All too often we hear about students that took the LSAT “cold,” meaning without studying. It’s not uncommon for some students to believe they don’t have to study, especially if they’ve proven they can test well. Another common reason students do this is to get a feel for a “real” LSAT without preparing. In both cases, the LSAT often delivers a harsh reality. You need to study for this exam to really do well. Of course, there are exceptions, … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 84: Causal Reasoning Part I – The Nature of Basic LSAT Causality
After several months of LSAT-Flex reviews and admissions cycle analysis, Jon and Dave are getting back to basics with a conceptual overview of causal reasoning. In this episode they examine precisely how LSAT causality operates, the central assumption that makes it so vulnerable, common points of confusion including correlations and conditionality, and the key distinctions between causation in premises and conclusions. If you’re looking for a … [Read more...]
Should You Retake the LSAT?
When LSAT scores come out, many students are faced with the uncomfortable reality of a possible retake. With that in mind, let's consider two of the most common questions regarding law school admissions. “Should I retake the exam? And if I do, how will law schools interpret my scores?”In order to help you better understand your options, we have researched the policies of LSAC and top law schools. We've also spoken with many admissions … [Read more...]
Logical Negation: Identifying What to Negate in a Sentence
When negating a sentence, how do you know what specific word you need to negate if it's a long and complicated sentence?Students often ask this question, and it’s one that entails a more in-depth response than you may be expecting. We cover this topic in the Logical Reasoning Bible, Chapter 11, in the discussion of the Assumption Negation Technique™. However, even in such a comprehensive discussion, it's impossible to formulate categorical … [Read more...]
Were You Waitlisted? Here’s What You Should Do
Most students would almost rather see a rejection letter than a waitlist letter. While the rejection letter may hurt more, at least you have closure. With a waitlist letter you have, well. Not closure and a whole lot of waiting. So, what do you do if you get a waitlist letter from a law school? First, let's begin by understanding what being waitlisted means. The Meaning of Being Waitlisted The vast majority of waitlisted applicants have good … [Read more...]
What Kind of Vocabulary Should I Expect on the LSAT?
Note: this was originally written for the PowerScore LSAT Reading Comprehension Bible. Students often ask about the vocabulary required to do well on the LSAT. They worry that they might need an especially large vocabulary, or perhaps a working knowledge of legal or logical terms. Let’s take a closer look and find out what you need to know before you take the LSAT. The Good News Most of the words you will see on the LSAT will be of the simple, … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 83: The April 2021 LSAT-Flex Review
The April 2021 LSAT-Flex has come and gone, which can only mean one thing: Dave and Jon are here with a detailed look! Tune in as they discuss all of the content used this week—including the international exams—and offer their take on everything from the tests’ first appearances, overall difficulty, unusual moments, and exact scale predictions for every possible configuration. … [Read more...]
Historic Law School Waitlist Movement and the Current Cycle
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ana the Analyst. As deposit deadlines approach and LOCIs begin to be drafted, many an applicant has but one thing on their minds: how much waitlist movement should we be expecting, really?The short answer: we don’t know.The long answer: this is a historic year of many changes, including: the onslaught of a global pandemic; an increase in seats taken by deferring students; a massive increase … [Read more...]
Score Plateau? Focus on the Process
A few weeks before the LSAT, many people find themselves on a plateau. They just can't seem to improve their scores. People find themselves on plateaus for many different reasons, one of those causes is lack of organization. Over time, when you've done quite a bit of studying for the test, you can start to get lazy with your process. If you're stuck on a plateau, one of the best things you can do is organize your process! This can reduce your … [Read more...]
Using Rankings to Decide Where to Apply to Law School
Rankings are everywhere. Whether it's law school, business school, college, or even high school, chances are there’s someone out there who’s come up with a ranking system. Their sheer ubiquity means that rankings are the one aspect nearly every applicant consults when making application decisions. These numbers certainly have their use, particularly at the start of the selection process when you need solid indicators to help you narrow down your … [Read more...]
Upcoming LSAT Dates, Deadlines, & Details
Need to get your ducks in a row and figure out which LSAT you need to take? Here's a list of all the upcoming LSAT dates, deadlines, and details you need to know. To sign up for your test date(s), head to LSAC.org. Upcoming LSAT Dates, Deadlines, & DetailsWe will continue to update this chart as changes occur and dates come up. For more information about LSAT-Flex Tests and how to prepare differently, go here. Sabbath Dates At this … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 82: The 2022 US News Law School Rankings
The 2022 US News law school rankings have been released, setting the “official” standard by which schools will be compared to one another for the next twelve months. In this episode, Jon and Dave offer their take on this year’s rankings, including the controversial metrics and weighting involved, the most prominent winners and losers as schools rise and fall, and—above all—exactly what these rankings mean to you as an applicant! … [Read more...]
Why Did the 2022 US News Law Rankings Change?
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ana the Analyst. It is ranking season! One of the biggest questions that always comes up during this fretful period of US News change is, “Well, why did so-and-so rise? What terrible horrors befell Princeton Law that caused their drop of one whole place in the ranking?” This spreadsheet attempts to answer those questions for you with a category-by-category break-out of publicly available changes. … [Read more...]
Updates to LSAT Test Scheduling Policy and Digital Testing Interface
LSAC recently announced two updates set to take effect with the April 2021 LSAT-Flex, the first regarding the test day/date selection timeframe, and the second concerning their digital testing interface.The more critical of these two announcements is that test takers must now schedule their testing day and time by 11:59 pm EST of the Thursday prior to their exam. So for those planning to sit for this upcoming April LSAT beginning on April … [Read more...]