What's all that talk on the Horror Stories board about not erasing?

[candiceo]

On the writing sample, that is. Are there just some schizo proctors or are you not supposed to erase? I'll be in trouble. I type just about everything except a list if I go to a store or something.

[sunfunliving]

I did plenty of erasing on the writing portion...nobody said anything.

Vera

[Fidelio]

Instead of erasing, I simply crossed out errors which is what the instructions stated.  Your writing sample will be sent to your schools of choice. The schools will know that you will, after almost 3 hours, make errors after taking one of the most important, if not the most important test of your life.  After all, we are all human.   I'd imagine that if they notice eraser marks they'll sneeringly presume that you didn't follow directions. 

[vsavatar]

I accidentally erased one word on the test out of instinct before I realized I was doing it.  After doing it for years, it's difficult to just switch to not doing it.  I crossed out the remaining errors.

[Messily]

That part of the instructions went right by me, apparently.  I erased a few times.  I hope it's not actually a problem.   

[lsatflunkie]

Uh oh.  I erased numerous times.  I think I erased an entire paragraph.   

I had the argument prompt and it was awful.  I only practiced that one once b/c Kaplan only had ONE.  I called them- asked them where I could sample some more, and they said they didn't have any more.

The day after the test,  I signed into my kaplan on line syllabus and sure enough, under one of the lessons were samples of the argument prompt.  I was LIVID!  I couldn't find it before the test, when I called them, they didn't advise that they were available there.

I totally bombed this section.  I never mentioned anything about how the argument could have been strengthened.  I simply forgot to. Sigh...

[WannabeLAW]

Really, who reads these things? Besides, the practicality of not erasing is to prevent smudges from filthy erasers. Think of what a smudge mark looks like when scanned.

[lsatflunkie]

So you're saying that if I used a clean eraser, i'm okay? hee hee

[Mr. Burnz]

Well, I'm guilty too.  I erased on the October exam (who reads the directions anyway?) and my writing sample is almost illegible.  They scan your writing sample into the computer, and they must have really good scanners cause it picks up the eraser marks and DARKENS them even though the physical paper doesn't show the marks hardly at all.  I felt pretty terrible about this and was going to call LSAC about it but forgot...but I have gotten into 2 of 2 law schools with it so hopefully its not too big a deal!  Of course there could always be that 1 person on committee that says "I'm not taking someone who can't follow directions!".

[Finch]

I erased and am not worried about it.