Over on the PowerScore LSAT Discussion Forum I've been talking to several students (both publicly and privately) about their LSAT performance. These are students who are either looking for big score increases (20+ points), or that are a little bit stuck with their scores, and who are looking to get back on the score increase train. In talking to these students, one of the age-old problems for LSAT takers keeps coming up. What's that problem? That … [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...]
What Does -9, -10, -11, -12 Mean When Talking About the LSAT Curve
The shorthand reference of -6 to -10 refers to the number of questions you can miss to obtain a 170 on the current 3 scored section LSATs (which started in August 2024). It's also a reflection of test difficulty. Harder LSATs allow you to miss more questions whereas easier exams require you to miss fewer questions.After every LSAT, there is a discussion of the relative difficulty of the test. You often hear numbers such as -7 or -9 thrown … [Read more...]
Supplemental Essays in Law School Admissions: Yes or No?
Many law schools invite applicants to submit supplemental essays when applying to law school. Surprisingly, the topics you are likely to be asked about do not vary tremendously, and generally boil down to the following. AddendaDiscuss weaknesses or significant trends in your undergraduate record. This is known as an "addendum" and should be submitted if necessary (whether the school asks for it or not). Address issues related to the … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 93: The August 2021 LSAT Results – Making Sense of Score Drops
Last week’s August LSAT score release led to what seemed to be a disproportionate number of students reporting significant score declines from their recent PTs to the real thing, causing both alarm at the outcomes and speculation over the cause. In Episode 93, Dave and Jon set the record straight on exactly what did and didn’t happen with the August scores by dismissing fringe conspiracies and elaborating on the more plausible factors behind … [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...]
Official Scoring Scale for the New LSAT
When LSAC added sections from the May 2020 LSAT-Flex administration to their Prep Plus package, it allowed us to see exactly how they score a Flex test. Although the Flex version of the test is no longer with us, this data is still relevant to the new LSAT. Let’s take a look at LSAC’s official scoring scale for the May 2020 Flex test:*** There is no raw score that will produce this scaled score for this form. Note: This scoring scale is … [Read more...]
What LSAT Score Do You Need for Law School?
Are you trying to figure out your target LSAT score? You should always research your goal law schools early on and find out the score range of the most recent first year class. Although you can find this information on each school’s website, we thought it would be helpful to show you all of them in one place.The LSAT scores represented are for students who were admitted in 2020. LSAT Percentiles What do the percentiles mean? These numbers … [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...]
The LSAT Scoring Scale and Your Percentile
Let me preface this post with an explanation of my intent. I think when almost everyone approaches their LSAT administration there are moments when scores occasionally plateau, and performance feels stagnant. As a result, and understandably, motivation can quickly vanish. This is apparent in the mid-ranges as students creep their way through the 140s and 150s, grinding for every point. People starting out and generally scoring lower find that … [Read more...]
What’s the Deal with Addenda?
There is now a PowerScore LSAT PodCast episode that expands on this popular blog post: Episode 78: What's the Deal With Addenda? There are several things that can cause students to freak out when applying to law school. Some students worry about the relative “prestige” of their undergraduate institution and how schools will view that during the admissions process. Some have concerns about their choice of major, letters of recommendation, or … [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...]
Money Talks: LSAT, GPA, Tuition, & Salary Data for the T100 Law Schools
Does a law degree from a prestigious university automatically mean a six figure salary? Does starting salary correlate strongly with tuition, or is rank a more important factor?Law school is expensive, no doubt about it, with tuition ranging from $27,000 to almost $69,000. Given that starting salaries in the private law practice sector range from $62,000 to a whopping $190,000, it can certainly be a smart investment in the long run though. As … [Read more...]
Is LSAT Prep Worth the Cost?
On Reddit the other day I saw a comment that stuck with me: “The LSAT costs $200 so I don’t think I should pay more than that to prepare for it.” While on the one hand I completely understand the presumption that preparing for this test shouldn’t require much expenditure, on the other hand I also think that perspective only captures part of the picture. So let’s take a closer look!LSAT Prep Can Be Expensive Of all people, I’m well aware that … [Read more...]