how long take your guys to prepare LSAT

[r e g g i e]

 

I simply don't get those people who were bragging about not studying for the LSAT, especially the poster who said he had better things to do at his job.  I took a low-paying 9-5 job and spent a year really preparing.  The effort landed me in a higher-ranked school than I would otherwise have gotten into - which in the long run will more than compensate me for the money I could have earned that year in a more demanding job.  I don't know how people studied for the LSAT while a college student, and I give you credit. 

And while I would have still had a chance to eventually make six figures, I'd much rather just make that my first year out (instead of working my way up), and not have to go through the trials of a T4, period. My friend who attends one has to deal with a much more stressful atmosphere, fear of failing out, closed-book exams(!), killer curves, and a competitive student body. These factors alone justify the extra year I took on my apps and LSAT.

Definitely! One should prepare for the LSAT as thoroughly as possible! I mean, how could you afford not to do smth as easy and "doable" like that when we hear about people who risk not going to law school forever when they go ahead and take those minutes of the experimental section and use 'em to work on the scored sections of the test!

[Oh look a 1L]

But thats just my take on it. 

This is the worst, stupidest advice I have ever heard.

[tlgwat]

Gekko's whole line of reasoning is out of sorts because he assumes that the LSAT is a good indicator of ability to do well in Law School.  While it certainly means something, there is marginally statistical evidence that it does what it's purported to do.  There are people that get 180s on their LSAT that will get Cs.  ThIn addition, in my case I got into schools (and $$) where I had a marginal chance based on my LSAT and did not get into my first choice school where my score was 3 points higher than the 75th percentile score.

You never know what that adcom's going to do.  Get the highest score you can.  Take your time prepping.  Take a lot of practice tests under time limit constraints and go over the expanations to the answers and understand why you missed the ones you missed. 

My take.

[callingthedevil]

They say the actual LSAT average for almost all schools is always 5 points lower than the published one and the average GPA is in reality 0.5 points lower. And while I do not believe schools downright lie, I think they tweak their numbers in such a way that you do not get a true picture of the situation.

[schooly]

They say the actual LSAT average for almost all schools is always 5 points lower than the published one and the average GPA is in reality 0.5 points lower. And while I do not believe schools downright lie, I think they tweak their numbers in such a way that you do not get a true picture of the situation.

[standin]

It is known for more than half a century that our formal academic testing systems are a fraud -- sometimes literally so. Back when I was a prep school student my English teacher was chair of the SAT committee that devised the tests for college admission. My math teacher was on the math committee. Both gave us short courses on how to test well on these things -- short cuts for getting answers (read the answers first; don't ponder a question that delays one, when to guess, etc., etc.). Our school tended to have a number of results in the top 15 -- not 15% but top 15 scores in the nation! Most private schools devote much time prepping students for 'the tests' through vocabulary drills and updates of techniques on how to beat the system. I tell my own college students some of the tricks and they are amazed to learn that ability is not the primary testing need here, but rather skills that can be taught in test taking.

Then there was the great LSAT cheat game to which some of my students alerted me. I checked with two law school deans who confirmed that they knew of this loophole that allowed cheating and I asked the LSAT officials why they did not close it. They said they could not afford to do so.

I was personally a beneficiary of the system which undoubtedly did much to help win me scholarships both in college and a national fellowship for graduate school. I was part of a testing program for GRE exams given to college sophomores. We were all nearer our high school years of math and grammar and such that were being tested and we all got super scores -- top 1% which were counted and which we could use for our post college studies. Whee for those on the inner tracks who can afford such testing luxuries! Woe to those left out of THE SYSTEM! Shame!

[bohr]

Then there was the great LSAT cheat game to which some of my students alerted me. I checked with two law school deans who confirmed that they knew of this loophole that allowed cheating and I asked the LSAT officials why they did not close it. They said they could not afford to do so.

Are you talking about this trick ? I guess not, otherwise you'd have pointed to that

I mean, how could you afford not to do smth as easy and "doable" like that when we hear about people who risk not going to law school forever when they go ahead and take those minutes of the experimental section and use 'em to work on the scored sections of the test!
 

[kasunscool]

So... if most people can (and do) prep and improve their score (most schools, like U Chicago, even tell students to prep) - than you are saying that if you ALSO prepped and scored the same, you would be at a disadvantage? It seems to me that your arguement only makes sense if you make the assumption that all, or at lease the majority, of students at all schools do not prep for the LSAT. If this were true, then you could likely assume prepping to up your score would have you at a disadvantage.

However, since most people prep for the LSAT, to NOT prep, does not keep you on even footing with students at your future school - if anything, it places you at a personal disadvantage at a school you could have done much better than.


As to the OP, people prep different times. I spent about one and a half months, some people spend a full year, and some people do not prep at all. It's whatever amount you feel is worth the payoff in terms of schools/scholarships you might recieve.

You misinterpreted the reasoning I had for not prepping, so I will spell it out again:  Lets say there are two students, with identical GPA's, who both score 165, and are eligible for the same T30-70 schools.  The first prepped constantly for the LSAT, raising his initial score of 156 to the 163-166 practice range with consistency, and took the LSAT for those results.  The second student did not prep at all, and got a 165 based only upon his natural ability.  Had he prepped he could have gotten into a top school, but instead he took the LSAT based solely on his ability.  There are two possibilities that each student could then pursue: get into the T30ish school where they each would be around 25th percentile, and they would find many students with similar numbers, but the one with the 165 natural easily could have been above that 25th percentile with prepping.  Had he chosen to prep, he would have gotten some $$$ too probably.  The other step would be to go to a school where the score was representative of a higher proportion of those admitted, maybe even 75th percentile, and they each could probably receive $$$.  But since almost everyone DOES prep, then those people at the same lower ranked school, with similar index scores at the top of those admitted, not only would be getting the $$$, but would represent the top LSAT scores.  But the person who didn't prep, and did so off natural ability alone, would have an advantage over all those who got the same top scores with prepping. 
I guess it depends on where you want to go to school in the long run, but based on my friend who did this and took a full ride to a local school, and was 1st in his class 1L, took a great summer associateship, and is now EIC of LR is comfortable with his decision.  In comparison, another friend of mine squeaked into Emory, because he had an excellent GPA from a TTT undergrad, but prepped all summer of Junior year for the October test, improved drastically, and got was admitted.  He was in the bottom LSAT numbers of those admitted, and although worked his arse off, he was bottom 1/3 of his class 1L, took a crappy associateship paying $14/hr because he needed a paying internship to start knocking his principal off all his loans, and is stuck at a smaller firm in Atlanta this summer, which although is paying much nicer, means he is still in Atlanta, and his whole plan was to attend the best school he could and return to practice in Philly. 
Everyone is different, and everyone will approach the LSAT and the application process in different ways.  I may even prep for a month and take the June test, but I'm not trying to just squeak into the best school I can, because I know where I want to live and practice, and will try to gain a competitve edge.  This was just my $.02, but don't fail to recognize that one of the most essential abilities a lawyer needs to hone is a strategic approach to a situation that has multiple outcomes.  Look at LS as a 3 year Bar Review course, with the application process as your first implementation of your natural strategic focus, and accept the fact that the results will be drastic either way, and that it is a huge decision.
[/quote]

WOW.. Your logic is still flawed. Because your asuming the frist premis will be true.. your whole argument is based on unlikely situation.

[showmethe$]

LSAT score is considered very important.

I heard one day a student who was actually attending Pennsylvania and was told that he HAD to get 170 on the LSAT before the beginning of his second semester there. Weird -- I think some schools are just obsessed with showing off their high numbers.

[corky]

Prepare as much as you humanly can.  It's incredibly important to get as high of a score as possible.

If you break 170, you can get full scholarships to T20 schools, or better.  So study!