Struggling to Focus Does your mind drift away while you’re trying to focus on Reading Comprehension? It probably does, sometimes. Apparently, it’s a condition cognitive psychologists call “mind-wandering” – an attention lapse often referred to as engaging in “task unrelated thoughts.” Mind-wandering can be beneficial if your line of work benefits from inspiration and creative problem solving. Unfortunately, these are not among the most critical … [Read more...]
Should I Answer Questions on the LSAT In Order?
Many students don't take much time to consider the order in which they attack the questions on the LSAT, but the right strategic approach can be extremely valuable. For most test-takers, the natural inclination is to do all or most of the questions in order. However, there are quite a few benefits from a slightly more flexible approach to every section of the test.Logic Games Most students start the Logic Games section by diving right into … [Read more...]
Digging into Supreme Court Oral Arguments Part II
Previously, we wrote about the Oyez Project, the online archive of Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decisions, including links to the oral argument in each case. Today we'd like to point out a case that might be of interest to you, Loving v. Virginia. This landmark civil rights decision held that miscegenation statutes (which criminalize interracial marriage) are unconstitutional. This came back into the spotlight in recent years in … [Read more...]
False Arguments Do Not Exist: Language Matters on the LSAT
At the beginning of each class we lay down the ground rules: raise your hand if you want to ask a question, turn off your smart phones, try to pay attention. In addition to that, students aren't allowed to call an argument "false," "wrong," or "stupid." Language matters.Here's why:In logic, we don't speak of arguments as being "true" or "false", nor do we speak of statements as being "valid" or "invalid." We assume that the premises upon … [Read more...]
How to Stay Motivated When Preparing for the LSAT
For most people, preparing for any standardized test can be somewhat stressful. The LSAT is a very challenging test, and in a competitive field, the stakes can be high. For a lot of people, even beginning to prepare can seem daunting. With so much potentially riding on your LSAT performance, here are a few suggestions to get and stay motivated. Commiserate It can be very helpful to know that you don’t have to take on this daunting test alone. … [Read more...]
The LSAT Bibles: Do You Need the Newest Editions? Part II
In Part I of this blog, I discuss why we use cover medallions on our LSAT Bibles to indicate the year of release. The short answer is that they help students identify the most up-to-date versions and avoid accidentally buying an older version that's out of date. In this continuation, I go into each book individually and provide an overview of some of the changes over the years. Want more in-depth explanations between specific years? Here are some … [Read more...]
The Fundamentals of Prephrasing Part II
If you’ve spent much time with Logical Reasoning on the LSAT, you’ve recognized that the answer choices, right and wrong, are masterfully crafted. The test makers are unbelievably adept at disguising correct answers, and making the incorrect options look extremely attractive. Fortunately there’s a step in the question-attack process designed specifically to help you navigate through the answers: Prephrasing. Recapping Part I Since we go over … [Read more...]
Logic Games Practice Tips
When preparing for the LSAT, it's not uncommon to study long and hard. There are only so many official LSAT practice tests and there's a chance you will eventually run out. So, what do you do if you run out of Logic Games questions and still want to raise your score? With no new questions, you may worry about getting rusty and your score deteriorating. This situation comes up more frequently than you may think! Let's get into some tips on what to … [Read more...]
How Do Law Schools Look at Graduate Work?
Although the majority of law school applicants are coming straight from college, there are many that are just coming out of graduate school or have a graduate degree in addition to their Bachelor's. For those students, their grad school degree and grad school grades can sometimes be a source of discomfiture. How are these grades considered? Are they included in your GPA calculation? Can they make a not-so-great undergraduate GPA better? Do they … [Read more...]
Why Are the “Top 14” Law Schools Called the Top 14?
A lot of chatter surrounds the excellence of the "top 14" law schools, also known as the "T14". However, many current students and law school hopefuls don't know why they are called "top 14". They must be the top of something, right? So what are they the top of? T14 Defined The "top 14" are the top 14 law schools in the U.S. News & World Report Law School Rankings. The U.S. News rankings are the most widely used (if oftentimes debated) law … [Read more...]
Have You Retaken the LSAT? Here Are Some Statistics for You
Have you ever wondered whether you should re-take the LSAT? Or how many people actually do take the LSAT more than once? Well, even if you haven’t, we’re here to provide some insight into just how many people do take the LSAT multiple times. The Numbers According to an LSAT Research Report covering the period of 2010 to 2018, the average percentage of first-time test takers was 68%. So, on average, almost 7 out of 10 test takers yearly are … [Read more...]
How Stress Can Actually Help Your Score
For the last week or so we have been posting articles about mentally and physically preparing for the upcoming LSAT. Now the day of the test is almost here, and I wanted to add a final thought about the stress that everyone faces when taking the LSAT. As you walk into the test, keep this in mind: Stress will not hurt your performance, and it can actually help. That's right, stress isn't the test-killer that many people expect it to be. In … [Read more...]
The Weekend Before the LSAT
So, you've got a test coming up on Monday. Ideally, you've already been preparing, you're in the home stretch! And we're here to help. Here are a few last-minute suggestions to make sure you're ready for test day. Relax Don’t forget to take a day off! If you don't have to work, that's all the better. You need a day for your brain to take a break and gear up for a long Monday. Avoid activities that are too mentally taxing. Yes, that includes … [Read more...]
Law School Personal Statements You SHOULDN’T Write
I've been working with law school applicants for years. Every year I see some absolutely unique essays and I see essays that I swear I've seen before (sometimes many, many times). Some of them are strikingly good, while others are jarringly bad. In an effort to shed some light on essay topics that could quickly go from mundane to radioactive, I've compiled a list of a few of the topics that I wish would go away—or, at least, get done by fewer … [Read more...]