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LSAT Reasoning Flaws – Numbers versus Percents

By on September 4, 2012 in Logic Reasoning Section, LSAT

LSAT blog, LSAT prep, Logical reasoning flawsRecently I watched a lot of the Summer Games, and I’ve got to admit I found it all very exciting. Who knew that watching water polo, handball, and weight-lifting is so enjoyable? Actually, I did know that. See, every four years, I find myself in the same situation: sitting on the couch, wondering to myself why table tennis, badminton, and trap shooting are not as popular as football. For some reason, these sports fascinate me, and I can’t get enough. Weeks of excitement go by before the games slowly come to an end, autumn rolls around, and I forget entirely the joy of watching a well-thrown hammer.… Read full post

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The LSAT: It is relevant to law school and beyond.

By on August 2, 2012 in LSAT, LSAT Test Prep

By:  Aaron Abernathy

It’s fair to say that many, if not most, LSAT test-takers don’t find studying for the LSAT the most fun they ever had. Many LSAT Blogdislike it with an intensity that’s only slightly less than that of a thousand fiery suns. When pressed, their explanation often boils down to “it’s just not relevant to how well I’ll do in law school, much less how I’ll fare as a lawyer.”

The conception that the LSAT won’t really help you in law school is based on a misperception, one we can fix by comparison to a learning a foreign language.

If you want to become fluent in a foreign language, it takes a lot of hard work.… Read full post

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4 LSATs per year – One’s gotta be easier, right?

By on October 25, 2011 in Law School, Law School Admissions, Logic Reasoning Section, LSAT

Law school applicants are a competitive lot.They are always trying to get the upper hand.Therefore it is no surprise that I occasionally hear the questions, “Which one of the four yearly LSATs is the easiest?Some LSATs are easier than others, right?”The short answer to this question is, “No, no test is easier than any other.”However, this can be misleading.This does not mean that all tests are EXACTLY the same difficulty, as that is not possible.It is quite challenging to determine if two questions will be the same difficulty to the testing populace, so determining if complete tests are exactly the same becomes a supreme effort.There is also the issue of personal variation and opinion.If you allow one person to take two tests of about 100 questions each and then ask them which one was more difficult, they are going to express an opinion.Factors such as timing mishaps, fatigue, and a few really difficult questions will inevitably lead them to say one test was harder than the other.However, the very next person might feel the exact opposite about the degrees of difficulty.In short, all people do not unanimously agree about the complexity of a given question, and thus the amount of trouble they have with it will vary as well.… Read full post

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Hello world!

By on April 21, 2011 in Law School & Legal Life

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!… Read full post

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Law school applicants still have things to work on…

By on January 19, 2010 in Law School & Legal Life

<p>You’ve finally wrapped up your  LSDAS application and hit "submit." Now you’re working hard to finish up your  individual law school applications, tweaking your personal statement for each  school. Your undergraduate years are winding down, and you’re beginning to  dream of spring, when you can kick back and decide which of those great  admission offers you’ll accept.</p>
<p>But wait….there are more  details you need to take care of before you can relax. It’s important to  remember that the game’s not over till it’s over.  As a law school applicant, for all practical  purposes "over" means that you have mailed your acceptance form and your deposit  to your chosen law school.  Right now,  there are some things you can do to increase your chances of getting an  admission offer (and you also should start thinking about how you’re going to  survive financially as a 1L).<br />
<br />
<strong><em>First things first,</em></strong> the most  important thing right now is to ensure your law schools have received all the  possible available information that will help your personal file make its way  to the top of a huge pile of applications at each school.… Read full post

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Applying after February LSAT

By on January 5, 2010 in Law School & Legal Life

Some of my clients have been asking me whether it is too late to apply to law school if they take the LSAT on February 6th.   I’d like to share my answer with you.

The Admissions Committee has been accepting applicants for a number of months; hence, fewer seats are now available.  But they are available.  Many schools set deadline dates of March 1st or March 15th because they know that qualified applicants will come out of the February test administration.    

So, yes, you still have time to apply to that school.  However, I highly recommend that you submit your application before you take the LSAT.  This way, the Admissions Office will have time to set up your application and request your LSAT score, academic transcripts and letters of recommendation from LSAC.  Once your score becomes available, LSAC will send that packet of information to all of the law schools to which you applied.  Once the law school receives your packet of information, your application file will be complete and be sent to the Admissions Committee for review.  You want to make sure that your application is in that first batch that is completed.… Read full post

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Money, money, money

By on December 14, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

It’s time to talk dollars…you’ve worked hard to submit your admissions application.  Now it’s time to concentrate on your financial aid application.  There are two categories of financial aid: scholarships and loans. 

Scholarships are "free money" that you do not need to repay.  Some schools may require you to submit forms to be considered for scholarships; other will not.  Be sure to verify the process for every school to which you’re applying.  For many schools, you will not need to apply for scholarships.  Once you are accepted to that law school, the Admissions Committee automatically reviews your application for scholarship potential.  Generally, scholarships are merit based.  Scholarship amounts vary from school to school. 

I suggest that you research other scholarship avenues such as your church or synagogue, and organizations including the Hellenic Bar Association, the Justinian Society of Lawyers, the Hispanic Lawyers Association, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, and the American Bar Association, just to name a few.  Check out each school’s website as it may include a listing of other potential sources.  Search online for foundations that may provide scholarship support, as well as websites providing scholarship opportunities.  It will take effort on your part and will be worth it. 

Applying for loans is a much more intensive process.  I strongly recommend applying for financial aid right after the first of the year.  Do not, and I repeat, do not wait to be accepted to a law school before applying for financial aid.  Your goal should be to complete your financial aid application before you’ve been accepted so that you will receive a financial aid award letter before your first deposit is required.  If you wait to apply for financial aid, you may need to place your first deposit without knowing your financial aid status. 

The first step is to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, to the U.S.… Read full post

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Full-time, part-time or both?

By on December 2, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

The application asks for you to indicate for which division you wish to apply: full time or part time (for those schools that offer part time).  For the majority of the applications, you are allowed only to check one or the other.  But some schools allow you to check both.

I’ve learned from working with my clients that most of you prefer the full-time program.  However, I’ve always considered it my job to make you aware of all of your options, and I leave it up to you to make the best decision that meets your interests.

If a school permits you to apply to both divisions, I encourage you to do so.  Why not increase your chances of being accepted?  Generally – and you’ll wish to verify this with the Admissions Office – after you complete your first year of law school, as long as you are not on probation, you should be able to switch divisions.  You can finish your degree as a full-time student, but be aware that there is a sequence of classes that you’ll need to fulfill with your original part-time cohort.  It also may take you an additional semester to graduate, but be sure to verify this with the Registrar’s Office.… Read full post

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Why you should wait to apply to law school

By on November 16, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

This entry is for December test takers:

I know I don’t need to tell you that the December 5th LSAT administration is only 2½ weeks away.  But I would advise you to consider holding off on working on your law school applications to concentrate on last-minute test preparation.

A number of my clients are using the December LSAT as an opportunity to increase a previous score.  As I mentioned in an early post, the difference between acceptance and rejection can come down to many things – including a one-point difference on the LSAT.

I understand that you are under pressure to meet work deadlines, prepare for exams or write final papers.  That’s why I suggest putting aside your applications right now.  I want you to do well on the LSAT; it’s more important and beneficial than getting your application in by December 1st.… Read full post

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Decisions…Decisions…Decisions

By on November 11, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

As I’ve mentioned in earlier entries, the Admissions Committee takes into consideration every element when reviewing your application: LSAT, undergraduate and graduate GPA and transcripts, letters of recommendation, resume, work experience, life experience, personal statement and addendum (should you have needed to write one). 

I tell my clients right up front that I cannot and will not guarantee that they will be accepted to a specific law school, nor will I guarantee that they won’t be accepted to a specific school.  I do not have the advantage of serving on the Admissions Committee and being able to read your application along with the other thousands that have been received for the upcoming year. 

In researching law schools, you noticed that each school indicates a range of LSAT scores and a range of GPAs for accepted students.  This range covers the 25th – 75th percentiles, which means the school also accepts above the range and below the range:

  • Should your LSAT and GPA fall way above both ranges, I’d say that you have a very, very strong chance of being accepted.  As your consultant, I would not guarantee your acceptance because maybe there is something else going on in your application that I’m not aware of, something you haven’t shared with me.  However, the odds are very much in your favor.

    • … Read full post

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