LSAT

23 Nov 2018

Should you submit your application after you take the LSAT(or GRE) or once you get your score?

The short answer is "it doesn't matter that much." As we have blogged about here [https://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/how-long-does-it-take-for-law-school-applications-to-be-read/] , applications aren't read in date stamped sequential order, but rather by strength. They do, of course, have to be complete, and not having a test score will render them incomplete. Still, the lack of a score (or another attempt at a higher score) does not mean that you can't  actually submit an application. Should you

Read full post
13 Jul 2018

GRE vs. LSAT: Answers from the Deans

The introduction of the GRE to the law school admissions process has created a great deal of questions, confusion, and theories about how it’s being used. Almost everyday we get these questions, and as with the free-for-all of advice on the internet, the reality of how it impacts the admissions process can be confounding. Because of this confusion and lack of reliable advice, we wanted to help you sort out how to think about the GRE — so we took some of the most commonly asked questions to our f

Read full post
18 Jun 2018

Your Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know

This post was written by Tom Robinson [https://www.spiveyconsulting.com/about/], Spivey Consulting Group's newest [https://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/one-blog-to-rule-them-all/] Senior Consultant. Hi Everyone, I’m excited to be on the Spivey team and enjoyed working with clients in my first week with Spivey Consulting after spending my last three at Harvard Law and past seven at Harvard. It’s great to be on this side of the equation where I can assist in deciphering the application process and

Read full post
15 Jun 2018

How many LSAT "takes" is too many for law school?

This is a question we’ve been getting a great deal since the June LSAT and something we also bounced around the entire Spivey Consulting team in a large and lengthy group discussion. Here is how we look at it, with a brief bit of salient history. Apologies in advance for the length of this post; I’ve tried to incorporate different parts of the many inquiries we have received into this one blog. When I, and a few of my colleagues at Spivey Consulting, first started admissions in the late '90s, t

Read full post
25 May 2018

Free LSAT Prep versus amped up Professional Help.

Here is our take, with some other experts in the field. For what it is worth, I believe we are the only ones interviewed with no stake in the matter, so we were as objective as we could possibly be about the new debate. Free LSAT Help versus Paid Assistance [https://www.law.com/2018/05/24/khan-academys-free-lsat-prep-program-draws-jeers-cheers/?cmp=share_twitter]

Read full post
13 May 2018

ABA On Track To Drop LSAT Requirement: What Happens Now

This article was co-written with Dave Killoran and Mike Spivey of PowerScore [https://www.powerscore.com/] and Spivey Consulting, respectively. What Happened? On Friday, May 11, 2018, an ABA council approved a proposal that formally removes the requirement that the LSAT be used for admissions purposes [http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ABA_legal_education_council_rule_change_end_admission_test_requirement] at every ABA-approved law school. In its place is broader language that allows sch

Read full post
22 Dec 2017

About this super early December 2017 test score release...

Just a quick FYI, because as this is the earliest LSAC has released test scores in 9 years, there is a bit of mystery as to what it means. Surprisingly, it actually very likely means nothing is different for the vast majority of schools as far as timelines are concerned. Here's why. Most (or almost all maybe) admissions offices at law schools close after today and until Jan. 2nd. They high likely won't get YOUR December scores today when you get them (although some will try -- indeed my friend

Read full post
03 Dec 2017

"Help, I just failed the LSAT" December 2017 Edition

Amazingly, I have heard that exact line before. More than once. I’ve also heard thousands of times, “I way underperformed, I am doomed.” Indeed, I’ve heard from about 40 people in the last 20 hours who think just that. There are hundreds more out there who think the same right now. For so many reasons, you can’t fail the LSAT. And because I have seen the following scenario unfold so many times, I wanted to give some facts. Not an overblown pep talk or a feel good story. Just a few basic facts.

Read full post
15 Sep 2017

It's a Trap

I now have almost 19 years experience watching LSAT-takers fall prey to one of the most prevalent test day mistakes. But before I share that, let me go back about 25 years, to when I was in college, and embarrass myself a bit. It all relates I promise. Like many of you, when I was a cash-strapped college student I did psychology experiments for money. One such experiment had me in a small, mirrored room listening to instructions about how I was to receive 10 worded math questions (does anyone l

Read full post
20 May 2017

About that new LSAT Policy…

If you haven't heard, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) recently announced a change in their LSAT retake policy. Whereas prior to this change, law school applicants were limited to three LSAT administrations within a two-year period, applicants can now take an unlimited number of tests. Additionally, LSAT takers who have taken three or more LSATs in the last two years can now register for the September LSAT. This raises an important question: Should you take the LSAT 3+ times? The stand

Read full post