Top Law Schools

Hey guys, I just registered, and I hope to not become the annoying newb on the forum.

4 years ago I took the LSAT and while I was scoring in the low to mid 150s on test day I choked and got a 141. The 150range isn't stelar by any stretch, but 141 was heart breaking.

Her's what happened in a nutshell...

I took the test cold a few times and sucked pretty bad in the high 130s and 140s this was 6 or 7 years ago, no prep no nothing just took a practice test in an empty classroom while I was on break between classes. This convinced me I needed a course and took Kaplan which is horrible. I skipped many classes, was unmotivated, busy running a business, and at one point,I went on vacation losing a lot of study time. Then I did no studying until test day. That day I was dry heaving,and a complete mess.

I have a new found motivation to go to law school, and I'm very very serious about this. I'm doing everything I can to give myself an edge. From nootropics, to dieting for optimal cognitive performance, cognitive reasoning games, and I'm getting the powerscore bibles on logic games (they are the devil and I hate them) and logic and reasoning which gives me a brain fart when I do them.

I'm even investing time in speed reading to give me an edge with the reading comp which is my strong point.

I'm thinking of taking powerscore's full length course, as I hear great things. At nearly $1300 it ain't cheap and I hope it's worth the money.

I've read the forum about guys gaining 30+ points with the right tools and motivation, and I'm giving myself 7 months as I'm taking the October LSAT. I need a high score since the averaging will kill me, and to top it all off, I'm from New York and all of the nearby schools require 165+ to even dream of getting in.

Am I wasting my time? Or is this possible? Thanks for any help in advance.

assuming you're decently intelligent, (one reasonable sufficient: passed through any legitimate 4 year university), I believe yes. 165 is possible, and imo not difficult, for someone who has 3+ months. You have 7 full months. If you study diligently, 4+ hours a day, there's really no reason other than significant cognitive disability that'll keep you from 165+ (I'd say 170+ but then I don't really know you at all - 165 seems almost certain and safer). It requires you to actually put in the effort and dedication.

As a cautionary summary: Yes, it's more than possible, likely, with dedication. But if you skimp and get lazy it's MUCH MORE EASILY made unlikely.

LSAT is not a test of inherent intelligence. Just like anything else, it just gives you a body of rules and tests you on them. It's just like an instrument or sports. Not everyone can be a virtuoso (178+), but many can be really good (170+) with a lot of dedication. And many can become proficient/good (165+) with a reasonable amount of dedication.

Thanks nugnoy, you give me some serious hope.

I'm going to buy the bibles now, plus 10 practice tests, and if I don't feel right I'll shell out the 1300 to do the full length course in April.

4+ hours a day. Practice test once a week, and plenty of ginkgo and provigil should do the trick.

With 7 months, you may not be satisfied with 165. 141 was my diagnostic as well and I was pretty disappointed with my 168 in June as it was several points below my PT average.

Don't waste your money on a prep course. If you really want to spend that money, get a tutor to supplement your self-study, and make sure you understand that this top score is yours to lose, not there for the taking. If you put in the work, you will see the results. But you have to do the work.

Good luck.

Just a quick note - most schools no longer average LSAT scores, they just take the highest one. So while the 141 is miserable, it shouldn't affect any future applications. (If you do improve as much as you hope you might write an addendum to explain why the 141 doesn't represent your abilities, but that's as far as you'd have to go, I think.)

MLSAT FTW