junior undergrad seeking advice Forum

[vandygirl]

Hello!
I was wondering how much LSAT scores generally improve with thorough studying. I just finished my first kaplan class today where I took my first full length timed LSAT and was very disappointed with my 153. I realize I definitely need to be scoring in the 160's at the very least to be getting in to the law schools I'm aiming for, is there any hope? This a very raw score for me, as I haven't started studying yet, and I'm hoping my course will help. Any advice? I plan to take the June test so I have about 6 months to prepare. I'm currently a junior undergrad at Vandy with a 3.65 GPA, president of a club, and currently interning for a senator. I'm hoping to improve my GPA this semester, but I know that LSAT scores are heavily weighted in admissions decisions. Any advice is appreciated.

[palarmon]

I was in your shoes asking the same thing a while back... my first lsat diagnostic was 148, I got a 162 on the December LSAT and I am shooting for a 175 in June don't let anyone tell you what the average is, if you work hard enough and are bright you are not limited. So I would say the highest score you can get is a 180

[General Tso]

I went from 151 diagnostic to 162 actual. PTs were generally 167-169.

Work hard in your class. Do all of the homeworks. Don't just limit yourself to just Kaplan materials either. You should branch out into the Powerscore methods as well, especially on logic games. They will tell you to just pick one system and go with it but once you've practiced enough you will develop your own hybrid approach to games.

Oh final advice - take many more practice tests than just the ones proctored in your class. I took about 15. Many high scorers take all ~50 practice LSATs.

[vandygirl]

I'll definitely look into Powerscore too, thanks for the advice. And congrats to both of you on your scores and improvements, it gives me hope that hard work will possibly improve my score.

[dsap45]

i took a kaplan class as well, scoring a 150 on my diagnostic and a 164 on test day in september. so long as you do all of the work and utilize the extra study materials provided for you (particularly the full length tests) you can expect significant improvement. i would also recommend that you try to adhere to there schedule concerning the full length practice tests and not begin working on too many of them on your own until you are towards the end of the course and have a better grasp on the different question/game types and to not waste your best study materials too early on.

good luck!

[njskatchmo]

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[rw2264]

don't people on here say kaplan is terrible?

buy the powerscore books and study outside of your course. you will do well!

[General Tso]

don't people on here say kaplan is terrible?

buy the powerscore books and study outside of your course. you will do well!

Yeah but Kaplan is the only prep company operating in the South. I lived in northern Mississippi for college and I had to wait until moving to CA to take Testmasters. I think OP will do okay with Kaplan if she works hard at it and uses the Powerscore materials to supplement the course.

[BruceBarr]

My first LSAT was a 153. Then, after a few months of SOLID studying, I was testing consistently in the 163-167 range. No worries. Just study.

[ughOSU]

I was at one time peripherally involved in the test prep industry, and I think the test prep companies lie to you. The first test you take in that class, your "diagnostic", will absolutely be harder than the actual LSAT you take. It is a bad indicator of how you will do on the actual test, but Kaplan uses it to (a) allow them to make the score improvement guarantee and (b) scare you into studying extra hard in the class, thus improving your score further. I'm not claiming that this is an evil thing, just that it makes sense for Kaplan to make the "diagnostic" extra hard. Your score will improve, but by how much is up to how hard you study and your natural abilities.

Nevertheless, my advice is to not go to law school.

[rapstar]

Kaplan will teach you how to do all of the problems, but you must then do several full length timed tests on your own so you can learn to pace yourself appropriately. Buckle down and get your GPA to a 3.7+. A 166-169 LSAT should put you in great shape for schools like Vandy, Emory, UNC, and UGA.

[Kiersten1985]

don't people on here say kaplan is terrible?

buy the powerscore books and study outside of your course. you will do well!

Yeah but Kaplan is the only prep company operating in the South. I lived in northern Mississippi for college and I had to wait until moving to CA to take Testmasters. I think OP will do okay with Kaplan if she works hard at it and uses the Powerscore materials to supplement the course.

I would recommend Kaplan because you can go sit in on proctored tests a few times a week. I also thought all the study material they give you is worthwhile. I actually took the class twice - first time I went to class, did assignments, etc., but didn't end up taking the LSAT when I had originally planned. If you don't feel prepared, you can take the course over again for FREE, so I did. Didn't go to class, studied basically all on my own, but used Kaplan for like 25 proctored exams. Worth it in my opinion.

(Diag: 157 -> Actual: 169)

[rejectmaster]

i got a 150 a year ago on a diagnostic, then just familiarized myself with the test over a year, never really "studied", though. ended up at 170.

this is horrible advice, i realize, but intense drilling isn't always the answer.

[jackgrf]

you should get the powerscore bibles and full length exams and practice on your own. prep companies are a waste of money.