Advice Needed: 1 Month To Prep For LSAT Forum

[PerryMason]

Hello all,
I just finished my undergrad work and am now preparing for law school. I was originally scheduled to take the LSAT in December but had to withdraw from that test due to course work and re-register for this coming session on February 11th. I also have a family, so needless to say, it's been really hectic lately...

That being said, what would your recommendations be regarding preparation for the LSAT with just a month until I take it?

I have not taken any prior prep classes or engaged any of the material up to this point.

I have the Kaplan Premier Book for 2010-11, but have yet to really look at it.

Some background about myself - throughout my time as an undergrad I've received numerous compliments on my writing abilities from professors and I have always been a really strong test taker.

Where should I start?

Thanks!

[mtyler19]

Hello all,
I just finished my undergrad work and am now preparing for law school. I was originally scheduled to take the LSAT in December but had to withdraw from that test due to course work and re-register for this coming session on February 11th. I also have a family, so needless to say, it's been really hectic lately...

That being said, what would your recommendations be regarding preparation for the LSAT with just a month until I take it?

I have not taken any prior prep classes or engaged any of the material up to this point.

I have the Kaplan Premier Book for 2010-11, but have yet to really look at it.

Some background about myself - throughout my time as an undergrad I've received numerous compliments on my writing abilities from professors and I have always been a really strong test taker.

Where should I start?

Thanks!

Is it possible to wait until June? It is usually advised to allot atleast 3 months to study if you're just starting.

[180asBreath]

VELOCITYLSAT.COM

Trust me.

[PerryMason]

Hello all,
I just finished my undergrad work and am now preparing for law school. I was originally scheduled to take the LSAT in December but had to withdraw from that test due to course work and re-register for this coming session on February 11th. I also have a family, so needless to say, it's been really hectic lately...

That being said, what would your recommendations be regarding preparation for the LSAT with just a month until I take it?

I have not taken any prior prep classes or engaged any of the material up to this point.

I have the Kaplan Premier Book for 2010-11, but have yet to really look at it.

Some background about myself - throughout my time as an undergrad I've received numerous compliments on my writing abilities from professors and I have always been a really strong test taker.

Where should I start?

Thanks!

Is it possible to wait until June? It is usually advised to allot atleast 3 months to study if you're just starting.

I suppose I could wait, but my issue is if I don't take it in February then I will miss all of the deadlines for applications and then have to sit out of school for a year. Then again, I'm worried if I try to rush this whole application and testing process and condense it into one month then I may hurt my chances of getting into the schools I'm looking at anyway.

Has anyone else here done something similar within such a short amount of time?

Also, another question: I've seen in a few different threads where people gave their score as like 170 and said they made a 160 on their "first test." Does this mean they've officially taken the test before the higher score?

[slsplease]

You're going to end up taking the test in June. Unless you are an absolute savant and do crossword puzzles and sodoku every day and have taken advanced symbolic logic in school an LSAT that will get you admitted to top schools will be very, very tough to get by the Feb. test. And even if you get a satisfactory score, you will still be better off studying until June and getting a better one.

Also, good luck getting into any legit schools applying late Feb.

[Alan]

Several schools have deadlines before the feb LSAT.

Like some others have sentemented, taking the feb LSAT is a bad idea if you want to go to lawschool that fall. You're late. You basically missed it. But it's fine. Take enough time to get prepared and apply in 2013. Take it in June.

This same thing happened to me when I graduated. Waiting worked out.

If youre dead set on applying for the fall, writing your statement, get your transcripts sent, get your LORs sent, immediately

[scoreitup]

I would agree with the other posts - you may not have enough time to prepare as adequately as you would like between now and the February LSAT. I normally tell students that LSAT Prep, if done seriously, should be considered the approximate equivalent of a full-time job lasting 2-2.5 months. If you can put things off until June, do some solid prep work between now and then (including a course or very disciplined self-study) that includes tons of practice LSATs, I believe you will find yourself much better prepared. If you can't do that, get some good books and do LOTS of practice LSATs. Be careful of shills on this site recommending specific courses - first figure out what overall preparation plan is likely to be best for you!

[rglifberg]

I think it depends on what your starting point is. I am currently taking the Testmasters class and just after 3 classes I have noticed a significant increase in LR. I didn't realize how closely you need to read nor what to look for in right/wrong answers. It really can't hurt to at least give it a shot. I am taking the February test hoping to apply for next Fall. I may end up waiting a year but I am still giving it a shot. I say do the same.

[morris248]

I absolutely agree. You need to make your best score the first time out so you need to wait until June. You do need at least three months to properly prepare. Taking it in February is a very bad idea.

[Mr.Binks]

As several people have already pointed out, I think it's best to wait until June--or even October, for that matter. With one month of studying--unless you are a genius of some sort and have a natural inclination for LSAT material--you won't score nearly as high as you want or need. You should just wait until June, study like mad, and get a 180 so you can go to HYS and make $$$$ when you graduate.

[QuincyWagstaff]

http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/1- ... -plan.html

[ThreeRivers]

I too think you should probably take it in June (applying that late will mean you will get in a lot worse schools than you could have), but I actually did study for the LSAT with some success. I guess it depends on your goals

I had a thread going through some of my ups and downs as well

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=165010

Results:
Initial diagnostic- So frustrated that I quit in the middle.. score was probably horrible
Diagnostic 2 weeks later after going through all the bibles - 159
Real LSAT score - 167

[angua]

I did it in a month. My background was in a field where I used formal logic quite often, and had to read dense, technical texts and analyse them/understand them. So logic games were not bad to learn with the aid of PowerScore books, and reading comp was pretty much a breeze. LR was what I spent the most time breaking down and finding patterns for. I basically powered through timed section after timed section after timed section, then checked them, then did them through again to learn from my mistakes.

I think my strong logic and language background put me in a better place to have a smaller amount of prep time. If you don't think you already have a solid baseline, then maybe wait on taking another test. It's a big deal; that number will follow you forever. Don't take it on lightly.