I wish...

[LegalMatters]

Undertaking a more rigorous major from a far more difficult school explains why the GPA of the African-American applicant might be lower, but it doesn't explain at all why the LSAT of the African-American applicant is lower.

I'm going to hazard a guess, an educated guess, on the reason why the average LSAT score is lower. Although first I should take a poll on how many of people in this thread used a commercial LSAT prep service, specifically classes.

[_____________________]

i didn't.  i didn't have the money.  and i don't think its right.  if only my high 160s score was enough.  if others experiences correlate to me, i would've been in the 170s if i could've taken one.

[_____________________]

Women still benefit, to varying degrees, from affirmative action policies.

i see your point and i do feel fortunate that i won the birth lottery as a woman in this country as opposed to some others.  however i would add "in some cases" to the end of your sentence.  women outpace men in achievement entering the undergraduate level.  however i agree there is still a noticeable lack of women in some fields - namely professional fields like law and in academia.

also, i would argue that in many cases women are still discriminated against in the workplace as a result of being the child-bearing sex.  its not a matter of women being less qualified than men, as might be the case with some minority applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds (please don't jump on me here, not meaning to imply that some minority applicants are less intelligent, only somewhat less qualified as a result of less access to opportunities).  its a matter of some workplaces, within the legal field, discriminating against women because they believe them to be more likely to leave the workplace.

[LegalMatters]

Women still benefit, to varying degrees, from affirmative action policies.

i see your point and i do feel fortunate that i won the birth lottery as a woman in this country as opposed to some others.  however i would add "in some cases" to the end of your sentence.  women outpace men in achievement entering the undergraduate level.  however i agree there is still a noticeable lack of women in some fields - namely professional fields like law and in academia.

also, i would argue that in many cases women are still discriminated against in the workplace as a result of being the child-bearing sex.  its not a matter of women being less qualified than men, as might be the case with some minority applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds (please don't jump on me here, not meaning to imply that some minority applicants are less intelligent, only somewhat less qualified as a result of less access to opportunities).  its a matter of some workplaces, within the legal field, discriminating against women because they believe them to be more likely to leave the workplace.

Research shows that some people don't do well on standardized tests. They just don't test well. Those are the people who benefit the most from test prep services. Unfortunately, they're commercial, cost big money, and aren't always accessible. A $1,500 LSAT prep course was slightly out of my budget and schedule as a full-time night shift worker living one hour from the nearest site. Some of the people we'll be going to law school with used commercial prep services. What would their scores have been without the classes? There's really no way to know that. People can say whatever they want about their practice tests.

I think many of us would be surprised to find out just how much our soft factors played a role in admission to law school. Many people on the boards fall into the average applicant range for most law schools. But something we're also forgetting is that not everyone takes the LSAT so we're not actually competing against everyone anyway - just those who chose to take the test.

[segundo]

Undertaking a more rigorous major from a far more difficult school explains why the GPA of the African-American applicant might be lower, but it doesn't explain at all why the LSAT of the African-American applicant is lower.

I'm going to hazard a guess, an educated guess, on the reason why the average LSAT score is lower. Although first I should take a poll on how many of people in this thread used a commercial LSAT prep service, specifically classes.

Blacks face no barriers to purchasing commercial LSAT prep services. LSAT prep courses will teach anyone (regardless of race) who chooses to sign up for their service.

[dashrashi]

Undertaking a more rigorous major from a far more difficult school explains why the GPA of the African-American applicant might be lower, but it doesn't explain at all why the LSAT of the African-American applicant is lower.

I'm going to hazard a guess, an educated guess, on the reason why the average LSAT score is lower. Although first I should take a poll on how many of people in this thread used a commercial LSAT prep service, specifically classes.

Blacks face no barriers to purchasing commercial LSAT prep services. LSAT prep courses will teach anyone (regardless of race) who chooses to sign up for their service.

Read LegMat's post which is directly above yours, dumbass. Race is often strongly correlated to class.

[eastend]

LegalMatters, just for kicks, why don't you google 'stereotype threat'?  I bet you'd find it pretty interesting.  I can't even bring myself to add any more to this thread...Eastend out.

[LegalMatters]

It's one thing to pay for books and another to pay for a tutor or classroom setting where you can actually get feedback and help troubleshooting your weak areas.

Anyway, segundo trolls the boards and looks to make pot shots at those less fortunate than he is.

[segundo]

Women still benefit, to varying degrees, from affirmative action policies.

i see your point and i do feel fortunate that i won the birth lottery as a woman in this country as opposed to some others.  however i would add "in some cases" to the end of your sentence.  women outpace men in achievement entering the undergraduate level.  however i agree there is still a noticeable lack of women in some fields - namely professional fields like law and in academia.

also, i would argue that in many cases women are still discriminated against in the workplace as a result of being the child-bearing sex.  its not a matter of women being less qualified than men, as might be the case with some minority applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds (please don't jump on me here, not meaning to imply that some minority applicants are less intelligent, only somewhat less qualified as a result of less access to opportunities).  its a matter of some workplaces, within the legal field, discriminating against women because they believe them to be more likely to leave the workplace.

Research shows that some people don't do well on standardized tests. They just don't test well. Those are the people who benefit the most from test prep services. Unfortunately, they're commercial, cost big money, and aren't always accessible. A $1,500 LSAT prep course was slightly out of my budget and schedule as a full-time night shift worker living one hour from the nearest site. Some of the people we'll be going to law school with used commercial prep services. What would their scores have been without the classes? There's really no way to know that. People can say whatever they want about their practice tests.

I think many of us would be surprised to find out just how much our soft factors played a role in admission to law school. Many people on the boards fall into the average applicant range for most law schools. But something we're also forgetting is that not everyone takes the LSAT so we're not actually competing against everyone anyway - just those who chose to take the test.

People are not blocked from LSAT prep courses because of race. On the other hand, those who have insufficient financial resources are blocked from using prep courses that they cannot afford. It is these individuals, the ones who are at a quantifiable competitive disadvantage and lack access to competitive resources, who should receive extra consideration from schools.

[segundo]

It's one thing to pay for books and another to pay for a tutor or classroom setting where you can actually get feedback and help troubleshooting your weak areas.

Anyway, segundo trolls the boards and looks to make pot shots at those less fortunate than he is.

That's not true at all. I went to a bad public high school and fully support myself. I'm an advocate for the less fortunate. I think individuals who had deplorable high school conditions and were bloacked from competative tools (like advising, tutoring, and test prep) deserve affirmative action in very large numbers. I think if you really read through my posts, you would see that I am consistent with this idea.