The Law Log

Making a Visit Soon...

2009-12-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

The great thing about applying and getting in early decision (besides the obvious relief and feeling superior to my classmates... kidding... kind of) is being able to figure out where exactly I'm going to live next year WAY in advance.

I'm definitely the type of girl who likes a solid home, a foundation where I can relax at the end of the day and feel safe. I'm not a globetrotter or an army brat by nature and although one day I'd love to travel, right now I'm just looking for a warm place to lay my head. In just about a week I'm making a trip with my long term boyfriend to go check out my future school. I visited once when I was in high school and looking for undergraduate colleges, but don't remember the law school or surrounding area very well. We're both really excited to explore the local area where I'm sure we'll make many happy memories together in the future. Well, when he comes to visit. The downside of going to law school in a different state than your undergraduate school is that you leave a lot of people behind. My boyfriend has a full time job in his home state, but we'll work as we can to get by the next three years.

I'm mostly going down however, to check out apartments. I'm REALLY excited about the rent costs for apartments in my new location, which are extraordinarily cheap compared to the area I'm in now. What could be better than a two bedroom, bath, kitchen, living and dining room place for $350-400 a month?! Up here that would cost you upwards of $900. Score! But the best places go early and I intend on handing in applications for apartments starting January 1 and be ahead of the game as much as possible.

So excited!

Really Nice Letters

2009-11-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

I came home this weekend to find some really nice packages from Michigan and USC. Michigan's included a fee waiver and one of the nicest accompanying letters I've yet to read. It was along the lines of the we think you're an ideal candidate, but even longer and nicer. At some point it actually said, all you have to do is fill out the application and we can pretty much guarantee you a spot. Pretty awesome!

Michigan was among my top choices, but it's distance from home - both from friends and family was a concern. 10-12 hours is just too much. Although they really made my weekend!

My response to Harvard's invitation

2009-11-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Harvard Law School Admissions Staff,

Every year applicants such as myself apply to many excellent law schools such as yours. Unfortunately, I cannot attend every fine institution that I applied to, and I regret to inform you that you have not been selected for my Fall 2010 academic year. Thank you for considering me as an applicant, and best wishes for all of your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

(Me)

Invitation to Apply to Harvard

2009-11-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

I got this cute email yesterday in my inbox. What made me even happier than being invited to apply to Harvard (and then probably rejected) was that I've already been accepted to a great top school!

Dear Prospective Applicant:

The Law School Admissions Council has informed me that you may be considering law school this year. I invite you to take a closer look at HLS and the unparalleled opportunities that are available in our legal metropolis.

Harvard Law School is a dynamic, vibrant, and energetic place to study the law. HLS is home to the world?s most intellectually interesting and diverse law faculty, leading an incredible array of courses, seminars, and reading groups, which cover every major substantive area of legal study. Our size is our greatest strength. For example, Harvard Law School offers over 300 courses (150 with enrollments of fewer than 25 students), 30 in-house clinics, and over 90 student organizations ranging from the Scales of Justice (our a cappella group) to journals like the Environmental Law Review.

In addition, Harvard?s focus on public service and international legal studies means that our students are part of the world and having an impact on its many communities.

Admission remains highly competitive at Harvard Law School, but each application receives individual consideration by our team of faculty members and admissions officers. We believe that a student body with a wide range of experiences, interests, and backgrounds helps to create the best teaching and learning environment imaginable. While this message in no way ensures your admission, we encourage you to apply. Every year, we end up admitting students who never thought they had a chance at getting into Harvard.

Please visit Harvard Law School online at www.law.harvard.edu to explore the extensive resources and opportunities available to J.D. students, or follow the links below for more information on specific topics that interest you.

Sincerely,
Josh Rubenstein
Assistant Dean for Admissions

ACCEPTED!

2009-10-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've been ACCEPTED!

I'm extremely happy to announce that I'm going to law school! I applied early decision earlier this week to my top choice school, and received a call from the Dean of Admissions yesterday afternoon. Great timing =)

It seriously made my whole day though, and the conversation with the Dean was really nice, a very thoughtful personal touch. When I answered he asked for me by one of my extracurricular positions and then told me it was impressive, commented on how he liked my personal statement and turned that into a joke that led him to telling me I was accepted. It was seriously everything an applicant could dream to hear - haha, I'm sure they do that on purpose.

I'm so glad that my cycle is over. It was short and probably somewhat abnormal (okay, pretty abnormal.) But I knew 100% where I wanted to go and was certain that if I got in, I would go no matter what other schools I got into. I'm also relieved to be a first semester senior who actually knows what I'll be doing after graduation, so while everyone else is going to have to deal with the frustrating "What are your plans after this?" questions, I'll actually be able to answer them.

I'm hoping to keep this blog updated at least somewhat until I head to school next fall. Honestly I expected a lot more time to write, but I'm thrilled at the way it worked out. I'll definitely blog about admitted student's days, finding housing, etc. but it won't be as often as if I was going through the whole lengthy process.

Wait and see...

2009-10-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I went to visit a few of the schools that I was interested in applying in that were close to where I go to school. I was trying to make a decision on whether or not to apply Early Decision and I'm really glad I made the visits. I was less than impressed by a couple of the schools that I thought would blow me away. I'm really excited to say that on Monday I submitted one of my applications Early Decision. I'm still waiting on confirmation via their website that they've recieved all of my materials, but we'll see how it goes. If I do get in, I'll be incredibly excited and relieved to know where I'm going already by Thanksgiving.

If I don't get in Early Decision and I'm waitlisted, deferred or rejected - we'll I've already submitted a couple other applications early to be ahead of the curve just in case, and I'll send out the rest as soon as I know. I have a wonderful "back up" in mind that probably would have been up there with my first choice except for the price tag associated with it. Haha.

Here's hoping, knock on wood, wish me luck & all that jazz. I hope to update AS SOON as I find out.

Application Time!

2009-10-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

And the scores are out!

Scores for the Sept. 2009 LSAT arrived early, last Friday night. Unfortunately for me, mine didn't come through until 10:55 PM! It was a very long, worried night. The good news is I'm very pleased with my score, and very relieved that I definitely will not be retaking the test!

My scores qualify me for some great schools I was looking at before, but my personality and needs are definitely trimming down my list.

I last left my list at:

Harvard University (2) - Still planning on throwing out a "here's hoping" application here
Columbia University (4) - Decided against living in the Big City for a number of reasons, including atmosphere, nervousness, quality of life and expense
UPenn (8) - May be applying. But again, I'm finding myself more drawn to the rural schools.
Michigan (9) -Considering, but also considering it's 9 hours away from my boyfriend and 12+ hours away from my family
Duke (10) -With a fee waiver, there's really no reason not to apply!
University of Virginia (10) - So far, my first choice.
Cornell (13)- Definitely applying, fits the rural school, t14, family there criterias
Georgetown University (14) - Also definitely applying considering the proximity of family, although it's city location pushes it further down on my list
Boston University (20) - Applying as a safety school
George Washington (28) - Applying as a safety school
University of North Carolina (29) - No longer applying to
Maryland University (43) - Applying as a safety school
Rutgers Camden (77) - No longer applying to

Which leaves my new list as:

University of Virginia
Harvard (yeahhhh, right.)
Michigan
Duke
Cornell
Georgetown
UPenn
Boston University
George Washington
University of Maryland
William & Mary

Hopefully after this weekend, I'll be able to make a final decision on whether to take the Early Decision plunge. I've been carefully weighing the pros and cons, and trying to balance out my nervousness (needing to know where I'm going to be next year) versus the possibility of reciving scholarship money elsewhere. Until then, I'm working carefully on my personal statement, finishing up the final touches on my resume, admiring my LORs and completed applications sitting and waiting to be sent on LSAC.

The Cookie Cutter Personal Statement

2009-10-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

So the LSAT is over, I get my scores in ~2-3 days, and most of my applications are done and ready to go. Well... as soon as I submit my personal statement. I seem to be the only one that's really struggling with this. It's not that I don't have lots of great things to write about, its just that the advice on what to focus on and how to craft it all seems to contradict each other.

It seems like every prospective law school student and their brother is on top-law-schools.com (TLS), which granted, gives lots of great advice sometimes, but isn't exactly a forum of experts. I've really appreciated being able to pop over there and see where other people stand on things and if I'm ahead of or behind the game (seems I'm right about on track.) But, sometimes it's just too confusing.

Take the personal statement for example. All of the advice on TLS suggests the same formula: Start with an attention grabber descriptive sentence of a unique/funny/crazy/dramatic situation and/or experience. Describe the situation, describe how it impacts you, describe using various vague metaphors and "concrete" examples why this makes you the ideal law school candidate.

Well. That sounds great, except for this article from Berkley admissions. A past faculty admissions committee member comments very plainly,

It is very clear that many applicants have been coached by someone that this is how to write a compelling personal statement...This format is transparently anipulative, formulaic, and coached. Except for the occasional novelist we admit, none of our students or graduates is going to write in this style again; none, thank goodness, is going to begin a brief with, “He stood frozen in fear as the gunman appeared out of the darkness.” So, this artifice is irrelevant to law and counter-productive: Once it ceases to surprise – and it did so more than 10 years ago – it just becomes a cliché which really ought to be held against the writer. Not only using clichés, but also having been coached ought in an ideal world to discount an application. Needless to say, however, I did not hold these statements against the writers; you don’t feel you should do that. Often the bulk of the statement does report on impressive activities that are relevant to admission. [I]t is transparent when essay formulas have been coached, and we (should) strongly advise applicants to write in their own voice and style and without trying to dramatize what they have to say in order to attract our attention."

Hmmm. That changes everything! Well not really. It leaves me right back to where I started: with an infinite number ideas, a bunch of advice on what not to do, but no real understanding of what exactly it is that the law schools are explicitly looking for.

I guess it's back to the drawing board.

Educational Environment

2009-10-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

As the release date for the September LSAT scores creeps steadily closer, I've been thinking carefully about what kind of school environment it is that I'm looking for. Although my LSAT score will itself determine much of the range of schools I'll be applying to I've also been trying to consider what schools I'd really want to attend if I was admitted.

After spending four years in a mostly urban environment, I'm beginning to wonder if a break for three years somewhere more rural would be nice. There are a lot of pros and cons to both sides including....

Urban Environment

Pros:

Close to friends/families who live in and/or around the major cities on the East Coast
Good job placement in major cities where most top firms are located
Great opportunities for summer employment
Probably more opportunities in general for employment of all kinds
Better food
More entertainment options (!!)
Public transportation to and from other points of interest (i.e. home, undergraduate school)
Faster paced atmosphere, tapped into the pulse of the city

Cons:

Outrageous cost of living (COL) on top of outrageous tuition prices (x 1,000)
Why are all city campus schools so ugly?
Hectic/competitive pace of life 24/7
Food and entertainment present expensive temptations
Public transportation presents expensive tempting jaunts to and from various locations
No cohesive campus feeling, thus students are more distant
Almost all of the top schools are in city locations, which means there is little opportunity for scholarships because of high demand.

Rural Environment

Pros:

Calmer pace of life, more relaxation
Able to focus on getting through law school, studying etc.
Pace of life is simpler, slower, there is less competition among students
Some of the most beautiful campuses are located in rural regions, have a true campus feel
Cost of living is significantly cheaper than the cities - could make up for some of the loans I might be taking out
More opportunities for scholarship money to lure students to a rural area

Cons:

Farther away from major metropolitan areas and therefore, many employment opportunities
Limited in entertainment/food/public transportation options
Reliant on a car that I may or may not have upon graduation (considering current debts: unlikely)
MUCH further away from home, family and friends who are in the major cities
Tougher placement in the urban job markets targeted by top urban schools

Application Fee Waivers

2009-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Now that the LSAT is out, the fee waivers are coming in...

2010 Application Cycle Fee Waivers:

- University of Iowa (9/14)
- Washington & Lee (9/25)
- University of South Carolina (10/19)
- University of Virginia (10/19)
- Duke (10/19)
- Baylor (10/19)
- St. John's University (10/20)
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities (10/20)
- University of Tulsa (10/20)
- Temple Law (10/21)
- UCLA (10/21)
- Washburn Law (10/22)
- Regent Law (10/22)

- Liberty Law (10/22)
- Florida State College of Law (10/22)
- University of St. Thomas School of Law (10/23)
- Valparaiso Law (10/23)
- Cardozo School of Law (10/23)

- Michigan Law (11/6)

- University of Southern California (11/6)

- Cornell Law (11/6)

- Georgia State (11/23)

- Miami Law (11/23)

- Mercer Law (11/10)

- Case Western Law (11/10)

Done with the September LSAT!!

2009-09-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

So I took and finished (that alone is an accomplishment) the LSAT today! I'm so relieved that it's over, but I've been in such a daze since I left the testing center.

For the week up to the test, I did a lot of PTs up until Thursday, then I drilled some on Thursday, and took the rest of the night off. Yesterday I tried to distract myself as much as possible, mostly by eating food and catching up on TV series I had been missing out on. Tried to head to bed around 10, but of course, couldn't sleep. Fitful night, of short bouts of sleep combined with nightmares and up for the early morning.

By the time I got to my test center though I was feeling much better, ready to kick some LSAT butt. But first, it decided to kick mine. I think the part I struggled on is the experimental section (in the first half, two sections of a topic that is only supposed to have one section) but I guess we will see in October.

For now, I'm coming up with various back up plans in case my LSAT is not as good as I've been practicing and hoping for the best. I'm very relieved it's over and I don't think I will be retaking again in December, even if my score is lower than I hoped. I have some schools ranked lower that I really would love to go to, and I'm not looking to work for Big Law. A decent LSAT combined with a my good GPA should be fine.

I am proud that I spent as much time studying as I did, I really did give it my all - my very best, so I can rest easy knowing that at least. And now, it's off to get some sleep!

Final PrepTest Countdown

2009-09-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

September 15 - 11 days remaining

PrepTest #3o December 1999

Section 1 (LG) = 20/23 (-3)

Section 2 (LR) = 24/26 (-2)

Section 3 (CR) = 22/27 (-5)

Section 4 (LR) = 22/25 (-3)

Raw = 88

Score = 171

Countdown to LSAT: 20 Days

2009-09-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the days have gone since the school semester has started. I'm trying very hard to keep to a regular studying schedule since there are only 20 days left until the Sept. 26th LSAT. I'm nervous, but at this point, I am so ready to take this test, do my best, and move on with my applications.

Law School Process Checklist:

X - Transcripts (sent and recieved)

1/3 - Letters of Recommendation (sent & recieved)

- LSAT

- Personal Statement

- Applications

- Payment for Applications

Back on Campus

2009-08-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

So with all of the chaos of moving back on campus, settling into a new house, unpacking, getting schedules and textbooks and all of the fun of a new semester, it seems like the LSAT has fallen to the back burner. Although making money is important to be able to pay for law school, I still have to get there first.

So it's my hope to get back to the grind tomorrow. I've set up a study group with some of my close friends who I know I study well with. There is one girl who has only just started studying, but I think working with her will actually help me. She's asked me to go over some basic concepts with her and work through some example problems, and I think being able to teach a concept means you have a thorough understanding of what it means. This way, I'll be able to identify my strengths and weaknesses and hopefully find out what exactly I should be focusing on.

It's just about a month until the test, it's time to perfect my studying techniques...

Out of State rant

2009-08-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Being out of state is making this application process more difficult than necessary. Not "I should just move to school" difficult, but annoying, I have better things to be doing difficult.

First, trying to get the LSAC transcript sheet to my university's transcript office since they won't let me go to the building to hand it over. All of our transcript mailing is done via electronic request, so this is particularly confusing. Add on top of it a fax number that doesn't appear to be working, and you have total confusion and annoying difficulty.

Two, correspondence to and from my recommenders is approaching a high school level of juvenile with all of the unnecessary one or two line emails. Plus the extra hassle of printing, rescanning and emailing back the LSAC cover sheets? Just annoying.

Granted, I understand it could be way worse, and thankfully I will be back at school by the time the September LSAT rolls around and able to take that in the comfort of a classroom I know well. But still - it seems to be just slowing me down.

Application Process Fears

2009-08-11T18:52:00.001-07:00

I've found myself unable to fall asleep easily for the last couple of days. Why? I blame TLS because all of my obsession pre-preparation for the application process and the LSAT has me in super-anxious mode. I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat after a dream about getting a 160 LSAT. (Kidding - but it wouldn't be shocking if it did happen.)

My Fears:

"Bombing" the LSAT in September - I still haven't defined what bombing the LSAT would entail (165? 167?) but I'm afraid that my LSAT won't live up to all the hard work and preparation I've done for it or reflect my actual abilities (see: my GPA)
Handing in applications too late - With all this talk about making sure that applications get mailed in time, I'm getting nervous that even by taking the September LSAT, I'm behind the 8 ball on timing, and it will somehow negatively impact my cycle.
Being waitlisted... everywhere - I am not a patient person and yet, I'm always rediculously optmistic which means waitlists would be hell for me. I would hate not knowing and waiting, but I would have a hard time removing myself from the list
Missing out on my senior year - I'm also worried that all this studying for the LSAT, writing essays, freaking out about admissions is going to make me miss out on some of the best times senior year has in store. I'm sure I'll be there for most things (at least after the LSAT), but if my mind is somewhere else, how much can I enjoy it?
Getting my hopes up - Everyone is afraid of rejection, I would just rather know not to bother than hope I might have a chance. I hate getting hopeful about something, only to have my dreams dashed.
Letter of recommendation disaster - These, unfortunately, seem to be pretty common. A recommender doesn't do something right and it doesn't get processed by the LSAC right, etc. Basically throwing you back to square one, and back to fear #2.
Getting in somewhere I can't afford - I can hope and pray for scholarships, but at the end of the day being forced to make a decision to give up a school I really want to attend in exchange for less debt after graduation would be a really difficult situation and not one I'm looking forward to. (If I'm even so lucky as to get a scholarship!)

Chances of Acceptance?

2009-08-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Part of my main strategy for deciding where to apply come fall is to figure out what my chances are of getting into certain schools. There are a number of sites that are incredibly helpful...

First, I browsed Law School Numbers for a while, but it quickly became clear that you could spend all day on there wondering what one applicant had over another that isn't mentioned. Why did the 3.7 GPA, 173 LSAT get chosen over the 3.6 GPA, 175 LSAT? Although LSN is a great resource, individual browsing wasn't helping me fight my anxiety about applications much.

Luckily, some very nice person from Top Law Schools created a website that automatically compiles and averages all of the people and data from LSN into a database where you can enter your LSAC GPA and LSAT score and it calculates your chance of acceptance at certain schools. The Law School Predictor is an increadible resource. It also allows you to designate if you are an Under Represented Minority (URM) or if you are appling Early Decision (ED) to any of the schools on the list. Of course, without an official LSAT score - this is all an estimation, but so far here's what happened when I plugged in my numbers.

GPA: 3.92 (confirmed)

LSAT:

169 (first row, conservative prediction)
172 (average prediction)
174 (second row, optimistic prediction)

	169	172	174
Yale	Weak Consider/35%	Consider/48%	Consider/57%
Harvard	Weak Consider/34%	Consider/51%	Consider/62%
Stanford	Consider/54%	Strong Consider/72%	Admit/85%
Columbia	Consider/45%	Strong Consider/64%	Admit/77%
NYU	Consider/55%	Admit/74%	Admit/87%
Berkley	Strong Consider/71%	Admit/83%	Admit/92%
Chicago	Consider/61%	Admit/81%	Admit/>95%
UPenn	Strong Consider/69%	Admit/82%	Admit/91%
Michigan	Strong Consider/75%	Admit/>95%	Admit/>95%
Duke	Strong Consider/74%	Admit/>91%	Admit/>95%
UVA	Strong Consider/66%	Admit/83%	Admit/93%
Cornell	Admit/86%	Admit/>95%	Admit/>95%
Georgetown	Admit/77%	Admit/>95%	Admit/>95%

And just in case you were wondering...

For Yale, it would take a 176 to get a Strong Consider/66% and a 178 to get an Admit/78%

For Harvard, it would take a 175 to get a Strong Consider/67% and a 177 to get an Admit/78%

LSAT PrepTest Scores (11-20)

2009-08-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

My first set of 10 practice tests (except #1 the diagnostic) were after reading the Logic Games Bible. This set of 10 (except #11) will be during and after reading the Logical Reasoning Bible. Lets see if it helps.

Average score goal for this set of 10 practice tests = 173.5

Goal for September 26, 2009 = 180!

Practice Test 11: Raw 92, 173

Taken July 31 - Timed (except LG section)
PrepTest #25 June 1998
Section 1: 25/26 (-1)
Section 2: 22/25 (-3)
Section 3: 23/25 (-2)
Section 4: 22/26 (-4)
10 wrong

Practice Test 12: Raw 87, 170

Taken Aug 4. - Timed
PrepTest# 26 - September 1998
Section 1 LG: 22/24
Section 2 LR: 21/25
Section 3 LR: 22/25
Section 4 RC: 22/27
LG (-2), LR1 (-4), LR2 (-3), RC (-5) = 14 wrong

Practice Test 13: Raw 90, 173

Taken Aug. 7 - Timed
SuperPrep C
Section 1 LG: 20/24
Section 2 LR: 21/24
Section 3 LR: 24/26
Section 4 RC: 25/27
LG (-4), LR (-3), LR (-2), RC (-2) = 11 wrong

Practice Test 14: Raw 91, 174

Taken Aug. 8 - Timed
PrepTest #8
Section 1 LR: 23/25
Section 2 LG: 20/24
Section 3 RC: 25/27
Section 4 LR: 23/25
LG(-4), LR (-2), LR (-2), RC (-2) = 10 wrong

*Practice Test 15: Raw 93, 172

Taken Aug. 10 - Timeed
PrepTest #42
Section 1 LG: 20/23
Section 2 LR: 26/26
Section 3 RC: 23/26
Section 4 LR: 24/26
LG (-3), LR (-0), RC(-3), LR (-2) = 8 wrong
*There was a rough curve on this one compared to the others I've done, but I'm very proud to have finally gotten -0 on a section!

Practice Test 16: Raw 92, 173

Taken Aug. 11
PrepTest #29
Section 1 LR: 24/25
Section 2 RC: 23/27
Section 3 LG: 21/24
Section 4 LR: 24/25
LR (-1), RC (-4), LG (-3), LR (-1) = 9 wrong

Billable Hours

2009-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

For those of us still looking at getting into law school, the practical real world of law practice might seem somewhat foreign. I stumbled upon a great article by Yale Law School's career department that explains in layman's terms what a billable hour is, how they add up and how they affect the daily life of a lawyer.

Disclaimer: This is depressing if you're looking for a 9-5 job with no work to take home. Anyway, if that's what you're looking for, you're probably not looking to become a lawyer. Continue on.

Billable Hours Explanation

Possible Personal Statement Topics

2009-08-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Currently writing drafts for my personal statement and having a rough time choosing one. Possibilities include:

Coming from a family of teachers (not lawyers) and the similarity of education and law
Giving blood, now that I've given over a gallon
~~Working in education policy in DC~~ - On second thought, seems too boring

Ughh. The two ideas I have I really like so far. I'm just dissapointed that these are the most interesting things I can come up with about myself. I'm also really eager to write my personal statement on the society I'm involved in. Our membership isn't secret per say although we do keep our traditions under wraps and it's the highest honor a student can get at Rutgers, and effectively sums up who I am and how I've spent my last four years at UG.

But I can't help feel as if this is somehow selling out the society and all of the amazing things it stands for. It's meant to be kept quiet for a reason. However, that may truly be the most interesting thing about me.

Hopefully a Breakthrough

2009-07-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

I got my PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible in the mail a few days ago, and although I'm only 50 pages into it (53 to be exact) it's already earned the $50 I spent on it. When I first opened up the package and pulled the book out I just stared at it... it's even bigger than the logic games bible.

As it should be.

I've already learned much more with this book in the first 50 pages (out of 542) than I did in any of the other books I've read (Kaplan, Princeton Review.) It makes you wonder just how accurate a few paragraphs on question types and formal logic possibly could be when you realize just how much there is that can be covered in detail.

My big revelation so far? Inference does NOT mean assumption.

Before, I had been attacking each inference question by interpreting inference to mean implies, and implies therefore to mean assumes. Wow, huge mistake! Thanks to the PowerScore Bible however, I realize these are almost opposites since assumptions have to do with the premises of an argument and inferences with the conclusions.

Additionally, my grasp on the reasoning of arguments was shaky at best thanks to Kaplan. I'm really looking forward to getting a much better understanding with the bible. Just goes to show how important it is to have a firm grasp of the basics before going on to the more difficult questions. Here's hoping this will help me with those dreaded parallel reasoning questions. So just FYI, if anyone was wondering like I was a week ago if buying the logical reasoning bible is really worth the money, my opinion is YES.

Law School List - Second Draft

2009-07-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

I keep revising my list of law schools to apply to based off of where I'm scoring on my LSAT preptests. The schools with a * are ones I am going to be applying to early, definitely, before I get my score back. The schools with a ^ next to them are still up in the air.

Since my last list I've eliminated Ohio State and American, and added Harvard.

Harvard University (2)*
Columbia University (4)*
UPenn (8)*
Michigan (9)*
Duke (10)
University of Virginia (10)*
Cornell (13)*
Georgetown University (14)*
Boston University (20)^
George Washington (28)
University of North Carolina (29)^
Maryland University (43)*
Rutgers Camden (77)^

Ideally I'd like to get my list down to about 10 by the end of the summer, and hopefully to about 7 by the time I actually submit applications. Below are the pros and cons of the schools I'm thinking about removing from the final list (those marked with a ^)

DUKE UNIVERSITY:

Pros: Beautiful location, great ranking, strong programs, exchange system with Carolina Law

Cons: I would rather to go equal or lower ranked schools (UVA, Cornell Georgetown), it's one of the farthest away on my list, and my goal is to be closer for law school than I was for UG.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY:

Pros: Ranked decently, could possibly get some scholarship money if I perform outstandingly on the LSATs, Boston is a great city

Cons: Overshadowed by Harvard, again one thats farther away, and I hope that if I got into BU I'd also get into GW which I would prefer to attend anyway.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA:

Pros: Always wanted to go to UNC Chapel Hill for UG, great weather, great location, beautiful school, interclass system with Duke Law, could possibly get merit money

Cons: Far away, in the shadow of Duke law, also ranked very close to GW - I would imagine I would probably also get in there if I could get into UNC

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY:

Pros: Personal connections, close to many of my friends from UG, probably would recieve FULL tuition due to personal connections.

Cons: Two schools (which to apply to?), terrible locations (Newark, Camden), would have to deal with personal connections coming up over and over, limited room for growth, no pull in DC area.

First Timed PrepTest

2009-07-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

I took my first timed PrepTest today. I'm not going to lie, I had been extremely hesitant before to time myself. I didn't want to find out after all this time that I couldn't score above a 160 timed. But I shouldn't have been so concerned - it appears I do better under pressure!

The first section was a little nerve wrecking, I was constantly checking the time. The section section was a little easier, and so on. I definitely see why they recommend taking timed tests to be familiar with the restraints now. I'm going to try my best to continue the timed sections until I can get to a point where I can take entire timed exams. It's also reassuring to know that this isn't the cause of the mistakes I've been making - meaning it's time to get into the nitty gritty of my mistakes.

I'm missing between 1 and 3 points each section - something I desperately hope to improve just so I have more leeway when it comes to test day. Some of them are stupid mistakes that I hope I'll get better at catching as time goes on (like forgetting the EXCEPT in question) and missing the really tricky questions.

Top 8 Reasons to Go to Law School

2009-07-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

In my neverending quest for as much information and advice about law school as possible, I stumbled across this gem of an article called, "Top Reasons To Go To Law School." The article should really be titled, "Eight Questions to Ask Yourself Before Law School."

Do I want to be a lawyer?
Do I enjoy working very closely with people concerning issues affecting their lives or significant events?
Can I empathize with and understand a client's situation, yet have the acuity and ability to objectively analyze all of the issues and the client's consequences with regard to the existing law?
Do I enjoy teaching and educating a person about a subject about which he or she may be completely ignorant or have misconceptions?
Am I able to articulate my analysis of an issue or problem in a concise and clear manner to others, whether it be in writing or verbally?
Do I enjoy making a difference or being an advocate? Can I effectively argue both sides of a question or issue with enthusiasm?
Do I like extremely detailed work? Do I enjoy searching exhaustively for the facts of a situation?
Do I like to read, write and study?

All great things to consider. For a full explanation of the importance of each of those questions, read the original article. It definitely gave me something to think about, although I have to say every one of the answers to those questions was a strong, "Yes!" for me...

LSAT PrepTest Scores (1-10)

2009-07-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

As they say, practice makes perfect...

Practice Test 1: Raw 90, 171

Taken: June 16 - Untimed
PrepTest #20 - October 1996
Section 1: 22.25
Section 2: 23/26
Section 3: 19/24 - logic games
Section 4: 26/26

Practice Test 2: Raw 89, 167

Taken: June 17 - Untimed
PrepTest June 2007
Section 1: 23/23 - logic games
Section 2: 20/25
Section 3: 22/25
Section 4: 24/27

Practice Test 3: Raw 91, 174

Taken: June 19 - Untimed
PrepTest #7 - February 1993
Section 1: 24/25
Section 2: 21/24 - logic games
Section 3: 25/27
Section 4: 21/25

*Practice Test 4: Raw 86, 169

Taken: June 23 - Untimed
PrepTest #18 - December 1992
Section 1: 21/24 - logic games
Section 2: 21/24
Section 3: 25/28
Section 4: 19/25
Note: Found this PrepTest to be significantly more challenging, * - to return to later for further review

Practice Test 5: Raw 90, 172

Taken: July 8 - Untimed
PrepTest #21 - December 1996
Section 1: 22/25
Section 2: 23/25
Section 3: 20/25
Section 4: 25/27

Practice Test 6: Raw 90, 169

Taken: July 12 - Untimed
PrepTest A (SuperPrep) - February 1996
Section 1: 23/25
Section 2: 25/27
Section 3: 20/24
Section 4: 22/25

Practice Test 7: Raw 91, 173

Taken: July 14 - Untimed
PrepTest 16 - September 1995
Section 1: 24/24
Section 2: 21/24
Section 3: 22/26
Section 4: 24/27

Practice Test 8: Raw 91, 172

Taken: July 20 - Untimed
PrepTest 22 - June 1997
Section 1: 24/26
Section 2: 21/15
Section 3: 23/24
Section 4: 23/26

*Practice Test 9: Raw 87, 172

Taken: July 23 - Untimed
PrepTest 23 - October 1997
Section 1: 20/24
Section 2: 23/26
Section 3: 21/15
Section 4: 23/26
Note: I also found this PrepTest to be more difficult - although it was reflected in the scoring scale and in the fact that one question was left out of the scoring on during official administration.

Practice Test 10: Raw 91, 173

Taken: July 28 - Timed!
PrepTest 24 - December 1997
Section 1: 25/27
Section 2: 22/25
Section 3: 23/26
Section 4: 21/23

Average for first 10 PrepTests: 171.2

Goal for next set of 10 PrepTests: >173.5

Goal for September 26, 2009: 180!

Two Month Countdown.

2009-07-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today begins the official two month countdown to the September 2009 LSAT. Today begins the beginning of the end - where things start to really amp up. The late comers to the game start registering for the test, LSAT message boards start buzzing, and everyone is talking about how much they're doing and what they're going to do over the next two months to get that 180.

I've been studying for about two months now (wow!) and it's been a slow warm up - covering the basic strategies for each section, familiarizing myself completely with the style and format of the test, taking practice tests to keep the LSAT fresh in my mind. Now comes the real challenge - making the serious committement to improvement. More than just mindlessly answering questions, but taking the effort to learn as much as possible before September 26th.

For those of you following, I did end up going ahead and buying the PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible. I figure it can't hurt, and every expense is worth it to do as well as possible on the LSAT. I don't want to sell myself short at any point in the game. It should come in the mail mid-week next week, and I'll review it soon after that.

Next week also marks the end of my summer internship, and what a relief it is. Although I really enjoyed it and have learned so much, I've also resented the time it's taken away from studying. I think I've done a great job of balancing work and study, but I'm ready to devote myself 100% to the LSAT.

So here starts the countdown: 62 days...

Great Advice for 0Ls

2009-07-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

Found this link a couple weeks ago and bookmarked it for future review. Revisiting it, I found it just as insightful and unique as the last time I read it. [Read it here.] (Just wait for the ad in the beginning to finish, it will redirect you to the article.)

The article begins with the age old 0L letter of fear, "I know I'm a good student but, I don't know why I'm doing this, I'm only doing it because my dad was a lawyer, I'm only doing it because I need the money being a lawyer will bring, I'm afraid I'm going to lose all my friends and boyfriend." etc.

But instead of giving the ususal answer (re-evaluate... NOW!) it gives some really great advice that I haven't encountered anywhere else.

1. Figure out what your dream "lawyer" lifestyle is.

Imagine your happy life as a lawyer. In this happy life as a lawyer, what time do you get up in the morning?Where do you live? What kinds of clients do you have? Are they corporate downsizers? Are they painters or writers? Picture your sunny office filled with plants (or bare of plants, bright and steely); picture your desk, your walls and the photos on them, the light through the window. Write these things down on paper in the present tense, i.e., I am sitting in my office enjoying the view; I am walking to my office now through a leafy, bohemian neighborhood; I smell Indian food cooking and hear children's voices.

Stimulate your emotional connection to the idea of law school and to give you something to look forward to, something that makes it worth it.

2. Create a box of "Things that work... when nothing else does."

Start putting things into [the box] that you will need in times of crisis -- oils and scents, bubble bath, a photograph of someone who inspires you, a picture of you as a child, something earthy like a rock or pebble or piece of metal, poetry, a feather, mementos of good times, whatever works for you.
Write a letter from yourself today to the person who is in law school. Tell her whatever she may need to hear when times are tough and she feels like quitting. Tell her how great she will feel to have the money to pay off her student loans. Tell her whatever you think may reassure her during the tough times.
I know, it sounds silly. Allow yourself to be silly once in a while. It may help when things are harsh.
To read the rest of the original article follow the link above!

More Prep Materials?

2009-07-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

When I first started taking practice LSATs, I thought my strongest section was my Logical Reasoning. But after bringing up my analytical reasoning scores thanks to the PowerScore Logic Games Bible and getting back into the swing of reading heavy material, I've found that because it's two sections, it now accounts for the largest percentage of my mistakes.

I'm also getting grsutrated by what appears to be a distinct lack of continuous improvement on my test scores. My test scores are high, and that is great - but I am very dissapointed that they aren't improving after all of the work I've been putting into them.

These two observations bring me to the question I've been struggling with for a few days now.

Should I purchase the PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible?

The Logic Games Bible helped me out immensely, but some of the other materials I've bought have not been as helpful. Taking practice test after practice test clearly isn't doing me much good since I'm still not sure what I'm doing wrong or how to fix it in the Logical Reasoning area. With just about two months left to go, I'm wondering if I should risk the time wasted to go through an instructional book that I could spend taking practice tests, or splurge and risk the time to possibly gain a few points in the LR section.

Where I am now, even a 3 point difference would mean a huge jump for me, and would give me more confidence for testing day. I'm concerned that my score is going to drop on testing day so I would like to make sure I'm scoring as high as possible before that point. *sigh*

If only it wasn't so expensive...

The Dog Ate It

2009-07-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Does "my puppy ate my LSAT books" count in an addendum? - My golden retriever puppy doesn't like it much when I'm too focused on my books instead of playing with her.

Practical Evaluation

2009-07-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

I just realized I probably have about five or six PrepTest going right now at any various stage of completion, and while this has been helping me target various areas of weakness (ahem: parallel reasoning) it is not providing me with any kind of quantifiable results of that practice.

Time to get structured.

I tend to be a multi-tasker, starting this and that and coming back to finish them up later. I think it makes me more productive. Instead of only getting through 3 or 4 things, I manage to get them all finished in the same amount of time that it would take me if I did them linearly. Why? Because I stay refreshed and focuses. If I stay on one topic for too long I become bored and lose valuable time completing whatever task is at hand. Say, a research paper is due Monday - if I sit in front of the computer all weekend it won't get done as fast as if I write the paper, clean my apartment, go to work, make dinner and plan next week's meetings.

Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure how this stratgey applies to the LSAT and if it's useful at all. I already know it does not work for taking exams (can you imagine taking a break to go to the bathroom? or send an email? Nooo) but it does work for studying for them. But it might for the LSAT on both levels. First, studying in sections has been keeping me more motivated while I'm still in the learning phase. I admit: there is still much I don't understand about many of the questions and I hope that once I've adjusted to the learning curve, my score will increase. Taking exam after exam while you're learning is frustrating. You know you're doing something wrong, but you don't know what is is, or you don't know why you're doing it wrong. I need time to stop and correct my mistakes so I don't keep making the same ones.

It's like just like a sport, which the LSAT is compared to so frequently. You don't throw little kids into a game of baseball without first teaching them the rules (the format of the LSAT), showing them how to swing a bat (strategies for how to complete it), and encouraging teamwork which the game relies on (working on time-management, you can have the skills, but without teamwork/time management, you can't maximize them.)

Elaborate example, yes.
Selfishly justifying my lack of completed practice tests, maybe. (Okay, yes.)
True? I think so!

With a little patience, hopefully I'll start winning those metephorical (and logical) games soon.

My positive predicament

2009-07-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have found myself facing a very interesting dilemma. Before I go into too much detail I have to explain though, that I am very happy to be faced with this dilemma and I'm not complaining that I have to make these kinds of decisions - but regardless, it is one I have to figure out.

My resume is too long.

No really, way, way too long. And I don't know what to do about it. I can't even just LIST everything on one page, it simply won't fit. So I have been faced with the problem of trying to decide

a.) what needs to be cut out of it or
b.) if it's okay to have a two page resume

If I adequately described each of my internships and accomplishments (and we're just talking one or two bullet points here) I have a very stuffed two page resume. It looks cramped, and unorganized even with so much removed. How on earth can I get it down to one page? I've already done the following:

I cut out all information from more than three years ago (no freshmen year anymore, unless it was something that continued.)
I cut out any and all clubs/memberships I'm not on the executive board of.
I cut out 99% of the service work I do (20+ hours a week - poof gone!)
Removed all extraneous honor societies (there are too many other academic honors that needed to be mentioned)
Removed mentions of my research and various publications.

My current debate is whether or not to cut out internships. I have had plenty now - all of which have been interrelated, valuable but still different enough that they should be highlighted separately. But, there is no room. Period.

I wish we could just submit a CV - then it could be as long as we wanted! I always tend to think the more information, the better - but I am acutely aware that not everyone does. I'm also sensitive to the format of my resume, both of my parents have difficulties reading small, cramped fonts and I would imagine, so do many of the admissions counselors out there - even I don't think it's enjoyable, although I can do it fairly easily.

I'm making an appointment to see our Career Services dean who is soley responsible for tweaking resumes. I've already seen him once and we sat in his office for about two hours trying to figure it out the first time around... Oh boy. Wish me luck!

LSAT July Progress

2009-07-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't been doing a very good job of tracking my LSAT studying progress have I? Well, the good news is, I've been focusing on the things that really matter - like the actual studying, researching law schools and beginning to draft my personal statement and various essays. I know when I get back to school in September, that I'm likely to let the details slip through the cracks and the last thing I want is to end up with some other school's name on a different school's application. So I'm trying to balance everything: applications, LSAT studying, essay writing and generally getting myself prepared for the back to school rush.

I have less than a month left of my summer internship, which is great news! However I'm starting yet another one August 11th - which has been a blessing and a curse. I'm really looking forward to the internship, which will only be three days a week for less hours a day. Right now I'm working 8-5 plus an almost two hour commute - you do the math. So I can't help but still think about all those hours I'll be missing that I could potentially be studying. As much as I want to, I keep telling myself I can't give up my whole life to study for the LSAT. (No. Really, I can't.)

For two mornings in a row now, though, I've been sitting behind a woman studying the LSAT on the Metro (just like me!) I can't help but wonder...

How old are you? Where do you work?
Why do you want to go to law school?
How long have you been studying?
What score are you averaging?
Where are you looking at going to law school?

Right now, other people are my greatest motivators. I know I should be motivated by doing the best I can and reaching my own greatest potential. Maybe New Jersey in me has gotten the best of me - I can't help but think of the LSAT and law school admissions as a numbers game. I have great numbers so far - I just need to keep it up which puts immense pressure on the most important number of them all: the 120-180 score.

Anyways. It's back to studying and practicing for me. The novelty has worn off, but the panic has set it. It is time to buckle down and focus.

Law School List - First Draft

2009-07-01T06:42:00.001-07:00

So far, these are the 15 law schools I'm considering applying to (in order by rank, not preference):

Columbia Law (4)
University of Pennsylvania (8)
Michigan University (9)
Duke Law (10)
Univerersity of Virginia (10)
Cornell University (13)
Georgetown Law Center(14)
Boston University Law(20)
George Washington Law(28)
University of North Carolina (29)
Ohio State - Mortiz Law (35)
American University (45)
Penn State - Dickinson Law (65)
Rutgers University- Camden Law (77)

Some of these are definitely going to change. I'm very uncertain about Ohio State, Penn State and American. Depending on my LSAT scores, I may add some more top level schools and drop expensive, lower level schools instead.

Another big question that I've been dealing with lately is the decision on how many schools to apply to. From most people, I've heard it tends to be a lot (15+ range) or very few (3-ish) but rarely have I heard anything in between. Hoenstly, I don't think I could apply to 15 since that would basically strip my bank account of my entire summer savings. I'm not sure yet how much, if any my parents would be willing to help pay for. I'm not sure it's really fair to ask them, considering they're helping me out the best they can as co-signers on my undergraduate loans as it is, and I'm probably going to need their help a little farther down the line when I start taking out money to actually attend law school.

My chances at these schools really depends on what I get on my LSAT score. I have a nearly perfect GPA (very, very nearly perfect) and a stunning resume. I have a passion and am able to clearly show that passion through my work history and the thigns I have become intimately involved in throughout my undergraduate career. This puts a lot of pressure on the LSAT, because it just may be the only thing standing between me and my dream school...

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 2

2009-06-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

1:00-300pm
LSAT PowerScore Logic Games Bible
Grouping Games

Total Hours: 2

Don't you hate it when you have your evening planned out, and then suddenly life gets in the way and instead of studying you have to drop your brother off/walk the dog/clean the bathroom?

Ah life, if I didn't have one, I'd definitely get a 180 on my LSAT.

LSAT Log: Week 3, Day 1

2009-06-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

I am definitely starting to feel the "LSAT burn" if you will. Although I've only been officially recording my LSAT studying for two weeks, I've been studying for much longer than that - since about spring break. While I first enjoyed the intensive review, the wear and tear of a daily schedule is beginning to get me down.

I'm trying to remain organized and motivated without completely wearing myself out. I'm finding myself making more stupid mistakes like not reading carefully enough, or missing the "EXCEPT" in a question. When I first heard of people doing these things, I laughed and thought they would never happen to me. They are. So whenever I'm getting tired or burnt out, I am trying to give myself some rest time as well. Not just less time studying, but studying at different times, in different areas. Sunday night I actually had to force myself to stop studying. I was getting very frustrated, and finally realized that I was getting no where. Time to stop and regroup.

I'm taking today as a refresher. I finished the Advanced Linear Games chapter yesterday, and tomorrow I'll start grouping games. I'm at a good place to take a breather, and honestly I think without one I would burn out. I don't want to get lazy - but frustration is only going to make me hate the LSAT, something I haven't really felt yet.

Also, all of the June scores are out - I'm nervous to see how people did, and if they're re-taking the LSAT in September with me. I'm also worried about what I'll do if I don't do as well as I would like to in September, should I take it in December? I'll have to wait and see I think...

Week 2 Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-06-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

WEEK 2 Weekend Wrap-Up:

Week Total: 27 hours
Average Day Total: 3.8 hours
PrepTests Taken: None
Average PrepTest Score: N/A

Strengths: Powering through PowerScore's LSAT Logic Games Bible, being diligent in practicing set ups and learning the basics (not so easy when you just want a score), being fast and accurate on drills, converting notes from textbook

Weaknesses: Starting to feel bored, loosing concentration faster, making more stupid mistakes and/or not reading carefully enough

Goals for this week: (Accomplished? Y= yes, N=no)

N - 5 untimed PrepTests
N - At least 1 timed PrepTest
Y - Begin review of the PowerScore Logic Games Bible and SuperPrep
Y - Review Kaplan explanations of PrepTest #7
Y - Increase the average of hours studied each day to ~4
Y(!!) - Return to regularly scheduled evening workout (!!!)
N - Post version of, and prepare to begin, personalized/intensified version of LSATBlog's 3 month study schedule
(Y/N) Take full advantage of long weekend hours

Goals for this week:

Finished PowerScore Logic Games Bible
Complete basic linear and advanced linear questions in PrepTests 19-29
Keep the regularly scheduled evening workout
Post personalized study schedule
Use Friday during the day (off for the 4th) for intensive study
Enjoy the 4th of July

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 7

2009-06-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

3:30pm-8:30pm
PowerScore LSAT Games Bible
Chapter 3 - Advanced linear games
Began linear questions in prep tests 19-29

Total Hours: 5

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 6

2009-06-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

3:00pm-5:00pm
PowerScore LSAT Bible

Total Hours: 2

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 5

2009-06-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

2:00pm - 5:00pm
PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible

Total Hours: 2.5

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 4

2009-06-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

2:30pm - 5:00pm
7:30pm - 9:30pm
PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible
Chapter 2 - Linear Games (pg. up to 98)
Drill sets: diagramming, sufficient/necessary, logic characteristics
First set of games

Total Hours: 4.5

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 3

2009-06-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

2:30pm - 5:00pm
7:00pm - 9:00pm
PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible
Chapter 1: The Basics of Logic Games
Transferred notes to iPod for travel study
Chapter 2: Linear Games (up to pg. 25)

Total Hours: 4.5

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 2

2009-06-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

1:00pm - 4:00pm
TestPrep #18, December 1992
Completed Section 2: 21/25
Completed Section 3: 25/28
Completed Section 4: 19/25
7:00pm - 9:30pm
LSAT Super Prep
Raw Score 86 = 169

Total Hours: 5.5

I found this PrepTest difficult in particular, I'm not sure if it was because of the uniqueness of the logic games questions or my drain at the end of the day, but it was significantly more challenging than the other exam I have taken. I hope to return to it to either re-take it or study it carefully later in the summer. I'm sure there is a lot more I can learn from this test than from the ones I've had relatively little trouble with. Still, struggling through a test is bad on the morale. Trying hard to stay positive and stick to an intensive schedule...

LSAT Log: Week 2, Day 1

2009-06-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

1:00-2:00pm, 7:00-9:00pm
PrepTest # 18, December 1992
Section 1: 21/24 (LG)
Kaplan Comprehensive Program
Writing Sample overview and 1 practice essay

Total Hours: 3

Week 1 Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-06-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

WEEK 1 Weekend Wrap-Up:

Week Total: 25.5 hours
Average Day Total: 3.18 hours
PrepTests Taken: 3, untimed
Average PrepTest Score: 170.6

Strengths: Reading comprehension main points, linear logic games, managing PrepTests during work hours to gain precious studying time, strengthen/weaken reasoning questions, paradox questions, finding free resources, basic law school research and organization for the application process

Weaknesses: Parallel reasoning questions, grouping logic games, finding time to study after work hours, balancing work, studying and life equally (I tend to devote a day to each, but never mix them around), neglecting my workouts/eating healthy while studying

Goals for next week:

5 untimed PrepTests
At least 1 timed PrepTest
Begin review of the PowerScore Logic Games Bible and SuperPrep
Review Kaplan explanations of PrepTest #7
Increase the average of hours studied each day to ~4
Return to regularly scheduled evening workout (!!!)
Post version of, and prepare to begin, personalized/intensified version of LSATBlog's 3 month study schedule
Take full advantage of long weekend hours

* Note: This week had 8 days because last Sunday was included, instead of giving it it's own week.

LSAT Log: Weekend 1, Day 8

2009-06-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing, break from studying.

Total Hours: 0

Sunday was spent in New Jersey with my boyfriend's family for Father's Day. It was important to him to get to see his dad for Father's Day, and if it's important to him, it's important to me. Although I didn't get any studying in (the ride home was spent sleeping instead), I am glad I went. As critical as the LSAT is, it's definitely not worth giving up the things that make me and the people around me happy. Still managing a 3 hour average for the week is great, and next weekend I'll be able to stay home and use the weekends as studying time.

It was also good to get some time to clear my head from LSAT thinking. I've already started over-analyzing TV commercials, much to my boyfriend's annoyance. Most recently, we saw an ad for tires that claimed that by replacing your tires with Brand X, you would save 2,600 miles of gas over the lifetime of the tires. I was immediately irked, the commercial assumed that the price of the tires would be less than 2,600 miles of gas (very likely, but implied, not stated) and that any number of circumstances would go correctly: you were in need of new tires, the lifetime of the is proportionate to the miles of gas saved, the tires come with no other downsides, the tires fit with the make of your car... etc.

A break was quite refreshing.

LSAT Log: Weekend 1, Day 7

2009-06-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Kaplan Comprehensive Program
Practice Test #2 = PrepTest #8
Section 1: 22/25
In the car, driving up to New Jersey

Total Hours: 1

LSAT Log: Week 1, Day 6

2009-06-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

1:00pm - 3:00pm
PrepTest #7 February 1993
Completed Section 3:25/27
Completed Section 4: 21/25
Raw 91 = 174

Total Hours: 2

LSAT Study Log - Week 1, Day 5

2009-06-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

1:00pm - 5:00pm
PrepTest #7 February 1993
Completed Section 1: 24/25
Completed Section 2: 21/24
Downloaded PrepTests: 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 (out of 10 Actual, Official)
Downloaded additional PrepTests: 19, 20, 21, 39 & 43 for easy printing
Bought the PowerScore Logic Games Bible, LSAC's SuperPre, and more PrepTests

Total Hours: 4

LSAT Study Log - Week 1, Day 4

2009-06-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

12:00pm - 4:45pm
PrepTest June 1997 - untimed
Completed Section 1: 23/23 - logic games
Completed Section 2: 20/25
Completed Section 3: 22/25
Completed Section 4: 24/27
Practice test 2: raw 89 = 167

Total Hours: 4.75

LSAT Study Log - Week 1, Day 3

2009-06-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

12:15pm - 4:15pm
Transferred common fallacies worksheet and logic games cheat sheet to iPod for review on the go (mostly on the Metro)
LSAT test #20 October 1996 - untimed
Completed Section 1: 22/25
Completed Section 2: 23/26
Completed Section 3: 19/24 - logic games
Completed Section 4: 26/26
Practice test #1: raw 90 = 171
Scanned and printed PrepTests #7 and 18 for travel study

Total Hours: 4

LSAT Study Log - Week 1, Day 2

2009-06-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

7:00pm - 9:15pm
Kaplan Comprehensive Program (book)
Finished logic games practice sets
Began comprehensive reading review
Printed out free LSAT PrepTests #20 (October 1996) and June 1997
Printed out common fallacies worksheet and logic games cheat sheets from LSATBlog

Total Hours: 2.25

LSAT Study Log - Week 1, Day 1

2009-06-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

10:30am - 6:00pm
Kaplan Comprehensive Program (book)
Finished logical reasoning overview
Completed logical reasoning practice sets
Finished logic games overview
About halfway through logic games practice sets

Total Hours: 7.5 hours

It's going to be a long journey...

2009-06-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hello!

My name is L, a soon to be senior at a top public university majoring in Political Science and Communication.

I am not one of those students who wanted to be a lawyer since they were five. Nor am I one of those students who is applying to law school because a. they don't want to graduate just yet, b. want to appear smarter than their friends or c. isn't sure what they want to do and law sounds appealing (read: lucrative.) Rather, I've found myself pursuing law for a fairly specific reason, likely to change. But it has given me a direction and the motivation to take on the next year of test prep, applications and waiting, headfirst.

After working in Washington D.C. for two summers, I came to the realization that it was neither the politics or policy of D.C. that I liked so much, but rather, the people side of things. The law, and how it affects society. Not, "the law and how it helps/hurts the political careers of those who create it." Upon returning to school, I took a course taught by our Vice President Counsel for the university on Higher Education Law, an incredible opportunity that opened me up to the world of law and the serious consideration of law school. Having worked in the government relations offices of our university, I immediately saw how the two were linked - and a spark flared.

The purpose of this blog is mostly for my own organization and reflection. I have always been a "to-do list" kind of girl. I get much more done if I see it written down and crossed off. After exploring the LSAT/law school blogosphere, I've also been reassured countless of times that other students are going through the same things I am. I'd like to offer some of that reassurance myself. Unlike my other blogs, I doubt my family or friend will have much interest in this one since it's a rather boring topic if you aren't interested in the subject. But for those of you future law school students who have found your way here, have a little faith - we're all going to be on this long journey together.

Starting with conquering the LSAT...