Need Advice From China! Forum

[Jdn]

Need some advice on whether or not to pull out of the December LSAT. This is not really a numbers thing as much as a request for feedback from people who have taken the LSAT under strenuous study schedules etc…
So I graduated in May from Seton Hall with a UG GPA 3.93. I’m from Canada, went to junior college in Texas and then after 2 years transferred to SHU to play Div. 1 golf and get a better education. I didn’t have time to prepare for the LSAT during my UG because our schedule was so crazy and knew that I would have to take a year off. I wasn’t happy about that after finding that an undergrad poli sci major has no job opportunities other than Starbucks. I was pretty bummed out that I wasn’t going to get any great work experience or be able to stay in the NYC area because I couldn’t get a green card.
I moved to China to teach English right after graduation because I knew I wanted to live overseas and travel a bit. It was a perfect way to see the world and make a bit of money and allowed me ample time to study for the LSAT. The only time I could write the LSAT in Beijing was December 2nd so I had to sign up for that date.
I was passively going through the LR and LG Bibles and did two practice tests to gauge where I was at. Both around 160 with only about 7 correct answers in Logic Games both times. I suck at logic games. Among other things. Anyways I got this crazy job in the golf world in China acting as a manager for a young Chinese amateur trying to turn professional. I get to travel all over the world, live in luxury, hang out at golf courses, and get paid really well. The thing is, I have to manage so many facets of his career and work 14 hour days 6 days a week. I usually have Sunday to myself, but even that is up for grabs. I do have time to squeeze in about an hour of studying in the morning, and hour at lunch, and maybe an hour at night. I have been trying to stick with studying but it is so hard to re-group and focus on where I was at in studying when I am doing it in such short chunks of time.
I could just delay law school another year, but after my year contract is up the people I work for won’t need me anymore and I’ll be looking at dismal job options again. I couldn’t bear to think of doing something just to kill time. Just waiting for the admissions cycle to start again. I get anxious just thinking about “hanging out” for a year. I am used to having a lot on my plate and being busy and doing things that I perceive to have value, and law school could do that for me. Making mochas can’t. Also, I’m afraid I may lose any intellectual capacity I garnered during undergrad if I put this off any longer.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Even make fun of me so I can get some perspective on this decision. Should I just wait and go to law school in two years? I could apply to McGill in Canada that doesn’t require an LSAT score but would have to polish my French. I could just study my Mandarin really intensely and become fluent in the next year and a half – would that be advantageous? I would love some feedback, especially if people have tried to study on a constricted schedule!!! Thanks so much, J.

[pacifica]

First of all, you should definitely enjoy the baller status you got going on right now, hehe.

But seriously, if you're scoring 160 with only 7/23 on logic games, I think you must be doing quite well in the other sections, and fortunately, logic games is the "most improvable" section according to most LSAT instructors (and personal experience). At the expense of sounding self-deprecating, stereotype has it that we Chinese are superb at acing standardized exams that we have no business taking; I hear rumors of many tutoring places in China where they teach people who barely speak English how to ace GREs, TOEFL etc. I'm sure there's an LSAT class to help you in China if logic game is what's killing you. Even if you sacrifice one game completely and nail 3/4 games, you'll be getting a 10 point boost and close to 170, which will make you golden given your unique work experience. That being said, your schedule does sound super hectic, so if you can pull off another year of teaching after your current gig is up while getting some help on the logic games (if you can't find a way to pull it off by yourself that is), I think it's worth it for a shot at a top law school. Honestly, with the job prospects for lower-ranked law schools being so grim, making moccha might come back to haunt you again if you decide to go with current LSAT score range.

I'm not sure if I'm being helpful. I'm what they call a twinkie, so my China knowledge isn't too fantastic, but best of luck!