Low LSAT Starting Score - What should I do?

[mshaikh]

Hello!
I am starting a course with Powerscore in late July (July 25th), and I took a practice test to get an idea of what my starting score looked like. Unfortunately I scored around a 150 which is way way below what I need to get (in a few months). I am trying to get a 168 at the lowest in September. At this point, I really don't think I should wait for the course to start preparing, since that will make me very anxious. I spoke with someone at Powerscore already and they told me not to try to get a head start with the course books since they aren't designed to self study. I was thinking of using the bibles to self study in the mean time. I might use a 10 week study plan (obviously stopping when my course starts) so that I can start studying prior to the course. Where could I get access to a self study plan like that if I get the Powerscore bibles? Also do you think it is even meaningful to start self studying right now and then once the course starts focus on that? I am really worried and can't afford to do poorly on the September LSAT! Also just to note I have anxiety issues, when it comes to standardized tests, which is why I am trying to start as early as possible.

[Dave Killoran]

Hi M,

Thanks for the questions! There are a lot of students who start with the LSAT Bibles before the course, so there's no harm there. Although our LSAT courses use different books than the LSAT Bibles, the concepts are in harmony, so you will indeed be getting a head start by starting with the Bibles.

For various study plans, go to our LSAT Self Study Site: http://students.powerscore.com/self-study/index.cfm. Use the 2 or 3 month plan to get up to speed, and feel free to make changes to those if your schedule forces you to do so. and you can always post here if you have questions about whether some of your changes are advisable or not!

Last, 150 isn't a terrible starting score so do not be depressed or worried. As a cold starting point it's not bad at all, and many students have started there and then staged runs into the 160s or 170s. It takes time and dedication, but it is most definitely possible.

We're here to help, so please feel free to ask us any questions. Thanks!

[mshaikh]

Hi Dave!

Thanks so much for this advice! I feel more confident now and am ready to study! Once I started to read the posts on here, I realized that I wasn't starting incredibly low. I am going to get the LSAT bibles (already have the supeprep and some of the LSAC tests) and start with the Powerscore 2 month study plan. Whatever I don't complete, I should be able to learn with the course. If I need to make changes to the study plan I will post on here for sure to see if the changes are advisable. Thanks again!

Best,

Maham S.