The LSAT
So, you decided to take the LSAT plunge. Here's a few preliminary questions to consider.
LSAT Prep
The LSAT is among the most difficult and frustrating exams most students will ever take. One cannot study (in the traditional sense) for the LSAT: unlike history class, regurgitating memorized material won't help you one iota. The secrets to success? Time, practice, but above all, good solid strategies. That's where we come in. We can try to keep you on task and motivated like a highboxing instructor, but our big value add is our methods, tips, and shortcuts that you won't find anywhere else.
The first question you should ask yourself before beginning your LSAT crusade is this: how much time do you have to dedicate to your preparation? If you work or study full time, you'll need to budget longer.
And now the burning question for us: How long are you going to need in order to be exam-ready?
The answer is, of course, it depends.
I've found that most serious writers spend 2-4 months, depending on how intensely the student prepares. Tutoring can cut that time down dramatically. If you're on summer break with plenty of spare time, six weeks may be all you need.
I'm more comfortable estimating in this way: complete 25-30 entire, timed practice tests. If you're consistently scoring in an acceptable range, I'd say you're ready. Remember: there's no shame in rewriting. I booked three exams, and wrote them all, improving each time. Studying for the second and third writings was basically review, and took much less effort.
And for burning question #2: what score are you going to need?
Infuriatingly, again, it depends.
At you shooting for U of T or UBC? Maybe even Harvard? It didn't seem so hard when Elle Woods did it...
The two other factors are your undergrad GPA, and to a much lesser extent, your "softs:" think what you'd put on your resume: building orphanages in Africa, runner-up at the 9th grade spelling bee, etc. See the Applications section to determine how admissions are evaluated: they can vary substantially by school.
You're burning for a number. You've done a few practice exams...are you going to score well enough to get an offer? Assuming your UG grades are decent (sorry grad students, law schools don't care about your Master's marks), experience tells us that you'll need to score in the 160s to be reasonably confident of snagging offers. Which means you have to beat 80% of those bright, talented, and motivated students just like yourself. You might want a leg up, so let's get started.
