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The only LSAT writing sample tips you'll ever need

LSAT writing sample is EZ as 1-2-3!

It's so easy, this article contains everything you need to know.

Now, it's true that it has no impact on your LSAT score and many admissions offices don't read it.

So some people treat it like a joke...

Even one of the guys responsible for CREATING the LSAT admits:

you might not want to spend quite as much time on the writing sample

But as I shared last time, some admission officers DO read it, so here's everything you need to know:

What do you have to write about on the Writing Sample?

The topic's different every time, but each has something in common - every question gives you a scenario. You're asked to decide between two options based on several factors. Each option has pros and cons, which means that you can't go wrong with either choice. All you have to do is consider the benefits and drawbacks and ultimately choose one of the two possibilities.

How should you begin the Writing Sample?

Start with your conclusion so the reader knows you actually PICKED one of the two choices.

Your first sentence might be: "After weighing the pros and cons of the options presented before me, I have decided that Choice 1 is the better of the two options presented to the school / university / business."

Continue by saying something about the situation to show that you understand it. End the intro by telling the reader why Choice 2 is worse than Choice 1 for the individual facing this scenario.

But that's only the intro! How do I fill the rest of the page?

Start off your 2nd paragraph by examining each choice. Show you understand why each one has a couple of benefits (meaning it's not black and white that one choice is better than the other).

Continue your argument by stating that the benefits of your choice outweigh those of the other potential option. If you have the time, you could say the other choice's downsides significantly outweigh its benefits.

How should you end the Writing Sample?

Restate the first sentence of the intro and tell the reader it's the better choice after looking at the big picture. Say something fancy like, "After examining the fundamental goals of our organization, it is clear that..."

How should you study for the Writing Sample?

Reading this is ALMOST all you have to do. Take another look at it, read a few writing sample prompts (located at the end of every PrepTest), and you'll know what to do on test day!

***

Again, don't worry too much about it. Even my student Jared didn't think he did great on it, but he still improved 20+ points from his original LSAT score, which is what really matters.

Did you ever write a funny response to an LSAT Writing Sample? If you did, share it with me - best responses get a free prize :)

Yours in LSAT Land,

Writin' Samplin' Steve

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT CoursesThe best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.

3. LSAT Cheat Sheets
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.

How to fail the LSAT writing sample

Got some questions about whether law schools look at the LSAT writing sample, whether they care.

There's nothing like hearing it straight from the source, so I asked Sarah Zearfoss, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at UMichigan Law.

Turns out, they do.

Here's what she said (emphasis added):

"A lot of applicants appear to make an assumption that the LSAT writing sample never gets looked at–and that’s not a safe assumption!

We use it in a lot of different ways. At the most basic level, we always at least glance at it, and that means someone who uses only three-quarters of a page out of the available two pages will stand out, as will the folks who draw pictures, or write repeatedly, "I know you’re not reading this." And I don’t mean that they stand out in the way that one hopes to in the admissions process.

For some applications, we routinely take a much closer look, particularly when we have reason to be concerned about writing abilities (based on a major or something else in the background suggesting a lack of writing experience, or based on a comment in a recommendation letter, or based on writing quality elsewhere in the application). The standard in those cases isn’t a highly rigorous one, to be sure, but we’re looking for a lack of mimicry between the question and the answer, a facility with basic grammar and spelling, and a reasonably coherent argument. It’s surprising how frequently people don’t meet that minimal standard.

And apart from how Admissions Office staff views the sample, there are always the faculty, an unpredictable lot. At Michigan, faculty don’t have a heavy involvement in reviewing files, but I would say at least 50% of those who do look at files consider the LSAT writing sample as the single most interesting element of the application materials. No, I’m not kidding. My colleagues at some other schools have confirmed this idiosyncrasy.

Bottom-line, applicants would be well-served to approach the writing sample with seriousness. You have to sit there for the duration anyway, so you might as well put a little effort into it, right? Treating it cavalierly could leave a big negative impression on a reviewer."

Turns out that it DOES matter. Sometimes. Kind of. Not as important as the scored sections, obviously, but you DEFINITELY can't treat it as a joke ----

Anyway, next time, I'll share some tips on how to approach the writing sample.

Stay tuned,

Steve

P.S. Send me your funniest responses to the LSAT writing sample. I always get a kick out of reading them.

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT CoursesThe best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.

3. LSAT Checklists
All the little items and details students don't usually think of. They hold you accountable and help you make sure you're not missing anything.

how to improve your LSAT Logical Reasoning ability

I asked Dr. Deborah Bennett, the author of Logic Made Easy:

"Why are people so imprecise with language in ordinary conversation? How can we improve our logic in everyday life?"

Her response:

"Many people are imprecise in their use of ordinary language. The rules of conversation allow for the listener to supply information. In fact, it is a compliment to the listener for the speaker to assume that not all information is necessary. If we are conversing, the more information I assume you know the more flattered you will be. At the other extreme, if I explain every detail necessary to be perfectly unambiguous you might be insulted that I am patronizing or pedantic—even talking down to you.

I believe that we can improve our logic in everyday life. We can improve our language and logic by thinking critically about everything we hear, read, write, and say. We should ask ourselves what language means and try not to read our own meaning into it. We should ask not only what a sentence says but also what the sentence does not say. By thinking about the logic of the language of others, our own language should become more precise."

Bottom line:

Just as you can become more logical and critical in everyday life, you can become more logical and critical in your approach to the LSAT!

***

Relatedly, I did an interview a while back where I answered students' general questions on the LSAT and its "learnability" - here it is:

1. Can the LSAT be learned?

Without a doubt, the LSAT can be learned. There's no question about it!.

The easiest and fastest way to improve is to become familiar with various LSAT question-types. This doesn't take very long, but the payoff is minimal.

The quickest way to see a significant improvement is to learn solid diagramming techniques for the Logic Games. This takes a decent amount of time.

The next step is to understand the "LSAT mindset." This is the most difficult task. It's like becoming a Jedi or seeing through the Matrix.

2. How does one acquire the LSAT mindset?

Learn to be critical and skeptical of arguments, avoid taking things at face value, consider potential alternative causes for any result and potential alternative explanations for any conclusion, devote obsessive attention to detail, understand nuances and apply general principles to specific situations.

Obviously, this is complicated. Too much for one article (or several). Showing you HOW to do this is what my courses are all about.

3. Is the LSAT a good predictor of law school performance?

Yes, I believe the LSAT is a good independent predictor of law school performance.

People born with the LSAT mindset (aka nerds) are likely to do well on the LSAT and in law school.

Good news is....people who intensively prepare for the LSAT and eventually acquire the LSAT mindset are likely to intensively study in law school and eventually get the law school mindset, too!

4. How long does it take to "adequately" prepare for the LSAT?

1-2 months isn't enough for most students, especially when they have to balance LSAT prep with school or work. Whether you're shooting for high scores or average scores, you need time.

-time to fully understand the different sections

-time to develop strategies for attacking them

-time to work on pacing and endurance strategies

I recommend a minimum of 3 months of preparation and that studying consistently during this time (that's what my day-by-day LSAT study plans help you do).

Have you felt yourself acquiring the LSAT mindset as you study? Reach out and let me know what your experience has been like.

Talk soon,

Steve "used to be normal before I met the LSAT" Schwartz

how to become a LSAT Logic Games Jedi

Got an email asking about how to handle those "weird" games that keep coming up on newer exams....

so I wanted to share some tips on how you can become a Logic Games Jedi.

The key is adaptability.

Newer games are noticeably different than older ones, but this doesn't mean you should skip the older ones.

I suggest you expose yourself to as many games as possible because LSAC will occasionally include a game on a new PrepTest that's similar to one from an older PrepTest.

It's also important to realize LSAT Logic Games repeat (in disguise).

Some students memorize "tricks" and think in terms of rigid categories. They tend to freeze when they see a game they're unable to categorize. (That's bad.)

Other students familiarize themselves with the different types of games and diagramming strategies but recognize these strategies don't include EVERRRRYY possible type of game. This kind of flexibility lets them adjust to new or unusual types of games.

No technique is perfect for every game. Taking any technique as gospel would make you a fundamentalist. Books and tutors with fancy-schmancy "techniques" won't have to take the LSAT in future months - you will.

Always feel free to modify any technique according to what works best for you.

Also, no book can offer a roadmap or blueprint for what future Logic Games will look like. They only give you a limited set of tools - it's your job to be creative when you apply those tools to new and unfamiliar situations.

Also, keep in mind: the LSAT isn't actually meant to be learnable. (I know, I know, what was LSAC thinking, right? Of course it's learnable!)

The LSAT has to test the skills it's intended to test. This means LSAC must separate those who naturally have "LSAT skills" from those who try to "game" the Logic Games. In order to tell the difference between these groups, the LSAT constantly throws twists into the Logic Games to confuse anyone who didn't spend their summers at math camp.

In this arms race between you (the test-takers) and LSAC, you'll need to adapt and adjust to what LSAC's been throwing your way in the past few years.

The good news is that with dozens of PrepTests, you have the potential to be better-prepared than any test-takers before you.

May the Force (and the Schwartz) Be With You,

-Steve "LSAT Jedi Master" Schwartz

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. Logic Games Explanations
The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer.

3. Mastering LSAT Logic Games
This guide to Logic Games is by a former writer of actual LSAT questions! Enough said.

LSAT Prep Strategy - Socratic Review

You want to review the questions you had difficulty with in excruciating detail - whether you get them right. That is one of the biggest things you want to focus on if your exam is coming up very soon. You want to look at everything you get wrong. Every question where you were down to two and you were unsure, and everything that you got right but could have done more efficiently.

You want to look at all of those things. You want to look at what you answered incorrectly and WHY you answered it incorrectly. What trap did the test-makers lay for you? What trap of encouragement did they use to lure you, to pull you towards that wrong answer choice? What trap of discouragement did they use to push you away from the right answer choice?

Was it something in the answer choice, or was it something in the stimulus or the passage? If it was a particular topic or method of reasoning or wording, you want to look at that exact thing and you want to find other questions exhibiting that exact thing as well.

So if there's a method of reasoning involving numbers versus percentages or absolute terms versus relative terms, and that's what gives you trouble, you want to look at all of those questions that deal with that.

You want to go online and search for categorizations of similar questions. If it's a circle game or a pattern game, you want to go and do lots of circle games and pattern games. It's not enough to just look at the answer key and say, “Oh duh, I get it now.”

Obviously you don't get it just by looking at the correct answer, or you wouldn't be in this position now. You wouldn't have kept repeating the same mistakes over and over to the point where you've done, possible 10-20 exams by this point, combining timed and untimed, and you're still not where you want to be.

Obviously, you've got to change something about what you're doing. If you were already getting 175+, you wouldn't be reading this right now. So think about whether you're taking the exam the next few days from now or the next few weeks from now, or months, whatever it is.

What could you be doing differently? What is the work that you know you should be doing but aren't doing?

Sure, it's much *easier* to simply take exam after exam, score it, be happy or sad about your results, and then move on to the next one and say, “Oh, I get it,” whenever you look at the answer key.

But that's not enough. The people who do the best are reviewing in excruciating detail. They've got notebooks filled with their own analysis of what was difficult about the problem, why they got it wrong, and what they need to do differently. They're not spending time on message boards and social media.

They're not just doing exam after exam or reading / watching tons of explanations. Sure, all of that can help to some degree, but the *real work* is sitting with the practice exams on your own in a quiet environment where you can focus on your own thought process. That's where the magic happens.

You don't see too many people talking about this because they're too busy doing it. The people who are on message boards and forums complaining or talking about how great they're doing, they'e likely not doing that great because they're procrastinating rather than doing the actual work. The work is in your own analysis, and the reason that you're not doing that enough is because it's not fun.

And a sign that it's valuable is that it's not fun. A lot of the time, the toughest workouts are the ones that are excruciatingly difficult in the moment, but you also feel really good afterwards because you could take pride in knowing that you've done a great job. That you've given it your all and you get the results accordingly. So that's where I want you to focus between now and Test Day.

For more, I've got an entire playlist focused on LSAT Test Day prep here -----> and several articles on LSAT Test Day prep here ----->

my weird finding about LSAT Logical Reasoning (with examples)

Last time, I shared a surprising insight I discovered only after teaching the LSAT for a while (so make sure to read that article first).

This time, I'm going to walk you through HOW to use this strategy on one of my favorite Logical Reasoning questions of all time:

--- the Rattlesnake Folktale question (PrepTest 30, Section 2, Question 22 - p60 in Next 10) ---

If you have this PrepTest, awesome!

If not, don't worry. I'll show you how to use this strategy whether you have the question in front of you or not.

We know this is a necessary assumption question because it says "which one of the following is an assumption the argument requires?"

The argument describes a folktale about determining a rattlesnake's age.

According to this folktale, you can tell a rattlesnake's age by counting the number of sections on its rattle. This is because the rattlesnake forms a new section on its rattle each time it molts.

The argument goes on to say the rattlesnake age folktale doesn't work - but only because rattle sections break off due to their brittleness. It then concludes that if the rattles were not so brittle, the folktale would be correct, and its method for determining a rattlesnake's age folktale would work fine.

The question then asks for a necessary assumption. The correct answer tells us that food availability does not affect the molting rate. If food availability did affect the molting rate, then you could have two rattlesnakes, one that's had a lot of food in its life, one that's had very little food in its life, and they'd appear to be different ages.

So....the claim that the rattles' brittleness is the ONLY thing stopping the rattlesnake age folktale from being valid is making a huge assumption!

They're assuming that literally nothing else also needs to be true in order for the rattlesnake age folktale to be valid, so the argument depends upon this assumption in order to be valid.

Now, let's see how to change this question into a bunch of other question types!

Must Be True
This answer choice could have also been the correct answer choice to a Must Be True question. It needs to be true that food availability doesn't affect the molting rate in order for the argument to be valid (more on LSAT Necessary Assumption and Must Be True questions).

Must Be False
Because this large assumption must be true in order for the argument to work, the negation of this answer choice (the denial of this assumption) cannot be true for the argument to be valid, so it must be false that food availability affects the molting rate.

Strengthen
The argument as it stands is not airtight, so it's possible to strengthen it. Again, it's claiming that all we need to do to make this rattlesnake age folktale work is remove brittleness as a factor. If we view the answer choices as providing new information ("Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?"), what we previously viewed as a Must Be True can now be viewed as a strengthener.

The correct answer to what was originally a necessary assumption question also serves to strengthen the argument by dismissing the possibility that food availability affects the molting rate.

Of course, choice A also serves to strengthen the argument. In fact, it fully justifies the conclusion and serves as a sufficient assumption. It just didn't NEED to be true. (Click here for tips on LSAT Strengthen questions.)

WeakenAn answer choice that strengthens the argument often does so by dismissing potential problems, alternative causes, or alternative explanations.

This is the case with our strengtheners above. If we negate an answer choice that would strengthen the argument, we are then weakening the argument.

As such, the negation of these answer choices would serve to weaken the argument.

Meaning that if we learned that food availability did affect the molting rate, that would weaken the argument. In fact, it would destroy the argument entirely. Similarly, if we learned that rattlesnakes did not molt exactly once a year, that would weaken the argument --- but only a tiny bit. (Click here for tips on LSAT Weaken questions.)

Evaluate the Argument
This is when we take a major strengthener or weakener and phrase it as a question or as a "what if?".

Question: Which one of the following would be most important to know in evaluating the conclusion drawn above?

Answer: Whether food availability affects the molting rate

If food availability affected the molting rate, that would weaken the argument.
If food availability did not affect the molting rate, that would strengthen the argument.

Resolve the Paradox / Discrepancy
Let's rephrase the stimulus by keeping the evidence the same but saying the conclusion did not logically follow. Something like:

"We genetically engineered rattlesnakes to remove brittleness as a factor, yet our top-secret Pentagon-funded rattlesnake age folktale still didn't reliably determine a rattlesnake's age."

How is this possible?

Well, if we learned that food availability affected the molting rate, that would explain why the rattlesnake age folktale still wasn't working.

Now go through the exact same process with another Logical Reasoning question. Doesn't matter which one - pick any LSAT PrepTest.

Then reach out and share what you did - I'd love to see what you come up with!

-Steve

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. Logical Reasoning Explanations
The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These don't just fall back on "out of scope," but actually tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer.

3. Logical Reasoning Cheat Sheet
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.

Want to increase your LSAT score? Get my free Easy LSAT Cheat Sheet today.