FREE PODCAST tomorrow (Wednesday, January 4th) where I’ll be interviewing Nathan Fox of Fox Test Prep, a UC Hastings Law Grad and author of Cheating the LSAT, about everything you need to do in the next month to be ready for the February LSAT. Listen in and find out how to win Nathan’s LSAT Prep books!
If you’ve never listened to one of my Blog Talk Radio shows, you are in the minority: the free podcasts are almost as popular as the Law School Expert blog!
All you have to do is listen live tomorrow online by going to Ann Levine – Blog Talk Radio at noon PST/3 pm EST – and if you listen live, you can use the chat room to ask questions and I try to incorporate your questions into the show. The show is 30 minutes. If you can’t make it live, you’ll be able to listen to it anytime, and even download it from iTunes if you’d like at absolutely no charge. And you can leave questions as comments here and I’ll try to get you answers during the podcast.
P.S. December LSAT scores will be out any minute now so if you’re contemplating a February re-take don’t miss the LSAT Tips in this Podcast!
12 Responses
Hello Ann,
I’m applying to law school for the 2012-2013 school year. I am trying to decide whether to retake the LSAT in February. I took the LSAT in December ( I had to report to a new job in a foreign country on the day of the October LSAT, which screwed up my plans for leaving December as my retake date). My score came in at a 159 but I had been receiving 162-164’s on all my practice tests. I know I choked on the games section of the test, which bothers me because during all of my practice tests it had consistently been my strong point.
Given that most application deadlines are close, is it worth retaking the LSAT in February and notifying all of my schools that I will have another score coming in, or should I wait and see and maybe retake it in June if I end up on a waitlist ? My applications are pretty much finished, I’m just fine tuning essays at this point. I have a pretty good final GPA (3.92). I can’t decide whether the possibility of gaining 3 points or so should be a green light for retaking it.
Thank you so much, and Happy New Year!
Lissa,
Most people do score 3-4 points lower on test day so you didn’t do all that badly. I think you should try to apply – there’s no guarantee you’ll do better in February and taking the February LSAT is so late for this admission cycle. You may be better going with the June retake and then if you really increase you can decide to wait and apply next year with your new score.
Hi Ann,
Excellent show with Nathan. I am a non-traditional potential law student with years of international entrepreneurial experience, and a desire to obtain legal training in international business law and comparative law as an adjunct to what I do. I am exploring the best use of my LSAT prep time over the coming year for the app cycle of the 2015 entering class. The best take-away from the interview was embodied in the concept of taking responsibility for one’s own test prep by being proactive in ways that many LSAT preppers may not think of.
Nathan mentioned a couple of tips at your prompting:
1) know your teacher: His story of being hired over the phone and walking in to teach an expensive prep course was spot on. There are many companies who have fantastic websites, and then try to “backfill” their service offerings with last minute hires. Nathan, fortunately for those students, was able to translate his good score into good teaching. Other LSAT preppers may not fare so well.
2) find a study partner (not group): excellent suggestion that I think few think of, and even fewer implement. I have already started searching for blogs or facebook pages in the Seattle area to see if I can find an appropriate partner to keep it simple and keep it accountable.
Perhaps, with your site traffic, you may consider opening a separate page/online discussion forum software module to facilitate people connecting in their geographical areas with like minded students. It would be a great service to the law school seeking community, and add to a sense of community at lawschoolexpert.com.
Both of Nathan’s suggestions stem from the notion of proactive, personal accountability in one’s own test prep process.
Thanks Ann and Nathan for a well-rounded show.
Martin
Hi Ann, I have been following your podcasts and I think they are terrific! What grab my attention of this podcast is that I should try something different if I want to make some changes. I have take previously self study program and I have learned from it, but I still not in the range I need. And I am very frustrating because I have put lot time and work and don’t know what else to try. – Theses programs are costly, and I was wondering if you have a copy left of this book.
Thank you for all the useful information! I have considered law school off an on for years, and can use all the help I can get to make this decision. There were many useful tips in this vlog, most notably to take a practice LSAT and then go over it question by question. It seems like such an obvious and organized way of studying, yet I had not previously considered it. Thanks!
Hi Ann,
Thanks for all of your helpful advice. I took the LSAT 3 times between 08 and 09, with my highest score being a 150. I took it in October and canceled, and retook in December. I received a 155, but was consistently practice testing above 160. I deferred at a school from last cycle, but it is not my top choice. I am submitting my applications now with my highest score of 155. Is it worth giving the February test another shot? Even if I can increase my score to 160+, I am wondering how it will look to have taken the LSAT 6 times on my report.
Amanda
Amanda, 6 LSATs seems excessive. If you haven’t hit your stride by now then my feeling is you should apply based on what you have. You did improve considerably to get the 155.
I don’t think taking the February test is worthwhile because it’s so late in the cycle.
Ann,
I took the December LSAT and received a 156. I was disappointed because that was my initial, cold practice test score which jumped to 164 by the fifth I took.
Anyway, my GPA in college (class of 10) was about 2.6 in an English major. I do have two years of work experience writing for a newspaper on police and occasionally courts which has gone pretty well.
I want to get into the University of Connecticut School of Law which from my research has a 159 median LSAT score in its admissions, the low end of the spectrum in one resource listed as 158.
Should I just go ahead and apply despite my less than convincing numbers? Can a couple of strong recommendations and a good essay be enough to get me into a school of that caliber?
Thanks a lot. I’m really not sure what to do.
Dan, of course you should apply. If you don’t you’ll be rejecting yourself!
Congratulations to Martin, who will win a copy of Nathan’s book! Martin, please email me with your mailing address.
Hi I took the LSAT in ’10 I got 147. I’m a URM and had a 3.0 gpa when I graduated college in ’10. I have about 1.5 years of business experience now with a fortune 50 company and feel strapped for time although I think a retest is needed.
1. Does good business experience help?
2. Do I need new LORs from my bosses?
3. Is it worth taking the test again?
4. Possible schools? I got a FW from Cornell, Minnesota, Miami after my first LSAT but never applied.
Please help
Lee O,
1. Yes, business experience is good depending on how meaningful it is and your level of responsibility.
2. You do not need LORs from your supervisors; many people do not want to let employers know that they plan to leave.
3. If you can take time to prepare and do a prep program of some sort and can raise your score, then it is worth retaking.
4. I can’t comment on schools on the blog format, but also I think you’re looking at schools way out of range based on your current LSAT score.