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Espresso and Ambition

A not-so-serious gal with some serious dreams.

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LSAT Prep Tips (How I Scored a 170+!)

August 25, 2017 by Taylor 6 Comments

LSAT Prep Tips for Scoring in the 170s - Espresso and Ambition

When I graduated high school, I honestly thought that was the end of standardized tests for me. Little did I know, just a few months later, I’d decide that I wanted to go to law school. And with law school comes the LSAT. If you don’t know what that is, the LSAT is the standardized test used for admission into most law schools (some have gone rogue and started accepting GRE scores, but that’s beside the point). Because the LSAT is the one commonality between all applicants, law schools put a ton of weight into your LSAT score when deciding who to admit. So to say it’s a huge deal is an understatement.

I took the LSAT back in June, and I did pretty well on it. I’m not a huge fan of talking about test scores (this blog post is actually the closest I’ve gotten to telling anyone other than my family what I got). But for the sake of this post, sharing at least some information about my score is necessary. I’ve gotta establish some credibility on the topic of LSAT prep, right? So here you go: I ended up scoring 170+ (still not saying my actual score), which is high enough score to put me in the running for the top law schools in the country.

So in this post, I’m going to share some of the study tips that helped me the most in getting that elusive high LSAT score.

1. Block off a time period to study

I was so lucky in that I was able to strategically plan my LSAT date around my study abroad experience – since my Oxford program ended in March and my internship didn’t start until June, I was able to use that entire time to solely focus on my LSAT preparation. If you can find a time window like that, you’re golden. Take a summer to study and then take the test in September if you don’t have a break in your school year – it’s so much easier to study for the LSAT when you’re not juggling 20 other responsibilities at the same time.

 

2. Research your test prep program

Personally, I used the PowerScore books and loved them (you can buy them on Amazon here!). However, each test prep program has its own strengths and weaknesses that may or may not correspond with your own learning style, so finding the program that fits you best is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in regards to your test preparation. PowerScore can get a bit overly detailed at times and make things a touch more complicated than they need to be, but I’m also overly detailed and enjoy complex problems, so those weaknesses of the program weren’t actually weaknesses for me.

 

3. Pick how you learn best

Once you pick a program, you still have a ton of options as to how you want to prepare for the test. I have quite a few friends who have taken test prep classes and they’ve seen great results, but I know that I’m not that type of person. I learn best when I can sit down by myself and work through a book and practice problems, so I opted for doing most of my preparation via self-study. However, I knew I wanted at least some face-to-face time with an instructor, so I took a shortened, weekend-long class – it was the perfect amount of classroom time for me.

 

4. Set up a study schedule

If you haven’t noticed, all of these steps are planning-related – I haven’t even started covering the actual studying part yet! That’s because the planning decisions you make before you start studying can make or break your LSAT studying. However you choose to prepare, make a general timeline of what you want to be working on in any given week. If you use PowerScore, they have a whole section of their website dedicated to self-study plans – I used one of these as a template to build out my study plan (you can see a peek of it in this bullet journal post).

 

5. Practice tests, practice tests, practice tests

Learning the structure of the test, question types, and problem-solving strategies are hugely important, but practice tests are easily the single most important aspect of LSAT prep. The way you answer questions when you’re working on a time constraint and have been testing for 2+ hours already is going to be totally different than the way you answer questions when you’re fresh and only doing a few questions at a time. The only way to really account for those differences is to take practice tests, and to take as many as you can. I think I took about 25-30 by the time I finished my test prep.

 

6. Learn from your mistakes

Taking practice tests is worthless if you don’t learn from them. Immediately upon finishing your test, grade it, and go back and look at the questions you got wrong. When you’re doing this, don’t focus on why the right answer was correct, focus on why the answer you chose was wrong. If you can identify the problem with the answer choice you selected, you’re less likely to make that mistake in the future.

 

7. Remember that the number isn’t everything

I’ve spent this whole post talking about how to score as high as you can, but I want to end on a different note. Scoring well is great, but it’s not everything. Ultimately, law schools look at more than just numbers, so a lower score isn’t necessarily a death sentence, and a high score isn’t a guarantee of admission. Remember that you’re still a person who needs to enjoy life – don’t lock yourself in your room studying at all hours of the day. Take breaks, hang out with friends, and try not to stress about the exam 24/7 – burnout is a real thing and you don’t want it ruining your LSAT experience.

LSAT Prep Tips for Scoring in the 170s - Espresso and Ambition

I think that’s it for today, friends! If you’re gearing up for the LSAT, feel free to ask me anything – I’m happy to help.

xo, Taylor

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Filed Under: College, Etc., Law School, Lifestyle

Comments

  1. Grace says

    August 29, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    I loved reading these tips, even though I’m not planning to go into law school. Great job on your accomplishments thus far!

    xo
    Grace | miss-graciela.blogspot.com

    Reply
  2. Ellen Jean Lee says

    April 15, 2018 at 9:59 pm

    Hey, I would love to connect with you and ask you more about your study experience! I have decided to leave around four months to completely study for the LSATS and take it in September. I would love some more advice and study tips! I absolutely enjoyed reading this post!

    Reply
    • Taylor says

      April 20, 2018 at 8:44 am

      Yes! I’d be happy to help and answer any questions you might have! Feel free to drop me an email via the “Contact” link at the top of the page. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Edelia Merida says

    January 8, 2019 at 6:51 pm

    Great job, Taylor. I can’t wait to see where you decide to attend law school. You’ll succeed in whatever endeavor you take on.

    Much success!

    Reply
  4. Iris says

    April 10, 2020 at 10:15 pm

    What was your initial score?

    Reply
    • Taylor says

      April 14, 2020 at 9:51 am

      i got a 155 on my first practice test!

      Reply

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A real-life combination of Elle Woods and Hermione Granger. Recent graduate of the University of Georgia, currently living and working in DC. New blog posts every Monday, new YouTube videos every Thursday. Subscribe by clicking the link below for post updates and exclusive content!

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tayy_kay
without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little c without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little challenging to really feel like i’m working at my full potential on leg days 😶 enter: single-leg movements. since all the weight is in one leg, you’re putting way more emphasis on it than you do during two-leg movements - and you’ll definitely feel that 🔥 you also get some added bonuses in the form of ensuring you’re working each side of your body equally AND a balance challenge!!
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you can add in weights or bands to up the challenge level, or do it all bodyweight like i am here!
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1️⃣ 15 single-leg box squats per leg (use other leg as a kickstand for an easier modification!)
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2️⃣ 15 bulgarian split squats per leg
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throw on at the end of a longer leg day workout or do it 3-4 times as a workout all on its own!!
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🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time 🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time to be alive, and it’s more important now than ever to listen to your body and stop being so hard on yourself. motivation is a fickle thing and working out when you don’t have all the equipment you love is weird. give yourself permission to take a break when you need it. don’t beat yourself up for missing workouts - exercise should be something you do because it makes you happy, not because you feel like you have to punish yourself. if it doesn’t make you happy that day, that’s okay. give yourself a break, come back and try again tomorrow. 💪🏼
circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not kidding about how much i love this long resistance band, it’s so versatile! definitely worth getting your hands on one for home workouts 😊 (although almost all of these can be completely with dumbbells or heavy objects if that’s what you’ve got in hand)
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also please watch to the very end of the fourth video for quality footage of greg 😂
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1️⃣ 12 long band shoulder presses to standing chest presses
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2️⃣ 12 upright rows to bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 overhead triceps extensions per arm (the one leg stance is some bonus balance work!)
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4️⃣ 12 rear flies, featuring greg trying to fight my shadow
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5️⃣ 12 commandos
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6️⃣ 12 side-to-side pushups
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repeat 4x total!!
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anyways, onto the real reason you’re here! i’m giving away 25 $20 giftcards for @310nutrition with NO STRINGS ATTACHED 🤯 you hear that? you ain’t gotta do a thing to win - the first 25 people to use the code KAYGC20 on their order automatically win. get your hands on some fire plant-based protein powder, courtesy of me and 310 😋 (p.s. if you’re still seeing this caption, there are still giftcards available!!)
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posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangen posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangentially topical. link in bio.
upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating towards circuit-style workouts lately, because they really work up a sweat and home workouts just don’t feel as legit to me unless i’m hardcore sweating 🤷🏼‍♀️ i don’t mind not breaking much of a sweat at the gym, but it feels weird not to when i’m working out at home - anyone else feel this or am i just weird?? 😅
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do all exercises back to back with no rest in between!
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1️⃣ 10 push-ups to renegade rows
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2️⃣ 12 alternating bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 diamond front raises
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4️⃣ 8 sets of 3 tricep pulses to this lil cross-body weight move that doesn’t have a name {keep your core tight to feel it on your obliques!}
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5️⃣ 15 bent-over rear delt rows
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6️⃣ finisher!! 🥵 10 burpees with 2 shoulder taps and 2 toe taps in the middle of each rep
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repeat 🔁 for a total of 3 rounds!!
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👚 top from @gymsharkwomen, shorts from @nike 🎧 dangerous - neffex
would be nice if both sides of my head could agree would be nice if both sides of my head could agree on whether my hair is wavy or straight, but apparently that’s a little too much to ask of it 😂
got a circuit-style leg workout for you today! 🥳 there are 3 sets of 3 exercises that you’ll complete back-to-back - once you’ve done those three moves, rest for 30 seconds before repeating them all over again 2 more times! rest for 1-2 minutes in between each circuit - keeping your heart rate up is the goal here, i was driiiiiiipping sweat by the end of this one 🥵
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circuit 1️⃣: 10 step-ups to reverse lunges per leg
10 reverse lunges to curtsy lunges per leg
20 lateral lunges
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circuit 2️⃣:
10 squats to surrenders (stop in a squat position before standing up at the end to really feel this one)
10 stagger-stance rdls
20 criss-cross squat jumps
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circuit 3️⃣:
15 leg lifts per side
10 single-leg glute bridges per side
15 frog pumps
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👚 top from @fabletics, joggers from @gymsharkwomen
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