Where to begin for June 2014? Forum

[LeCanada]

I've been going through some older posts to try to figure out where to begin preparation for the LSAT. I've found some helpful posts and the LSAT Blog, but I still have some questions. I plan to take the June 2014 LSAT as I have quite a bit going on during the time of the other tests. While I'm not shooting for HYS or anything of the like, I feel like gathering information from those at the top will only help me in my preparation. Learn from the best to be the best.

Basically, I'm shooting for a 160-165 which with my fairly high GPA (3.9) will put me in good position for the Canadian schools I'm looking at. I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet as I've had trouble finding the time to take one, but I'll have more available time soon. Anyway some questions I have would be:

Do you recommend taking a diagnostic test before even looking at books like the LG Bible? Or would you recommend gaining some basic knowledge of question types and then getting a diagnostic?

Which books do you recommend for self-studying? I just ordered the PowerScore LGB and LRB, SuperPrep, and 2 from the "10 Actual..." series from Amazon.

Which study methods to you suggest? From what I've gathered the PithyPike method is for a 3 month time frame as opposed to a year.

Sorry for the lengthy post on a topic others have asked. I hope you remember how confusing the start of preparation was and cut some slack. Any links to other helpful posts or blogs would be greatly appreciated, same with any general help for getting started on this journey. Thanks in advance!

[TheMostDangerousLG]

I've been going through some older posts to try to figure out where to begin preparation for the LSAT. I've found some helpful posts and the LSAT Blog, but I still have some questions. I plan to take the June 2014 LSAT as I have quite a bit going on during the time of the other tests. While I'm not shooting for HYS or anything of the like, I feel like gathering information from those at the top will only help me in my preparation. Learn from the best to be the best.

Basically, I'm shooting for a 160-165 which with my fairly high GPA (3.9) will put me in good position for the Canadian schools I'm looking at. I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet as I've had trouble finding the time to take one, but I'll have more available time soon. Anyway some questions I have would be:

Do you recommend taking a diagnostic test before even looking at books like the LG Bible? Or would you recommend gaining some basic knowledge of question types and then getting a diagnostic?

Which books do you recommend for self-studying? I just ordered the PowerScore LGB and LRB, SuperPrep, and 2 from the "10 Actual..." series from Amazon.

Which study methods to you suggest? From what I've gathered the PithyPike method is for a 3 month time frame as opposed to a year.

Sorry for the lengthy post on a topic others have asked. I hope you remember how confusing the start of preparation was and cut some slack. Any links to other helpful posts or blogs would be greatly appreciated, same with any general help for getting started on this journey. Thanks in advance!

If you have a 3.9, it would be a disgusting waste for you to shoot for 160. 170+ or bust.

Start with the bibles or the Manhattan guides (order the bundle of three guides off Amazon).

[the_pakalypse]

I've been going through some older posts to try to figure out where to begin preparation for the LSAT. I've found some helpful posts and the LSAT Blog, but I still have some questions. I plan to take the June 2014 LSAT as I have quite a bit going on during the time of the other tests. While I'm not shooting for HYS or anything of the like, I feel like gathering information from those at the top will only help me in my preparation. Learn from the best to be the best.

Basically, I'm shooting for a 160-165 which with my fairly high GPA (3.9) will put me in good position for the Canadian schools I'm looking at. I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet as I've had trouble finding the time to take one, but I'll have more available time soon. Anyway some questions I have would be:

Do you recommend taking a diagnostic test before even looking at books like the LG Bible? Or would you recommend gaining some basic knowledge of question types and then getting a diagnostic?

Which books do you recommend for self-studying? I just ordered the PowerScore LGB and LRB, SuperPrep, and 2 from the "10 Actual..." series from Amazon.

Which study methods to you suggest? From what I've gathered the PithyPike method is for a 3 month time frame as opposed to a year.

Sorry for the lengthy post on a topic others have asked. I hope you remember how confusing the start of preparation was and cut some slack. Any links to other helpful posts or blogs would be greatly appreciated, same with any general help for getting started on this journey. Thanks in advance!

If you have one year to study, you should get a 175+. If you have a 3.9 and 172+ you should definitely apply to HYS. UofT is great but HYS is better. There is no reason to sell yourself short.

That said, take a diagnostic available on the LSAC website and see where you are at. Anything below 140 and it may take you a while to get to 160... but if you are near 150 then 160-165 is not a large jump (if you are willing to put the work in).

I can offer you more advice but I really hope if you are planning on studying for a year you don't aim for just a 160-165.

[Nova]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=210944

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=211248

[LeCanada]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=210944

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=211248

Thanks, the second one was good for a laugh. Also your advice in the first thread was helpful. Very much appreciated.

Also, good advice from everyone else to aim higher. It's hard to see how high I should aim without a baseline and I just didn't want to get cocky. Canadian schools are cheaper (costs of tuition, books, and living arrangements are around 23k-30k per year without potential scholarships) and I plan to stay in the country so networking would be better if I stayed here. Again, very grateful for the responses.

[Nova]

Toronto will roll out the red carpet for you if you score 167+

[CardozoLaw09]

Toronto will roll out the red carpet for you if you score 167+

[kiyoku]

I've heard of Toronto reject 170s. I think it's an anomaly situation nevertheless.

OP if your'e talking 3.9, are you sure you're talking about the LSDAS gpa? Most Ontario peeps talk about the OLSAS gpa. If you're 3.9 olsas, that'll be like 4.16+ gpa on the american 4.33 scale.

--
Also...
I have a question for TLS.
The rankings chart shows a bunch of GPAs. I'm guessing the 25th - 75th percentiles are listed out of 4.33 LSDAS gpa yes? not the 4.0? I was certain that this is how it works until I saw someone who doubted it.

[Nova]

The rankings chart shows a bunch of GPAs. I'm guessing the 25th - 75th percentiles are listed out of 4.33 LSDAS gpa yes?

yeah

[LeCanada]

Oh, I guess I forgot another quick question about PTs. Obviously they're the main component of prep. How many per week would be sufficient? I'm thinking I get my hands on as many as possible (particularly the most recent ones) and use the idea of cutting the sections up and mixing sections from different tests to create "new" tests after I've gone through the originals. Then track progress and any problem areas through Excel or a similar program. Is this a strategy others typically employ? I figure with ample time to prepare this would be a good strategy.

And kiyoku, my university uses a 4.3 scale. I should have mentioned that earlier. I don't go to school in Ontario so I don't know how it would convert there but I'll look into it. Although some Canadian law schools drop some of your lowest marks so my GPA would be a ballpark. I'm not really zoning in on U of T specifically but they do have the best program so if it happens that would be wonderful.

Sorry for the constant questions. I live in a rural area and go to a smaller university so it's hard finding peers who are going through this process or have recently written the LSAT.

[Daily_Double]

Oh, I guess I forgot another quick question about PTs. Obviously they're the main component of prep. How many per week would be sufficient? I'm thinking I get my hands on as many as possible (particularly the most recent ones) and use the idea of cutting the sections up and mixing sections from different tests to create "new" tests after I've gone through the originals. Then track progress and any problem areas through Excel or a similar program. Is this a strategy others typically employ? I figure with ample time to prepare this would be a good strategy.

As you will soon come to learn, there exist certain factors sufficient for an outcome, and factors required by that sufficient factor. The number of PTs per week is not the sufficient factor you should think about, rather, the amount of quality review per section per week. The only way to succeed at the test is to think like LSAC wants you to think. You should approach the test with this in mind: the test is not an assessment of what you know, but how you reason. Put simply, once you learn to fully understand and constantly apply valid reasoning, you will meet your goal. Thus, assuming you do not already meet this threshold, your prep will proceed to accomplish one objective, to change how you think. To change one's method of reasoning, one must first identify what method is used in the present. This is where review comes in. When you review, and you should review every question, I'd suggest answering the following questions:

1. Did I understand the question stimulus?
2. Did I understand the answers that I choose or eliminated?
3. Why did I select this answer?
4. Why did I eliminate the other answers?

There should be a reason behind each of these questions. You need to be able to support your selection and elimination of answers. If you answer any of the above questions in the negative, you must then identify what you were thinking at the time, then find out what you should have done instead. Through this process you will gradually think more logically and thus, satisfy the necessary condition of LSAT success.

There are various strategies to help you meet this threshold. They are all over this site. The two that I have found most helpful are below, though I'm sure there exist others which I have neglected to uncover.

TLS1776's Thoughts on the LSAT

The NoodleyOne's Foolproof Guide to a 179 for Retakers

Read the guides. Read the books, drill the question, game, passage types. Take timed PTs with a fifth section. Don't cheat yourself by taking extra breaks, checking your answers before you review, or giving yourself any leeway that LSAC would not give you themselves. And above all, review your work.

Good luck.