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How much should someone prepare for the writing sample? I keep reading that it's not very important, but shouldn't I be pretty familiar with it at the least?

It's a pretty dumb essay, like SAT-level dumb, so I wouldn't worry about it.

After planning my outline I underestimated the amount of time I would need to write it all out in full sentences. (I can't even remember the last time I had to write an essay by hand.) As a result the whole second half was nearly illegible.

Couldn't hurt to look over a couple of prompts and make an outline, at least.

Check the internet, it has a few good examples of great essays or what you should try to aim for. Most ppl just need to do 1 or 2 practice essays. Like the above poster said its pretty simple stuff. If you are borderline candidate a great writing example can help. Also if you are looking for HYS then you better kill the writing sample.

It is literally the most important part of the LSAT - so important in fact that LSAT doesn't even want to try to grade it, but rather makes adcoms read it themselves.

Srs tho, if you don't know how to write, practice. If you do know how to write, just look up an example of a good one online the day before the test and mimic it

I did 1 writing sample prompt 3 weeks before my first test.

The vast majority of schools don't care about it. They will use your PS to measure your writing ability. I'm convinced that it's (partially) a way to make sure that the handwriting you put at the beginning of the test matches up at the end, to make sure you didn't have somebody finish the test for you after the break.

It's a 3, maybe 4 paragraph essay that should take about 15 minutes to write. Just don't do something stupid like writing f*** out in capital letters on each line or sketching a giant middle finger on the page.

I strongly suggest that you do not waste time studying for the writing sample, focus on what's being graded.

One more thing: I've heard that if you decide not to fill it out at all then your test will not be graded. I have no idea if this is true and I have no intention of finding out. So, write something down at the very least.

it should't take you more than 1 hour to prepare