The Official June 2017 Study Group Forum

[dm1683]

Off topic question: What schools are you targeting? I'm assuming everyone here is T13 or bust. Personally I'm going after Duke (good possibility if I score my average) and UVA (stretch due to lower than median GPA) and have Cornell, Vandy, UT, Emory and Florida as back ups in that order.

I have a terrible gpa so I'm only applying to a couple t14s, but I have a feeling I'll end up at WUSTL.

Want a clerkship --> Chicago biglaw, so naturally I'm gunning for $$ at Chicago. Failing that I will go for NU or Mich and abandon my clerkship pipe dreams.

[Slippin' Jimmy]

No PTs since Monday but I'm killing it on these timed sections this week! Ranging from -0 to -2 across 7-8 sections, mix of LR, LG and RC. And all done at my loud and distracting office. Feeling pretty good going into the final stretch!

[Nik9639]

Removed.

[Slippin' Jimmy]

STEM majors really seemed to outperform this cycle

Do you have any statistics for this, like LSAT/GPA STEM vs non-STEM? Or is it just anecdotal? Hopefully it is still the case next cycle.

Anecdotal, but I feel like I performed quite well last cycle given my numbers. [removed] (so good, but not out of this world) got me $120k offers from UT/Mich/Cornell, 65k offers from Duke/NYU, 35k UChi, 55k UVA, full+stipend Vandy/WUSTL

Literally never heard anything about aid from GTTTT, then they sent an email asking why I withdrew. Told them it was because they never sent me any aid info after I requested it. Never heard back from them again.

Didn't apply to Y/Penn/NU/Columbia.

WL'd at Harvard. Dinged by S (not surprised)

Edit: relevant-ish b/c STEM major with BS and MS in electrical engineering from a top 25 public and very attractive work experience (less than 2 years). I believe my academic/work background definitely gave me an edge, but do feel that I got lowballed by a couple schools because I applied late (January) and with a score below median at most top schools.

Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better. My GPA is a bit lower (EE as well) but still good enough for all top schools. Also no MS, but 7+ years WE. Just need to kill that LSAT, have enough time to retake at least twice so should be possible.

At the very least you should outperform my K-JD PoliSci degree from a TTT undergrad.

[Nik9639]

Removed.

[MediocreAtBest]

So in general what's everyone's plan these next few weeks? I'm grieving over these scores today (lol), but otherwise with 79 and 80 left I'm at a bit of a loss.

I think I need to take a couple days off, my brain feels a little jumbled, but at this point I'm super hesitant to do so.

Now or never... I vote take a couple days and recoup, it'll help & it's not like you're suddenly going to forget everything. "Getting through the material" is a means to an end, but by no means the only means. Taking a couple days off to perform at your peak is just as useful. If you don't feel like taking time off, get more sleep. I didn't do too hot on my PT today, but felt really focused and mentally refreshed after catching up on sleep over memorial day.

Update: took two days off, hung out with friends, went to the gym, played basketball. Great decision. My mind is a lot more clear and drilling is a lot more clear too. I had just been doing too much the past couple of weeks and it was starting to actually work against me. So my advice is to make sure to put aside the LSAT stuff every now and then.

[Saylor1720]

PT77 best LR yet but fell back in RC/LG
RC: -6
LR1: -1
LG: -2
LR2: -3
170

Good to hit a 170 again, although this could've gone better. Took RC 62 as an experimental 5th section and got -4. Going to review this. Take 78 and 80 next week.

It was that pattern game, wasn't it?

If you take a step back (and skip it!!) the pattern game really isn't all that bad, nearly all of the wrong ACs can be eliminated very quickly. You just can't solve it in a formulaic fashion like you can 99% of other games. I don't think I even wrote anything down at all for that game.

Now some of the other pattern games we've seen before PT 30 have been absolutely brutal, and are worth doing if you're worried about one coming up soon.

Absolutely true! I started in on it and then skipped, and came back with not a lot of time. On BR it was a piece of cake.

Yeah it was initially tricky. I would've had more time to go back if I didn't fall asleep during game 4. I just spaced out and didn't realize I could solve for all possibilities very easily until question 3 of the last game. Then I was like "wow. You're an idiot". Better late than never. I burned through the game after that but didn't leave a ton of time to finish off the pattern game.

[mwells56]

Last two:
PT77
RC -4
LR1 -3
LG -1
LR2 -4
170

PT78

LR1 -1
LG -3
LR2 -1
RC -3
172

Thank. God. Peaking at the right time. 172 best I've ever done. All I have left is PT80, got the rest of today and tomorrow to do a bunch of questions/sections, then taking my last PT on Sunday.

edit: turns out on 78 i misbubbled an LG question so if you wanna count that it'd have been a 173 which is dank

[cybele07]

First post as I've been prepping solo... but I was wondering how seriously LSAC takes the photo? I've been experiencing some hair loss related to a medical condition (I'm a woman) and am planning to buzz it off soon since it's really bothering me. I've buzzed it before, and in my passport, my hair is fairly short; my LSAC uploaded photo (which cannot be changed) has almost shoulder length hair, but it's clearly my face. Would this cause an issue at the test center if I buzzed my hair before the exam? I tried giving LSAC a call but they're not open again until Monday morning and I only just thought of this all today.

Having hair loss sucks, but not being able to take the test after so much hard work would probably suck more.

[dm1683]

PT77 best LR yet but fell back in RC/LG
RC: -6
LR1: -1
LG: -2
LR2: -3
170

Good to hit a 170 again, although this could've gone better. Took RC 62 as an experimental 5th section and got -4. Going to review this. Take 78 and 80 next week.

It was that pattern game, wasn't it?

If you take a step back (and skip it!!) the pattern game really isn't all that bad, nearly all of the wrong ACs can be eliminated very quickly. You just can't solve it in a formulaic fashion like you can 99% of other games. I don't think I even wrote anything down at all for that game.

Now some of the other pattern games we've seen before PT 30 have been absolutely brutal, and are worth doing if you're worried about one coming up soon.

Absolutely true! I started in on it and then skipped, and came back with not a lot of time. On BR it was a piece of cake.

Yeah it was initially tricky. I would've had more time to go back if I didn't fall asleep during game 4. I just spaced out and didn't realize I could solve for all possibilities very easily until question 3 of the last game. Then I was like "wow. You're an idiot". Better late than never. I burned through the game after that but didn't leave a ton of time to finish off the pattern game.

That game f*cked me up so bad. Missed all of the questions on it except the first list question. I stared at the thing for like 15-20 minutes after the test and just could not get it. That was super cruel of LSAC to put that shit on there who the hell can solve that in 10 minutes?

Anyway, PT 77

RC: -1
LR1: -0
LG: -6 (also missed two on the fourth game, this was definitely the hardest LG section I've seen so far)
LR2: -2

172

Brutal curve.

[HenryHankPalmer]

What are ya'll planning to do for review over the next ten days?

[Barry grandpapy]

.

[dm1683]

What are ya'll planning to do for review over the next ten days?

Nothing, did 4 PTs this week and need a break. Going to the gym tomorrow and to a brewer game on sunday.

I just hope there's easy LG on the 12th. No BS games with no rules like that last one. F that shit with a curtain rod.

[zkyggi]

I felt incredible today, so I decided to push it with 3 RC sections as experimentals on pt78:

LR1: -0
LG: -1
LR2: -0
RC: -4

176

Experimentals

PT55 RC: -1
PT24 RC: -2
PT 44 RC: -0

I am really happy with the result. I did the scored RC last because fatigue seems to really impact my scores. If I see a second RC section during the first half of the test, I'm going to light up like a Christmas tree.

[Platopus]

Got a 171 on PT 70. Feel like shit. Going out with the gf tonight and not doing anything LSAT tomorrow.

Fuck that test

[Future Ex-Engineer]

Fuck.

I took 75 today after work
LR1: -5
RC: -2
LR2: -7
LG: -1

what the hell. I thought I missed 5 LR Q's total. Panic. panic panic panic. I mean yeah it's nice to have RC back down to -2, but that's 2.5x more misses on LR than my past 12 test average (averaging 4.3 questions per 50). damnit fucking fuck. It's a terrible feeling when you're sure you crushed a test and then you grade it to see your worst ever score since your cold diagnostic

[Platopus]

Fuck.

I took 75 today after work
LR1: -5
RC: -2
LR2: -7
LG: -1

what the hell. I thought I missed 5 LR Q's total. Panic. panic panic panic. I mean yeah it's nice to have RC back down to -2, but that's 2.5x more misses on LR than my past 12 test average (averaging 4.3 questions per 50). damnit fucking fuck. It's a terrible feeling when you're sure you crushed a test and then you grade it to see your worst ever score since your cold diagnostic

Bro (broette?). You got this. -11 LR is a complete outlier. Honestly. You've been crushing the f^@$# out of PTs the past month. You're going to do excellent

We're all gonna be fine - we've put in the work. Almost time to reap the rewards.

Quoting back to you your own reassuring advice since I was in the same position 2 day ago. It happens, shake it off. You'll be fine. It scary as shit, but it happens. It was a single bad test, that is all.

[zkyggi]

Fuck.

I took 75 today after work
LR1: -5
RC: -2
LR2: -7
LG: -1

what the hell. I thought I missed 5 LR Q's total. Panic. panic panic panic. I mean yeah it's nice to have RC back down to -2, but that's 2.5x more misses on LR than my past 12 test average (averaging 4.3 questions per 50). damnit fucking fuck. It's a terrible feeling when you're sure you crushed a test and then you grade it to see your worst ever score since your cold diagnostic

Bro (broette?). You got this. -11 LR is a complete outlier. Honestly. You've been crushing the f^@$# out of PTs the past month. You're going to do excellent

We're all gonna be fine - we've put in the work. Almost time to reap the rewards.

Quoting back to you your own reassuring advice since I was in the same position 2 day ago. It happens, shake it off. You'll be fine. It scary as shit, but it happens. It was a single bad test, that is all.

Please keep in mind that both of you are literally among the best people that will take the test, period.

[Platopus]

Please keep in mind that both of you are literally among the best people that will take the test, period.

[MaryKayConvention]

I may be a bit late to the party, but I recently came across the free, open-access Powerscore forum that has Q&A for many LSAT questions. You can search by prep test, section number, and question. Not all of the questions are brought up / responded to by Powerscore staff, but a most of the more-recent tests get good coverage:

https://forum.powerscore.com/lsat/viewt ... 521#p35521

[Slippin' Jimmy]

Fuck.

I took 75 today after work
LR1: -5
RC: -2
LR2: -7
LG: -1

what the hell. I thought I missed 5 LR Q's total. Panic. panic panic panic. I mean yeah it's nice to have RC back down to -2, but that's 2.5x more misses on LR than my past 12 test average (averaging 4.3 questions per 50). damnit fucking fuck. It's a terrible feeling when you're sure you crushed a test and then you grade it to see your worst ever score since your cold diagnostic

I literally did this last week on my 166. I thought I aced it and then it turns out the thing was a fucking disaster. Getting these questions wrong is an opportunity to address our weakneses now before the test. Only one score really matters, and that's the one we earn in 10 days.

[Future Ex-Engineer]

Fuck.

I took 75 today after work
LR1: -5
RC: -2
LR2: -7
LG: -1

what the hell. I thought I missed 5 LR Q's total. Panic. panic panic panic. I mean yeah it's nice to have RC back down to -2, but that's 2.5x more misses on LR than my past 12 test average (averaging 4.3 questions per 50). damnit fucking fuck. It's a terrible feeling when you're sure you crushed a test and then you grade it to see your worst ever score since your cold diagnostic

I literally did this last week on my 166. I thought I aced it and then it turns out the thing was a fucking disaster. Getting these questions wrong is an opportunity to address our weakneses now before the test. Only one score really matters, and that's the one we earn in 10 days.

Thanks everybody. Just a weird feeling bombing so badly after two months straight of pretty consistent major success. This is exactly what happened to me section-wise when I took PT 80 in December (for real). Planning on reviewing this weeks missed questions and taking the two LR from PT80 timed tomorrow. Three more PTs til the real thing. Gonna supplement the hell out of those and try to shore up any weaknesses. Also planning on getting more sleep. Only had about 5 hours last night. Think that might have thrown me since 4-5 of my LR misses were from misreading the stimulus

[Amerision]

Hey friends,

Back to 170.

PT 74
LR1: -3 (wtf is this Han color bullshit)
LG: -2
RC: -4
LR2: -3

One PT left, PT 80. I just want to take this test. I feel like I can pull out a 170.

[Saylor1720]

What are ya'll planning to do for review over the next ten days?

Tomorrow- Review 77
Sunday- off
Monday- LR drill, copies of LG/RCs
Tuesday- PT78
Wednesday- PT78 review
Thursday- LR drill, copies of LG/RCs
Friday- PT80
Saturday-PT80 review
Sunday-Light drilling in the a.m.
Monday- go time!

I find I have my best scores after a review day followed up by a drilling day. Lots of sleep and eating properly will be key in the last week. Meditation etc. I've gone full out in my prep to feel as best as humanly possible. Haven't been drunk since February. Side bar, Tim Ferriss' Tools of Titans is an awesome collection of tips and tricks for optimal living. Great read if you get a chance.

[InterLaw]

Started hard workout for the final days! I've been doing 1 PT per day since May 24th and since last Wednesday my schedule is: wake up at 6:30, PT + review PT in the morning, 1h / 1:30h afternoon drilling and exercises from "mock" tests I created myself adding up all the questions mistaken in the last 30 PTs. I do them at the hospital (very chaotic, yet fresh and close to home). My friends start believing I'm crazy.

However, last 7 PTs above 170, with a 177 on PT65! WHO IS THE CRAZY ONE NOW BITCHEZ?

Let's go!