Still Stumped On LG, DC Tutor Recs? Forum

[christinalsat]

I took the Testmasters course from Dec-Jan, took some time off from studying, hit the books mid-March, and I am still totally stumped on the logic games. I've read the LG bible and completed many many games. Timing is the biggest issue for me. A couple months ago, I could rush through all four games but would usually get around 4-8 wrong. Now I'm focusing on accuracy which means I can only get through three games -- and that doesn't put me in a much better place. I'm wondering if it's time to invest in an lsat tutor...

Does anyone have any tutor recs? I'd like to stay away from Testmasters since the company's prep class was a huge waste of my money, but if anyone had an amazing experience with one of their tutors, feel free to name drop. I'm in Washington, DC. If you have any other LG tips, please share!

[worldwithoutend]

It sounds to me like you're on the right track, and I wonder if a tutor is really what you need. I never took a class, but I went through pretty much the same process: realizing that if I wanted a perfect, or near-perfect, score on the logic games section, I'd have to slow it down and focus on accuracy first.

At the time, I had a good hour-long train ride every morning and evening, and I spent that time redoing past games. I didn't set a timer, but I always kept efficiency in mind, training myself to recognize set-ups and make inferences. Since I wasn't pressed for time, I could take a moment to look at the set up and make sure I had it firmly in mind, that I understood all of the inferences and how they fit together. I got better at picking out answers with complete certainty, and without needing to create hypotheticals to eliminate the false choices.

That saved a lot of time when I did sit down for timed practice tests, which I did on weekends. LG was the biggest hurdle for me, at first, too, but I became comfortable with it over time. I ended up with a 175, which I couldn't have done without all that LG work. It sounds to me like you're where I was about a month or two before the test, and I'd bet you could improve your timing through practice alone.

I also live in DC but don't know any tutors. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about particular games, though. Don't ask me why, but after all those games I sort of miss them.

[barnum]

Only since you said it was ok to name drop...

I am a tutor in DC. I work for a company called Griffon Prep http://www.griffonprep.com We do the first hour of tutoring free so that you can find out if you like or even need the tutor.

As the previous poster pointed out, you might actually be fine on your own. With almost two months still to go it sounds like you are on the right track. If you can get through 3 games now accurately then you probably can work up to four games by test day. A good tutor should be able to show you some places where you are losing time right now and being less efficient, but with practice you may deduce those same tidbits.

[christinalsat]

Griffon sounds like a pretty nice deal if the company is flexible enough to let you decide if you need tutoring after an hour session. Has anyone else worked with Griffon?

Barnum -- when is it too late to see a tutor? If I hold off for a couple more weeks, am I cutting it too close? I would probably only do a couple sessions. Am scoring in the mid-160s and would like to bump up to low-170s. Mastering LGs seems like the most feasible way of achieving that score.

[barnum]

If you are going to use a tutor from any company, it is usually better to work with one sooner than later. That way you get the techniques early on and have the time to study on your own. Ultimately up to you obviously. The only reason to wait is if you are still debating a tutor. If you think you can improve on your own, by all means you should just keep practicing a few more weeks and monitor your progress. It does sound like you seem to be doing well on your own so it is a tough call.