Every year I make revisions and updates to the LSAT Bibles, and there are several different reasons for that. First, at least three new LSATs are released each year, and I make changes to account for new wrinkles used by the test makers. Second, I talk with many different LSAT students and also teach various sessions throughout the year, and the feedback I receive helps me shape and improve parts of each book. Finally, as I discussed previously, the books have changed so much over time that providing new versions each year helps students know they are getting the most up-to-date information … [Read more...]
Understanding LSAT Justify the Conclusion/Sufficient Assumption Logical Reasoning Questions
One of the common questions that comes up with students studying for the LSAT is how do Justify/Sufficient Assumption questions work, and how do they differ from regular Assumption/Necessary Assumption questions? The mere fact that there are different types of assumption questions is part of the problem, but the unique way that these questions work also causes issues. Let's take a closer look at this question type and try to understand the big picture!First, let's begin by making sure we're all talking about the same thing. In PowerScore terminology, the question type we are discussing is … [Read more...]
Using the LSAT Bibles: Should Your Score Go Up Immediately?
One frequent question I get comes from students reading the LSAT Bibles who wonder how much of a score increase they should see while reading the book. The answer is that while you are reading the books, you probably won't see much of a score increase. It's after you finish the book and start working with ideas where you will begin to see the greatest score increases! Let's talk about why that is the case.To be sure, many students do see significant increases while they are still reading the books. But, that's not the case for everyone, nor is it a surprise. This is because studying for … [Read more...]
Why Breaks from the LSAT Can Increase Your Score
When you create a study plan for the LSAT, make sure to include liberal breaks in your schedule! How long of a break are we talking? Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. At first glance, that advice may seem counterintuitive. To increase your score, plan to not study? But yes, it will help, and here’s why.Studying for the LSAT isn’t like studying for a History or Math test. In those exams, small universal details and rote memorization play a big role. If you take time away from studying before such a test, you might forget a date or a formula, and that could cost you questions on the … [Read more...]
Do Law Schools Average LSAT Scores or Use the High Score?
To prospective law school applicants, few questions are as confusing as whether law schools use the average of all your LSAT scores or just the high score. The confusion exists because law schools will see an average score if you take the LSAT more than once. The all-important US News rankings, on the other hand, use only the high score. To top it off, some schools specifically state they take the high score whereas others talk about an average score.So, what's the real story?The definitive answer is good news for all law school applicants. Every law school uses the high score when … [Read more...]
An Open Letter to LSAC About LSAT Score Release Times
Hi LSAC,I hope everyone there is doing well! We just went through the June LSAT score release and I wanted to share some of my thoughts and the thoughts of many students I spoke to. Let me start by saying that we appreciate you moving up the score release timeline a bit and then (sort of) sticking to the announced release date. That definitely helped ease concerns! However, you also made a decision this past round that I think will have many adverse effects going forward. Because of that, I'd like to suggest you make a change for future release dates.First, more or less sticking to the … [Read more...]
ABA On Track to Drop LSAT Requirement: What Happens Now?
This article was co-written with Mike Spivey of Spivey Consulting. What happened? On Friday, May 11th an ABA council approved a proposal that formally removes the requirement that the LSAT be used for admissions purposes at every ABA-approved law school. In its place is broader language that allows schools to skip using an admissions test entirely if they so choose. Is it final? No, but it’s very close. The next step is for the full ABA House of Delegates to review the changes in August. They can suggest further changes and send it back for revision, but at this point the issue has been … [Read more...]
The Law School and LSAT Terminology Dictionary
Students preparing for the LSAT and applying to law school invariably come across a slew of unfamiliar terms and acronyms. If you aren’t familiar with this special language and the resulting acronym soup, navigating the admissions process can be difficult. Below, we define these terms. # 0L: This term is often used for pre-law or non-law students. 1L, 2L, 3L: The years of law school. 1Ls are in their first year, 2Ls are second years, and 3Ls are in the third year.25th/75th: These are the GPA and LSAT percentiles reported by law schools to the ABA, when combined with the GPA/LSAT … [Read more...]
Law Schools With Late Admissions Deadlines
We recently posted a list of law schools in the Top 50 that accept the June LSAT. A number of students wanted to also see the full list of all schools with late admissions deadlines ("late" in this case means a hard deadline of March 31st or later). Because we called every single law school on this list to confirm our data, this took a while to produce! But, we can now present you with a complete and accurate list of law schools with late 2018 admissions deadlines.This post was updated 4/6/18. In our table, the following categories are used: Rank: The rank for each school was drawn … [Read more...]
How to Write the Best Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)
A LOCI is a Letter of Continued Interest. Usually, you send this to inform a school of your interest in attending despite being waitlisted or put on hold. It also offers an opportunity to update the school on new developments in your application. Are you putting together your LOCI? Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know. Why Send a LOCI? If you are waitlisted or held, a school typically wants to make sure you still want to attend their institution. A LOCI is your opportunity to convey your interest despite not receiving an immediate acceptance letter. Will the LOCI Make a … [Read more...]
Luck and the LSAT
In The LSAT Casino, we talk about the role that chance plays in the composition of each LSAT. The basis of this idea is that certain LSATs feature some concepts more than others. And, if you get an LSAT that favors your skill set, you benefit. This isn't to say that you don't control your LSAT fate, because you do. You can prepare for each question type and concept you will encounter on each LSAT and closely examine the style and wording they use when constructing the test. Properly preparing for the LSAT is critical to producing your best performance. That said, there are other elements of … [Read more...]
The PowerScore 2018 LSAT Bibles: Changes and Updates
Each year I make revisions and updates to the LSAT Bibles, and there are several different reasons for that. First, at least three new LSATs are released each year, and I like to make changes to some of the content to account for new directions taken by the test makers. Second, I talk with many different LSAT students and also teach various sessions throughout the year, and the feedback I receive helps me shape and improve parts of each book. And, finally, as I discussed last year, the books have changed so much over time that providing new versions each year helps students know they are … [Read more...]
The June LSAT and the Law School Waitlist
Every year about this time (January through the spring), in each law school admissions office a Wait List is created. Students who aren't accepted but also not rejected are put on the Wait List (WL), and told there's a chance they might get in at some point. In other words, they get sent to law school admissions purgatory. And it's not just one or two students: Mike Spivey over at law school admissions firm Spivey Consulting Group notes that, "many schools will WL as much as 40-50% of their applicant pool, and at times up to half of the entering class will be comprised of those admitted off of … [Read more...]
Struggling with the September LSAT? Is December Too Late?
One of the most common questions we receive is whether applying early with a September LSAT score is a better strategy than taking the December LSAT and then applying with what would likely be a better score (since December allows you more than two extra months of studying). Many students think the advantage of applying early is so great that it is better to just take the September LSAT even if that test doesn't produce their best LSAT score. But that is not the case at all, so let's talk about what to do if you either don't feel great about the upcoming September LSAT or if you take September … [Read more...]