Wisdom in taking the December 2010 LSAT

[Dustin.Jones1984]

So I took the recent October 9, 2010 LSAT. Prior to taking the official LSAT, I went through about 4 to 5 preptests on my own under simulated timed conditions. The last two that I took was during the week right before the official LSAT test. I was scoring about 151 to 155 on those. Also, I took a LSAT prep class throughout the month of September at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. However, I ended up scoring a 142 on the official LSAT test. Heartbreaking to say the least and very frustrating after spending $800 on the prep course.

One thing that really distorted my overall score was that I know if the Section 2 Analytical Section (Logic Games) would have counted (it was the experimental section), then I would've got roughly 12-14 correct on that section. But alas, Section 5 Analytical Section (Logic Games) counted for the test and I only got 5 out of 23 correct. I also made some tactical errors on the rest of the test that costed me some easy points too. Having said all of that, the day after I got my horrible 142 score, I registered for the December 11, 2010 LSAT test (the day before my birthday!).

Do you have any advice for what I can do between then and now to best maximize my time in studying for this second attempt at the LSAT? Is it even wise for me to take it again in December? I will graduate from Graduate School next May with a Master's degree (120hrs.) and would like to start law school in August 2011.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

I'd absolutely prep for the December LSAT. You could still decide to take the February test and apply to begin in the fall of 2011. But if you took the February LSAT you'd be a bit behind in the admissions process and it would be more difficult to get into many of the schools: not impossible, just a bit more challenging.

So why not prep for the December LSAT, get your score to where you want it to be, and then get to law school in the fall. Keep in mind that you have till Nov. 21st to change your test date. So if you decide after Nov. 21st that you aren't ready, you'd receive an "absent" score. That's something I would avoid given that you've already taken the LSAT once. Make a decision before that date whether you are going to be ready, or whether you need to reschedule for the February LSAT.

With 4 1/2 weeks till the LSAT you still have time to make significant improvements, but it'd definitely be wise to get started now and focus on the LSAT over everything else.

The best thing you can do to maximize your time is to clear away other obligations and just focus on the test. Put in one solid day after another. Make sure that you can recognize each game type, know what the game board looks like, and can name a few things to look for that would imply faster solutions exist.

For LR, make sure that you know how to approach each question type, know some of the abstract concepts that show up in each of the question types, and practice your conditional logic!

For RC, make sure that you know what information to hold on to, what to leave behind. Be able to describe the passage organization and know some of the common traps in incorrect answer choices.

I know I haven't provided any specifics on how to do all this. Of course that takes hundreds of pages. There are over 600 pages in our strategy guides that walk you through this step by step. If you do have specific questions that arise along the way, please do post them here on the LSAT forum.

Good luck!