Ask Misfire anything about the LSAT/Law School Admissions

[Misfire]

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I just finished writing my LSATs on the 10th. When can I expect the results? The proctor said "around" March 5th, what does that actually mean?

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2 weeks earlier, at least this was how it was for last decembers test

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I got mine in 20 days. Check the LSAC website in a couple weeks. You can download your report a few days before it'll come in the mail.

SBR, did you get my PM?

[RazzSpazz]

I understand that the normal route is to take the LSAT during your last year in college...but lets say for example that I really like taking standardized tests and decide to take it during my second year in college...will this have any effect, positive or negative, on my chances of getting into a decent law school? In other words, is there any harm in taking the test earlier than normal? Thanks.

[Misfire]

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I understand that the normal route is to take the LSAT during your last year in college...but lets say for example that I really like taking standardized tests and decide to take it during my second year in college...will this have any effect, positive or negative, on my chances of getting into a decent law school? In other words, is there any harm in taking the test earlier than normal? Thanks.

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First I'd say you're on crack for enjoying standardized tests. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Your score is good 3-5 years after you take it, depending on where you apply. As long as it's new enough to be accepted, it'll be weighed the same--no harm done. I'd just check with your top 4 or 5 schools and see how far back they'll accept a score. Make sure you study and get a good score the first time. Even schools who'll take your highest score will see your lower ones (and how many you've canceled).

How many years out of school you are DOES make a difference, as most schools will weigh your GPA less (and thus weigh your LSAT more) the longer you've been out. Sounds like you'd be going straight through, so make sure your GPA is solid as well.

Edit: Princeton Review is giving free practice tests this week, if you just wanted to take a stab at the test for [censored] and giggles.

[JP OSU]

I have heard some people say that it is not a test of intelligence and can be beaten with merely a ton of hard work... do you agree w/ this?

[Misfire]

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I have heard some people say that it is not a test of intelligence and can be beaten with merely a ton of hard work... do you agree w/ this?

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I would half agree. It does measure intelligence to an extent (USMensa uses it as one of their admissions tests). If it were purely an intellegence test, however, it would be virtually impossible to improve your score (unless, of course, you could actually raise your own IQ).

The reason the test (and most tests) are so bad at showing intelligence or aptitude is that the test gets in the way of what it's testing.

There are a number of things about the LSAT--understanding how questions are phrased, what they're really looking for when they say such-and-such, knowing exactly what to expect on each section, etc.--that can improve your score. There are quirky things that are LSAT specific (for instance, in the real world, I can counter someone's argument by questioning their premise. On the LSAT, an answer that weakens a premise is always incorrect.) It's not as much of a carnival game as the GMAT (which is almost all about test-taking technique), but there is plenty of opportunity for improvement, especially from the scores around the median (students from 145-155 seem to be able to improve the most points-wise).

At the same time, I notice that most people eventually hit a ceiling that is very difficult to break through, and I think that barrier may be the limit of their mental ability (whether it be logic, comprehension, or just the speed at which they think).

IMHO, studying for the LSAT is about removing those non-content, test-specific barriers so that the score, as much as possible, reflects the student's actual aptitude.

[JP OSU]

What did you actually score?... What schools are you looking at?... what kind of law do you want to practice?

[Misfire]

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What did you actually score?... What schools are you looking at?... what kind of law do you want to practice?

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173 on the actual test (before I really learned how to take it). I'm considering waiting another year before going to school, so I may just take it again.

In at NYU, Northwestern, Berkeley, VA, Duke, Texas, Vandy, Notre Dame, USC, Baylor, and Tulsa (lol). On hold at Harvard, Penn, and Columbia. Waiting on Yale, Stanford (my top choice), Michigan, Chicago, and GMU.

At this point, I'm leaning toward IP law (copyright and fair use), maybe entertainment law. My undergrad degree is in music business, so it fits. I'm gonna wait until after 1L to decide for sure.

[SBR]

What's your GPA you don't mind my asking?

[JP OSU]

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Tulsa (lol)

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haha, I lived there all my life til school, seriously considered doing ug there but it was far too expensive for the return... It actually does have a great reputation around here, don't know how their law school is ranked so terribly...

[Dave D]

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What did you actually score?... What schools are you looking at?... what kind of law do you want to practice?

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173 on the actual test (before I really learned how to take it). I'm considering waiting another year before going to school, so I may just take it again.

In at NYU, Northwestern, Berkeley, VA, Duke, Texas, Vandy, Notre Dame, USC, Baylor, and Tulsa (lol). On hold at Harvard, Penn, and Columbia. Waiting on Yale, Stanford (my top choice), Michigan, Chicago, and GMU.

At this point, I'm leaning toward IP law (copyright and fair use), maybe entertainment law. My undergrad degree is in music business, so it fits. I'm gonna wait until after 1L to decide for sure.

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Honestly, unless you really really really want to go to stanford (and believe me, I know how that feels, it was my ED for Undergrad) I would easily go to one of the schools you got in. Theres really no difference between 1-10, except for geographical location. If you wanna be in CA, USC/Berkely would be fine. Everyone learns the same stuff at every law school, especialy the first half of law school. The difference between 1-10 is less than penis waving ability. Pretty much all those people get offered teh same jobs, for you the interview/work experiance (and I think you're vastly ahead of most of your peers in work experiance, from your posts) will be the deciding factors. If a harvard guy and a Berkely guy get interviewed at the same place, I really doubt the harvard guy has any real edge, and I think your work experiance would far outweigh.