July 2017 NY Bar Hangout Thread - Results Are Here!!! Forum

[bda]

I passed and I want my essays back.

Does that make me a masochist?

[TheoO]

Alright, where are all y'all who passed but were crying about how you definitely failed and that was the worst bar exam ever? Come out!

[teaearlgreyhot]

Passed. Retaker. 278, 142 MBE. Still in shock. Very, very thankful for this community of neurotic do-gooders. You are all aces.

[IwiLLdoIt]

Alright, where are all y'all who passed but were crying about how you definitely failed and that was the worst bar exam ever? Come out!

Failed. Determined. But I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. Took Barbri for both previous exams. Any suggestions?
UBE : 252

Every year I go up 10pts and I don’t want to take feb 18 to only get 262 and fail again. Smh

[Futuregohan14]

UBE: 304
MBE: 150

Thank God that is finally over. The worst and definitely final test of my life. Never again.

Months of nervous anxiety finally done with. Time to finally start living life with the weight off the shoulders again.

[L_William_W]

Third time was the charm. Surprisingly, I got a 149.3 MBE even though it felt like I got every civ pro multiple choice question wrong. There must have been a generous curve. My overall UBE was 278. I completely fucked up on the MPT- the MBE saved me (never thought I'd say that).

I'm a black male. I've heard all of the negativity about repeaters not passing, black people not passing, etc. This is vindication.

[TheJuryMustDie]

Passed. 3rd time taking. 128 MBE. Never thought I'd see this day.

Congrats! Failed with a 140 MBE

[Naturie]

Third time was the charm. Surprisingly, I got a 149.3 MBE even though it felt like I got every civ pro multiple choice question wrong. There must have been a generous curve. My overall UBE was 278. I completely fucked up on the MPT- the MBE saved me (never thought I'd say that).

I'm a black male. I've heard all of the negativity about repeaters not passing, black people not passing, etc. This is vindication.

Wow, congratulations! I'm annoyed to hear that there has been negativity about black people failing (but I am new to this forum, so I wouldn't know). However, I am a black female and I passed on my first try! I also went to a law school that isn't highly ranked at all. So happy to have this behind me... Good luck with your future endeavors!

[Asroma]

Passed and super happy!

Foreign educated, 1st time taker.

Total score 270 (mbe 139.7), can’t believe the essays helped me pass this thing!

Congratulations to all who passed!

For those who failed, remember that many incredibly talented people failed the bar exam. Don’t give up!

[Manteca]

PASSED THANK YOU BASED GOD

[Thankful]

Alright, where are all y'all who passed but were crying about how you definitely failed and that was the worst bar exam ever? Come out!

Failed. Determined. But I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. Took Barbri for both previous exams. Any suggestions?
UBE : 252

Every year I go up 10pts and I don’t want to take feb 18 to only get 262 and fail again. Smh

Hello, As a repeat taker myself. I focused on my weakness, which was the MBE. I used AdaptiBar, and I did about 3500 practice questions. I also used Strategies by Emanuel, this book directs you to the main area you should focus on and tips on passing/acing the MBE.
On the bar, I felt comfortable and confident with the questions, and I got a score of 137.5 on the MBE.

Goodluck...

[bluewin888]

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

[b290]

Bear with me, this has been years for me coming.

To those who passed:

Congratulations to all who have passed!

You’ve done those around you, and (most importantly) yourselves proud. Celebrate accordingly, you all have earned it! From what I know about Character and Fitness, it’s smooth sailing from here on out (barring something major), so don’t do anything stupid between now and that swear-in in Albany/Buffalo/NYC.

Special congratulations for foreign takers who've passed. To come into a foreign country, immersing yourselves in a peculiar system, writing in what's (for some) a second language, on one of the hardest tests in the world, while persevering is no joke. Take a well-deserved bow!

Also special congrats to the retakers who have passed this time. You are an inspiration to us all, and remind us that slaying the dragon is doable. I didn’t pass for NY (UBE:260, MBE:142.7), but I got enough for one of my “Plan B” states. That I can legitimately say "I will be an attorney," effective Summer 2018 is beyond unreal (it's just a matter of where, even though I'm still taking Feb ). All that work has finally paid off.


To those who did not pass this go around:

It's not over. Your time is coming.

I’m also there with you. I’ve felt disappointed, while (even now) second-guessing what I would’ve done to score higher. It’s not fun, and even more so with another few months to spend on the bar exam. No matter how many times you've take it, not passing still sucks the same. I'll be taking it again in February, with some wondering (rightly) why, when I could easily ‘declare victory’ and move on. My life story tells me, persistence pays off:

My parents wanted me to be a doctor, to the point of paying for my undergrad (in-state tuition was dirt cheap). I even got into a program where all I had to was maintain a C average and I would’ve gotten a free ride through medical school. I flunked out of that by going to a UN internship (that had no future benefit), and almost failed out of undergrad – I had no interest. I could’ve just given up, or even quit school altogether. Instead, I figured out what really wanted to do - be an attorney - and did what was necessary to get into law school.

I go to law school thinking it was “Undergrad 2.0,” studying accordingly. I flunked out, coming back home in shame and disgrace. I tried various jobs. I got into an engineering program at my undergrad. I even met a woman who I almost married. I could’ve quit the whole “legal thing” and done something else. Instead, I eventually reapplied to the very institution that failed me out; by some miracle, I got in.

Upon graduating, I took my law school state’s bar exam, studying for it like any other law school test; I failed it. I then wrote the NY exam (it was cheaper and didn’t have CoF attached to the exam application) after that. I flunked that too, followed by a nasty cycle of “spend money-fail exam-spend money.” All while having a shaky job and financial situation (although that’s now stabilized). With much of my extra money going to exam costs, the easy thing would’ve been to stop altogether and get everything else in order first. But knowing that meant indefinite postponement, I kept going and here I am.

Even for July's exam, I thought I had it together. I ended up not studying as much for the MEE, but at least I went in confident with my MBE prep. But while typing, I inadvertently switched my keyboard to Greek…on ESSAY #2. Thanks to ExamSoft’s restrictions, the next 10 minutes were spent figuring out how to switch it back to English; my essay timing was fucked. I could’ve given up then too and walked out (or gone home on MBE Day as some did). Instead, I outlined my remaining answers, which later kept my already destroyed written score from being worse. I also kept my wits together for MBE Day, and it went as expected.

It’s not a matter of being smart/stupid (being a “gifted” student, my going through the above was very "humbling"). It's an exam. The bar exam doesn't ask where you're from/who you are/what your story is. It can be beat. Remember:

Failure doesn’t define you, but what you do after does.

Everyone, from Olympic sprinters, to the average (non-paralyzed) Joe/Jane on the street, began walking as stumbling babies. That’s a lot of falling. Even as walkers, we fall once in a while. But we get up and move on, not dwelling on when we were on the ground. It’s the American way. That’s how we New Yorkers work. No excuses - just keep it moving.

When you do come back to this thread, some of you’ll get plenty of advice. But you MUST do these three things:

1. Know how far you really are from the goal (It's more than just knowing the # of points to pass next time)
2. Make a plan to get there (It’s not just saying: “I’ll study ______ more”)
3. Actually do it (Just going through the motions/increased studying until Feb. won't cut it)

If you do ALL of the three, you’ll be celebrating in April 2018 (or beyond).

You now have a more than a month where you can properly grieve and figure out what to do. Presuming you decide to continue, effective December 1st, GET UP – KEEP IT MOVING. You There's a great community of people here, and I already love it here. I'll be around. Feel free to PM me if you have a questions/suggestions. After all, we're al effectively future colleagues in the profession.

PS: Sorry for the long post, but I'm feeling really inspired right now. Just paying it back

[TheJuryMustDie]

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

Not so sure. My 140 MBE score says otherwise.I have passed the MBE in all of my attempts, but haven't managed to get close to a passing score on the written part.

[bluewin888]

140 is not high enough..

what if you get 150?

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

Not so sure. My 140 MBE score says otherwise.I have passed the MBE in all of my attempts, but haven't managed to get close to a passing score on the written part.

[TheJuryMustDie]

140 is not high enough..

what if you get 150?

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

Not so sure. My 140 MBE score says otherwise.I have passed the MBE in all of my attempts, but haven't managed to get close to a passing score on the written part.

Will still be a couple of points short.. Sadly.

[bluewin888]

Mine is only 133; i will pass if i have 140..

So i have to get to 150.


essays does not need spending too much time.

140 is not high enough..

what if you get 150?

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

Not so sure. My 140 MBE score says otherwise.I have passed the MBE in all of my attempts, but haven't managed to get close to a passing score on the written part.

Will still be a couple of points short.. Sadly.

[bda]

I’ve heard BOLE releases a list of passers the day after results come out.

Can any body confirm and does anybody know when that usually comes out, time wise? There are a couple friends from law school/work that haven’t posted anything on social media and I don’t want to reach out and ask for fear of making them repeat bad news.

[TheJuryMustDie]

Mine is only 133; i will pass if i have 140..

So i have to get to 150.


essays does not need spending too much time.

140 is not high enough..

what if you get 150?

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

Not so sure. My 140 MBE score says otherwise.I have passed the MBE in all of my attempts, but haven't managed to get close to a passing score on the written part.

Will still be a couple of points short.. Sadly.

Not sure I can ever improve on my essay score. I'm a chronically slow reader and writer due to a medical condition. I've never had the chance to finish either the MBE or the written portion. This July, I was on number 91 in the morning session when time was called. Had to skip some questions in the PM session too. I was frustratingly far behind in the essays also.

[okaygo]

I’ve heard BOLE releases a list of passers the day after results come out.

Can any body confirm and does anybody know when that usually comes out, time wise? There are a couple friends from law school/work that haven’t posted anything on social media and I don’t want to reach out and ask for fear of making them repeat bad news.

I'm pretty sure tonight. If not tonight then tomorrow.

But also, people could still be asleep.

[Lawgirl2295]

Anyone have the private lookup score website??

[b290]

Passed. Did 60% of Themis, mainly question sets, and trusted Separac to be greatest (which it is).

I didn't use it but I'm impressed how good it is with the new UBE (it was considered really good for the old exam).

Failed. Determined. But I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. Took Barbri for both previous exams. Any suggestions?
UBE : 252

Every year I go up 10pts and I don’t want to take feb 18 to only get 262 and fail again. Smh

Well, at 262 you can get licensed on a state and do Federal stuff. Almost every Federal district just requires you be licensed in a state, there's lots of money to be made in immigration, IP and Tax. So even under that scenario, you will be attorney.

But you're almost there. No need to give up now. That you're improving is a good sign. Just keep at it.

Hello, As a repeat taker myself. I focused on my weakness, which was the MBE. I used AdaptiBar, and I did about 3500 practice questions. I also used Strategies by Emanuel, this book directs you to the main area you should focus on and tips on passing/acing the MBE.
On the bar, I felt comfortable and confident with the questions, and I got a score of 137.5 on the MBE.

Goodluck...

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

I'll second all of these. The only reason why I failed (for NY) was because of my essay catastrophe (see my above post). My margin was effectively an extra couple paragraphs. I apparently bombed BOTH MPTs (I think I just did one practice MPT before the exam), only wrote 2 competent essays, another two were outright pathetic (not much more than an outline), and I might have left one almost completely blank. Yet I got points for everything (the beauty of the curve ). That tells you how much of a joke the written section can be.

Used Adaptibar for my MBE, with a little of Emanuel's/Finz books. I self-studied (but I had used test prep before). I did 2 simulated MBEs, but only of 25 & 50 questions (I worked in 25 question blocks, even to exam day). I was so comfortable to the point of being able to keep track of how many questions I was unsure about (I presumed I got them all wrong, subtracted 25 questions from the ones I thought I got right, and even added 10% just for giggles). Walked out pretty much knowing what I got; the percentages were very close (I was hovering at in the low 60s) to what I got on the exam. The fact patterns' MO was close enough. It was ridiculous.

From what I've experienced (and know), if you use either Adaptibar, the Kaplan PMBR books (preferably the "red" ones), or the Emanuels Finz and the Strategies & Tactics, and go over every question, you should be fine. It's also good to write rules; you'll know what you're missing - consistently. Go over them, making note of why you're getting the questions wrong. I started that but flaked out, had I done that I likely would've gotten to my goal of 150 scaled. It's mainly about catching what you're doing wrong, and stopping it.

I wouldn't go so far as to say 'study only MBE', but if you're doing real well on it, and you're so-so on the essays, you will pass: game over, you win. It's a little harder if it's the other way around. If you're good on both, 300 is within reach. The MPT is a crap-shoot anyway. My buddy did decently on his essays and crushed the MPTs but he didn't get as much as I did (who effectively had mostly MBE prep). Main thing I'm doing different for Feb is essay time management, doing all of Adaptibar questions (I got to around to about 80 percent) and Emanuels for variety and I'll be celebrating in April.

[Carly]

FINALLY PASSED ON THE THIRD TIME!

Also interesting- my MBE was still ABYSMAL. I only made a 7 point jump total from my first fail to this pass on MBE so i guess I killed the essays? So apparently you can suck on the MBE and still pull it out.

[Shadowcrystal]

140 is not high enough..

what if you get 150?

i think MBE is key!! if you donot study essays and just write something relevant, you will still pass.

btw, i am missing few points; will take in Feb..

Not so sure. My 140 MBE score says otherwise.I have passed the MBE in all of my attempts, but haven't managed to get close to a passing score on the written part.

Surprisingly, I got a 130.9 on the MBE and still passed with a 291. I took BARBRI and never ever wrote out the essays; I just studied the outlines and the material and did my best on the day. I only focused on the MBE at first but then for the last week before the exam, I focused on only MEE material by reviewing the topics. I also never did an MPT simulation. I guess the essays and the MPTs saved me (in other words: don’t neglect the essays. They might save you if you really can’t bring up your MBE).

BARBRI mid term: 90/200
MBE: 130.9
UBE: 291

[GGMcSwift]

Theres no way to know your MBE/MPT breakdown if you passed right?