The Official February 2011 Waiting Thread Forum

[lausseuns]

I have a working theory for the curve on this test. And it's not a favorable one.

Obviously there is little information out there about feb, but what is out there isn't exactly promising. http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/ea ... -june.html

But one thing for certain is that fewer people take the feb LSAT than any other LSAT. I think, though, that most takers of the feb LSAT, compared especially to june, are repeat takers. People that have taken the LSAT at the beginning of the cycle and not scored so high are likely to re-try again later in the cycle, and feb is the last ditch effort for that cycle. Given that someone knows this fact, they are likely to study their asses off. More studying on average leads to a higher raw score.

The other tests probably have more first-time takers, who are likely, as a population, less experienced and practiced at taking the LSAT.

This population difference, in which feb has a higher concentration of repeat takers/ back against the wall studiers, could yeild a more competitive population of test takers for this month.


My theory is that, if curving is practiced to level out the scores for each test, february will be more difficult to score in a higher percentile compared to the other tests.


This is clearly a lot of assumptions and loose inductive reasoning...but it seems at least plausible.
Thoughts? Comments?

Did you let yourself get beat at the studying game? Trippin a little because of that?

Well don't.... at least not for those reasons. The competitive people you should be worried about are overachieving third year UGs getting ahead for next cycle. But who the fuck knows if that has an effect on it? Are they going to be better at games than you? Maybe if you didn't study.

[SchopenhauerFTW]

I see the curve debate has come back on the scene.

[applepiecrust]

Bah, curves. Why do I keep landing back on this thread?

I don't think about the Feb. LSAT at all and then I land back here and remember how shitty my test was, and that I didn't cancel.

[teamvictory]

I need to prepare myself for the moment of reckoning.

When you get your score e-mail from LSAC, does the score itself show up in the one-line preview Gmail gives you in your inbox?

I'm hoping to have someone else open it for me because I would probably pass out.

[SchopenhauerFTW]

I need to prepare myself for the moment of reckoning.

When you get your score e-mail from LSAC, does the score itself show up in the one-line preview Gmail gives you in your inbox?

I'm hoping to have someone else open it for me because I would probably pass out.

It doesn't. Perhaps you should type '180' in the search bar and then work your way down.

[suspicious android]

Hi, I have no idea how the LSAT is scored, don't know what equating means and don't seem to be aware of the whole point of a standardized test. Is this the right place to make baseless assertions about the February curve?

[kulshan]

.

[lausseuns]

Hi, I have no idea how the LSAT is scored, don't know what equating means and don't seem to be aware of the whole point of a standardized test. Is this the right place to make baseless assertions about the February curve?

You've definitely landed in the right place, my friend. Also, feel free to make everyone aware of your ever so subtle shifts in emotion from day to day. This helps us all get a better handle on how we did, because we're going to use your posts as a representative sample of all test takers.

[SchopenhauerFTW]

The following is a quote:

Hi, I have no idea how the LSAT is scored, don't know what equating means and don't seem to be aware of the whole point of a standardized test. Is this the right place to make baseless assertions about the February curve?

You've definitely landed in the right place, my friend. Also, feel free to make everyone aware of your ever so subtle shifts in emotion from day to day. This helps us all get a better handle on how we did, because we're going to use your posts as a representative sample of all test takers.

I lol'd and then I lol'd.

Anyway, totally digging the official recognition I received from TLS today.

[she&him]

My theory is that, if curving is practiced to level out the scores for each test, february will be more difficult to score in a higher percentile compared to the other tests.


This is clearly a lot of assumptions and loose inductive reasoning...but it seems at least plausible.
Thoughts? Comments?

I'm pretty sure that the LSAT curves are equated before anyone takes a given exam. My understanding is that the curve is based on the performance of the individuals who took sections of this year's February exam as their experimental sections. In other words, LSAC compiles the results of the people who had, for example, the February 2011 LG as their experimental section for the December 2009 test, and uses their scores on the experimental sections to determine what the curve will be in February. So, as far as I know, the curve is set before anyone actually takes the exam and doesn't depend on how other test takers did in February. Similarly, I think that the percentiles for LSAT test takers are determined by the performance of other test takers who have taken the LSAT in the past 2 years. Therefore, the percentiles are also fixed based on the results of test takers from all the tests administered from, say, Dec 2008 to Dec 2010, and are not determined by the performances of this administration's test takers.

If I'm right about this (and someone please correct me if I'm mistaken), when LSAC determines the curve and percentiles for Feb 2011 it shouldn't matter what the size distribution of this pool of test takers is, should it?

I don't think it should matter since like the previous user said, the LSAT is equated, rather than curved. The equating vs. curving is explained pretty well here:

http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/ls ... -lsac.html

This also addresses the percentiles.

[stilles]

NM--

9 more days!

[JamMasterJ]

Hi, I have no idea how the LSAT is scored, don't know what equating means and don't seem to be aware of the whole point of a standardized test. Is this the right place to make baseless assertions about the February curve?

You've definitely landed in the right place, my friend. Also, feel free to make everyone aware of your ever so subtle shifts in emotion from day to day. This helps us all get a better handle on how we did, because we're going to use your posts as a representative sample of all test takers.

This.

[SchopenhauerFTW]

So... what did everyone major in?

[risktaker]

chemistry and history

[northwood]

history and secondary education
history

special education


double major and master in sped

[misterbingley]

environmental engineering.

[SchopenhauerFTW]

Philosophy and mathematics myself, in the spirit of the liberal arts.

[8675309]

So... what did everyone major in?

French and Political Science with a minor in Public Administration

[kulshan]

.

[Pleasye]

Political Science.

[applepiecrust]

Philosophy and mathematics myself, in the spirit of the liberal arts.

Actually wish I'd pursued the classical idea of the liberal arts at college.

International Politics major here though.

[hutchesonian]

Philosophy; maybe English.

[Lasker]

Actually wish I'd pursued the classical idea of the liberal arts at college.

I'm with you. I really wish I had gone to St. Johns (the "great books" school).

BM classical piano.

[applepiecrust]

Actually wish I'd pursued the classical idea of the liberal arts at college.

I'm with you. I really wish I had gone to St. Johns (the "great books" school).

BM classical piano.

Huh?

I wish I'd gone to Cambridge in the 1920s.

[Lasker]

Huh?

I wish I'd gone to Cambridge in the 1920s.

Unfortunately, they didn't grant degrees to women until 1948.

St. Johns college curriculum: http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/academic/readlist.shtml