170s and up Forum

[GoGetIt]

For all of you that scored a 170 and above, how much do you read? Not necessarily for school but just in general.

[rinkrat19]

A ton. (200-300 pages per day if I'm reading something not terribly dense.)

ETA: I'm not in school.

[5ky]

I read for pleasure a lot on breaks, but rarely while school was in session.

[GoGetIt]

So would you say that being an avid reader is a big contributing factor to scoring in this range? If so, how big?

[dstars823]

i would say its not, i only read like NYT editorials, i generally put more time into playing call of duty every day than reading

[catwomangirl]

I think fast/efficient reading is a factor in scoring in the 17x range.

Reading a lot can contribute to that skill, but not necessarily.

I've always scored well in reading/writing things (SAT verbal, Lit SAT etc)

I probably spend 2 hours a day reading through various news-sites, but sitting down an reading a book happens less frequently.

[rinkrat19]

So would you say that being an avid reader is a big contributing factor to scoring in this range? If so, how big?

I would say that being an avid reader is neither necessary nor sufficient to scoring well on the LSAT, but that anecdotally, there seems to be a reasonable correlation between reading a lot and not having too much trouble with the RC sections.

[CincinnatusND]

I would guess that the tendency for high-performing LSAT takers to be fairly avid readers exists, yet I would caution against assuming causation.

I use to be a fairly avid reader but I no longer have time do any reading outside of required course reading. Even when I do have the time lately I elect not to spend it reading.

Some people are born naturally gifted with a propensity to develop acute analytic reading skills, others are not. The latter may benefit score-wise from spending more time reading, whereas the former may not see much benefit.

[Randomnumbers]

I read at least 3-4 books per week. I aced the RC section, and my only studying for the LSAT was about ~7-8 practice tests.

[JazzOne]

So would you say that being an avid reader is a big contributing factor to scoring in this range? If so, how big?

I read quite a bit every day, and I definitely feel like it helped me score well on the LSAT. I also think it is relevant that I enjoy reading nonfiction. I think all the topics on the LSAT are pretty interesting, and it is very common for me to read something on an LSAT and then recall reading about that exact same thing recently in another source.

[IAFG]

My BF and best friend are essentially illiterate and both got 176s.

[Tiago Splitter]

I haven't read a book in years.

[QuincyWagstaff]

I read the Sunday NYT, Browser, A&L. I pick-up a fair amount of NF, but I usually skim or lose interest before finishing. I think innate reading/cognitive speed and LR skills are the bigger factors.

[Crowing]

I read a lot for fun and as an English major, but I wouldn't say that has any real relationship to my LSAT score. 170+ is just a lot of work for most people, and for the rest I think it has more to do with a general ability to take standardized tests than a lifetime of reading.

[banjo]

I read popular and academic non-fiction, as well as a few learned blogs. I don't read any fiction at all and have always considered the reading and analysis of literature (fiction, poetry, drama, etc) to be a complete waste of time.

Edit: Want to add that reading blogs, especially those that make short, condensed arguments, might actually help on the LSAT. Try the Volokh Conspiracy.

[QuincyWagstaff]

So would you say that being an avid reader is a big contributing factor to scoring in this range? If so, how big?

I read quite a bit every day, and I definitely feel like it helped me score well on the LSAT. I also think it is relevant that I enjoy reading nonfiction. I think all the topics on the LSAT are pretty interesting, and it is very common for me to read something on an LSAT and then recall reading about that exact same thing recently in another source.

I agree with this; for example, there is currently an article on the front page of The Browser re: Group-think (a recent RC topic).

[Tom Joad]

All I did in my childhood was read. Probably 5 hours a day for years. Then in high school I get busier and got a life and never read for pleasure and rarely do today. Maybe a book every year. But I read tons of academic journals and books for my classes and I suspect that kind of reading is great prep.

[Jeffort]

Getting used to reading volumes of text frequently is important since that is what you will have to do almost everyday to perform well on the LSAT, in law school and beyond.

However, just powering through and reading a lot of English text will not help that much for people that are fuzzy about the important basic rules of English grammar and parts of speech. Poor grammar and vocabulary skills leads to not interpreting some of the text correctly. Anyone can power through and read a ton of stuff every week, but that doesn't mean they are understanding it or interpreting the substance correctly.

It can be very helpful to spend some time refreshing your mind about the fundamentals of the language, especially for ESL test takers. Students answer questions incorrectly in the LR sections and the RC section frequently due to misinterpretations of the material because of grammar and vocabulary based interpretation issues.

Here are some good links for a quick refresher:

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/parts-of-speech.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/part ... eech_1.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/part ... eech_2.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/part ... eech_3.htm

Also, whenever you encounter a word you do not know the meaning of while reviewing practice questions, look it up in the dictionary.

Spending a few hours/days doing a grammar refresher helps, not only for performing well on the LSAT, but also for communicating with others in English for any purpose whether in written or verbal form.