160 Diagnostic Forum

Prepare for the LSAT or discuss it with others in this forum.
Post Reply
decaf735

New
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 2:39 am

160 Diagnostic

Post by decaf735 » Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:03 pm

Hello all,

Info:
Took my first practice LSAT in testing conditions and got a 160. I need to get to 173+ for my target school(s). I'm aiming to take the Nov 17 LSAT.
Weakest area is Logic Games.

Question:
How possible is it to get to 173+ by November? What should I do? Willing to spend any $$ on books etc.
My strategy was to basically just take a bunch of practice test (1-2/week). I know there's lots I can do (drill sets, reading books, etc.), but what is the best use of my limited time?

I've looked into the free online tests by Khan etc. but really prefer doing things with paper and pencil/pen. Anyway they let you download those and print them out..?

Any input/recommendations greatly appreciated. Thanks!

lillyc

New
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 1:01 pm

Re: 160 Diagnostic

Post by lillyc » Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:18 pm

I bought a few of the PowerScore Logic Puzzle books. Just running through a few of those, I figured out a way that the logic games made sense to me and since then I've gotten significantly better scores on the Logic Games! Best news is that is the easiest section to improve. For me at least, once it clicked, it clicked. Just keep chugging through them until you find a way that works for you. Other than that, I've been using Khan Academy online for the videos and "lessons" they have that you can read through. You can still order LSAC practice test booklets from amazon to practice full tests but the online stuff is helpful for learning how to think out the problems and different other pieces of advice.

Good luck to you! I think you will definitely be able to hit your target!

User avatar
4LTsPointingNorth

Bronze
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:17 am

Re: 160 Diagnostic

Post by 4LTsPointingNorth » Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:41 pm

decaf735 wrote:Hello all,

Info:
Took my first practice LSAT in testing conditions and got a 160. I need to get to 173+ for my target school(s). I'm aiming to take the Nov 17 LSAT.
Weakest area is Logic Games.

Question:
How possible is it to get to 173+ by November? What should I do? Willing to spend any $$ on books etc.
My strategy was to basically just take a bunch of practice test (1-2/week). I know there's lots I can do (drill sets, reading books, etc.), but what is the best use of my limited time?

I've looked into the free online tests by Khan etc. but really prefer doing things with paper and pencil/pen. Anyway they let you download those and print them out..?

Any input/recommendations greatly appreciated. Thanks!
160 is a great diagnostic, congrats. Logic games is also the most learnable area, so it's great that that is your current weakness. You can fix it more easily than the other two.

Take a prep course if you can afford it. Practice problems/drilling are the best use of your time, but make sure to go over every question you get right and every question you get wrong and figure out why you selected the right/wrong answer. Track trends. Keep a list of your mistakes.

Finally, if you're planning to apply to law schools after taking the November LSAT, don't. You would be shooting yourself in the foot by applying in December. You have the highest chances for admission by applying at the beginning of the admissions cycle (e.g., end of August, beginning of September). Your chances go down after Halloween and go down further after Thanksgiving. This is because law schools have already begun to fill their incoming class, so they start to be choosier in rounding out their classes.

Your eventual legal career will be much better if you take an extra year to improve your LSAT score to the 173+ area and also get a year of work experience in a business/corporate setting.

decaf735

New
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 2:39 am

Re: 160 Diagnostic

Post by decaf735 » Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:01 pm

4LTs--thanks for the advice! I figured earlier was better. Did not realize that applying quite so early would provide a substantial advantage over December.

I actually do have 4+ years of corporate/consulting experience (I need to update my profile) and really want to get out ASAP, hence trying to get the best possible score and apply this cycle. (I recognize this sounds like I'm applying for the wrong reasons, but I've been thinking seriously about law school for ~8 years and realizing now is the best time.)

Also, full disclosure, I'm deadset on December because I want to apply ED at my target school. My partner and I live together and can't move. So my target school is really only one of two schools I'd seriously consider attending.

User avatar
4LTsPointingNorth

Bronze
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:17 am

Re: 160 Diagnostic

Post by 4LTsPointingNorth » Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:28 pm

decaf735 wrote:4LTs--thanks for the advice! I figured earlier was better. Did not realize that applying quite so early would provide a substantial advantage over December.

I actually do have 4+ years of corporate/consulting experience (I need to update my profile) and really want to get out ASAP, hence trying to get the best possible score and apply this cycle. (I recognize this sounds like I'm applying for the wrong reasons, but I've been thinking seriously about law school for ~8 years and realizing now is the best time.)

Also, full disclosure, I'm deadset on December because I want to apply ED at my target school. My partner and I live together and can't move. So my target school is really only one of two schools I'd seriously consider attending.
No problem. With your target LSAT score and the fact that you're geographically limiting yourself to two schools, it sounds like you're targeting Columbia and NYU. I graduated from one of those two and am happy to give you school specific advice later on down the road. PM me in a few months after you take the LSAT if you have any questions. Best of luck.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “LSAT Prep and Discussion Forum”