The Official February 2016 Study Group Forum

[betterLawyerUP]

Anybody in the same boat as me in that they are planning to send out apps right after taking the feb test? I left myself with no other option because I bombed december so I have to do everything late. If I do bad again I am going to postpone law school til 2017

[Billy Madison]

Over the course of the last couple of days, I ended up drilling all of the components of PT52. Decided to tally up my scores and ended up scoring a 170 on the nose. Obviously there are many ways that I did not replicate test day conditions, but I'm starting to think I've got a chance. Thinking of emailing schools to request they hold my apps until I get my score, if possible.

[Billy Madison]

Took PT54 today with strict timing/break and LG from PT49 as my EXP. I got a 172. -5 in RC with guesses on the last 2, -1 in LR1, -1 in LG, and -1 in LR2. Can't wait to BR tomorrow or Friday.

*Edit: BR-175

[Shib26]

Took my first PT since the December test, after 5 weeks of doing nothing I got a 169, which I thought was pretty good since I felt rusty especially on games. But on the other hand it just confirmed how much I freaked out on the real thing.

I had just been planning on using the retake to try to get $ or off a waitlist, but considering asking schools to hold apps for this score also. Any idea how receptive schools are to that?

[Billy Madison]

Took my first PT since the December test, after 5 weeks of doing nothing I got a 169, which I thought was pretty good since I felt rusty especially on games. But on the other hand it just confirmed how much I freaked out on the real thing.

I had just been planning on using the retake to try to get $ or off a waitlist, but considering asking schools to hold apps for this score also. Any idea how receptive schools are to that?

NU and UVA will do it. I'm sending an email to Vandy tomorrow, I'll let you know what they say. I think most schools will do it, but they want you to know that "seats may no longer be available." I think most of them make room for a 170+.

[appind]

why is this thread so dead this close to the test?

[rekoobathetuba]

3 weeks out! Turning the corner to PT 62 tomorrow, going to take 10 more PTs between now and game day.

Anyone finding a lot of variability in their scores? I took 5 tests this past week (normally do 3-4), all under strict time: 159, 164, 157, 162, 158.

My goal for test day is 160 to earn a full scholly, but if I could his 165 I would apply to some other schools.

Hope everyone is getting near their goals!

[87mm]

Goodluck to you all. Finished my 3rd take in December and ended up with a 167. Dont get discouraged if you're not reaching your score now.

I started with a 143-145 diagnostic a year ago. got a 155 june, 160 oct and was PTing in the low 160s *at best* before december.

The two things that helped me jump on the december test were changing my tactics (I enrolled in a month long LSAT prep course), and the last week swapping my focus from LR/RC (my weakness) to LG (my strength which I ignored).

It may not work for you all, but I think giving your brain some time to let things sink in and prevent the feedback loop of stressing yourself out and then messing up on questions which results in more stress.

Anyways, you can make a jump in the final days of prep and feel great for the test. Your mood and attitude during the test can make a huge difference.

Best of luck.

[wellitsover]

It may not work for you all, but I think giving your brain some time to let things sink in and prevent the feedback loop of stressing yourself out and then messing up on questions which results in more stress.

Thanks for the encouragement. Could you elaborate on the quote above? Do you mean over time, or while you are taking the exam? I think for the December test, I didn't do a good job of relaxing the last week before the test, and I'd like to try to do that this time around.

ETA: Nvm. I reread and seems like you're talking about letting things sink in over time.

[wellitsover]

3 weeks out! Turning the corner to PT 62 tomorrow, going to take 10 more PTs between now and game day.

Anyone finding a lot of variability in their scores? I took 5 tests this past week (normally do 3-4), all under strict time: 159, 164, 157, 162, 158.

My goal for test day is 160 to earn a full scholly, but if I could his 165 I would apply to some other schools.

Hope everyone is getting near their goals!

Awesome, I am aiming for 10 PTs as well, with drills in between; right now, I'm working through the RC and LR Manhattan books (first time) and LG bible (second time). I am finding the LR book in particular helpful. Hope to finish the books by this Tuesday so that I can focus on PTing and drilling up until the test. I'm starting to get a bit nervous about leaving so little time for actual PTing, but technically the books do provide some practice and I think they provide something new that I would have benefited from when I was studying/PTing for the December test.

[wellitsover]

why is this thread so dead this close to the test?

Personally, I'm more stressed this time around because it's my last chance (already submitted my apps).

[rekoobathetuba]

I started with a 143-145 diagnostic a year ago. got a 155 june, 160 oct and was PTing in the low 160s *at best* before december.

This is very encouraging. My diagnostic was a 145 and I instantly though, "shit, I am not going to be a lawyer." But lots of practice and I am hanging around 160 +/- 1 or 2. Congrats on your 167!

[87mm]

It may not work for you all, but I think giving your brain some time to let things sink in and prevent the feedback loop of stressing yourself out and then messing up on questions which results in more stress.

Thanks for the encouragement. Could you elaborate on the quote above? Do you mean over time, or while you are taking the exam? I think for the December test, I didn't do a good job of relaxing the last week before the test, and I'd like to try to do that this time around.

ETA: Nvm. I reread and seems like you're talking about letting things sink in over time.

In my case, before the exam for about a week or so. Basically for me I was studying RC and LR like crazy. Those were my weaknesses, however, I switched to mostly LG practice the week before the exam. Both to refresh my LG and to not let LR/RC stress me out. I wouldnt make a huge gain in a week after prepping so much for LR/RC. Best to let it sink in and hit the exam hard.

Think of it like training your body. You need to let your body have some rest. Some do this in breaks from LSAT prep. I was time crunched so I just switched to LG review.


If that makes any sense. Also I didnt let m yself get hung up on questions during the test. Going back by marking the question on scantron helped a ton. Either a small dot outside the bubbles for ones im totally unsure about OR filling in your best attempt and marking it if you're 75% sure. Go back and finish unmarked ones then go back to marked ones that are filled.

[Li'l Sebastian]

I'm on my test break again!

I'm at -4 in RC -0 in LG, and -0 in LR1. Just LR2 left to go!

I finished game 3 with <4mins left for the last game and with some miracle i destroyed it!

This was Oct 2015 which I hadn't seen before!

[Li'l Sebastian]

-3 in the last section. Should have not have eaten a big meal before starting that last section. I felt super tired.

175.

[Billy Madison]

Just finished PT56 and it wasn't great. I haven't eaten a meal all day and I think I was too hungry to focus. Found myself misreading stuff throughout the whole test. Decided to look at the ones I missed and they were almost exclusively "damnit, how did I not see that" mistakes.

165
LG: -6 Just made a bunch of stupid mistakes within each game. Finished in time, but just barely. Really misread a rule in game 2
LR1: -4
LG from PT50 for EXP: -0
LR2: -3
RC: -4

[wellitsover]

It may not work for you all, but I think giving your brain some time to let things sink in and prevent the feedback loop of stressing yourself out and then messing up on questions which results in more stress.

Thanks for the encouragement. Could you elaborate on the quote above? Do you mean over time, or while you are taking the exam? I think for the December test, I didn't do a good job of relaxing the last week before the test, and I'd like to try to do that this time around.

ETA: Nvm. I reread and seems like you're talking about letting things sink in over time.

In my case, before the exam for about a week or so. Basically for me I was studying RC and LR like crazy. Those were my weaknesses, however, I switched to mostly LG practice the week before the exam. Both to refresh my LG and to not let LR/RC stress me out. I wouldnt make a huge gain in a week after prepping so much for LR/RC. Best to let it sink in and hit the exam hard.

Think of it like training your body. You need to let your body have some rest. Some do this in breaks from LSAT prep. I was time crunched so I just switched to LG review.


If that makes any sense. Also I didnt let m yself get hung up on questions during the test. Going back by marking the question on scantron helped a ton. Either a small dot outside the bubbles for ones im totally unsure about OR filling in your best attempt and marking it if you're 75% sure. Go back and finish unmarked ones then go back to marked ones that are filled.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense. I think I definitely will go a bit more hardcore than I had planned the next two weeks so that I can take it easy the last week before the test. Especially with LG and RC, the former being my weakness and the latter being somewhat unpredictable.

Thanks for sharing!

[Shib26]

why is this thread so dead this close to the test?

I think a lot of people taking it in Feb are retakers who are just kind of over the lsat at this point.

[Shib26]

Think of it like training your body. You need to let your body have some rest. Some do this in breaks from LSAT prep. I was time crunched so I just switched to LG review.

I think there's a lot of truth to this. Looking back I think the last 1 or 2 weeks of prep before the Dec test I was too intense and and led to underperforming come game time.

[fishpaste1]

Took PT 41 yesterday. First PT since I've resumed my prep. I took this PT back in June, so obviously my score is a bit inflated, but it's cool to see how much I've improved since then. Scored a 163 on it back in June, scored a 176 this time around. That final circular game still messes me up.

LR1: -0
LG: -2
LR2: -2
RC: -2
176

Shooting for another PT on Tuesday. Hope everybody's prep is going well. 20 days out!

[Billy Madison]

PT55, game 4...

[AbbeyS]

Anybody have any advice for RC?

It's my most unpredictable and inconsistent section and it seems I may even be regressing based on my last few PTs.

LG I'm solid...LR hit or miss but usually manageable...but RC...my God. I can barely get through it. Help!!

[Billy Madison]

Man, LR1 in PT55 makes up for that awful game 4. -0 and finished with 3 mins left.

[appind]

Took my first PT since the December test, after 5 weeks of doing nothing I got a 169, which I thought was pretty good since I felt rusty especially on games. But on the other hand it just confirmed how much I freaked out on the real thing.

I had just been planning on using the retake to try to get $ or off a waitlist, but considering asking schools to hold apps for this score also. Any idea how receptive schools are to that?

i am not able to bring myself to open a PT. what's the best way to get restarted; just begin by doing a section?

[appind]

i did a section each of LR and LG today. it was the first i looked at any lsat question since dec 5th.

39.lr2 -1 (#9)
47.lg -1 (#21)