Trying to improve LSAT score to 160's.

[maximillion]

Hello everyone,
I'm here in hopes of getting some advice.  I took the lsat for the first time at the beginning of this month and received my score a couple of days ago.
I have a 2.72 GPA and I scored 143 on the LSAT. I really didn't study at all, I really wish I did.  It was just really difficult to find the time with my busy work schedule.

I plan on retaking the LSAT again in October.  What are some tips and pointers to improve my LSAT score? I'm aiming for 160 to improve my chances of getting into more law schools.  As of right now, my chances of being admitted to law school is very slim.

I've been reading around and this is what I plan on doing, I'm not sure if this is good enough. I can't afford to take classes therefore I plan on studying on my own.  I've managed to get actual tests from previous years and also preptests from lsac. I plan on spending around an hour each day working on one section of a test and then review my answers and focus on the answers I got wrong.  On the weekend, I would try to take the entire test. I plan on doing this from beginning of July up until the end of September, right before my LSAT on October 1, 2011.

Will this method be enough to improve my score up to 160's? Even if it's low 160's I would still be very happy.  I have read that the powerscore logical bible helps a lot. I have a copy of the book and I plan on reading it.  What are your feedbacks and opinions about the book and how helpful it is? I would like to focus on techniques that will help me most at improving my score.

Thanks for reading, hope you guys can help me out with advice, opinions.

[viyer00]

Even if you do get a 160, most law schools will average the two scores. With scores and grades that low, I would seriously question if the cost and time commitments of law school are even worth it.

[bluemaxim22]

To be honest - I really think you need to invest more than just an hour a day to make that kind of jump in score, but that is just an opinion.

I am definitely a big fan of the Powerscore Bible books to learn the theories (and just as a tip read the formal logic and number/percentages chapters early). However, it is going to come down to practice tests, and not just reviewing the wrong answers, but reviewing the correct ones as well (especially those that you weren't completely sure on, but took an educated guess). I circle the question number to those that I found challenging, and I put square with a fatty underline of those that I thought were a complete mind-f**k, so I know to review, correct answer or not. Also, while it is great to take any test, my tutor is having me focus on tests 46-now, since those are most similar to the current test.  I broke apart tests 46-52 to use as drills, and the rest are to be used under the full time constraints. Another piece of advice, when you review your answers, do it the following day, so you had a chance to step away from the questions and look at them with a fresh pair of eyes.

It's really going to come down to practice, practice, practice.  You are actually at an advantage in some ways because you have taken the test before and know what to expect the day of the test.

And just so you know, many law schools do take your higher score (most of the ones that I saw need an explanation though).  Even if you do average your score out you are still at a much better place than with a 143. If you are still in school, raise your GPA as high as you can (see if there is a way to get an A+,  some schools have this even though it may state A is the highest grade - it's a secret no one tells you about. Possibly talk to a previous professor who knows you and tell them you are applying to law school, and see if any of your grades can be changed - even if it's a C+ to a B- that is still an improvement. They may not, but it never hurts to ask).  Lastly, law schools are definitely more interested in your LSAT score than your GPA, so investing the time to do better is really to your advantage.

Good luck!

[EarlCat]

Even if you do get a 160, most law schools will average the two scores.

Wrong.

[maximillion]

Thank you so much for the advice.  After posting in the forum, I did additional reading everywhere else on the internet and have realized that my goal of 1 hour each day was quite a pathetically weak approach to LSAT prep.  It was a little discouraging to read the first reply but it also gave me a boost of motivation knowing that I can definitely do it if I tried hard enough despite what others may think.  I'm using my free time outside of work efficiently from now until the test on October 1st, so hopefully I will raise my score up to where I want it to be. Thanks again

[maximillion]

And also, I've been out of school since 2009 so there's really nothing I can do about my GPA so improving drastically on the next LSAT test is crucial to me.

[viyer00]

Even if you do get a 160, most law schools will average the two scores.

Wrong.

Oops, sorry. The last time I researched was before they had changed the rules, but it was ignorant of me to assume nothing had changed in so many years. It appears as if most do take the highest score nowadays, except for a handful of exceptions that still average.

[Specks]

I'd get a hold of the Kaplan mastery books if you can in addition to the powerscore bibles. The bibles are awesome, but I think the Kaplan books are helpful for target practicing. RC has changed a bit since 2007, so you might want to spread them out. Not as many tests with the new format though it really does apply the same logic.