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Very disappointed with my high GPA from cornell (Govt Major) and poor performance on diagnostic. I will take a course, but how much will that help? Any guesses?

masterthearts wrote:poor performance on diagnostic. I will take a course, but how much will that help?

Depends. Generally speaking, the LSAT is trainable. Can you give us more information about why you scored badly? What happened during the diagnostic?

I actually thought I did worse than 153. I didn't realize there was one more reading comp passage, so at the end I began filling in answers at random on the passage I had not read.
I got way too many wrong on the logic games.
I got 71% on Logical Reasoning
35% on Logic Games
65% on Reading Comp (didn't realize there was extra passage, which I never got to read)

masterthearts wrote:Very disappointed with my high GPA from cornell (Govt Major) and poor performance on diagnostic. I will take a course, but how much will that help? Any guesses?

If you're going to spend the money, don't take Kaplan. Testmasters or Powerscore, all the way. Or better yet...if you have the discipline...just get the Powerscore Bibles and save yourself $800. I think most TLSers agree they're the most helpful.

I took Kaplan...score didn't improve any...and then they were able to weasel their way out of the full refund (which they do often, apparently).

Good luck!



Edited for clarity.

The course will definitely help....I got a 149 on my diagnostic, so I really wouldnt worry about it.

I think that the course is pretty essential in terms of giving you the basic tools you need to get like a mid 160 (with a 3.8 from cornell I'm sure thats not ur LSAT ceiling), but to be honest, getting above that is really just about the work you're willing to put in.

I took testmasters for the June '09, wasnt testing high enough...like a 167 the week before, and then went back home to seriously prep for Sep '09, used a much better company, and got a 169 (prepping at a 173 or 174 average, I sort of choked).

People on this site would probably tell you not to go with kaplan, but I think that taking a course like it is the way to go.

I'll echo some of what Jornste said. The class will provide you with a foundation -- it will introduce you to the basic components of the exam (i.e., the construct of arguments, the format of reading comp passages, formal logic, making deductions and inferences).

However, the class alone will only have a minimal impact on your score. Your real progress will be made from taking the information from the class, continually applying that information in practice, and building on your knowledge through familiarity (which you gain from seeing the same types of questions and answers that the LSAT asks from test to test). That you get from using all of the resources you receive as part of your package.

I strongly believe in the methods and approaches we teach, and I have seen students make remarkable progress using them. However, the ones who have made the most significant are the ones who put the most effort outside of class. From your starting score, I have seen plenty of students reach 160s and even some break the 170s.

Good luck with the course. And if you have any specific questions about the course, feel free to PM me any time.

- Chris

Jornste wrote:I took testmasters for the June '09, wasnt testing high enough...like a 167 the week before, and then went back home to seriously prep for Sep '09, used a much better company

What company? Just curious.