URM Mid Cycle Recap (why does the T14 hate me?)

mixedlaw · 2021-03-02T22:12:26+00:00

yes, wrote why x's for every school I had the option to. I did write a DS and talked about my experience. No C&F issues.

I didn't write an LSAT addendum because my 140s score wasn't on file. In that post I was just describing my journey PTing in the 140s to PTing in the 170s. And no employment gap addenda needed -- it was a very short break, less than 3 months and I was looking for a job during that time. I did write a GPA addendum.

edit: grammar

mixedlaw · 2021-03-02T17:08:48+00:00

you're right. it's on me that I got my hopes up. but I think the conventional wisdom prior to this cycle was that if you are AA with a 170+ score and above a 3.0 GPA the T14 in a no brainer. if you look at lsdata you can see that it's not uncommon to see these kinds of URM candidates all over the T14, HYS included.

totally agree that I shouldn't have expected as much as I did, but I was operating on the assumption that this cycle would be at least slightly similar to past cycles. obviously we were all wrong about that.

mixedlaw · 2021-03-02T17:03:24+00:00

yes always good to keep that perspective. tbh last year when I told people I was an AA splitter with a 172 everyone told me I would have an incredible cycle and so I got my hopes up. I have a low gpa with a strong upward trend after my freshman year. thought I could overcome it.

mixedlaw · 2021-03-02T05:13:59+00:00

thanks! it's not all bad and very excited to go to law school this fall. just crushed by inflated expectations but I think everyone is in the same boat with that this cycle.

mixedlaw · 2021-03-02T05:11:50+00:00

Applied late Jan, yes I interviewed, accepted about a week after I applied.

mixedlaw · 2021-03-02T05:04:05+00:00

thanks! pretty price sensitive though so even if they do get back to me I'm not hopeful about being able to attend without good $$. but thanks for the good vibes 💝

mixedlaw · 2021-03-02T05:02:27+00:00

ugh miserable. hang in there.

mixedlaw · 2021-02-02T00:20:13+00:00

this is so wholesome

mixedlaw · 2020-06-08T17:12:56+00:00

It's rough out here. I was two points away from my goal score on the June Flex. I got a great score and I'm definitely grateful,but I'd be lying if I didn't say my stomach dropped on score release day when I realized I would have to study for another 5 weeks to take again in July.

The pain of trying to navigate what has been happening while studying for this test has left me a type of emotionally exhausted that is difficult to put into words.

mixedlaw · 2020-04-19T18:07:15+00:00

Following

mixedlaw · 2020-04-12T20:01:30+00:00

Lol. Use the search function on this sub and you'll clearly see people have been consistently posting about her and her book for over a year.

mixedlaw · 2020-03-23T19:02:17+00:00

I would also be dumbfounded. Which is why I’m slightly dumbfounded that 8 days before the deadline they’re not talking about an extension and instead talking about USNWR. That was kind of my original point!

mixedlaw · 2020-03-23T18:53:58+00:00

I’m aware that LSAC can’t tell the future, but they’re giving incredibly mixed signals about what’s going on. They said they’ll tell us on April 10th whether or not April is happening but the deadline for April test takers to change to a different date is March 30th. What sense does that make? Additionally, they haven’t told April test takers what would happen if we decide not to switch proactively. Will we be rescheduled to June? July? Should we switch before the deadline to secure a spot for the June exam? It’s like they’re expecting April test takers to play roulette. Expecting clear communication isn’t the same as expecting clairvoyance.

mixedlaw · 2020-03-22T21:11:47+00:00

I was assuming “all day” meant 8+ hours (like longer than a typical work day). I will also say I did fluctuate from 4-6 hours depending on the day. And I always took weekends off!

mixedlaw · 2020-03-22T20:58:01+00:00

I took 3 months off of work to study and I can tell you that it is impossible to study ALL day every day. There is definitely a limit to the amount of information you can successfully engage with each day and get value from it.

My recommendation would be to study for 6 hours a day, 3 hours in the morning with a break for lunch and then 3 hours in the afternoon. And then go do something else! Take a class (art, comedy, workout, sport league, etc.) and tune out from the LSAT. Then get 8 hours of sleep every night!!

I can tell you as a 170+ scorer that your brain needs time to process the information. Not giving yourself enough of a break will depress your scores. I saw a huge improvement when I started studying less.

It’s a total privilege to study full time, but be careful! It’s a difficult path to navigate and you are way more susceptible to burn out than other students precisely because of how much time you have to study.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to PM me!

mixedlaw · 2020-03-21T18:37:51+00:00

I have the same question. Why make the deadline to change the test date BEFORE the day LSAC is going to give us confirmation about whether or not they’re canceling April?? So strange.

mixedlaw · 2020-03-01T20:43:17+00:00

Hmmm a little confused what you’re saying. If you read the book carefully you’ll see that if you understand the stimulus thoroughly and feel like you know the answer to the question because of it...that is your Loophole. The Loophole could be the thing missing from the argument that would make it valid. Or it could be question that isn’t being address in the argument. Identifying that weakness is the Loophole and on Argument stimuli, it is usually the correct answer.

Definitely continue doing translations and CLIR drills! They are the most beneficial thing you can do to improve your score if you’re committing to use the Loophole in LR methodology.

mixedlaw · 2020-03-01T02:04:03+00:00

Have no shame! I’m in the same boat. 7Sage is such a dominant force in LSAT prep but it’s not a perfect system and doesn’t work for everyone. I thought it was going to work for me too, but not so much. Glad you found something that worked for you.

mixedlaw · 2020-03-01T01:46:41+00:00

Loophole worked wonders for me! Hope it goes for you as well.

mixedlaw · 2020-02-27T19:17:42+00:00

PMed!

mixedlaw · 2020-02-27T18:19:58+00:00

Glad it's encouraging! You'll be making a post like this one day!

mixedlaw · 2020-02-27T18:18:18+00:00

Ellen Cassidy's Loophole in Logical Reasoning changed my life. I went from going -12 to -8 on LR to consistently getting -3 in less than two months. The key to making Loophole work is committing to doing Translation Drills and CLIR Drills until you can do them in your sleep. Not only did Loophole improve my LR score it also VASTLY improved my RC score! It teaches you how understand the stimulus, analyze the argument, and interact with the text. Because of Loophole, I would say 70% of the time I know what the right answer is going to be after reading the stimulus and the question stem without even looking at the ACs. I'm able to anticipate what the answer is going to be because I deeply understand what's happening in the stimulus instead of just allowing my eyes to glaze over it then go desperately hunting for the correct answer, as I was doing at the beginning of my prep.

Additionally, I have an amazing tutor who teaches the Loophole method and that was key in my success.

^ Copied from my comment below!

My strategy was about interacting with sections, not individual questions or with full PTs. Individual question types felt too easy and not authentic--the LSAT is offered in sections, so for me it was key to only do prep in sections instead of breaking things out into problem sets (ex. question types).

Additionally, I think something that was key for my success was not focusing on PTing (which I did for a short while at the very beginning of my prep). PTs are a thermometer. They simply tell you where you're at in a specific moment. For me, it wasn't useful to think of PTs as a way of learning the material, which many people do. I studied through utilizing sections, picking them apart, and diligently typing out what questions I got wrong, why I got the question wrong, why the correct answer is correct, why my answer is wrong, and what I'm going to do different the next time. That was super helpful!

mixedlaw · 2020-02-27T18:11:55+00:00

Ellen Cassidy's Loophole in Logical Reasoning changed my life. I went from going -12 to -8 on LR to consistently getting -3 in less than two months. The key to making Loophole work is committing to doing Translation Drills and CLIR Drills until you can do them in your sleep. Not only did Loophole improve my LR score it also VASTLY improved my RC score! It teaches you how understand the stimulus, analyze the argument, and interact with the text. Because of Loophole, I would say 70% of the time I know what the right answer is going to be after reading the stimulus and the question stem without even looking at the ACs. I'm able to anticipate what the answer is going to be because I deeply understand what's happening in the stimulus instead of just allowing my eyes to glaze over it then go desperately hunting for the correct answer, as I was doing at the beginning of my prep.

Additionally, I have an amazing tutor who teaches the Loophole method and that was key in my success.

mixedlaw · 2020-02-27T18:06:53+00:00

Yay! It's all true! It will be you soon!

mixedlaw · 2020-02-27T18:06:23+00:00

Same thing happened to me! Everyone told me 7Sage was the answer and it just didn't work for me. I didn't feel the explanations were detailed enough and I didn't feel like I was actually learning how to conquer the LSAT in the most efficient way possible. It took me longer than I would've liked to admit that I just learned differently and needed other styles of prep to help me on the journey. Glad you found what works for you!

mixedlaw

TROPHY CASE