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. … [Read more...]
The June LSAT and the Law School Waitlist
Every year from January through 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 once on the WL, there's a chance they might get in at some point. In other words, they are in 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 … [Read more...]
Mountain Climbing for the LSAT
I have an admission to make: I don't like heights. It's not that I'm petrified of them or can't deal with them, I just don't like them very much and they make me a bit nervous. Somewhat perversely, I've become fascinated with mountain climbing and have read numerous books on climbing Everest and other peaks. So of course the following climbing article in the New York Times caught my eye: El Capitan, My El Capitan. The article details Alex … [Read more...]
The Most Dangerous Conditional Rule on the LSAT
On our LSAT Discussion Forum recently, I've been running into a recurrent question about a conditional reasoning rule. These questions revolve around a really tricky phrasing, one that has devastated test takers when it has appeared on previous LSATs. But if you can learn the idea, it takes something the test makers expect to be very difficult and turns it into something fairly easy. Plus, it's not that tough to learn! So what is this mysterious … [Read more...]
Which Top 50 Law Schools Accept the June LSAT?
In the last few years, there has been a seismic shift in application deadline dates, which greatly benefits current applicants. A decade ago, only a few schools accepted the results of the February LSAT for fall admission later that year, and many application deadlines were in January (if not December).Fast forward to today, and the situation is much changed! Almost every school now accepts the results of the February LSAT, and, as the table … [Read more...]
Conditional Reasoning 101: The Domino Effect
In a previous blog post, I talk about the basics of conditional reasoning on the LSAT. It deals with fairly simple statements involving a single sufficient condition and a single necessary condition. Though, on the LSAT, things are not always that simple! Sometimes, you will encounter conditional chains. This is where one thing is sufficient for another, which is sufficient for a third, which is sufficient for a fourth. Stringing these … [Read more...]
LSAT Scoring Scales: Facts and Figures
In the days following each LSAT, students often worry about how their LSAT will be scaled. A more generous scoring scale can positively affect scores whereas a harsher curve can adversely affect scores. For those of you considering your possible test scaling, let’s examine a few historical facts about LSAT scoring scales.Here are a few facts about LSAT tests and scoring scales:Average number of questions per LSAT:100.71Greatest number … [Read more...]
Tom Brady and the LSAT
Over in our free LSAT Discussion Forum, I've been trading messages with one of our students that is working towards a 170. He started at 143, and has increased his score over 20 points already. But, he was running into a few issues with confidence and having the words of others affect his perception of how he will perform. I won't recount what I've said to him publicly because it's right there on the forum. But I have also been chatting with him … [Read more...]
Law School Applications: Every Word Counts
The other night I co-hosted a free PowerScore online seminar on the basics of the law school admissions process. This seminar, known as Admissions 101, covers each step of applying to law school, and it discusses how to approach the application process and what the law schools are seeking from you as an applicant. During this seminar I spend a lot of time answering questions about two things in particular: letters of recommendation (LOR) and the … [Read more...]
How to Get Killer Law School Letters of Recommendation
When the admissions season starts heating up, our Forum sees an influx of questions about letters of recommendation (LOR.) There's a lot of confusion over who to choose and what they should write. Since a poor recommendation can really hurt your admissions chances, you can't afford to make a mistake here! So, let's talk about how to get the best possible recommendations. Who to Pick The first decision you have is, who should you choose to write … [Read more...]
Double Negatives and Multiple Negatives
In their creation of the LSAT, the test makers have found many ways to make Logical Reasoning questions challenging. Often the stimulus is so long or complex that it can be tough to get through. Sometimes even the question stems can be difficult to interpret. And, as you may have noticed, the writers of the test are quite adept at hiding the right answers among very appealing incorrect answer choices. Double Negatives One element that is often … [Read more...]
Weakening Concepts and Truth vs. Validity
How do you attack assumptions to weaken the argument? Do the three incorrect answers for weakening questions deal with incorrect assumptions or conclusions? Read this discussion between a PowerScore student, a PowerScore senior instructor, and LSAT Bible Trilogy author Dave Killoran to learn more!Here's a quick preview. Make sure to check out the full thread to read the entire explanation Nikki and Dave provided to this student:The … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Failure: Turning LSAT Fails into Positives
Over in the PowerScore LSAT Discussion Forum, I've been talking with one of our students about confidence. I often write about the necessity of a positive mental outlook and of believing in yourself, and this student was concerned about a few recent practice test scores that were a few points below average. As I've discussed elsewhere, there's an element of randomness to the composition of each LSAT, and that variation affects your results so you … [Read more...]
PowerScore LSAT Bibles vs the Workbooks vs the Training Type Books
People often ask about the differences between our various self-study books. Here’s a short guide! The LSAT Bibles: These books explain the concepts that underlie the section, and detailed techniques for solving each question. They are the foundation for learning how to approach each section. The LSAT Bible Workbooks: These books provide more drills and questions, and are based on the material in the LSAT Bibles. They help cement the ideas … [Read more...]