DECEMBER 2010 DOMINATION Forum

[Pleasye]

Finally got a score that I'm not embarrassed to post here lol!

PT 28:
LR: -6
LG: -7
LR: -5
RC: -4

-22 for a 164. I didn't take it all at once and had seen a couple of the RC passages before so I'm taking it with a grain of salt. It's nice to see my RC going back down again though, hopefully it stays there. Now I need to get my LG down and keep doing what I did on this test on all the LR sections I take.

[2014]

Grats on the scores everyone! Seems like people are improving at a good time

[Dr. Strangelove]

I'm hoping this goes well.. but there is less pressure for me to go to law school this year.
My Plan B worked out.
If I don't go to law school next year, I still have a solid future.
Law school is still a possibility for next year but at least I'll be doing something else substantial with my life- if law school doesn't work out.
At this point, it's T14 or Bust or $$$$ from a less-than-T14.

Where has everybody applied or planned on applying?
Applied: UVA, Georgetown, Illinois, Wash U, Fordham, Cardozo, Washington & Lee, Florida State, Miami, Buffalo

I'm also planning to send applications to Cornell/Michigan/GW/Duke but after that, I'm done.

[Nonok]

Bad score for me today.

PT 36. 170 scaled. 89 raw.
LR1 -2
RC -3
LR2 -5
LG -2

After averaging 174.2 over my last 5 tests, this is a bummer. I felt rushed during RC during the second passage, but ended up scoring better than I expected. LR and LG this test, guh. I average -4 on LR and -0.5 on LG. These are way off my averages.

I have the follows PTs left on the schedule: 37,38,56,58,60. I'll be finishing up the Atlas RC book today and tomorrow and then working on RC sections daily if time permits. I'm going to stop drilling LR sections and work on reviewing questions I've missed during prep more.

2 weeks left.

[Sandro]

im taking a complete opposite approach to what I did last 2 weeks for Oct10. Instead of doing lots of prep i'm taking it easy and doing very light prep that focuses almost exclusively on my weaknesses and how to go into the test with a better mindset.

[snowballgirl]

im taking a complete opposite approach to what I did last 2 weeks for Oct10. Instead of doing lots of prep i'm taking it easy and doing very light prep that focuses almost exclusively on my weaknesses and how to go into the test with a better mindset.

Exactly my thoughts. I freaked out badly mid-way during the test, and I did not recover for the rest of it. Such a shame because I was rocking it until that point. So, I am trying to maintain gains, work through weakness, and keep calm.

[lennonist]

im taking a complete opposite approach to what I did last 2 weeks for Oct10. Instead of doing lots of prep i'm taking it easy and doing very light prep that focuses almost exclusively on my weaknesses and how to go into the test with a better mindset.

good luck, dude (and all the Oct crew!); I feel like I'm the only one retaking in Feb (which makes me feer very ronery)

[Sandro]

im taking a complete opposite approach to what I did last 2 weeks for Oct10. Instead of doing lots of prep i'm taking it easy and doing very light prep that focuses almost exclusively on my weaknesses and how to go into the test with a better mindset.

good luck, dude (and all the Oct crew!); I feel like I'm the only one retaking in Feb (which makes me feer very ronery)

If I waited till Feb to retake I would probably go into a deep depression. I've been on the LSAT train since July 09.

[lennonist]

Sorry to hear that. Even though, I, too, have been on this LSAT train for a while, I did get off an on several times. This time, I'm riding it until Feb, and applying early next year. Also, strangely enough, I am not as depressed as I may have been (maybe the thought of saving $$$ on apps or not having to take it in Dec cheers me up)...

[Pleasye]

im taking a complete opposite approach to what I did last 2 weeks for Oct10. Instead of doing lots of prep i'm taking it easy and doing very light prep that focuses almost exclusively on my weaknesses and how to go into the test with a better mindset.

good luck, dude (and all the Oct crew!); I feel like I'm the only one retaking in Feb (which makes me feer very ronery)

As of now I'm taking in December but if I don't feel ready before I'm not making the same mistake twice. I'll postpone till February and apply early next year. I just need to keep telling myself I'm taking in December so that I don't stop studying ha. I need to make the decision soon but it's a big one . So don't feel too ronery!

[2014]

I'm too OCD to take it in February. Not knowing which ones I got wrong would irritate me (unless I got a 177+ then I could handle the irritation )

Plus December usually has a nice curve as far as I know.

[Pleasye]

I'm too OCD to take it in February. Not knowing which ones I got wrong would irritate me (unless I got a 177+ then I could handle the irritation )

Plus December usually has a nice curve as far as I know.

That's the only problem I have with the February test, but I would take it assuming that I am ready enough to score within my range. Unlike October which I stupidly took hoping I would score in the higher end of my range....Yeah December does generally have the most forgiving curve, but if I fail as miserably as I did in October no curve is going to save me lol.

[lisavj]

PrepTest B tonight. Didn't think it went well bc battling a cold. Happily surprised .

LR1 -4
LG -2
RC -2
LR2 -2

Raw score 91, scaled 174!!

[richardhelms]

Just want to say - WOW!! Anyone struggling with Reading Comp - I HIGHLY ADVISE YOU TO PICK UP ATLAS RC Strategy Guide. This blows PS RC Guide out of the water. Went from average of -6 per test to -1/-2 in practice tests 45-49. I can't say enough good things about it.

[2014]

I'm too OCD to take it in February. Not knowing which ones I got wrong would irritate me (unless I got a 177+ then I could handle the irritation )

Plus December usually has a nice curve as far as I know.

That's the only problem I have with the February test, but I would take it assuming that I am ready enough to score within my range. Unlike October which I stupidly took hoping I would score in the higher end of my range....Yeah December does generally have the most forgiving curve, but if I fail as miserably as I did in October no curve is going to save me lol.

Yeah I'm with you, I underperformed big time on October too, there is no curve that is going to give me the score I want when I have to blind guess the end of two sections. I'm probably too stubborn to pull out of December though, despite already deciding that I am holding off a year before starting law school regardless of how I do.

I was doing so well actually, my PT average had gone up a lot and I was feeling really confident but I fell to a 170 yesterday after making a TON of just flat out stupid mistakes. On one hand it is comforting to know that I could get 170 doing about as bad as I could imagine, but I get so tired of seeing myself get careless time and time again


And I want the Atlas RC guide so badly, but I don't think I have time to do it justice. I could have it overnighted and probably have it by Tuesday, but I have my Knewton class M/T/TH, corresponding homework for it, and plenty of practice tests to do...

[richardhelms]

I'm too OCD to take it in February. Not knowing which ones I got wrong would irritate me (unless I got a 177+ then I could handle the irritation )

Plus December usually has a nice curve as far as I know.

That's the only problem I have with the February test, but I would take it assuming that I am ready enough to score within my range. Unlike October which I stupidly took hoping I would score in the higher end of my range....Yeah December does generally have the most forgiving curve, but if I fail as miserably as I did in October no curve is going to save me lol.

Yeah I'm with you, I underperformed big time on October too, there is no curve that is going to give me the score I want when I have to blind guess the end of two sections. I'm probably too stubborn to pull out of December though, despite already deciding that I am holding off a year before starting law school regardless of how I do.

I was doing so well actually, my PT average had gone up a lot and I was feeling really confident but I fell to a 170 yesterday after making a TON of just flat out stupid mistakes. On one hand it is comforting to know that I could get 170 doing about as bad as I could imagine, but I get so tired of seeing myself get careless time and time again :


And I want the Atlas RC guide so badly, but I don't think I have time to do it justice. I could have it overnighted and probably have it by Tuesday, but I have my Knewton class M/T/TH, corresponding homework for it, and plenty of practice tests to do...

Oh I hear ya - and you just totally freaked me out when I realized we have two weeks until this is all over - hopefully for good...lol

[lakers3peat]

I'm more worried about getting a marginal score then anything. I'm not applying till next cycle but I'm taking it in December because I have been studying since summer, postponed October, and my Dad legitimately told me, You are 100% taking it in December. Given that he is going to help pay for my Law school, I have to abide. I just don't think I am prepared enough. I see how people have studied here, taking literally every single practice test, some even twice, and I look at myself having only taken about 15 and reviewed 10 and I know that I am not as prepared as I could possibly be. I'm thinking I'll take it in December just to get the monkey off my shoulder then I will take December-January off, party, have a nice HAPPY NEW YEAR, then pray for the best when scores come out. I want to go to UCLA, Pepperdine, USD, or LMU(in that exact order) so 165-170 and I am guaranteed in at all except UCLA. My worries about the marginal score is if I get like a 164. I can't decide if I would retake getting something like that or if I would just settle. My PT over the last 2 months have ranged from 159-170, closer to 170 in the recent weeks though. Let's pray for the best because I am NOT down to stay home doing LSAT prep tests on Saturday night anymore.

[matvei]

.

[almostthereee]

I'm really really tempted to try the Atlas RC too... but yah I don't think there's enough time for me to do it justice. Also, I'm weary about spending money on an RC book when I just see every other book use similar strategies but rewording it to avoid plagiarism. Staying as far as away as possible from breaking copyright laws and whatnot, can someone just give a general summary of what techniques they advise that are so mind blowing? I've read every single RC book I could get my hands on at Borders and all of them say pretty much the same thing:

Read fast or read slow -- whatever suits you
look out for author POV, shifts, main point, purpose, etc.
summarize or don't summarize with small notes on each paragraph -- whatever suits you
underline, circle, highlighter etc etc - whatever suits you
skim all the passages, prioritize from easiest to hardest
read questions before reading passage

That's just the general outline of what I see every book tells you to do. Is there something drastically different that the Atlas RC recommends?

Oh and I almost forgot why I checked this thread out haha

PT 32
LR1 -5
LR2 -2
LG -4
RC -9

165. Encouraging, though I don't count PTs in the 30's to be a reliable gauge of where I'm at. I'm going to work tomorrow to print out PTs 54-60 which I bought off cambridge and pray I see similar results. And yah, you can see why I've grabbed every RC book I could find...

[aesis]

Reporting in, Happy Thanksgiving!

PT 57
#51 LG exp 22/22
LG 23/23 -- didn't get to check my answers for the first time since SuperPrep C three weeks ago.
LR1 24/26
RC 25/27
LR2 22/25 EEEeeeeeshhh
94 --> 174

Was hoping to hit high-170s again following my 180. But... I should have known. NEFARIOUS 57. I'm just going to quietly mention that I took two sections earlier today because I was trying to make up for my LSAT-less Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I had a long LSAT day, but still. I thought I had LR down to -1.

Two weeks! Stoked!

[Cmoss]

Bad score for me today.

PT 36. 170 scaled. 89 raw.
LR1 -2
RC -3
LR2 -5
LG -2

I would pay great money for this

[merc280]

Me to. Ive been trying to get my rc score up to no avail and I think I'm gonna get the atlas book and run though it. Not like my scores can get any lower.

As a side note. I am going to be submitting apps right after taking the dec LSAT. Should i also send a addendum then even though I won't know what I score but it's probably going to be higher than my Oct score or can I sent the addendum after I my score comes back in Jan?

[Pleasye]

Me to. Ive been trying to get my rc score up to no avail and I think I'm gonna get the atlas book and run though it. Not like my scores can get any lower.

As a side note. I am going to be submitting apps right after taking the dec LSAT. Should i also send a addendum then even though I won't know what I score but it's probably going to be higher than my Oct score or can I sent the addendum after I my score comes back in Jan?

Send the addendum afterwards, you never know.

[Sandro]

Me to. Ive been trying to get my rc score up to no avail and I think I'm gonna get the atlas book and run though it. Not like my scores can get any lower.

As a side note. I am going to be submitting apps right after taking the dec LSAT. Should i also send a addendum then even though I won't know what I score but it's probably going to be higher than my Oct score or can I sent the addendum after I my score comes back in Jan?

Send the addendum afterwards, you never know.

Send the apps with a hold to review until Dec score, and then send an email with your new score when you get it. An addendum that says you prob will get a higher score is a bad idea.

[testmachine45]

Anyone know how to boost RC? I get -4 everytime. I had 800 verbal SAT and am always very good at reading/writing comp. So I am not sure what changed. maybe my three years work experience has made me stupid and less verbal. quite possible.