Thinking Lsat

A student asks if she should take the December LSAT if she's currently scoring in the 130s on practice tests. Her GPA is a 3.3 and she has three "F" grades on her transcript. In addition, she is half-way through the Princeton Review LSAT course and her scores are not improving. Should she take the December LSAT, or wait until the February test? We tackle Logical Reasoning question 11 (Section 2) from the June 2007 LSAT. Finally we discuss Game 3 on the October 2015 (Test 76) LSAT. Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email! Thinking LSAT is now on Twitter! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question! Take a listen and let us know what you think.

We discuss the current state of LSAT accommodations since the topic was discussed in episode 43. We tackle Logical Reasoning question 10 (Section 2) from the June 2007 LSAT. Camilla asks what ranges we recommend for reach, target and safety when using the LSAC calculator and the percentage it gives. Two listeners ask if they should spend time reviewing questions/answers they got correct, or just those that were incorrect. Chris is heading into the final stretch before the December LSAT. He asks if we've seen patterns among students who have experienced test-day score drops compared to their practice test scores. Similarly, Courtney asks if we have suggestions for how to improve her test-day score to match her practice scores. Chris asks if he should drill specific question types, or continue taking mixed sections to help strengthen the question gaps and understanding. In addition, he asks for suggestions to go from the low 160s to high 160s. Ben suggests using the Strategy Prep question tracker to help w

The October LSAT scores are out. Should you retake the LSAT? And what's the first thing you should do when you get your actual results back? Paul asks if it's possible to go from a LSAT score of 146 to 170. Vincent shares his experience after taking our advice to stop reading the Logical Reasoning question stem first. Did his practice scores improve? Dylan wants help answering abstract questions (e.g. flaw, method of reasoning), and shares his strategy for taking simulated practice tests at the actual LSAT start-time of 8:30 a.m. A listener asks what suggestions we have for continuing to study when waiting for test results. She also asks about a strategy for disclosing speeding tickets on the law school application, and whether those traffic violations will hurt her chances of admission. Thinking LSAT is now on Twitter! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question! Take a listen and let us know what you think.

Ann Levine, Law School Expert, talks about whether law school early decision programs are worth exploring. She also addresses whether law schools can see if you've applied to multiple schools via early decision. Joe shares an October LSAT test-day horror story that involved the use of an analog watch during the test. He asks advice on how to address the situation with LSAC. Listener Kayle talks about an offer she received from a law school in Alabama that included a waiver of her application fee and a $30 iTunes gift card in exchange for her application to the school. She asks if other law schools are engaging in these offers. After scoring in the mid-teens on Logic Games, Steve asks for help and suggestions for additional Logic Games study materials. One listener doesn't feel confident about his most recent score with respect to Reading Comprehension. He already took the LSAT once and scored a 162. He asks if he should take the December LSAT, and what are the implications of taking the LSAT for a third t

This student's practice LSAT score is stuck in the mid 140s, despite the fact she has been studying for quite some time using several different prep materials. She wants to reach the 150s. Should she take the October LSAT or wait until December? This student has been studying consistently for the LSAT and scoring in the mid 160s. But as the October test approaches, his score is slipping down to the 150s. What should he do? Jack asks how he can improve his speed completing Logic Games. Should students worry about the LSAT writing sample? (Listen to Episode 34 for more information on the writing sample.) Are law school early decision programs worth pursuing? Nathan will be living part time in Los Angeles, and is now accepting appointments for private LSAT tutoring in Southern California. You can book an appointment online for in-person or Skype tutoring sessions. We also tackle Logic Games question 1 (Section 1) from the June 2007 LSAT. Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to 

Mika talks about applying for LSAT accommodations for persons with disabilities, and what the LSAC decided in her case. She discusses the process of submitting more than 100 pages of documentation, and her request to take four LSAT sections, additional time to answer the sections, the use of noise-cancelling headphones, and an isolated testing environment. We answer questions from Benny who is pursuing his MBA and wants to attend law school. He asks whether a graduate degree will help his chances of admission to a law school such as Georgetown. He also asks if law schools will consider his graduate GPA more or less than the undergraduate GPA. We clarify an answer Ann Levine recently gave about how the LSAC computes your GPA when you retake a college course and receive a higher grade. Ann refers to the LSAC's policies related to transcript summarization webpage for further clarification. We also tackle Logical Reasoning question 9 (Section 2) from the June 2007 LSAT. Take a listen and let us know what you th

Student Loan Expert Heather Jarvis addresses the following topics: What are need-based versus merit-based scholarships? How does tuition discounting work? How should students ask for more scholarship money? Tips for borrowing and reducing living expenses in law school. Should you borrow money from an IRA investment account or take out student loans to pay for law school? We also answer the following questions from listeners: Melissa is a 34-years-old mother who is considering law school. She asks about a LSAT prep strategy and whether to take a practice LSAT as her first step. Eric asks about "must be true" questions and when to diagram Logical Reasoning questions. Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter. Everyone who signs up will receive updates and sample chapters of the upcoming Logic Games Playbook! Sign up and we’ll be in touch!

Ann Levine, Law School Expert, shares advice and answers questions about law school admission. What do law school admissions committees do with LSAT score bands? How does the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) compute your GPA when you retake a college course and then receive a higher grade? How does LSAC handle transcripts when you're involved in a dual degree program? What are the first things you should do to prepare for law school? Brittany asks if you can submit a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher. When you're asked to supply bullet points for your own letter of recommendation, what information should you give your recommender? How do you decide on a personal statement topic when you have several life experiences to share? Kirk has a bachelor's of music degree in trombone performance. He asks how law school admissions committees will view his degree in music, and should he ask for letters of recommendation from his music professors? He also asks about study abroad programs in

Andrew asks if he has enough time to study for the December 2015 LSAT or should he wait until the February 2016 test. He also asks if he will be at a disadvantage if he takes a later LSAT because more people will be sitting for the exam. Kayle is doing well on her practice LSAT tests (scores of 169 and 172). When studying, she asks if she should: a) concentrate primarily on the number of questions missed; b) consider the overall score; or c) ignore everything and focus on learning from her mistakes? Dennis is concerned about a college class that has negatively impacted his GPA. He is currently retaking the class. Should he apply to law school as soon as his LSAT score is available, or wait until the semester is finished so he can report the better grade and higher GPA? We also tackle Logical Reasoning questions 5 and 6 (Section 2) from the June 2007 LSAT. Don't forget to try out the LSAT tracker. This lets you track your progress and discover what you need to work on. Lastly, Heather Jarvis, student loan

Here's what we talk about in this week’s Thinking LSAT podcast: Andrew asks what we think his chances are of admission to the University of Iowa College of Law. He scored a 155 on the LSAT without any preparation (and is now scoring much higher), and is retaking the test in October. He will have a compelling personal statement, and has impressive extracurricular and leadership activities. He also has a potential letter of recommendation from an attorney. Carmen will apply to law school next fall. She graduated from California State University, Chico with a bachelor's degree in history and a 3.0 GPA. She also works as a paralegal. She asks if we have tips for studying the LSAT on her own while working full time. She also wonders if there are grants and scholarships available for her first-choice of Lewis & Clark Law School, given her GPA and potential LSAT score. In addition, will her experience as a paralegal help her gain admission? Danny disagrees with our approach of not reading the question stem f

In this week’s podcast, we answer the following LSAT questions and whether to select a law school based on bar exam passage rates: Mike asks how to address “uncommon word usages" on the LSAT. For example, the word "obtain" appears frequently. What other words should LSAT test-takers look for? Matt is taking the October LSAT. He slowed down his approach to answering Logical Reasoning questions, which has significantly improved his accuracy. When should he increase his speed to answer more questions while still maintaining accuracy? Nathan's student was admitted to Golden Gate University School of Law (46% bar passage rate) and University of La Verne College of Law (67% bar passage rate). Should he select a law school based on bar exam passage rates or the cost of tuition? Bram just started studying for the LSAT. He asks about a strategy for answering different sections, recommendations for a LSAT class in Atlanta, and whether he should break Logic Games questions into "sub-games" or "worlds." Take a list

In this week’s podcast, we answer the following questions about retaking the LSAT: Dylan has a 3.5 GPA and scored a 163 on the LSAT, yet he got as high as 167 on practice tests. Should he apply to law school early through rolling admission, or retake the LSAT in hopes of a higher score? Lauren scored a 170 on the June LSAT. She is considering retaking the test in October because she scored as high as 174 on practice tests, but doesn't want to burn herself out. Should she retake the LSAT? Andre scored a 155 on his first attempt at the LSAT. After taking a prep course and doing numerous practice rounds, his practice scores ranged from 161-169. Yet when Andre retook the LSAT, he only got a 157. Why did his score decrease and what should he do before retaking the LSAT? Beth is taking the October LSAT. She's working full time and can't afford a prep class. After using the Princeton Review and Kaplan LSAT test prep books, Beth was so stressed about timing that she neglected to work on study techniques. As a re

In this week’s podcast, we answer the following LSAT and law school questions from students across the country: Alex asks if he needs to score a 170 on the LSAT and whether it matters what law school he attends if he plans to practice law in the medical marijuana field. Jordan asks how to improve his mental stamina while taking full LSAT practice tests, and tips for answering Reading Comprehension main point questions. Michael wants help answering necessary assumption questions. Christopher asks why we suggest taking timed practice LSAT tests as early as possible. Courtney seeks some advice on obtaining letters of recommendation when you are not particularly close with college professors. Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter. Everyone who signs up will receive a sample chapter of the Logic Games Playbook! Sign up and we’ll be in touch!

In this week’s podcast, we talk about the June 2015 LSAT and answer a listener's question about when and how he should study for the LSAT. Here's a look at the topics we cover: June 2015 LSAT anomolies and test center mistakes, including proctors forgetting to give 5-minute warnings and one that gave the warning too soon; a test that started one hour late because students were still registering; and a proctor that gave an extra two minutes to complete a Reading Comprehension section. The difficulty level of the June 2015 LSAT, especially with respect to the Logic Games sections. Should you cancel your LSAT score if you think you preformed poorly? Listener Kyle asks when he should start studying for the LSAT and what materials he should use. Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter. Everyone who signs up will receive a sample chapter of the Thinking LSAT Logic Games Playbook! Sign up and we’ll be in touch!

In this week’s podcast, which commemorates our one year anniversary of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, we share an update on the Thinking LSAT Logic Games Playbook. We also address the following issues from LSAT students across the country: Kayli (who is taking the June LSAT) had questions about applying to law school as a "splitter" (i.e. a person with a high LSAT score and low GPA, or vice versa). She asked, "If you're below the 25th percentile for the GPA or LSAT, do you have to be in the 75th percentile for the other component?" Do you have any recommendations for practicing the ungraded writing sample section of the LSAT? Be sure to listen for Ben's rubric to help you craft your essay. Joe has been taking multiple practice tests (and tracking his performance) as he gears up for the June LSAT. He asks for tips to work through the last-minute panic and test anxiety he's starting to feel before the June test. Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up for our email newslette

In this week’s podcast, we discuss issues relating to the upcoming June 2015 LSAT and answer questions from listeners. We then work through question 4 in section 2 of the June 2007 LSAT, which is a flaw question about the Connorly Report on Ocksenfrey's pre-packaged meals. Here's a look at the topics we discuss: How to determine if you're ready for the June 2015 LSAT, and what you should do in the final weeks before the test. Is there a shortage of LSAT test centers around the country? Why are students being sent to test centers in other cities to take the exam? What are some tips for working through paradox questions? Megan graduated in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in media and visual arts, with a specialization in documentary production. She has spent the last few years working on a television show and now wants to attend law school and practice immigration law. Will her undergraduate emphasis and work experience hinder her chances of getting into law school? Similarly, Emily spent a few years singi

In this week’s podcast, we discuss the following questions and work through a Logical Reasoning question from the June 2007 LSAT: How can you use the article, More Sex Means More Money, to understand correlation-causation thinking questions? What are my chances of getting into law school if I have a low GPA from several years ago, 150-155 LSAT score, and valuable work experience? Take a listen and let us know what you think. Don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter to learn more about the launch of our upcoming Thinking LSAT Logic Games Playbook! We’ll be looking for people to read the book and write a few reviews. Interested in helping us out? Sign up and we’ll be in touch!

In this week’s podcast, we work through Logical Reasoning questions from the June 2007 LSAT and we'll share an update on our upcoming Thinking LSAT Logic Games Playbook. We also answer the following questions from LSAT students across the country: Is graduating from college in three years going to hurt my chances of getting into law school? Will my choice of summer jobs help me get into law school? For example, will I be looked upon more favorably if I am a legal intern at a district attorney's office versus working as a barista? Do I need to abstain from drinking alcohol before taking the LSAT? Do you have any tips for lessening eye fatigue or "LSAT headaches" when taking practice LSAT tests? Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter to learn more about the launch of our upcoming Thinking LSAT Logic Games Playbook! We’ll be looking for people to read the book and write a few reviews. Interested in helping us out? Sign up and we’ll be in touch!

LSAT teacher and author Graeme Blake joins us to answer a few questions from the Reddit LSAT forum and reflects on the current state of the LSAT and law school admissions. Here are the topics Graeme addresses: What is the success rate when people retake the LSAT? (read the question on Reddit) What are the basics of an LSAT prep plan? There are so many resources out there; what are the best materials to use? (read the question on Reddit) What is the difference between sufficient and necessary? How is it tested, and how do you make logic and precision habitual? (read the question on Reddit) Graeme's thoughts on some law schools not requiring the LSAT for admission (based on "Killing the LSAT is a Bad Deal for Students" by Elie Mystal in Above the Law) You can read more questions from Reddit on the LSAT forum and law school admission forum. Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter to learn more about the launch of our upcoming Logic Games book! We

Ann Levine, law school admissions expert, answers your questions about how to decide which law school to attend. Some of the topics Ann addresses are: What factors should I assess when deciding on a law school? Is there a methodical way to go about it, like creating a spreadsheet to compare? How important are a school's clinical offerings, course variety, and student organizations? Are specialties important? What about specialty rankings? Does the law school's 509 report accurately portray student data? Does it include the percentage of transfer students, and can I use the 509 report to gauge student satisfaction? How do I make the most of my campus visit? What tell-tale signs should I look out for? I want to visit a school, but it will cost about $300 in airfare, hotels, rental car, etc. Will a law school cover some of these expenses? How do I negotiate offers from multiple law schools? Take a listen and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter to learn more