Top Law Schools

Hello,

I’m currently a sophomore at Vanderbilt and probably about 10 months away from when I would take the LSAT. I have not done any research into it or studied at all but decided to give a practice test a try to see where I was starting. I ended up scoring a 159 (probably shouldn’t have started it after midnight).

Anyways, my question sort of just boils down to whether this is a good starting point or not for admission to top schools. I would like to aim for a 170 in 10 months...is that realistic? What was your first score before putting in the work?

Thanks!

That is a realistic goal as long as you can put in the time.

Learning the LSAT well enough to make a 10+ point jump is more like learning a skill than cramming for a test. You need some time to learn the basics and then more time to drill/internalize them until you are fast AND good. There are limits to what you can achieve by pairing your instincts with a bunch of practice. At a certain point you need to replace your instincts with actual learning and knowledge.

If you have the free time during that 10 months to execute a methodical study plan the sky is the limit, really, but remember that 170 is pushing the top end of the bell curve so don't underestimate what it will take.

To get really good at the LSAT you need to learn a new approach to information, but it is the same approach you would need to learn in Law School anyway so there is no reason not to get started early

Andrew McDonald, Blueprint Instructor