Retake Prep advice

[lawschoolhopeful1027]

Hi!

I took the June LSAT and got a 160. After a solid 3-4 months of prep and about 7 practice tests averaging the mid-160s, I was pretty disappointed. However, I know that nerves, poor testing conditions and not being super religious about prep probably led to this score, so I am not giving up hope and planning to retake in September.

My main question is how I should prep for the September test. I previously self-studied using the PowerScore Bible trilogy, an extra PS LG workbook, and about 7-8 practice tests (which I now realize should've included experimental sections). Self-study was hard to keep up with, as I was finishing my junior year of college with a busy academic/extracurricular/social calendar and studying too often was pushed off. Now that it's summer, my schedule is much more open and I can devote the time necessary to a prep class.

Would it be redundant to take a PS live prep class? There are a few options that start end of July and finish just before the Sept. test, including 4 proctored exams. I figure the foundation the Bibles gave me will be good for the class, can anyone attest to this? Would I be better off with a tutor? Tutoring seems too hit or miss and a bit out of my price range (I want to spend under $1500 for prep, so the class seems right).

Any tips or insight would be immensely appreciated!

[Adam Tyson]

Hey there hopeful, thanks for posting, and happy to see you here. Sorry you did not hit your mark, but it sounds like you have a good handle on some of the factors that kept you from getting there. 5-section practice tests, proctored if possible, under simulated testing conditions (not at your kitchen table or at a desk in your room, but out somewhere quiet but not silent, maybe slightly distracting, like a public library) are good for helping to build stamina and to settle your nerves when the real thing comes around, since it will feel more familiar to you. LSAT study isn't something that can be pushed to the back burner and still work - it has to be a high priority. You're not just cramming dates and figures, but changing the way you think, and that's serious business. You're reprogramming your brain to become that most annoying of all humans, a lawyer!

Also, keep in mind that, sadly, your LSAT score will likely be much more important to your application than your GPA. While you don't want either to suffer or be less than what you are capable of, if either of them has to take a slight hit it should be the GPA. If you have to take a B on a paper or quiz in order to devote appropriate time to perfecting your LR work, so be it.

I've had plenty of students who self-studied using our materials, or someone else's, and then decided to take the course. While they usually had a pretty good foundation in most of what we cover in class, especially in the earlier lessons, they almost always found that the course shed new light on things and allowed them to improve. The opportunity to ask questions, have a discussion, and have your instructor present two or three new ways to look at a stimulus or answer choice beyond what was in the Bible, can make a huge difference. If you have the time and the budget to do it, I would recommend that you strongly consider doing so.

The alternative is to keep studying on your own, and to make it your top priority this time around. Take more practice tests, and add an experimental section to each of them. A book of 10 4-section tests is easily converted to 8 5-section tests by tearing out two tests and distributing those 8 sections into the other 8 tests.

Tutors can also be a good option, and with your budget you could get about 10 hours or so of one-on-one attention that might be better for you than a class, especially if there are just a few key areas that you need to improve on to get the score you need. For example, if it's just grouping games that are hurting you, a few hours with a tutor might be all you need, instead of a full class. Consider talking to a potential tutor, either someone near you or else someone online who could be anywhere. No commitment is involved if you just want to chat with someone about the possibility, and if you don't like what you hear you can ask to speak to someone else or you can just pass on tutoring and consider your other options.

Whatever you decide, as long as you commit to doing the work and making it a priority, you should see positive results. I hope we can continue to be a valuable resource for you! Best of luck!