How Hannah increased her LSAT score from 144 to 163 + got into UVA

This LSAT Diary is from Hannah B. who improved from 144 to 163 on the December LSAT and got into UVA Law after taking the Supreme LSAT course!

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please email me at LSATUnplugged@gmail.com. (You can be in LSAT Diaries whether you've taken the exam already or not.)

Hannah’s LSAT Diary:

I first stumbled upon Steve’s blog about three years ago. I was considering the idea of law school, but I knew that if that was even a possibility, I had to have a high score on the LSAT. Steve’s blog was amazing! It had helpful advice, free practice questions and strategies. I consistently returned to his blog for the next three years, but didn’t really do any LSAT studying seriously.

When I finally decided it was time to take the LSAT, I took my first practice test and scored a 144. I knew I would have a lot of work to do if I was going to make law school a reality. I spent the summer leading up to the October LSAT working/researching. So, I studied as much as I could in that time (but, it really wasn’t much). I used the Powerscore Bibles to get the basics down, but my score was still around 155. I was finally able to hardcore study for the LSAT, but I didn’t do it right at all. I thought I was studying really hard. I didn’t drink and didn’t go out; essentially, I put my social life on hold. But, I cheated on timing and peaked at answers. When the October LSAT finally came around, it was a rude awakening. I scored a 156 and it was completely avoidable. The time got me.

The next time around, I knew I needed to buckle down and do it right. I ordered Steve’s LSAT courses and they were amazing! I had Logic Games down, but Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning were my worst two sections. Steve’s courses explained everything so clearly. Instead of the gears in my head constantly turning, and seemingly to no avail, I finally felt things clicking. I started timing myself correctly, and I did tests more often. I couldn’t manage a test every other day consistently, but I did them as often as I could. I went back to the questions I missed and made sure I understood why it was wrong. Even the questions that I answered correctly, I made sure I understood why. I drilled LR question types that always gave me trouble from the Logical Reasoning Spreadsheet, and these significantly helped me increase my score. Every person taking the LSAT needs to use this page. I finally felt like I understood how to study for the LSAT.  

That said, I waited too long to do this! The LSAT is a serious test and it really does determine your future law school trajectory. I am not saying I did not take it seriously. I absolutely took the test seriously. But, I learned a little late in the game just what it meant to really study seriously. Honestly, you need to have some sort of a social life during your studying. I made sure to put time aside while I was studying the second time around just to have some time to relax. Your score will not increase if you are insanely stressed and constantly working! Also, a class is certainly not necessary. I increased my score more than 10 points with self-studying alone. After that, it was just about studying efficiently, completing tests on tests on tests, and doing them right! Steve’s blog not only rescued my LSAT score, but I felt like I was really getting stuff done when I was studying for the LSAT the two or three hours I had in the day to do so. I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for his blog. I recommend everyone who is studying for the LSAT to utilize him and his blog as a resource.