why does the LSAT carry so much weight?

If you've thought of going to law school, you've undoubtedly heard of the LSAT. In fact, just hearing the name probably makes you wince if you haven't already had much experience.

According to http://www.law-school-admission.com/-- and just about everyone else who speaks on the matter--the LSAT is the most important part of any prospective student's application to law school. Sure, admissions boards take other factors into consideration, but the LSAT serves as the only true basis of comparison.

Other factors include collegiate GPA, courses taken, extra-curricular activities, letters of recommendation, and your personal statement. While all of these are important, none compares to the LSAT because there is simply no way to fairly evaluate or quantify these other categories.

Considering that so much weight is placed on an applicant's LSAT performance, a great deal of anxiety looms around this test. I've been reading blogs, surfing Web sites, and talking to people about the LSAT a lot over the past year, which really started when I became serious about apply for law school. In every interaction, I've sensed a great deal of importance, an innate tension surrounding the test, and an all-out competition among test takers.

My LSAT test date is just under a year away, and I already get a heavy-pit feeling in my stomach when I think about it. When it comes to performing well, although a few exceptions always exist, it seems as though the highest scores are attained by those who truly devote themselves to the test, studying often and starting early.

Since the LSAT is offered only four times each year, even more pressure is placed on the test day. The most recent test date, September 29th, has ignited a flurry of discussions on blogs and discussion boards all over the Internet. One blog entry, posted by L.T.G. of Ostranenie, titled "LSAT....Finished...Again," caught my attention for two reasons: the author's vivid details about the test day and the insight and rationale provided regarding the score.

"Out of the 13 people signed up to take the test at my location," L.T.G. observed, "only 6 bothered to show up." This test-day absence rate further suggests a high level of text anxiety, but it's the probably the easy way out; taking the four-hour test is difficult part, not forfeitting the fee for skipping the test.

Even though the LSAT worries me to a degree, I know from all the testimonials I've read and heard that this test is one that can be mastered. It's certainly nothing to deter anyone from going to law school.

For more commentary on the LSAT and the law school application process, visit my blog again soon. As always, please let me know what you think about this topic.

an inundation of test-prep materials?

While each person's pursuit of law school may be a unique experience, there's one common thread for all applicants: the LSAT. An entire industry exists for test-prep materials for the LSAT.

The sheer number of LSAT prep books, Web sites, blogs, and online discussions can easily inundate any prospective law student.

When I began comparing test-prep materials and programs, I stumbled upon this saturated market where everyone seems to have something to say, something to pass on to newbies, something to share that worked well for them, something they wish they had known when they started their LSAT journey.

If there is one thing I have learned so far, it is that there exists more than enough test-prep materials. Some are fantastic. Others are completely worthless. Some cost a fortune, and others are absolutely free. I've learned that it really doesn't matter which you choose or how much you pay so long as you choose to do something, as long as you choose to dedicate yourself to preparing for the test.

When writing about the LSAT in her blog, Ann K. Levine, the sole proprietor of http://www.lawschoolexpert.com/, said, "I'm a fairly bright person and I did very well in law school and passed every bar exam I took on the first try. However, even if I spent a year doing nothing else besides LSAT preparation I would not get a 175. It's an aptitude test, and it's not a memorization based test."

Perhaps a small handful of people can score a 175 without preparing, but the reality for the majority of the population is that they must prepare extensively to obtain their desired score, in many cases studying a few hours per day, five or six days per week for three to six months before the exam.

For those who want a good score on the LSAT, the answer is usually more preparation since the test is one that can be mastered through practice.

Just as there is a multitude of test-prep materials, there is a multitude of test-prep tips. Most are fairly general and fairly useless, but Brett McKay of The Frugal Law Student provides a useful list of money-saving tips for the test.

Investing so much time in a standardized test that really doesn't even test one's knowledge or even one's understanding of the field of law seems ridiculous, but one aspect of this whole process is sobering: If you have enough motivation and dedication to master this test and get into law school, you will probably have enough to weather law school and the demands of the profession.

the LSAT stole my life

The LSAT isn't worth your time. Well, maybe that depends on how much you're willing to sacrifice to get into law school, but the principle of the matter is that it's simply not worth it.

My problem with this wretched test is its ineffectiveness in doing what it's supposed to accomplish: demonstrating students' ability and likelihood of excelling in law school.

Of course, the test has gone through multiple layers of scrutiny and revision to make it the most reflective of how students will do in law school, but I'm not convinced that it's the best the LSAC could create. Let's talk about the LSAT's impartial testing methods.

Shouldn't it seem obvious that this test is geared toward those who do well under pressures of intense time constraint? If I'm not mistaken, not all lawyers and people in the legal profession necessarily even need this quality to be successful.

What about people who are so amazing at what they do because they are meticulous and by their nature take a long time to complete tasks? If it takes them twice as long to complete the test, but they are capable, because of intellect and sheer stamina, of getting a perfect score, who's to say they shouldn't be allowed? Some people just need extra time.

Granted, the epitome of lawyers, those who practice in the courtroom, is that composed, fast-paced, cutthroat, Harvard-educated person, but so many other types of lawyers exist and are necessary for the legal field to stay afloat.

So how can the LSAT accurately assess which prospective students would be a good fit for law school? This is the question that LSAC officials have undoubtedly been faced with for years, and maybe there's no simple answer.

The fact is that admissions offices need some basis of comparison for applicants, and everyone knows that collegiate GPA cannot be that basis because of the variance in undergraduate programs around the country. When it comes to comparing students, the LSAT seems like the only viable solution.

Maybe, somewhere down the road, people will propose a better means of assessment, but until then, the LSAT is the mode of operation, the way to get into law school. So, if you're interested in getting in, maybe you should just pick up test-prep book and start studying.

For more commentary on the LSAT, visit my blog soon and read my next posting. As always, please let me know what you think about this issue.

the $1 million secret

How much is too much when it comes to LSAT test prep? What is considered out of bounds when it comes to achieving the perfect score? Is it starting prep courses as early as your freshman year? Is it staying home on Friday nights to get in another practice test?

Or is it contacting testing officials to get a preview of the test?

Something about cheating on the LSAT seems inherently wrong, but recent events indicate that some people just don't reach this conclusion. In February, according to MSNBC, Kevin B. Siangchin of North Plainfield, New Jersey, attempted to bribe employees of the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), trying to obtain a copy of the LSAT before his test date.

Through an indirect series of bribes, Siangchin left notes on the vehicles of LSAC employees alluding to his intentions, which sparked interest from local law enforcement officials and led to a sting operation.

Siangchin received a phone call from undercover detectives who later met him at a restaurant where Siangchin passed to detectives $5000 wrapped inside a copy of The Economist. Within minutes, after handing him a copy of the test, law enforcement officials arrested Siangchin, who is still under the court's supervision and undergoing mental health treatment.

Others take a more practical approach to preparing for the test. Watch the YouTube video with LSAT tips from a recent test-taker who scored a 179.


Some may argue that this student went too far, putting too much emphasis on scoring well on the LSAT and not focusing on other aspects of life that should be more important. What does this say about society in general when students are studying insane hours for the purpose of passing a test, one that does not test knowledge, but test-taking skills.

Just the fact that the the content of the LSAT is insured against $1 million of fraud and theft should be disconcerting enough. Too much weight is placed on this test.

For more commentary on the value of the LSAT, visit my blog soon and read my next posting. As always, please let me know what you think about this issue.

when it becomes difficult to take the law seriously

Inspired by The Dumb Network online, I introduce this week's series of blogs: OUTRAGEOUS laws that simply should not exist.

Of course, there's a plethora of laws that seem ill-contrived and perhaps so ludicrous that it's hard to believe they were created by people in any type of cognitive state, but let's take a closer look at just-plain silly laws in Colorado, presented by http://www.dumblaws.com/.

Law One: The Vacuuum Law
Denver >>> get an explanation >>>
It is unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-door neighbor.

Law Two: No Couches
Boulder >>> get an explanation >>>
Couches may not be placed on outside porches.

Law Three: Catapult Firing
Aspen >>> get an explanation >>>
Catapults may not be fired at buildings.

Law Four: Public Urination
Alamosa >>> get an explanation >>>
Persons may not urinate in public.

Law Five: No Crashing
Aspen >>> get an explanation >>>
It is illegal to crash into obstacles on a ski slope.