An LSAT Night Out
Posted by MAdkins@manhattanprep.com in LSAT Fun on February 21st, 2012
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending an evening with the Manhattan LSAT crew. In case there is any lingering doubt as to our
nerdiness, let it be known that–at a bar–we collaboratively (1) calculated our life expectancies (mine was 71, for the record–though a psychic once told me 87, which I’m sticking with because I find her more credible than scientific probabilities), and (2) held an impromptu haiku competition.
The latter activity inspired this week’s post, in which (get ready) I will publish for the first time ever read, seen, or experienced, my original LSAT haikus. Whether it refreshes your memory of test strategy, triggers horrific flashbacks, or inspires an ill-informed decision to ditch law school and become a mediocre poet, I hope you enjoy. Some feedback on which is best, or a few poems of your own are strongly encouraged!
On Logic Games:
Xavier is in
only if Olga is out.
The boat is quite small.
On Reading Comprehension:
The author agrees
that the passage is too long.
Fire the editor.
On Logical Reasoning:
Mary Adkins: 99th Percentile LSAT instructor and poet extraordinaire!
O, argument core!
Premise. Conclusion. What else?
Gap. Blank. Missing. _______.
On the essay:
Alas, dost though read
the essay? A fallen tree
no one hears fall, it.
Mary Adkins is one of Manhattan LSAT’s 99th percentile rock star instructors based out of New York City. She’s also available for Private Tutoring, both in NYC and Live Online.
Planning for the June LSAT and Beyond
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in LSAT Prep on February 16th, 2012
To Infinity, and Beyond!
Two of the more common questions asked by future LSAT takers are: 1) “When should I begin studying for the LSAT?” and 2) “How long does it typically take to prepare for this exam?”
The answer to these basic (yet extremely important!) questions provides a ‘jumping off point’ for folks and helps them plan their lives (or lack there of) during the months spent prepping for the LSAT.
If you are planning to take the June 2012 LSAT, I’ll save you the drama of the rest of this post: it’s time to start studying now! Get started with a diagnostic test. This will give you a great sense of where you are, although you should not get discouraged if you score well below the national average (151) your first time. If you don’t know much about the exam, you should read our intro guide or attend one of our free workshops (available in NYC and Live Online). For the rest of you thinking a bit more long term, read on…
When Should I Start Studying for the LSAT?
The answer? Annoyingly, it is very difficult to generalize just how much time an individual needs to prepare for the LSAT. The trend we’ve noticed is that 2.5-3.5 months is typically necessary to maximize ones potential on the exam. This does not mean that it is impossible to thoroughly prep in 2 months or less, nor does it mean that you are a dummy if it takes you six months to prep – it simply means that everyone is different – and that this test is a major pain in the butt!
It is also important to recognize that the amount of real time that you have available to you to put in to studying on a daily/weekly basis will have an impact on how long (in weeks and months) it will take you to adequately prepare. A college student who has dedicated their summer to studying for the LSAT may only need 2.5 months to get ready for their test day, whereas a busy working professional with two children may require a bit more time.
Since the LSAT is only given four times each year (and on very specific dates), my advice for folks trying to determine their timeline is to pick a target test date, and then work backward from there.
When it comes to choosing a target test date, here is what you should be considering:
- Can I execute a dedicated study regimen in the three months (approximately) before my target test date?
- When am I hoping to start law school?
- Do I need a ‘back up’ LSAT test date?
Helpful LSAT Timing Exercise: The Time Shave
Posted by MAdkins@manhattanprep.com in LSAT content, LSAT Prep, LSAT Tips on February 15th, 2012
NOTE: This is the first of many posts by one of our most beloved teachers, Mary Adkins. A graduate of Yale Law School, Mary is one of Manhattan LSAT’s 99th percentile rock stars based out of New York City.
The February LSAT is over and done! You know what that means. One: Mardi Gras. Two: folks–February test refugees and otherwise–are gearing up to prepare for the June exam. As we enter the beginning of this study season, I want to share a tool that might be useful to those of you facing a particular breed of LSAT challenge.
Down The LSAT Timing Rabbit Hole
Recently, I worked with a student who came in every week reciting the same outcome of her practice. Whenever she did sections untimed, she rocked them. She scored in the 160s, her goal range, and did so consistently. But as soon as she set the clock, her score plummeted fifteen points–consistently. The kicker? She wasn’t even taking that much more time when she wasn’t on the clock.
This student–we’ll call her Charmayne–needed to trim about eight minutes off her logic games section and ten minutes off each logical reasoning section. So pacing was something to work on, sure. But it was clear that the extra time wasn’t the only source of her higher scores (and that lack of it wasn’t the only source of her lower scores). When she felt herself on the clock, she’d snap into panic mode, abandon or forget strategies, and fly through the test wildly. Picture a woman in a blindfold, swinging her arms to try to hit cartoon As, Bs, Cs, Ds, and Es swarming around her. (For the record, this creepy nightmarish image is mine, not hers.)
It occurred to us that one reason she was having a hard time improving her pacing was the paralyzing anxiety she felt as soon as the virtual LSAT proctor entered the scene.
Together, we came up with the Time Shave. The basic idea? Marathon training. You can’t expect to run a seven-minute mile when you’ve been running twelve-minute miles, and you can’t expect to run twenty-six when you’ve been running fifteen. Without a miracle or consuming some illegal substance (hidden in a mechanical pencil or digital watch, perhaps), you’re unlikely to meet either goal without injuring yourself.
I half-ran* a half-marathon last January, and while 13.1 miles is not 26.2, it’s… well, half of that. It’s also six times farther than I had ever run until several months before the race. My years of logging casual, two-mile jogs around Prospect Park had to evolve, and gradually. First, I challenged myself to run four. Then six. Then nine. Eventually, I could stand at a starting line with a number pinned to my shirt and know that I was about to travel double-digit mileage by foot–and could. In fact, I didn’t freak out until mile eleven, when I became irrationally convinced that the race organizers had miscalculated the distance.
We decided that if Charmayne could complete a section in forty-five minutes comfortably, then she’d try it in forty-two. The next week, in thirty-nine. And so on. Eventually, a strong, thirty-five minute section didn’t feel as foreign, as insanely unachievable, because it was only a few minutes under what she knew she could do instead of (what felt like) a far reach from her safety zone.
Shaving Time
If you are finding that your pace is not what it needs to be, instead of setting the alarm for eight minutes and cursing yourself when it goes off with three questions to go, try giving yourself enough time to complete the section confidently and comfortably while still moving forward. Then set a goal several minutes under that time. Little by little, build to the requisite time cap.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting this as a replacement for doing timed sections, generally. But the shave is a tool to play around with, and since the next test is still well over three months out, now is a good time to take it for a spin. Have fun!
*I more or less walked mile twelve. I confess. Why not mile thirteen? Hello! My friends were at the finish line. #vanity
Mary Adkins is one of Manhattan LSAT’s 99th percentile rock star instructors based out of New York City. She’s also available for Private Tutoring, both in NYC and Live Online.
Final Countdown to the February LSAT: 4 Last Minute LSAT Tips
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in LSAT Prep, LSAT Tips on February 9th, 2012
With less than 48 hours remaining before the February LSAT, we have some helpful advice on what can (and cannot) be done at this late stage in the game, as well as some mantras for test day.
Get your mind right. It can be rather tempting to start down some last minute LSAT rabbit holes. This close to test day, it is helpful to adopt somewhat of a “what’s done is done” attitude. For example, there are likely some game types that you simply are not going to get any better at between now and Saturday – and that is OK! So long as you’ve been consistently hitting or exceeding your target score on your latest timed practice tests without a mastery of those game types, you should see similar results on the real thing. Accept that you’re not going to get that 180, and start to focus on all of the success that you ARE going to have on test day as opposed to worrying yourself in to a frenzy over those sections of the test that have continually thrown you off after months of hard work.
Get off the sauce. This may seem painfully obvious, but steer clear of the alcohol or any other mood/behavior altering substances for the next few days. Start (or continue) exercising (exercise is linked to neural growth ya know).
Admit it: the LSAT is damn hard! Unless you’re scoring well-below the national average of 151, chances are that if you think a question on the exam is difficult, just about everyone else in the nation does too! Yes, there will be some super geniuses out there who won’t, but if we stick to thinking about rest of the mere mortal population, admitting that this thing is difficult can go a long way in easing your tensions. If it’s a tough question, lots of people will get it wrong; the question is whether you’ll get it wrong and waste a lot of time on it. Don’t get stuck on the mud on a question you were never going to get right, and cost yourself precious time that you could have been using to nail the questions that come easier to you.
Warm yourself up on test day. Since your brain is a muscle (and since it is unlikely to be accustomed to working hard on a Saturday morning), be sure to give it a proper warm up before you sit down to tackle the first section of the LSAT. I would advise arriving at your testing location at least 40 minutes early. Before you enter your testing center, do an easy-ish game that you’ve successfully completed several times before. This method of warming up is exponentially better than using section 1 on the real thing!
Good luck on Saturday – and be sure to remember what you can and cannot bring in with you to your testing center.
INFOGRAPHIC: What You Are Allowed on Test Day
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in Infographics on February 7th, 2012
Fresh from the M LSAT Lab of Geekyness, an infographic with loads of info on the February LSAT, including what you can and cannot bring with you. Enjoy, and good luck on Saturday!!
Are You Ready for the February LSAT?
The February LSAT: Why it’s Good, Why it’s Bad, Why it’s Not as Ugly as you May Think
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in Law School, LSAT Prep on February 1st, 2012
I know what you’re thinking: aren’t all LSATs a pain in the neck? Touche – you got me there – but the February LSAT can be a particularly baffling proposition for law school hopefuls. There are several reasons for this…
Reason #1 – It is an ‘Undisclosed’ Test
The main reason the February LSAT is a bit more frustrating than its June, October, and December brethren is that it is the only LSAT given that is completely ‘undisclosed’. When an LSAT is ‘undisclosed’, it means that the only thing you’ll get back in terms of results from LSAC is your score out of 180, and your percentile. You will not know how many questions you got wrong, or which questions you got wrong. For obvious reasons, this is super annoying!
February: The Ugly Duckling of LSAT Administrations
So why would LSAC do this to you? According to LSAC, they need to keep some of their content under lock and key in case they ever need to administer an emergency LSAT due to any number of unforeseen circumstances (i.e. inclement weather). Keeping the February LSAT undisclosed allows them to have a ‘reserve’ stash of LSAT content that could be used in a pinch.
Reason #2 – Lousy Timing
Another knock against the February LSAT is the timing of it; Since law schools use a rolling admissions process that begins in January and typically wraps up early in the new year, February LSAT scores are too late to use to gain admission in fall of that same year. In other words, February 2012 LSAT takers are unlikely to be permitted to use those scores to gain entry to Law School in September of 2012. I say ‘generally’ because there are some rare exceptions to this, however they are just that: exceptions. You should strive to have your applications completed by the end of the calendar year.
Reason #3 – It has a Horrid Reputation
There is a general attitude of contempt for the February LSAT, which I’m betting has just about everything to do with reasons 1 and 2 above. I’ve even heard people take the besmirching of the February LSAT so far as to claim that it is the “hardest” of all the LSATs given in a calendar year. Let’s be perfectly clear about this: the February LSAT IS NOT HARDER than any other LSAT given.
Certainly the fact that it is undisclosed makes it less appealing, however there is absolutely no data to suggest that it is in any way more difficult than any other LSAT test.
I could repeat those last two sentences until I’m blue in the face, and folks would still start vicious internet rumors about how the February LSAT is 100x more difficult than the others. This is plainly false, although I’m sure the inability of individuals to see which questions they slipped up on adds to the mystique of the vicious “February LSAT is harder than others” rumor. In the interest of painstaking, mind numbing clarity: it is NOT harder than any other implementation of the LSAT.
So why would anyone in their right mind actually take the LSAT in February?
Glad you asked! There are many good reasons to take the LSAT in February, particularly if you’ve planned ahead and are taking your LSAT well ahead of your application deadline. If your best opportunity to study was over the Fall/early Winter, the February LSAT likely makes sense for you.
At the end of the day, “when” you should take your LSAT comes down to this: when can you do your very best on it? The answer to that question unsurprisingly will correlate to when you have the most time to prepare. Happystudying
LSAT And Law School In The News – February Edition
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in Legal News, LSAT news, LSAT/Law Links on January 31st, 2012
Here is a round up of LSAT and Law School related news items from the past month. Enjoy!
- 5 Unique Career Paths for Law School Grads (US News and World Report)
- How to Pay For Law School (Hello Law School)
- Is Law School At Middle Age Worth Doing? (The Careerist)
- Top iPad Apps For Lawyers (Legal Skills Prof Blog)
Practicing law isn’t your only career option post-law school. Check out these five nontraditional fields where you can leverage a law degree.
There is no denying that law school is an expensive investment. Here are some suggestions on how to lower the amount of money you have to borrow.
Looking to change careers? Find out the pros and cons of going to law school in your 30′s and beyond.
Have an iPad? Here are 10 helpful apps for a lawyer or lawyer-to-be.
Free LSAT Workshops!
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in LSAT Prep, Manhattan LSAT Announcements on January 27th, 2012
TGIF!
To celebrate the end of another work week, we’re announcing several free LSAT workshops, both Live Online and in New York City.
These 2 hours workshops will include a Logic Games and Logical Reasoning lesson, and will be led by some of our geekiest instructors. Did we mention that these are free?? Dates and links for signup are below.
Free LSAT workshops in New York:
Free Live Online LSAT Workshops:
Happy Studying!
From Pre Law to the 1% – Interesting Statistics on Attorney Earning Prospects
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in post law school life on January 25th, 2012
It all started with a 180 on his LSAT
A serious motivational factor for many aspiring lawyers is the potential income that top attorneys earn. A recent New York Times article strives to deconstruct “the one percent”, and the folks at the Above The Law blog have pulled out the data from the article relevant to lawyers.
They point out, among other cool factoids, that only physicians, CEOs, and public administrators rank ahead of attorneys on the list of livelihoods represented among the 1%.
There are some truly compelling statistics in this article, and a very interesting interactive breakdown of earnings by career.
How many of you are going to law school with the hopes of joining the 1%?
Number of Law School Applications in Decline
Posted by Cory@manhattanlsat.com in Law School on January 23rd, 2012
The Legal Skills Prof Blog is reporting that law school applications are in sharp decline from last year – this according to a report published on a password protected page of LSAC’s website.
The data in the report shows a 16.7% downturn in applications to law school, and a 15.3% downturn in applications to the American Bar Association. Simply put, there are fewer players in the “law school game”, a trend you should expect to see continue, at least in the short term.
The Law School Express, circa 2008
If I place myself in your shoes, oh law school hopeful, I think there are two important things to glean from this information. The first is quite obvious and good news for the law school applicant. Less competition for those coveted spots in the nation’s top law schools will certainly not hurt your chances.
I arrived at the second big takeaway by considering why law school applications are declining. The market of law school hopefuls is certainly reacting to the well publicized lack of job prospects that newly minted attorneys are facing today.
The staggering 16.7% downturn is compounded by the fact that there is a natural tendency for undergrads to flock to grad school during an economic downturn instead of testing the struggling job market. This tendency likely accounts for some record high application numbers dating back a few years ago (note: I haven’t checked those statistics, but I do know for a fact that LSAT administrations hit an all time high in 2009-2010), which makes the current decline seem particularly sharp.
In summary, jobs are hard to find across the board in the United States of America, and legal jobs are no exception. There is more competition for seemingly fewer positions.
Enter second takeaway: it is more important than ever to get in to a law school that makes sense for you. Are you looking to become a power player at a reputable firm? If so, you’re going to really want to land at a top ten law school. However, if working for a public interest firm and avoiding crippling debt is more your style, then you’re going to really want to get law school paid for and going to a top ten should be less of a priority..
I think you get the point. There are many, many things to consider (and reasons to be skeptical, for that matter) before you decide to pursue a career in the law profession. While there are countless scenarios besides the ‘power player’ and ‘public interest’ career hopeful, this latest crunch in the legal job market should serve to motivate those starting down the path to law school to aim higher.
