Thinking LSAT

A student asks if she should take the December LSAT if she's currently scoring in the 130s on practice tests. Her GPA is a 3.3 and she has three "F" grades on her transcript. In addition, she is half-way through the Princeton Review LSAT course and her scores are not improving. Should she take the December LSAT, or wait until the February test? We tackle Logical Reasoning question 11 (Section 2) f...

We discuss the current state of LSAT accommodations since the topic was discussed in episode 43. We tackle Logical Reasoning question 10 (Section 2) from the June 2007 LSAT. Camilla asks what ranges we recommend for reach, target and safety when using the LSAC calculator and the percentage it gives. Two listeners ask if they should spend time reviewing questions/answers they got correct, or just t...

The October LSAT scores are out. Should you retake the LSAT? And what's the first thing you should do when you get your actual results back? Paul asks if it's possible to go from a LSAT score of 146 to 170. Vincent shares his experience after taking our advice to stop reading the Logical Reasoning question stem first. Did his practice scores improve? Dylan wants help answering abstract questions (...

Ann Levine, Law School Expert, talks about whether law school early decision programs are worth exploring. She also addresses whether law schools can see if you've applied to multiple schools via early decision. Joe shares an October LSAT test-day horror story that involved the use of an analog watch during the test. He asks advice on how to address the situation with LSAC. Listener Kayle talks ab...

This student's practice LSAT score is stuck in the mid 140s, despite the fact she has been studying for quite some time using several different prep materials. She wants to reach the 150s. Should she take the October LSAT or wait until December? This student has been studying consistently for the LSAT and scoring in the mid 160s. But as the October test approaches, his score is slipping down to th...

Mika talks about applying for LSAT accommodations for persons with disabilities, and what the LSAC decided in her case. She discusses the process of submitting more than 100 pages of documentation, and her request to take four LSAT sections, additional time to answer the sections, the use of noise-cancelling headphones, and an isolated testing environment. We answer questions from Benny who is pur...

Student Loan Expert Heather Jarvis addresses the following topics: What are need-based versus merit-based scholarships? How does tuition discounting work? How should students ask for more scholarship money? Tips for borrowing and reducing living expenses in law school. Should you borrow money from an IRA investment account or take out student loans to pay for law school? We also answer the followi...

Ann Levine, Law School Expert, shares advice and answers questions about law school admission. What do law school admissions committees do with LSAT score bands? How does the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) compute your GPA when you retake a college course and then receive a higher grade? How does LSAC handle transcripts when you're involved in a dual degree program? What are the first things...

Andrew asks if he has enough time to study for the December 2015 LSAT or should he wait until the February 2016 test. He also asks if he will be at a disadvantage if he takes a later LSAT because more people will be sitting for the exam. Kayle is doing well on her practice LSAT tests (scores of 169 and 172). When studying, she asks if she should: a) concentrate primarily on the number of questions...

Here's what we talk about in this week’s Thinking LSAT podcast: Andrew asks what we think his chances are of admission to the University of Iowa College of Law. He scored a 155 on the LSAT without any preparation (and is now scoring much higher), and is retaking the test in October. He will have a compelling personal statement, and has impressive extracurricular and leadership activities. He also...

In this week’s podcast, we answer the following LSAT questions and whether to select a law school based on bar exam passage rates: Mike asks how to address “uncommon word usages" on the LSAT. For example, the word "obtain" appears frequently. What other words should LSAT test-takers look for? Matt is taking the October LSAT. He slowed down his approach to answering Logical Reasoning questions, whi...

In this week’s podcast, we answer the following questions about retaking the LSAT: Dylan has a 3.5 GPA and scored a 163 on the LSAT, yet he got as high as 167 on practice tests. Should he apply to law school early through rolling admission, or retake the LSAT in hopes of a higher score? Lauren scored a 170 on the June LSAT. She is considering retaking the test in October because she scored as high...

In this week’s podcast, we answer the following LSAT and law school questions from students across the country: Alex asks if he needs to score a 170 on the LSAT and whether it matters what law school he attends if he plans to practice law in the medical marijuana field. Jordan asks how to improve his mental stamina while taking full LSAT practice tests, and tips for answering Reading Comprehension...

In this week’s podcast, we talk about the June 2015 LSAT and answer a listener's question about when and how he should study for the LSAT. Here's a look at the topics we cover: June 2015 LSAT anomolies and test center mistakes, including proctors forgetting to give 5-minute warnings and one that gave the warning too soon; a test that started one hour late because students were still registering; a...

In this week’s podcast, which commemorates our one year anniversary of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, we share an update on the Thinking LSAT Logic Games Playbook. We also address the following issues from LSAT students across the country: Kayli (who is taking the June LSAT) had questions about applying to law school as a "splitter" (i.e. a person with a high LSAT score and low GPA, or vice versa). Sh...

In this week’s podcast, we discuss issues relating to the upcoming June 2015 LSAT and answer questions from listeners. We then work through question 4 in section 2 of the June 2007 LSAT, which is a flaw question about the Connorly Report on Ocksenfrey's pre-packaged meals. Here's a look at the topics we discuss: How to determine if you're ready for the June 2015 LSAT, and what you should do in the...

In this week’s podcast, we discuss the following questions and work through a Logical Reasoning question from the June 2007 LSAT: How can you use the article, More Sex Means More Money, to understand correlation-causation thinking questions? What are my chances of getting into law school if I have a low GPA from several years ago, 150-155 LSAT score, and valuable work experience? Take a listen and...

In this week’s podcast, we work through Logical Reasoning questions from the June 2007 LSAT and we'll share an update on our upcoming Thinking LSAT Logic Games Playbook. We also answer the following questions from LSAT students across the country: Is graduating from college in three years going to hurt my chances of getting into law school? Will my choice of summer jobs help me get into law school...

LSAT teacher and author Graeme Blake joins us to answer a few questions from the Reddit LSAT forum and reflects on the current state of the LSAT and law school admissions. Here are the topics Graeme addresses: What is the success rate when people retake the LSAT? (read the question on Reddit) What are the basics of an LSAT prep plan? There are so many resources out there; what are the best materia...

Ann Levine, law school admissions expert, answers your questions about how to decide which law school to attend. Some of the topics Ann addresses are: What factors should I assess when deciding on a law school? Is there a methodical way to go about it, like creating a spreadsheet to compare? How important are a school's clinical offerings, course variety, and student organizations? Are specialties...

In this week’s podcast, we answer questions about the different types of LSAT prep programs, and which one is best for you. Here’s a look at our discussion: What's the best way to study using the LSAT test prep books I purchased for the June test? Should prospective law students take a LSAT prep program? What is the advantage of taking an in-person LSAT prep class? Are online LSAT prep classes hel...

In this week's podcast, we answer three LSAT questions and help a prospective law student decide between multiple admission and scholarship offers. Here's a look at our discussion: Should I be doing same-day blind review when taking LSAT practice tests? And should I blind review Games and Reading Comprehension questions? How much do the LSAT tests vary through the years? Should...

In this week's podcast, we answer some great questions from listeners, including: The LSAT is coming up soon and I've had a last-minute drop in my practice scores. What should I do? I have a 153 on my official LSAT record. I've been scoring in the low 160s on my practice tests, and want to score at least a 165 on the next LSAT (which I've hit before) for a scholarship offer. Should I take the...

We're back from winter break with answers to LSAT questions from listeners, and some exciting news about an upcoming project! This year, we are writing a Logic Games book, which we believe, will will be the best resource available for that LSAT section. The book will contain 54 Logic Games with detailed explanations on how each one is completed. We'll be distributing free chapters i...

Gerald Heppler, Associate Director of Admissions at Golden Gate University School of Law, spoke to Nathan's San Francisco LSAT class for a "Nobody's Perfect" law school admissions Q&A session. Some of the topics Gerald addressed are: What to do if you don't have the perfect law school application. If you have issues to report in the character and fitness section of the appl...