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Hey, long time lurker, first time poster. Actually, this is my first time ever posting on an Internet forum.

I got a 180 (-1 on LR) on the June 2010 LSAT. I would like to thank all of you who post on this website; I really don't think I could have done it without your help. This post in particular was very helpful for me. I did not follow OP's study plan exactly, but it's great advice and the 400 most difficult LR questions was probably the most useful purchase I made-- I think it really helped me get over the hump. This site overall provided me with a lot of invaluable tips and strategies: for example, I doubt I would have ever heard about the PS Bibles if it was not for TLS. I scored fairly high (about a 170) on my diagnostic and was scoring in the mid 170s after reading the LG bible but I believe it was the guides and specific question explanations posted on here that allowed me to get 180. Beyond just substantive advice, TLS was also great for me because it is a place full of people who have similar concerns, neuroses and fears about the test. So, thank you to those who have posted on those huge long threads these past few months. I apologize for not contributing and I hope to fix that in the future.

For those who want to reach a 180 or close to it, I think it is a good idea to approach the LSAT like a sporting event. I have never been involved in music or theater but I imagine it is a similar process. So, nutrition, sleep, "tapering" and having a solid daily routine are incredible important parts of studying. I was lucky in this respect because I have a full time job so I was forced to abide by a pretty rigid schedule. On test day, you need to arrive at the center in a focussed zone. I was surprised by how many people at my center did not seem to do this. Everyone should believe they can get a 180 and that they can get each question right-- I think it was this attitude that allowed me to approach each question effectively and confidently. I personally thought about each question like I think about a 5 foot putt. I'm confident I can make it but I know that rushing or doubting myself is a recipe for disaster. Whenever I had to reread a stimulus or got frustrated by a game, I would take a few seconds to stretch or take a deep breath. I think this is similar to stepping back from the putt and rereading the green.

Anyway, I'd be happy to answer questions about my preparation or anything like that. I'd just rather not talk about my school or state because I figure only 20 - 30 people get 180 each year and I am from a fairly small state. Thanks.

Sorry guys, I had originally planned to post that in this thread

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 6&t=117096

That is the thread and OP which I found especially useful.

Yahoo! This is amazing news and you should be exceptionally proud of your achievement.

If you ever wanted to write an article for TLS about how you scored a 180 that would be ideal. For those who are inspired by Bryan's accomplishment, we have 3 articles discussing how to score a 180 written by 3 TLS members who have done so. All 3 articles can be accessed here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/how-i-sc ... icle1.html

Congratulations again Bryan!!

Congratulations Bryan!
How many PTs did you do before the June Test?

I took around 15 full length practice tests. Probably half of those were from after PT 45. I did most of them with an added 5th section from one of the early tests.

I also did the LG sections from maybe another 10 or 15 tests, and a few other RC and LR sections as well.

Posted this in the "How to Get a 160+" thread; it's on Page 20.

Link:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=475

Bryan wrote:I took around 15 full length practice tests. Probably half of those were from after PT 45. I did most of them with an added 5th section from one of the early tests.

I also did the LG sections from maybe another 10 or 15 tests, and a few other RC and LR sections as well.

Sorry, can you explain what you mean by "PT 45" PT = practice test? what is 45?

It means practice test number 45. LSAC has issued about 59 or so real LSAT exams, numbered from the first issued for public use through the latest.

How did you avoid stress/nerves getting the best of you the weeks leading up to the LSAT and while taking the actual test?

Ken wrote:Yahoo! This is amazing news and you should be exceptionally proud of your achievement.

If you ever wanted to write an article for TLS about how you scored a 180 that would be ideal. For those who are inspired by Bryan's accomplishment, we have 3 articles discussing how to score a 180 written by 3 TLS members who have done so. All 3 articles can be accessed here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/how-i-sc ... icle1.html

Congratulations again Bryan!!

Just wanted to +1 a Ken post!

Ken this site is awesome, I would never have gotten into Michigan from UF without it. Thank you!

Bryan wrote:Hey, long time lurker, first time poster. Actually, this is my first time ever posting on an Internet forum.

I got a 180 (-1 on LR) on the June 2010 LSAT. I would like to thank all of you who post on this website; I really don't think I could have done it without your help. This post in particular was very helpful for me. I did not follow OP's study plan exactly, but it's great advice and the 400 most difficult LR questions was probably the most useful purchase I made-- I think it really helped me get over the hump. This site overall provided me with a lot of invaluable tips and strategies: for example, I doubt I would have ever heard about the PS Bibles if it was not for TLS. I scored fairly high (about a 170) on my diagnostic and was scoring in the mid 170s after reading the LG bible but I believe it was the guides and specific question explanations posted on here that allowed me to get 180. Beyond just substantive advice, TLS was also great for me because it is a place full of people who have similar concerns, neuroses and fears about the test. So, thank you to those who have posted on those huge long threads these past few months. I apologize for not contributing and I hope to fix that in the future.

For those who want to reach a 180 or close to it, I think it is a good idea to approach the LSAT like a sporting event. I have never been involved in music or theater but I imagine it is a similar process. So, nutrition, sleep, "tapering" and having a solid daily routine are incredible important parts of studying. I was lucky in this respect because I have a full time job so I was forced to abide by a pretty rigid schedule. On test day, you need to arrive at the center in a focussed zone. I was surprised by how many people at my center did not seem to do this. Everyone should believe they can get a 180 and that they can get each question right-- I think it was this attitude that allowed me to approach each question effectively and confidently. I personally thought about each question like I think about a 5 foot putt. I'm confident I can make it but I know that rushing or doubting myself is a recipe for disaster. Whenever I had to reread a stimulus or got frustrated by a game, I would take a few seconds to stretch or take a deep breath. I think this is similar to stepping back from the putt and rereading the green.

Anyway, I'd be happy to answer questions about my preparation or anything like that. I'd just rather not talk about my school or state because I figure only 20 - 30 people get 180 each year and I am from a fairly small state. Thanks.

Way to go on the score. You must not miss many short putts!

OP, would you mind talking about your PT history and average more? Did you crack 180 before the live test?

naterj wrote:It means practice test number 45. LSAC has issued about 59 or so real LSAT exams, numbered from the first issued for public use through the latest.

Thanks for clarifying on that.

Do you know where can I find those practice tests? Since they are public info, are they free to access in any way?

i only see an old exam from 2007 on lsac.org

Norlan wrote:Do you know where can I find those practice tests? Since they are public info, are they free to access in any way?

You can buy most of them from Amazon. No, they cost money. Amazon has a deal, like buy 3 get one free. Earliest tests, early 90s, are sold in books of ten. I think you can also buy all of them on LSAC for slightly more.

Some of the PTs have been exclusively licensed to Test Prep companies, e.g. PrincetonReview.

iwanta170 wrote:How did you avoid stress/nerves getting the best of you the weeks leading up to the LSAT and while taking the actual test?

I was working full-time, which I feel was sort of an advantage, because I was forced to keep to my usual routine. I did a few practice tests during the last week and then on the weekend I just relaxed and tried to keep my mind off the test. I made sure to exercise, get lots of sleep and organize my ziplock the day before the test.

djjf39 wrote:OP, would you mind talking about your PT history and average more? Did you crack 180 before the live test?

I took around 15 or 20. On my first PT, I scored a 170, though it wasn't a true diagnostic since I had already read the first chapter of the LGB and so I knew at least what "diagramming the games" meant. Even so, probably half of my mistakes still came on the logic games section. Once I'd read through the Bibles, I got myself up into the mid 170s range. Then, I started to focus on replicating test conditions so I'd print out the tests (I used Cambridge LSAT for most of my prep material), use an analog watch, did an experimental, took a 10 minute break, didn't check my answers until after I'd walked home from the library, etc. This helped me focus more and I began to hit 177+. I scored a 180 on four or five of my last six practice tests, I think. I never reached a -0.


I don't know how to quote two different posters in one reply, but I'm actually a pretty poor golfer...probably my lack of athletic ability is what made me want to treat the LSAT like a sporting event.

Bryan,

Did you attend a top-ranking college (Ivy League + Stanford,MIT,etc)? Did you rock the SATs? What range was your GPA in?

I think it's really the first time that I've seen someone get a 170 on his/her diagnostic.
I just want to get a rough idea of your background.

Thanks!

MagnumLifeStyle wrote:Bryan,

Did you attend a top-ranking college (Ivy League + Stanford,MIT,etc)? Did you rock the SATs? What range was your GPA in?

I think it's really the first time that I've seen someone get a 170 on his/her diagnostic.
I just want to get a rough idea of your background.

Thanks!

I go to a good state school, I'm a rising senior. It is a ____ State University rather than a University of _____, though. I did pretty well on the SATs but I didn't really study at all or approach it with the same discipline. My GPA is 3.8+.

I think it does matter that I read part of the LGB before my diagnostic because if you've never seen a game before, it is easy to get like -15 on that section alone. I'm pretty sure I never got below a -3 on any LR or RC section.

On a different note, does anyone know how many 180s there are in a year?

I'm just asking because I originally was concerned about my anonymity but then I've seen a lot of 180s pop up on these boards in the past few weeks, so maybe I don't need to be so careful. I figured originally that 150 000 take the LSAT a year and 180 is the 99.98th percentile. That would mean that around 30 people get 180s a year, and thus around 7 or 8 on each administration. But I think at least that number have claimed 180 on TLS just from the June exam. And presumably not every 180 is registered on TLS.

Bryan wrote:

iwanta170 wrote:How did you avoid stress/nerves getting the best of you the weeks leading up to the LSAT and while taking the actual test?

I was working full-time, which I feel was sort of an advantage, because I was forced to keep to my usual routine. I did a few practice tests during the last week and then on the weekend I just relaxed and tried to keep my mind off the test. I made sure to exercise, get lots of sleep and organize my ziplock the day before the test.

Hmm how much exercise each week and sleep per night are we talking? I was used to working out intensely 6 days a week but found I was as a result too tired when I tried to do practice tests and had to reduce my exercise significantly

iwanta170 wrote:Hmm how much exercise each week and sleep per night are we talking? I was used to working out intensely 6 days a week but found I was as a result too tired when I tried to do practice tests and had to reduce my exercise significantly

Yeah, I'm not talking about any sort of intense Tour de France-style training. I just mean going to the gym three or four times a week, maybe playing some pick up sports. I would try to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night, but sometimes I would go out and then have work the next day, so I didn't always reach that goal.

Bryan wrote:

MagnumLifeStyle wrote:Bryan,

Did you attend a top-ranking college (Ivy League + Stanford,MIT,etc)? Did you rock the SATs? What range was your GPA in?

I think it's really the first time that I've seen someone get a 170 on his/her diagnostic.
I just want to get a rough idea of your background.

Thanks!

I go to a good state school, I'm a rising senior. It is a ____ State University rather than a University of _____, though. I did pretty well on the SATs but I didn't really study at all or approach it with the same discipline. My GPA is 3.8+.

I think it does matter that I read part of the LGB before my diagnostic because if you've never seen a game before, it is easy to get like -15 on that section alone. I'm pretty sure I never got below a -3 on any LR or RC section.

On a different note, does anyone know how many 180s there are in a year?

I'm just asking because I originally was concerned about my anonymity but then I've seen a lot of 180s pop up on these boards in the past few weeks, so maybe I don't need to be so careful. I figured originally that 150 000 take the LSAT a year and 180 is the 99.98th percentile. That would mean that around 30 people get 180s a year, and thus around 7 or 8 on each administration. But I think at least that number have claimed 180 on TLS just from the June exam. And presumably not every 180 is registered on TLS.

Remember that the exam is equated before anyone takes the official version. Thus, the number of 180s can vary widely from year to year. Having said that, yes, on average, the number is around 30 per year, or a little below, given current numbers. Well done!