Motivation

24 Jul 2017

About to Start Law School?

Over the years, we’ve gotten to know a lot of law school “OLs,” not just as former admissions officers or current clients but also through speaking at colleges, attending conferences, and in many other places. This is one of the best parts of our jobs -- we learn about and from brilliant people who have the worthiest of aspirations. We also get to know their fears and anxieties — of which no other is more prominent right now than starting law school. Law school, you are about to find out if you

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22 Jun 2017

If You Didn’t Get the LSAT or Law School You Dreamed Of

This is for everyone who didn’t get the LSAT score they wanted. Or were not admitted into their absolute dream school – basically most people. Perhaps right now, as you are reading this, it is with a sense of rejection or desperation. I wanted to write this blog because I want you to know that: 1. I have been there. Indeed, we all have at some point. 2. I have now seen thousands of aspiring law students in the same exact position get to exactly where they planned and dreamed to be in thei

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23 Dec 2016

Show up every day

Twelve years ago, a student at Harvard invited 5 people over to his dorm room to discuss a business opportunity. Only 2 of the 5 people showed up. Today those two people are billionaires: Dustin Moskovitz ($9.9 billion) and Eduardo Saverin ($5.8 billion). And the guy they met that night? None other than Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, whose current net worth is $35.7 billion. Now, during the holidays, it would be easier than ever to jump off the grid. But if you have applications you haven

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01 Jun 2016

Urbach-Wiethe Disease [and the LSAT]

A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN known as SM blithely reaches for poisonous snakes, giggles in haunted houses and once, upon escaping the clutches of a knife-wielding man, didn’t run but calmly walked away. A rare kind of brain damage precludes her from experiencing fear of any sort. (Source: Wired [http://www.wired.com/2010/12/fear-brain-amygdala/].) Urbach-Wiethe disease is the name for the rare disorder, so rare that there have only been about 400 reported cases in history. I learned about this disease t

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03 Dec 2015

The Hay Is In The Barn

I woke up this morning too early and already putting on my running shoes. I have a qualifying race this Saturday and I wanted to get some miles in — I craved it despite the fact that the expert advice was to NOT run today. They hay, the experts have told me, is already in the barn. This makes total sense, of course. There is nothing I can do over the next two days to make real positive gains in my time. There is, however, a lot I can do to negatively impact me: not sleeping, over-training, psych

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06 Nov 2015

Staying Mentally Cool and Crushing the September LSAT

If you are reading this, there is strong likelihood that in less than a week you will be making the LSAC sponsored, law school endorsed, ABA required quarterly pilgrimage to one of the many hundreds of  testing centers to take the LSAT. If that alone doesn’t sound intimidating, LSAC  and USNWR certainly makes it so.  Bring this, not that. Wear this, and not that (there was an applicant who tried to get in dressed a Spider Man once!) The NSA would pretty much not be able to sneak into a test site

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03 Oct 2015

"Help, I failed the LSAT" September/October edition

The dust has cleared from October’s quiz and yet again and again (I’ve posted this article thrice now) I have fielded phone calls from people who tell me they failed the LSAT. * And this one seems to have been particularly difficult based on early feedback.* I’ve also heard thousands of times, “I way underperformed, I am doomed.” Indeed, we will hear  from about 50-75 people in the next 2 days who think just that. There are hundreds more out there who think the same right now. For so many reas

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10 Jun 2015

"Help, I failed the LSAT" June edition

The dust has cleared from June’s quiz and yet again and again (I’ve posted this article twice now) I have fielded phone calls from people who tell me they failed the LSAT. I’ve also heard thousands of times, “I way underperformed, I am doomed.” Indeed, we will hear from about 50-75 people in the next 2 days 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 m

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07 Jun 2015

LSAT State of Mind

(Last updated 9/5/18) If you are reading this, there is strong likelihood that soon you will be making the LSAC sponsored, law school endorsed pilgrimage to one of the many hundreds of testing centers to take the LSAT. If that alone doesn’t sound intimidating, LSAC and USNWR certainly makes it so. Bring this, not that. Wear this, not that (did you know that a guy once tried to take the test in a Spider Man suit?). LSAC themselves would pretty much not be able to sneak anything into a test site,

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19 Apr 2015

LSAT Test Day and Navy Seal Dropout Rates

I wanted to share a story I read about Navy Seal Training, as I think it has meaning for those waiting to take the LSAT. The article was about Navy Seal training dropout rates (which are infamously high about 800 out of every 1000 dropout). The interesting part wasn’t the rate, it was the rate of those Seal candidates who drop out while they are actually doing the grueling work — almost 0%. They don’t quit while running or swimming or doing other activities, they quit while waiting to do these.

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