school list, I'm assuming he's from California too. That state has a notoriously difficult bar exam as evidenced by super low passage rates (and those people don't have problems with standardized tests).

Sounds like s/he is from Oregon:

My safety schools would be local ones like UO, Willamette, Lewis and Clark, Seattle U, etc.

Regardless, the point still stands.