LSAT Diary: Score Release Wait

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Please thank Lisa for her advice below in the comments!

Lisa's LSAT Diary:

The window by my desk looks across the snow-covered roofs of dozens of houses in my sister’s subdivision in south-central Wisconsin. When I first began studying for the LSAT, the roofs were not covered with snow; rather the trees were covered with leaves: green leaves, then shades of orange and red. Now the leaves are gone, and my comfortable schedule of getting up, studying for the LSAT, making dinner for my husband and sister, watching The Office, and going to bed, has ended. The December LSAT has come and gone, and I’m left reluctantly facing the real world again.

Last year, my husband and I celebrated Christmas in Taiwan (where houses are condos, crowded together in multi-story buildings, and not a flake of snow is to be found). The season was marked with excitement: Despite having no idea whether any of our plans would turn out, we had decided to go ahead and leave our jobs in the spring, travel around Europe for three months, and move 13 time zones away to Wisconsin, where I grew up. We turned our backs on the security of jobs or even a good back-up plan because we both knew that the time had come to move on.

Eight months later, some of our plans had fallen through but new and unexpected ones had emerged. Like my plan to go to law school, and our plan to live with my sister and brother-in-law until we found jobs. I soon discovered that studying for the LSAT was much more rewarding than looking for a job. After all, when I finished a PrepTest, I was only a minute away from a score. I never heard back from most companies I sent resumes to. Yet a strange dichotomy emerged: Somehow I could regularly snag scores of 172 and up on PrepTests and yet couldn’t seem to figure out how to get someone to notice my resume. As strange as this may sound, the LSAT had become a method of procrastination.

And procrastinate I did. I followed the 3-month LSAT study schedule. I took 20+ PrepTests. Slowly, PrepTest after PrepTest I began to see patterns in logical reasoning questions, the section I most needed to improve. The correct answer for necessary assumption questions, a weakness, started to take on a certain “feel.” I came to relish sufficient assumption questions for the relative simplicity of “connecting the dots” to make the conclusion work.

I improved my speed and accuracy on long parallel reasoning or parallel flaw questions by carefully diagramming the stimulus and then mimicking that diagram with dots and arrows beside each answer to see if the argument followed the same flow. I wrote out why the correct answer was right for every logical reasoning question I got wrong.

When the actual LSAT came in December I was confident and ready. The LSAT had truly “become my friend.” The LSAT had restored my confidence in my academic abilities. Six years of work had made me wonder if I had the mental stamina to “hit the books” again.

When I started studying, I realized two things: The college student in me was long gone, and that was a good thing. As a college student, studying was simply something I did. As an unemployed professional, studying was an investment that could possibly see a return as scholarship funds. As a college student, the world and all its choices lay ahead of me. As a married woman pushing 30, I was becoming more deliberate about my choices because I realized they come with an opportunity cost.

Now I am left waiting for my score, finishing up my applications and finally facing the job market. Just this past week I lost an opportunity to work at a law firm as a paralegal because I honestly answered pointed questions about my future plans. Realizing that my honesty would probably close the door on any full-time, permanent positions, I am now looking for temporary jobs. Fortunately, the people in staffing agencies seem to think there is a place for out-of-work editors and I already have a promising job lead. In the meantime, if you need something proofed, let me know.


Update:

I got my LSAT score yesterday and was thrilled to find out that I got a 175. I really want to thank you for all the information you put on your blog and for offering the 3-month-study schedule that I followed. I was unsure at first about using so many preptests as a part of prep, but quite a lot of advice I found on different forums seemed to support that, and now I am very glad that I decided to go that way and study on my own. After a while, it seemed that I had reached some sort of "plateau," but I really do think that consistently working on my weaknesses and studying each test (each question) thoroughly helped me to improve so that the last 5 or 6 tests before the LSAT my average was at 175-176. How I was able to actually score my average despite test nerves, I don't know, though I do have to thank LSAC for giving the December LSAT such a generous curve.

There's not enough I can say to thank you. I absolutely recommend self-study for anyone who has the initiative and discipline to keep at it. I think I was able to do better through self-study rather than a program because I had to depend on myself and not a teacher for my test prep.


Photo by carbonnyc

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Free LSAT Logic Games Explanations | Advanced Linear

My free Advanced Linear Logic Game about monkeys in space has been without a complete setup explanation for far too long. Several of you have rightfully hounded me about this shameful omission, so here you go:

The description of the main diagram states:

The seats are in consecutive rows that are numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 from front to back. Each row contains exactly two seats: a seat with a window facing the sun and a seat with a window facing the moon.

Normally, I'd put the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 as the "base" (running horizontally). However, because the term "rows" typically describes sets of variables that are horizontal (as anyone who regularly uses Microsoft Excel can tell you), I'm going to make the numbers run vertically on the diagram.

The description gives us the following:












If you want to do make your numbers run horizontally that's perfectly fine. You'll just have to rotate everything 90 degrees as punishment for diagramming contrary to the way I do things.

Additionally, the placement of S on the left and M on the right is arbitrary.

Now, the rules, starting with the 1st rule:

E's window never faces the sun, but D's window always faces the sun.

Since E doesn't face the sun, it must face the moon. Put E below the moon column. Put D below the sun column.

The 2nd rule:

F sits in row 1 or row 2, but neither row 2 nor row 3 can contain D.

Place F with a slash through it next to rows 3 and 4, and D with a slash through it next to rows 2 and 3.

What you have should look something like this:














The next rule is a bit tricky to diagram:

B sits in the row immediately behind D's row.

Thing is, they may not be in the same column (facing the same thing). 2 quick inferences we can make are that D's not in row 4, and B's not in row 1 (otherwise, how could B go behind D?). Since we already know D isn't in rows 2 or 3, it must be in 1. Since B's in the row immediately behind D's, it must be in row 2.

Here's one way you might want to diagram the rule itself (along with the new inferences included on the diagram):













Of course we no longer need the indications of the rows that D and B aren't going in, since we know exactly which rows they are going in. We now know that D must go in S1. I'll erase the redundant information in the next pictured version of the diagram.

For now, the next rule:

If B's window faces the sun, then A's window faces the moon.

We can simply say, Bs -> Am.

The contrapositive would be:

If A's window does not face the moon, then B's window does not face the sun.

However, if A's window is not facing the moon, we know it must be facing the sun. Similarly, if B's window is not facing the sun, it must be facing the moon.

As such, rather than writing the contrapositive in negative terms, we can write it in positive ones:

If A's window faces the sun, then B's window faces the moon.

Diagrammed, this gives us: As -> Bm

We can simply write both of these conditional statements to the side of the diagram.

The next rule:

If D sits in row 1, then G sits in row 4.

Although this is a conditional statement, we already know through our inferences that D must, in fact, be in row 1. As such, since the sufficient condition of this rule must always be met, the necessary condition must always be met as well. We know with certainty that G must be on 4. Therefore, we should place G next to row 4.

We now have the following:














However, we can actually make two main diagrams, based upon whether B's window faces the sun or moon:













Now, when B faces the sun, we know A faces the moon, so we can go ahead and place A under the moon column in that particular diagram.

Now, the final rule:

If B sits in the same row as F, then G's window faces the sun.

We already knew F couldn't be in either of rows 3 or 4. Now, we also know that when it's in row 2 (since B's always in 2), we'll get even more information.

As such, I'll split each of the 2 main diagrams above into 2 more (resulting in 4 main diagrams for all the non-math whizzes out there), based upon whether F goes to row 1 or row 2 in each of those diagrams.

On the left side, where B's window faces the sun, I have F in row 1 in the top diagram and in row 2 in the bottom diagram.

On the right side, where B's window faces the moon, I have F in row 1 in the top diagram and in row 2 in the bottom diagram.

Here's what it looks like:


















Now, in the bottom 2 diagrams, B and F are in the same row. As such, G's window must face the sun in those diagrams. In the others, we simply don't know whether G's window faces the sun or the moon.

One more inference to make: the seat in the 3rd row facing the sun is particularly limited in the two diagrams on the left.

Since A's window must face the moon in these diagrams, A can't go there in these diagrams. Additionally, none of B, D, E, F, and G can go there - B, D, F have already been placed, G must go in row 4, and E's window must always face the moon. As such, only either C or H can go in that seat on those diagrams. I'll place C/H in the 3rd seat facing the sun on both of these diagrams:
























Every valid scenario must fall within 1 of these 4 diagrams. By creating these up-front, you give yourself more of a starting point to draw hypothetical scenarios over the course of the game for particular questions. The game is too open-ended for you to draw every scenario up-front, but these diagrams will allow you to solve the questions more easily.

Photo by donsolo

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Logic and Games: Happy New Year!

* Caveon Test Security will hunt you down if you try to cheat on the LSAT. [NYTimes]

* Hitler gets mad about how one law school applicant's admissions cycle is going. [YouTube]

* "I feel that you should be aware that some asshole is signing your name to stupid letters." [Above The Law]

* Bet you didn't know that some lawyers are sketchy. [LA Times via ABA Journal]

* Christine "I'm Not A Witch" O'Donnell claims thug (warlock?) tactics behind accusations of campaign $ misuse. [Huffington Post]

* The first year of law school - in 5 minutes. [FindLaw]

* A couple travels across the Congo in a Land Cruiser. And it's more fun than LSAT prep. [Expedition Portal]

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LSAT Test Dates for the 2011-2012 Admissions Cycle

The LSAT test dates for the 2011-2012 admission cycle (PDF) (June 2011 - February 2012) have finally been released by LSAC.

For this past cycle, the LSAT test dates for October 2010, December 2010, and February 2011 LSATs were a week later than usual. (You can see previous LSAT test dates below.)

However, for the upcoming cycle, things appear to be largely back to normal.

The September/October 2011 LSAT is back to being the first Saturday in October (the Sep/Oct LSAT is typically the 1st Saturday in October or the last Saturday in September).

The December 2011 LSAT is back to being the first Saturday in December, as the December LSAT typically has been.

However, the February 2012 LSAT is a week later than usual again.

A few possible explanations:

1. LSAC is simply trying to spread out the LSAT test dates more (since the largest gap between LSATs is the one between February and June).

2. LSAC wants the February 2012 LSAT to be closer to 12-21-2012, the end of the Mayan calendar (and the world). This way, Feburary 2012 LSAT-takers will spend more of their precious days on Earth studying without ever going to law school. Mean, huh?

3. LSAC just likes punishing most February LSAT-takers by making them apply even later in the cycle than they already are.

At the very bottom of this blog post, I've included some thoughts from my previous LSAT test dates blog post about why the February test being later than typical is bad news.

Evidence - LSAT Test Administration Dates Over Time:

June Test Dates
Monday, June 6, 2005
Monday, June 12, 2006
Monday, June 11, 2007
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday, June 7, 2010
Monday, June 6, 2011


September / October Test Dates
Saturday, October 2, 2004
Saturday, October 1, 2005
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Saturday, October 1, 2011



December Test Dates
Saturday, December 4, 2004
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Saturday, December 3, 2011


February Test Dates
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Saturday, February 4, 2006
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday, February 11, 2012


For February Test-Takers
Taking the LSAT this late in the cycle was less than ideal already, so you really didn't need it to be a week later. When the LSAT test date moving a week later, the score release date also moves a week later. The February 2011 LSAT's scheduled score release date is March 7th, 2011, and the February 2012 LSAT's scheduled score release date is March 7, 2012. Even though LSAC generally releases scores a few days early, they don't release February LSAT scores a full week early.

The especially-bad news - some law schools have March 1st application deadlines.

This means a February 2011 LSAT / February 2012 LSAT score won't do you any good for that cycle if your desired law school has a March 1st deadline. You need to look into your particular law school's application deadlines to determine this sooner rather than later.

If you're set on applying in the upcoming cycle (and especially if your school has a March 1st deadline), I'd recommend taking the LSAT in June or October to give yourself another test (October or December, respectively) to fall back on.

Photo by gc_photography

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LSAT Diary: General Prep Advice

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please fill out this survey.

Please thank Lisa for her advice below in the comments!

Lisa's LSAT Diary:

Because it’s been more than a few years since I attended school for anything other than learning a new language or how to develop film, I knew I needed a solid game plan as I approached the LSAT. After searching for LSAT study plans, I found LSAT Blog with Steve at the helm giving practical and useful advice to all comers.

I soon found myself loaded with nearly every LSAT PrepTest. The 3-month LSAT schedule provided by Steve went up on the wall in my breakfast nook along side the growing list of “Don’t Forget These Words”, and stacks of reading material took up residence on the nearby buffet. Like most folks, I have a busy schedule. I have a consulting business and volunteer on a city commission, an agency task force and serve as the boardmember for a local non-profit dedicated to improving the education of our children.

It’s possible I went a little overboard when I got rid of the television (ok, it was only partially functional to begin with) and realigned my schedule to give myself Sunday afternoon off. Each day, I would get up early enough to give myself 4 hours before work to study. As soon as I started taking full PrepTests, my evenings would mean sitting with the answer sheet and a stack of paper to work through missed questions rather than heading out with friends.

Early in the process, I spent a couple of weeks visiting family - with a hundred pages of prep tests to keep me company. No trashy novels for this visit to the lake. Luckily for me, my family is full of late sleepers and didn’t realize I was sitting outside as the sun rose, pencil continuously working.

My first PrepTest, before opening a book or having any idea what I was getting into, was a 150. Leaving me plenty of room for improvement.

I worked my way through the PrepTests and with each timed full test was pleased to see my scores rising until I pulled a 172. While I don’t know my actual score yet, here's the advice I would offer:

1. Focus - clear the decks of all other obligations and make your preparation the main thing in your life. There’s plenty of time to party/sleep/read after the exam and you’ll just kick yourself if you slack off and don’t do as well as you would like.

2. Review - when you have an incorrect answer, just mark the question wrong as you’re scoring. Then, go back to all those you got wrong and rework each one until it makes sense. Use the one of the many resources available online to see the analysis performed on those you got wrong.

3. Visualize - check out the site where you are taking the test. If you know the specific room great, if not, check out likely rooms and call the site administrator to ask if they know the specific room. Visualize your day of routine, arriving at the site, settling in, opening the test and working easily through the exam.

4. Play - organize individual games into like sets, that is, put all the Grouping or Linear together and motor through them as a set. Repetition works.

5. Read - don’t let the reading comprehension section scare you. The stories change but the setup and questions repeat. Learn to love the word “historiography” even if you can’t pronounce it without embarrassing yourself. Enjoy the RC sections, they are fascinating if you can set aside the reason you find yourself glued to them.

6. Fun - whatever mantra you need to remind yourself that what you are learning is fun and interesting - do it and remind yourself when you get out of bed, while brushing your teeth and just before falling asleep.

On Test Day, I found myself standing in line with all the other ziploc baggie holding folks and I was reminded of other big tests. The difference was, I wasn’t nervous. I’d practiced and was comfortable with my timing and scores. I’m generally not into visualization, it feels a little too woo-woo for my tastes but I had done it on the theory that it couldn’t hurt and it might help. As I sat in the test room waiting for every last seat to be filled I was relaxed and comfortable, watching as others were nervously chattering away, fidgeting or tapping their feet.

After the exam was the big shock for me. When I stepped out into the sunshine planning for that evening’s festivities, I was faced with the parents of nearly every test-taker inside. I’m pretty sure they were as shocked to see me holding the same ziploc they’d packed for their kid as I was to see them. After all, I am older than most of the parents.

Photo by photosan0

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How To Boost Your College GPA For Law School Admissions

While the LSAT's numero uno in law school admissions, GPA's also important.

Many of you are still in college and have time to do something to boost your GPA.

(To those of you with low GPAs are already fixed in stone, I'm sorry. You'll just have to make up for low GPAs with a rockin' LSAT score.)

My friend Cal Newport over at Study Hacks has made excerpts of his best-selling college advice books available for free on his website.

If you're still in college, his books are worth checking out. Not the common-sense advice you're used to seeing on the shelves. Check out the dozens of positive reviews on Amazon and see for yourself.

Excerpt from How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less

Excerpt from How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country's Top Students

I'm kind of shocked that these are only around $10 each - they're worth far more. I wish I'd had them when I was in undergrad.

Photo by ryanicus

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LSAT Blog on Twitter: Like Celebrities?

LSAT Blog is on Friendster Facebook and Myspace Twitter, in case you hadn't noticed.

Sometimes, when you're on a Twitter user's profile, Twitter will recommend similar users to check out.

However, its recommendations aren't always the most accurate. For example, I'm apparently similar to Khloe Kardashian:

I have been trying to emulate her on LSAT Blog as much as possible - I just didn't think Twitter had noticed...

Below are a few other Twitter users I'm apparently similar to, but I just don't see the resemblance. Any ideas?

LSAT Blog's similar to Perez Hilton:












LSAT Blog's similar to Lil Wayne:












LSAT Blog's similar to Soulja Boy:













LSAT Blog's similar to Nicki Minaj:













LSAT Blog's similar to Diddy:













LSAT Blog's similar to 50 Cent:












I just don't get it...where are all the invitations to red carpet events? Do I have to drop an album first or something?

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Logic and Games: Christmas Edition (Mostly)

* The stuff you learn in law school applies to supervillains & superheroes. Excited yet? [Law and the Multiverse via Above The Law]

* Santa puts Kaplan on naughty list after it's sued for racial discrimination & accused of sketchy online course signups. [NYTimes; HuffPost]

* Even The Grinch's heart would probably melt if he saw this. [YouTube]

* "You aren't supposed to hit things with sticks. Especially not Jesus." [Hyperbole and a Half]

* I see a Christmas miracle in which these 2 aren't punished for checking the African-American box on their law school applications. [Black People Love Us]

* Did you know a panda bear is saved every time a socialite eats a delicious cupcake? [NYTimes]

* Mom needs to chill with the whole tacos thing. [When Parents Text]

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December 2010 LSAT: LSAT Blog Update

Many of you took the December 2010 LSAT. Hope it went well!

Blog reader Schopenhauer created comic-strip-style illustrations of his Test Day experience.

They're so good that I just have to include them in this post and share them with everyone (click to enlarge):

Pete became a logic superhero:

Nobody is feeling footloose and fancy free after an hours long standardized test, and Saturday, I was no exception. Subsequently, when I noticed a casual Facebook post on a friend's wall condemning an old scandal my favorite college football team was involved in, I felt compelled to write her a 500 word email picking her argument apart. If I hadn't taken the LSAT that very weekend, I may have just quirked an eyebrow at her post and moved on, but stress is a powerful force.

Nickie was upset that the proctors didn't enforce all the rules:

This guy brought in his cell which isn't allowed, a mechanical pencil even though we could only use regular pencils and a Starbucks cup that doesn't fit in a zipbloc. The proctors let him keep the phone in the room and he had to borrow pencils...I just wanted to turn to them and say, if you can't read the instructions on your admissions ticket, how the hell are you going to make it in law school.

Brenna has had a lot of fun before the test, even though (or because) she didn't really study:

Instead of studying for my LSAT, for the past 4 months I've been traveling around Europe and exploring my new home of Madrid. Whoops...it's wicked sweet to have absolutely no idea where I'll be living 7 months from now and what I'll be doing at that point in my life.

annajanine was tired:

All I know is that I was so mentally exhausted after it was done that I could barely remember my own name...

LSATtko is still studying for the LSAT, but this was too funny not to share:

I truthfully feel that the LSAT has a heart and if you start digging into it… I think you can feel the passion of the LSAT writers. They really love what they do...I’m actually finding each and everyone of those suckers so fascinating!...I can see the people visualizing me in some super hot steamy desert clutching madly at my LSAT prep tests and my tongue hanging to my knees. Believe me, that’s not where I’m coming from.

***

How'd the big day go for you?

Also see "How to Wait a Long Time for Your LSAT Score".


Photo by 10350347@N06

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Logical Fallacies and Don't Ask, Don't Tell

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), the ban on allowing gays and lesbians in the military to serve openly.

The debate around DADT has been going on since it was first put into place as a legislative compromise in 1993.

However, passing an identical bill in the Senate is now the last major obstacle.

While I'd love it if everyone agreed with me and encouraged their senators to repeal the ban before the session ends, I'm more interested in seeing you engage in analysis of the arguments on both sides.

As such, here's what I'm going to do:

I'll dissect a couple of flawed arguments against repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell made by Senator John McCain, one of its most prominent advocates.

Then, I'd like to see you all, in the comments, point out flaws in the arguments of those favoring the repeal. Of course, you can also point out flaws in the arguments of those against repeal.

Why might you want to put yourself in the other side's shoes? Playing devil's advocate can help you to find weaknesses in your argument, leading you to ultimately improve its strength.

Anyway, here are a couple of flaws:

Moving the Goalposts

* In October 2006, Senator McCain said, "The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, 'Senator, we ought to change the policy,' then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it." (Wikipedia).

* In January 2010, when Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen came out in favor of changing the policy (repealing DADT), McCain suggested that they weren't really relevant because in their current posts, they don't directly lead troops (NYTimes).

In other words, McCain shifted the type of leadership position that he considered relevant. When a sufficient condition for him to consider changing the policy was met, he imposed new requirements (such as "further study").


Failure to Acknowledge Opposing Evidence

McCain said the support of Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, and other leaders wasn't enough - a study of DADT repeal's impact was necessary. A 10-month study Pentagon study basically found that DADT repeal wouldn't be so bad. However, it seems that because McCain didn't like the study's results, he refused to accept its validity. While we know from the LSAT that studies and surveys are often flawed or poorly-conducted, McCain's particular criticisms don't seem to carry much weight (Huffington Post / Daily Show).

Examples of the same flaw in actual LSAT questions:
PrepTest 30 (December 1999 LSAT), S2, Q2 (p54)
PrepTest 34 (June 2001 LSAT), S2, Q24 (p201)

***

There's a lot more I could say, but I'd really like to turn this discussion over to you.

What are some other flaws being committed on either side of the debate?

How about:

-Appeal to Emotion?
-Appeal to Popular Opinion?
-Straw Man (Misrepresenting the Argument)?

If so, what kinds of arguments contain them?

I look forward to reading your responses!

***

Further Reading:

Scott Brown And Lisa Murkowski Back Standalone DADT Repeal Bill [TPM]

House Votes to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ [NYTimes]

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Threatens American 'Existence' (Video) [HuffPost]

Repeal Of DADT Paves Way For Gay Sex Right On Battlefield, Opponents Fantasize [The Onion]

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February 2011 LSAT Questions and Answers

The February 2011 LSAT is rapidly approaching - only 8 weeks remaining! What would you like to see on the blog between now and then?

Please leave your questions for me (and for each other) in the comments, I'll do my best to answer as many of your questions as possible between now and February 12th.

Also, if you're looking for general advice on improving in Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, or Reading Comprehension, please note that I've already written plenty of blog posts on these topics and have integrated them into LSAT study schedules.

Quick request: please leave a name rather than posting as "Anonymous." It makes it easier for everyone to respond to specific comments. Thanks!

***

Also see previous Questions and Answers posts.


Photo by lwr

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Logic and Games

* Calvin finds Hobbes' criminal defense technique lacking. [Calvin and Hobbes]

* Not offensive: law firm's holiday e-card (♫) contains lengthy legal disclaimer. [Manatt via ABA Journal]

* Offensive: law firm's holiday invitation tries to poke fun at judge who made racial stereotypes, but their jokes come off as racist. Whoops. [Above The Law]

* Judge considers Festivus a holiday in granting inmate's meal request. [OC Register]

* Quiz determines whether your beliefs about God are logically consistent. [Battleground God]

* This woman claims to own the sun & has legal documents to "prove" it. [Gawker]

* Dog Fort is currently my favorite meme. [Eat Skeet]

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December LSAT Score Release Dates

UPDATE: See my prediction for the December 2011 LSAT score release date.


December 2010 LSAT scores were released on Thursday, January 6th, beginning around 5PM Eastern. Scores are released in batches, and it may take several hours for everyone to receive their scores.

***

The December LSAT scores / results are scheduled to be released via email by January 10, 2011. However, the scores usually come back a bit earlier.

Let's look at the trend over the past several years:

Given how late the exam is this year, it seems pretty likely that you won't get scores back before Christmas.




"But at what time specifically? I need to know when to constantly refresh my email / LSAC account!"

In batches over the course of several hours. Likely starting late in the day (Eastern Time).

No one knows how the batches are organized, if at all.

The batches do not seem to be organized in any of these ways:

alphabetical/regional/high-to-low scores/low-to-high scores/test center #, etc.

Wish everyone all the best!

***

Also see:

February LSAT Score Release Dates
June LSAT Score Release Dates
October LSAT Score Release Dates

***

While you're waiting for your score, get busy with my admissions-related blog posts.

Also see, Should You to Cancel Your LSAT Score?

Feel free to leave comments and vent at the injustice of having to wait so long for what is rightfully yours.

Finally, here's Victory Baby, in case you prefer him to the other baby for your Facebook profile photo or something:

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December 2010 LSAT Curve: PrepTest 62

UPDATE: The December 2010 LSAT Curve has been added to my raw score conversion charts (it's PrepTest 62).

***

Good luck to everyone taking the December 2010 LSAT!

Did you know that December exams historically have the most lenient curves?

The "curve" on last year's December exam was pretty generous. It allowed 14 incorrect answers to get a 170. (The average for December exams in recent years was only 11.375 incorrect answers).

The below chart contains recent data regarding the number of questions you could get wrong on recent exams and still achieve a particular scaled score (out of 180):

(See what it's taken to get an LSAT score of 160 or 170 on all LSAT PrepTests.)

Come back after you take the LSAT and post your curve predictions in the comments!


Photo by blprnt_van

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You Know You've Been Studying Too Much For The LSAT When...

I posted this status update on LSAT Blog's Facebook Page last week. Many of you commented with your own jokes and experiences.

Here are some of my favorites:

"EVERYTHING you read or hear turns into a logical reasoning question. :P"

"You are asked to leave a wedding because you insist that Bob can't sit next to Nancy because Nancy can't sit next to Bob's sister. And you'll be damned if that rule is violated."

"You dissect your friend's argument and proceed to tell your friend how you could strengthen or weaken it."

"When you can't seem to separate yourself from it. When you are not doing it you feel weird, empty, like the earth stopped moving...............sike. I really can't wait to be done with it."

"I still wonder what it'll feel like to study too much for it! :D"

"You go through the TSA security line with silver-lined underwear, just to get some human contact with the outside world."

***

You know you've been studying too much for the LSAT when...

Leave a comment and let me know!

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The Most Common Answer Choice on the LSAT

LSAT Blog reader Brett recently analyzed the LSAT PrepTest Answer Keys to find the best answer choice to guess on the LSAT.

I've done similar analysis in the past.

However, Brett has a better understanding of statistics than I do, and his results are summed-up and organized much more nicely than mine. He also included answer key data from the June 2010 LSAT (PrepTest 60).

Here's what he found (click to enlarge):






















Basically, "D" is the best answer to choose when guessing randomly, and "B," "C,"and "D" come up more often than either "A" or "E."

Please thank Brett in the comments for sharing his analysis!

Photo by cwhatuc

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Logic and Games

* If your grandmother's funeral were this Saturday, would you skip it to take the LSAT? [Above The Law]

* Get pumped for Saturday's LSAT with 40 inspirational speeches in 2 minutes. [YouTube]

* Also, some dude's bro made him an LSAT-themed remix of "I Gotta Feeling." [YouTube]

* I love pizza, but it's still not good for keeping time on Test Day. [Why Did You Buy Me That]

* "Polar bears are white. I am white. I am a polar bear." [imgur / reddit]

* Kentucky governor promises he's backing Noah's Ark theme park because it'll create jobs, not because he believes in creationism. [NYTimes]

* Linking to defamatory statements online clearly isn't the same as publishing them, but the Canadian Supreme Court's still going to think it over. [Canada.com]

Continue Reading...»

LSAT Logic: The TSA's Body Scans and Pat-downs

If you traveled by plane for Thanksgiving, I hope you didn't get patted down too much (unless you wanted to be, of course).

I'm against the TSA's pat-downs at airports nationwide. Not because they're invasive, but because they deny lonely people their once-yearly groping as they travel during the holiday season.

There's been a lot of controversy over the pat-downs and body scans lately, and the holiday travel season's coming up. Let's take a quick look at a few flawed arguments on both sides of the debate from the LSAT perspective.

False Analogy

In favor of body scans:

"What's the big deal? If you don't complain when a doctor X-rays you, you shouldn't be complaining now."

The difference, of course, is that a doctor is someone you implicitly trust (I hope). A doctor is well-trained in operating X-ray equipment and usually X-rays only a specific portion of your body (placing a lead apron around other parts of your body to protect them from the radiation). Further, the X-ray is taken for the purpose of learning information that may help you.

In contrast, body scanners may expose your entire body to potentially-harmful doses of radiation and are operated by people who may be poorly-trained. Further, you've never met them and little reason to trust any of them over a random stranger. Additionally, you don't really stand to gain from having your own body screened in the first place. It's the screening of others screened that you stand to benefit from (since, dear reader, I presume you're not a terrorist).


In opposition to body scans:

"These scanners are like allowing strangers to see you completely naked."









Sadly, they don't seem to be quite that exciting, judging from the above photo supplied by the TSA.

In both examples above, the speakers are treating different situations as if they're similar.

In LSAT language:
"treats as similar two cases that are different in a critical respect."

Examples of the same flaw in actual LSAT questions:
PrepTest 29 (October 1999 LSAT), S4, Q25 (p43)
PrepTest 31 (June 2000 LSAT), S3, Q5 (p97)
PrepTest 33 (December 2000 LSAT), S3, Q15 (p172)




Ad Hominem Attack (Personal Attack)

In favor of body scans and pat-downs:

"These body scans and pat-downs can only make us more safe. All of you who are against it must just be ashamed of your own bodies."

There are plenty of reasons to be against the body scans and pat-downs aside from being shame of one's body.

Even if some opponents are ashamed of their own bodies, maybe they are also modest, have religious reasons for not having strangers touch them or look at them almost-naked, or simply don't want random people touching them or looking at them in intimate areas.

(Additionally, maybe the new security measures can make us less safe by directing attention and money away from more effective security measures.)


In opposition to body scans and pat-downs:

"I just saw a TSA employee leafing through Playboy, so there's no real security reason for these pat-downs and body scans. The TSA employees just want to grab our junk and see us all almost naked."

First of all, leafing through Playboy doesn't necessarily make one a pervert. After all, it has great articles.

Further, even if it makes that employee a pervert, that doesn't necessarily mean all TSA employees are perverts. (This is a different flaw - the fallacy of composition.)

The major flaw in the above argument that I want to address here is simply that even if the TSA is filled with perverts, that doesn't guarantee that there aren't sufficient reasons for the pat-downs and body scans. It probably just means that, if they are perverts, and there are sufficient reasons for the pat-downs and body scans, you probably want someone else conducting them.

In LSAT language:
"rejects a claim by attacking the proponents of the claim rather than addressing the claim itself"
"attack employers' motives instead of addressing their arguments"
"criticizing the source of a claim rather than examining the claim itself"

Examples of the same flaw in actual LSAT questions:
PrepTest 19 (June 1996 LSAT), S2, Q14 (p24)
PrepTest 26 (June 1998 LSAT), S4, Q4 (p241)
PrepTest 32 (October 2000 LSAT), S2, Q6 (p139)
PrepTest 34 (June 2001 LSAT), S2, Q1 (p194)



Appeal to Popular Opinion

In favor of body scans and pat-downs:

"The public has demonstrated its willingness to subject itself to these security measures. Therefore, it's fine to go ahead with them."

In opposition to body scans and pat-downs:

"Everyone hates these new TSA security measures. The TSA must stop them immediately."

Whether the public is in favor of, or in opposition to, the security measures has no bearing on whether they are effective or necessary for airport security.


In LSAT language:
"taking evidence that a claim is believed to be true to constitute evidence that the claim is in fact true"

Examples of the same flaw in actual LSAT questions:
PrepTest 28 (June 1999 LSAT), S1, Q9 (p324)
PrepTest 32 (October 2000 LSAT), S4, Q13 (p141)

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LSAT Test Day: Breakfast and Snack Recommendations

An LSAT distance tutoring student of mine recently emailed me:

"Any tips on what to eat for breakfast the morning of the LSAT? I know you say to have a big breakfast, but what? And what do you suggest for the break and to drink?"

At least one of the items pictured above is not part of a healthy LSAT breakfast.

If you guessed FourLoko, you're on your way to a top LSAT score. Congrats!

(McDonald's probably isn't part of any healthy breakfast, but there's a reason I didn't go to medical school.)

More about food in a bit, but first, coffee and cigarettes (breakfast of champions?).

I've already gone over whether coffee, cigarettes, and gum are allowed on Test Day. Now, the question remains, should you drink coffee or have cigarettes in the morning before the exam?

Answer: Do whatever you normally do. If you normally have coffee or cigarettes in the morning, don't try to go cold turkey now or you'll almost certainly find yourself with a pounding headache.

I don't know why you'd suddenly take up smoking, but now's not the time to start (if there ever was). Coffee will probably empty your intestines in the middle of the exam if you haven't had it in a while, so it's probably not a good idea for folks new to it.

You want to be fully alert, so a pre-test wake and bake isn't a good idea. What you do after the test is up to you (assuming it's for medicinal purposes, of course). Maybe California will vote to legalize next time, folks.


Oatmeal with bananas, raisins, or cranberries is probably about as healthy as it gets, while mild enough that it shouldn't give you any stomach issues. Eat it well before the exam starts so that you'll have time to go to the bathroom (oatmeal has lots of fiber).



Perhaps I misspoke - yogurt and granola might top oatmeal and fruit for "healthiest breakfast of the year." Again, it's mild and has carbs, but unlike oatmeal, yogurt has lots of protein as well. (Perhaps the nutritionists can chime in with their recommendations.)


Eggs have a lot of protein. However, depending upon how you cook them, you might also end up with lots of fat. Fat can make you sleepy. For this reason, lay off the butter and oil. Consider eating them hard-boiled, perhaps with a little salt for flavor. Alternatively, you can go the Rocky route and drink them raw, but don't blame me if you get salmonella.



Pancakes, waffles, muffins, bagels, cold cereal, etc. are also all good, just make sure you have also some protein.

Cold (or warm) pizza is probably good too (cheese has protein), but this is coming from a guy who sometimes eats leftover burritos for breakfast, so you may not want to listen to me on this one.

The bottom line is that you'll want to eat some carbs to give you energy, and some protein to improve your mental performance.

(This site appears to have some simple, yet comprehensive, nutrition advice. This link on it is also good.)

***

LSAT Snacks For During The Break:

Try not to be the guy who brings this:









Here are some more practical alternatives that the proctors will probably allow:

Granola bars: quick to unwrap, easy to eat, sugar

Bananas: quick to peel, easy to eat, sugar

Water: reduces thirst

Juice: reduces thirst, sugar

Coffee will likely be cold by now, but I suppose it's ok if you don't care about that sort of thing.

With all beverages, don't drink too much in order to avoid bathroom breaks. Your test center may have a water fountain, which would eliminate the need to bring a water bottle. Or maybe you're one of those people who's paranoid about tap water or lives in a part of the U.S. / world where the water's unsafe to drink.

***

See all LSAT Test Day tips.

***

Discuss the best breakfast foods and snacks in the comments. I'm sure that most of you know more about nutrition than I do. If you know something, please comment!

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LSAT Diary: Prep in the Final Week Before Test Day

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please fill out this survey.

Please leave Kerri some encouragement and advice below in the comments!

Kerri's LSAT Diary:

A little more than one week until I take the LSAT. It's unreal to me. I took a practice test (under distracting conditions) and had only improved my score by two points. This week was so outrageously busy with an exam, a paper, a group project, work meetings, and on top of that I seem to have contracted bronchitis so I have a coughing fit that can last up to like 2 minutes like twice an hour - it's awful. Finally got to the doctor today and got some steroids to clear me up, but I was so adamant about getting better that I demanded she give me a back up plan.

So, in case the steroids don't work by Monday, I have a prescription already written that I can fill and get Monday to be better by Wednesday. I seriously stressed how important the LSAT was to the doctor and I told her that if I coughed that much during the LSAT that they'd tie me up and shove me in a closet because the test is that important to everyone.

I've only taken one practice test this week (yikes, I know) but I am about to take one now. Here's the thing that I learned, and it is so simple, but I bet a lot of you would make the same mistake. I have taken ~7 practice tests and graded them. I have scored in an 8 point range (and my highest is 4 points below my ideal score boo). I thought all I have to do is take timed practice tests to be ready for the LSAT. WRONG!

Taking practice test after practice test isn't how you learn (though it is so important to do!) When you take a practice test and look at the answers (and if the reasoning for the answers is there -that too), you don't necessarily get smarter. You need to look at what you've been doing and focus on your weaknesses.

For example, my first 6 practice tests were all weak in one area- Logical Reasoning. But it's more than realizing that. You need to go back to each question and see: am I missing all of the "Necessary Assumption Questions?" And explore those. An assumption is something that is pretty much required for the conclusion to exist. That's not all I learned-- Did you know that if "Jack or John goes to a party" this could entail *Jack go John no go" "Jack no go John no go" AND "Jack go John go" --?? There are some words on this exam that you have seen before but they have different meanings. LOOK AT THAT. Know the LSAT vocabulary.

Other than those fun tips all I can really say (if I haven't said it before) is get used to using regular pencils again. I know it's weird and awful and mechanical pencils are so much more fun. I went out tonight and bought pencils and a pencil sharpener. My life is thrilling. I am just ready to relax though I probably will not do until I get my test results.

I am on day 15 with no Facebook (if I can do it you can do it) and I haven't been to a bar in~50 days. Take away distractions in your life. I feel focused and it feels good. I don't even mind studying for this test. Its not bad material and its nice to have a routine.

PS I checked out my testing center the other day- just the general location. I need to check out parking soon. My LSAT Registration ticket is printed and I am trying to prep for my week of "taking it easy" LSAT wise. Time to wind down and have faith in my studying to get me through this!!

Thinking positive thoughts :)

Photo by bdorfman

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LSAT PDFs of GROUPED by Type Books Available

I recently got some exciting news from the good folks who brought us the GROUPED By Type books of LSAT questions.

They've recently started selling PDF downloads of their books. (Don't worry - they got permission from LSAC. No one's going to jail.)

The PDFs have no annoying security restrictions, and you'll be able to print out as many copies of the questions as you like.

I've linked to my reviews of each of the GROUPED books below:

GROUPED By Game Type (PrepTests 1-20)

GROUPED By Question Type (PrepTests 1-20)

GROUPED By Passage Type (PrepTests 1-20)

More GROUPED By Game Type (PrepTests 21-40)

More GROUPED By Question Type (PrepTests 21-40)

More GROUPED By Passage Type (PrepTests 21-40)


GROUPED vs. Kaplan Mastery Practice

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Logic and Games

"Logic and Games" is something new here on LSAT Blog.

It'll be a weekly post with random, mostly law-related, things of interest to you as the classy future law students you are.

* The worst-ever lesson on freedom of speech. [FAIL Blog]

* Traveler sues airline, claiming her on-flight meal contained lizard. Hilarity ensues. [Gawker]

* NYC kids get a comic book on what to do when arrested. Remember when comic books used to be fun? [Above The Law]

* Amazon kicks WikiLeaks off of its servers. WikiLeaks remains unharmed. [Washington Post]

* Kim Jong-the-Illest pops in unexpectedly. [Kim Jong-Il Looking At Things]

* Kaplan's non-ABA-accredited online law school may get an actual campus. [Washington Examiner]

* Facebook close to trademarking the word "face." Scared yet? [NYTimes] Continue Reading...»