study plan for a retake of 158 Forum

[lawschool12345]

i have sent out applications for this cycle already and although i have been accepted to a number of schools, i am not getting the scholarship money i want. I have a 3.65 UGPA and think that if i retake the lsat again in june and reapply next semester i can help my self out greatly

does any one have any kind of study tips, books they have used that were specifically helpful

if needed i will post how i did on the october 2010 lsat by section so people can see my weaknesses and help me out better,
thank you

[Eugenie Danglars]

Hi. Here's a thread about my retake after a 157. http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=140092

If you post section by section we can be more helpful.

[lawschool12345]

lr 1 - 18/25
rc - 18/27- ran out of time
lr2 18/26
lg- 16/23

[Eugenie Danglars]

lr 1 - 18/25
rc - 18/27- ran out of time
lr2 18/26
lg- 16/23

Ok, so it looks like you were about where I was. I recommend starting by drilling the heck out of logic games. Get the Logic Games Bible and really work it. Also make copies of logic games and do them more than once to help the patterns really get in your head. Also, start reading stuff like the Economist, Foreign Policy Magazine, etc. to up your reading speed.

[lawschool12345]

i see your retake score andyou are my idol, i want to be like you lol

ookay so besides the logic games bible, what else you think, i want to buy all my books at once

[drummerboy]

excellent work. im thinking of reapplying in october for 2011 to 2012 cycle. i want to finish school prior to studying again. i will have to withdraw from schools i have already been accepted to. i wiil have to reapply to them again in the fall. is that a problem? how do schools look at this? does this plan seen reasonable. i too scored a 156 but have a 3.8 gpa with great softs

[Eugenie Danglars]

i see your retake score andyou are my idol, i want to be like you lol

ookay so besides the logic games bible, what else you think, i want to buy all my books at once

Idolization not necessary

Complete details in thread above, but I bought the LGB and the Reasoning Bible. You'll also want as many prep tests as possible. You can get the books for the older ones and buy online from Cambridge LSAT for the newer ones. I recommend making a copy before you write on them so you can redo sections/test without massive erasing.

[lawschool12345]

how many tests did you do ?

[Eugenie Danglars]

how many tests did you do ?

I've probably done parts of all of them at one time or another. I threw out my records after I got this last score, but the last 5 weeks I did three or four full tests a week, so you do the math. (And yes you can do it, even if you're working full-time).

[Pleasye]

excellent work. im thinking of reapplying in october for 2011 to 2012 cycle. i want to finish school prior to studying again. i will have to withdraw from schools i have already been accepted to. i wiil have to reapply to them again in the fall. is that a problem? how do schools look at this? does this plan seen reasonable. i too scored a 156 but have a 3.8 gpa with great softs

There is absolutely no problem in withdrawing from schools and reapplying next semester. A retake (especially with that GPA) after more studying can completely change the list of schools that you can seriously consider. You may want to get new LOR's OR get one more LOR to send with the ones that you have already sent (for them to have something new to look at and so that you look like you're still on top of things). Also, rewrite/change your personal statement, once again, so that they have something new to look at and so that you don't look lazy. Schools shouldn't look at you any differently except that you will have a shiny new LSAT score for them to consider, good luck!

[drummerboy]

thanks ill keep that info in mind

[Viktor Vaughn]

-LG and LR Bibles. I think I read them both twice.

-Give yourself adequate time to prep. After 4 months I was still seeing steady improvement, so IMO the longer the better. Sounds like you're on top of this part already

-After you finish the bibles, spend a lot of your time taking full, timed tests. Do your best to make everything as realistic as possible; use a bubble sheet to answer and don't use a digital timer or take extra breaks. Make sure you are developing a routine in your notation, the way you mark up and eliminate answer choices, and even your caffeine intake. A big part of the LSAT is just sheer endurance, so you should practice it. I took the tests in coffee shops or a nearby McDonald's too, b/c if you can score a 170 while a little kid plays with his Happy Meal next to you, someone dropping their pencil or standing up and canceling during the middle of a section on test day shouldn't freak you out either.

Lastly, there is a ton of info available on TLS, so be sure and utilize as much of it as possible.

Good Luck!

[lawschool12345]

Thank you all for all the help

drummerboy we are in the same boat so hopefully we do as well as the people who are helping us!

anymore ideas, i just want to do as good as possible thanks

[slax]

I went from 154 diag to 176 on the real deal. Took the TestMasters course, did all the homework, and took every practice test they had available. It's worth the investment.

[lawschool12345]

slax im a little weary of the classes, i got screwed by kaplan

[wardy007]

slax im a little weary of the classes, i got screwed by kaplan

i feel like i got screwed by kaplan too. $1300 down the drain..and my pt has barely improved. grrr. they have good diagramming ideas for LG, but their RC "roadmapping" is cumbersome and would be ideal if the RC gave 45 min..