In the first part of this blog, PowerScore CEO and LSAT Bibles author Dave Killoran discussed the stresses of applying to law school. The following story is from a student applying to Top 14 law schools this cycle.I write to you on a Wednesday afternoon. In the law school admissions world, Wednesday is typically the day when a few selected applicants are lifted from their depths of despair into the utopia that is being an admitted student. … [Read more...]
Waiting on Law School Decisions? Don’t Forget Your Mental Health
In many sports, the “silly season” is the name given to the offseason, when there are no games but there is a lot of deal-making going on. In law school admissions, I think of the silly season as the period we are in now: from January until roughly May. This is when many law school decisions will be handed down, and negotiations over financial aid take place. But while this is a benign nickname for this period, it is also one of the most … [Read more...]
Retaking the LSAT When You’ve Seen All of the Practice Questions
If you are thinking about retaking the LSAT and you’ve practiced so much that you’ve seen most of the questions (or at least all of the problems of one type, such as Logic Games), what should you do? This can be pretty tricky question, because once you’ve seen a question, you are more likely remember the correct answer, and that takes away the originality, surprise, and challenge of the question. The Teaching Test While I can’t produce a time … [Read more...]
Will There Be More 2021 LSAT Dates?
Update! On 2.17.21, LSAC announced tests through June 2022. Currently, the LSAC website has tests scheduled in January, February, and April of 2021. But where are the test dates for later in the year? Will there be more 2021 LSAT dates posted soon? We’ve had a lot of questions lately from students who are anxiously waiting to see if there will be more dates, so let’s talk about what we will see. What Did LSAC Do In 2019 and 2020? In 2019, the … [Read more...]
Do I Need to Know Legal Terms to Do Well on the LSAT?
A common question most students ask themselves when deciding to take on the LSAT concerns the vocabulary the LSAT requires you to know to do well. Do you need an especially large vocabulary? Or perhaps a working knowledge of legal or logical terms? With this in mind, let's take a closer look and discover what you need to know before you take the LSAT.The good news is that most of the words you'll encounter on the LSAT are of the simple, … [Read more...]
Law School Personal Statements: The Drafting is Never Done
At this time of year, many students are trying to write their personal statements. It can be incredibly tough, so don’t give up! Over the years I’ve read thousands of personal statement drafts, and I want to share one of the most important tips: When you think your draft is final, it’s not. That may seem overly harsh, so let me explain.The Goal is Perfection, and Perfection Takes Time I get it: writing about yourself is no fun and feels … [Read more...]
Number and Percentage (#%) LR Problem Tips
Are you having trouble with Number and Percentage Logical Reasoning problems? You're not alone! Number and Percentage problems can be among the most difficult, so the fact that they are giving you some trouble isn't unusual. They are likely to appear at least a few times on your test, so you'll want to make sure you have these ideas locked down. Here are some helpful suggestions to improve your #% performance, and several examples to make the … [Read more...]
Is the 2021 Law School Admissions Cycle More Competitive?
The 2021 law school admissions cycle is going to be extremely competitive. Due to an influx of new circumstances stemming from an incredibly unusual year, we are seeing law school applicant numbers rise significantly and you will have a lot of competition. So, let’s look at the four factors driving this cycle: 1. More Applicants and More Applications The total number of law school applications submitted so far is up 57%, and the number of … [Read more...]
Can I Take the LSAT Instead of the GMAT to Apply to Business School?
Using a GRE score for application to MBA programs (in place of a GMAT score) has become standard practice in recent years as ETS (the makers of the GRE) has aggressively marketed the GRE as a substitute for the GMAT. That's great for GRE takers, but is there a way to use an LSAT score to get into business school, and thus skip taking the GMAT entirely? It turns out that there is--but, there is also a condition in place on using that LSAT score, … [Read more...]
The LSAT Is About To Get Harder
Any LSAT student reading the title above probably just felt their heart stop for a moment. I apologize for that! Fortunately, the LSAT won’t be getting harder immediately, but will likely be getting harder in the years to come. Let’s talk about why.Big Data is Everywhere The rise of Big Data has been widely discussed, usually in reference to social media and advertising. But with the dawn of the Digital LSAT and the launch of LSAC's own … [Read more...]
What Does -6, -7, -8, -9 Mean When Talking About the LSAT-Flex Curve
The shorthand reference of -6 to -9 refers to the number of questions you can miss on an LSAT-Flex to obtain a score of 170. It’s also a reflection of general test difficulty. Harder LSATs allow you to miss more questions whereas easier exams require you to miss fewer questions.After every LSAT-Flex, there is a discussion of the relative difficulty of the test. You often hear numbers such as -7 or -9 thrown around as indicators of the LSAT … [Read more...]
The LSAT Never Leaves You (That’s a Good Thing)
There have been plenty of articles written about LSAT thinking in the real world, and about how LSAT logic is used (and often abused) in everyday life. Those articles are all valid, and interesting, I think! But one thought I want to mention is that the thinking skills you learn while studying for the LSAT will stay with you, and benefit you well into the future. Logical Reasoning in Daily Life While I often think of the value of learning LSAT … [Read more...]
Andy Murray’s Motivational Notes and the LSAT
During a tennis match in 2015 at the Rotterdam Open, a journalist snapped a picture of tennis star Andy Murray consulting a handwritten sheet between sets. As it turns out, the sheet contained a list of tactical and mental reminders for Murray during the match. Let's take a look at the list, and then talk a bit about how you can use something similar in your LSAT preparation to your advantage. For starters, here's the tweet from the … [Read more...]
Why Did My LSAT Score Go Down When I First Started Studying?
On occasion, I speak with students who experience a score decrease when they first start preparing for the LSAT. Despite putting in a fair number of study hours, they find that initially their score stays the same, or drops a few points. This can be an extremely distressing occurrence (to put it mildly), but it's actually quite normal, and even expected. So let's talk about why it happens, and what to do about it. But... Why? The first question … [Read more...]