SimuGator Blog

The story is all too familiar. The diligent student devotes countless hours to:

• Taking an LSAT course
• Studying LSAT books
• Forming an LSAT study group
• Taking countless LSAT PrepTests

The student gets high scores on the LSAT PrepTests. The student feels good. The student feels confident. Yet, on test day, the student fails to come close to his or her target score. The student feels defeated because he or she must devote even more time to retaking the LSAT.

Wasted time and debilitating frustration are not the only concerns. With courses costing hundreds to thousands of dollars, not to mention the $160 that it costs to merely sit for the LSAT, money is at stake too.

Solving the LSAT Test-Day Score-Drop Paradox

The aforementioned description of the frustrated LSAT taker is exactly what led to the creation of the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD.  As co-founder Mike recalls:

I took my first LSAT in the Philadelphia Convention Center. Labeling it a distracting environment would be an understatement—it was an open room of about 200 students.  On top of that, the Convention Center staff was preparing for a concert that would take place that night, and there was constant noise in adjacent rooms that shattered my concentration.

When Mike received his LSAT results, he was not pleased.  “I was devastated. I took an LSAT course and devoted countless hours to full-length LSAT PrepTests. My test-day problems undermined all of my hard work.”

Mike started to reflect on his previous LSAT preparation. He realized that he had been too lackadaisical with his LSAT PrepTests. Mike notes:

Everyone says that LSAT PrepTests are the best way to predict how you will score on test day. They say that practice makes perfect. But I realized that this is only true if the PrepTests are taken under actual testing conditions. I realized that to fully prepare for my next LSAT, I needed to simulate three important test-day factors:

1. A proctor who strictly times you by telling you when to start and stop, who screams out the five-minute warning, who is always in your presence, and whose eyes burn right through you as you are taking the second most important test of your life (first being the bar exam).
2. The feeling of the test being the “real deal”: being read the instructions before the test starts, having only thirty seconds between sections, being allowed only a strict ten-minute break between sections three and four, having to wait for the proctor to collect test materials and ID’s before and after the break, and taking the writing sample, which is more important than people realize. (See The LSAT Writing Sample Matters).
3. The feeling of people being around you and making distracting test-day noises, including coughing, pencil erasing, chair squeaks, sneezing, and asking to use the restroom. Contrary to popular belief, ear plugs are not allowed on the LSAT and are considered a “test center violation.”

These three factors were the recipe for the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD, which Mike helped create between his first and second LSAT administrations. The DVD is the only professionally-produced full-video simulation of the LSAT. To date, the DVD has helped thousands of students successfully prepare for the LSAT. Mike was one of them.

Mike reflects:

As my story shows, the LSAT Proctor DVD was truly a creation of necessity. I used it myself while studying for my retake. By pushing play once, I was immersed in a realistic test-day environment. To make a long story short, my score increased by ten points. Thereafter, I was accepted at my first-choice law school in my beloved home state, received a large merit-based scholarship because of my LSAT score and GPA, served on my school’s Law Review, passed both the New York and New Jersey bar exams, and secured a great judicial clerkship after graduation. None of this would have been possible if I did not score ten points higher on my LSAT, which was a direct result of using my own product, the LSAT Proctor DVD.

Click here to learn more about the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD.

SimuGator has built the most comprehensive LSAT test center rating and reviewing system, which will help you decide which testing site you should choose when registering for the LSAT.

We have asked participants to evaluate such factors as desk space, room temperature, number of test takers in the room, noise level, lighting, testing delays, and competency of proctors, among others. We have also allowed participants to leave general comments and descriptions about their testing site.

To read free reviews, visit: LSAT Test Center Rater

This video demonstrates important techniques for solving LSAT logic games questions, as shown through June 2007 LSAT Game 3.

These techniques include:

• Creating an effective diagram
• Making critical deductions
• The importance of focusing on where variables can’t go
• How using your previous work can save you lots of time
• How to work smarter, not harder, to get the correct answer

We will continue to post free video lessons each week so be sure to revisit our blog. If you would like to be notified of new blog posts, please Subscribe to our blog.

You can also receive notifications of new lessons by liking the SimuGator Facebook Page.

Applying to law school? SimuGator’s editing and counseling division, Gradvocates, can help.

For a borderline applicant, a well-written personal statement can tip the scales in favor of admission into law school. For stronger applicants, a perfect personal statement could result in a scholarship, saving thousands in tuition.

The Gradvocates editing process is unique because it involves a tiered reviewing system. The applicant is assigned a dedicated editor who will critique the applicant’s document by fixing errors and providing objective analysis on how to best improve the substance of the document. These edits and suggestions are then reviewed by two other senior editors who ensure that the document has reached its full potential.

Gradvocates also offers resume editing, diversity statement editing, and scholarship essay editing.

For more information, visit: Gradvocates Law School Personal Statement Editing.

The LSAT is obviously a major part of the law school application and admissions process. Since many law school applicants must spend a considerable amount of time preparing for this critical exam, we invited Robert M. Fojo from LSAT Freedom to guest post on our blog on a periodic basis and provide our readers with helpful insight regarding all things LSAT. The following post is the first in a series of blog posts Robert will contribute regarding LSAT logical reasoning and fallacies in arguments tested on the LSAT.

Enter Robert . . .

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If you want to practice law, you must be able to construct logically valid arguments. This skill is also important because it figures prominently on the LSAT.

Most questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning section present you with an argument for analysis. Each question then asks to do any number of things with it – e.g., strengthen or weaken the argument, dissect the analytical structure of the argument, or identify an argument’s abstract pattern of reasoning. Because most of these questions ask you to rectify flaws in the argument, the arguments on the exam are usually logically incorrect in some important respect. Your job as the test-taker is to identify these flaws and select the correct answer choice that reflects a given flaw.

Beginning with this blog post, we will examine the ways arguments are flawed on the LSAT by looking at different examples of fallacious reasoning that the exam tests. There are approximately 26 logically incorrect argument structures that appear most frequently on the LSAT.

The more you become familiar with the LSAT’s reasoning structures, the more you will recognize these structures when you encounter them on the exam, and the more quickly you will be able to analyze the problem and arrive at the correct answer. Many questions on the LSAT will ask you to choose the answer that best describes, in abstract terms, the logical flaw in an argument. Becoming familiar with the way the LSAT describes these logical fallacies will allow you to process these answer choices more quickly, since the language used in these answer choices repeats from exam to exam.

The Missing Assumption

The first fallacy we will address is the missing assumption. The most common pattern of incorrect reasoning on the LSAT is an argument that excludes an important premise or makes an unwarranted assumption.

On the LSAT, you should take nothing for granted. Therefore, every premise in an argument should be explicitly stated so that the conclusion that results is valid.

To illustrate this point, consider the following example:

All girls like to play hopscotch.
Therefore, Jane likes to play hopscotch.

In concluding that Jane likes to play hopscotch, this argument makes the assumption that Jane is a girl. That assumption, however, is omitted. If Jane was not a girl, the argument would not be valid. Thus, the unstated assumption that Jane is a girl makes the reasoning in this argument questionable. The argument would have been stronger – and air tight – if this assumption had been included as follows:

All girls like to play hopscotch.
Jane is a girl.
Therefore, Jane likes to play hopscotch.

When presented as such, the argument and its conclusion are now valid, and there is nothing questionable about the reasoning.

Now let’s consider another example. This is a made-up argument that would likely appear on the LSAT:

To improve sales, MishMash Corporation should begin and implement a social media marketing campaign. Such a campaign would allow MishMash to connect directly with its customers on social media. Studies have shown that a social media marketing campaign increases traffic to a company’s website.

The conclusion of this argument is that MishMash Corporation will improve its sales if it implements a social media marketing campaign. However, all we know is that a social media marketing campaign will increase website traffic. The argument makes a faulty assumption that increased website traffic will lead to improved sales. Increased website traffic is not the same as improved sales. Increased website traffic may improve sales, but there is no evidence presented in the argument above that it would do so in this particular situation. Again, don’t take anything for granted on the LSAT! The faulty assumption in the argument above (that increased website traffic will lead to improved sales) makes this argument logically flawed.

Your ability to spot the missing assumption in an argument is a crucial skill for your success on the LSAT. Always ask yourself, when reviewing an argument, whether there is a link missing between the premises and the conclusion. In the above example, the link was between increased website traffic and improved sales. Finding these missing links will help you on “assumption” questions and on the Logical Reasoning section in general.

Looking for more help with your LSAT Prep? Check out LSAT Freedom’s convenient in-depth and reasonably priced online prep course.

Guest Post by Jay Cutts, author of the Barron’s LSAT Test Prep book and creator of the STEPS to the LSAT program.

Taking the December test but not quite thrilled with how you’ve been scoring? Join the club. Probably 90% of December test takers feel that way and yet it’s your last chance, right?

Wrong!

Here are the facts. Most schools require that you have an official LSAT score no later than the December test. That means that if you do not already have an official LSAT score within the past five years, you do need to take December.

As long as you get an official score for December, you can also retake the test in February. Virtually all schools will look at that February score, even though it may arrive after their deadline. They will consider it as supplemental information. Can you really add supplemental information after the application deadline? Sure! After all, if you won a Nobel prize in February, they would want to hear about that, wouldn’t they?

If you are going to retake in February, you should notify your schools now in writing. Don’t email. Don’t call. Put it in writing so that it is included in your file. They will then hold off on evaluating your application until that score comes in.

There are two important points you should consider to plan well for the February test.

1. Continue your studying as soon as the December test is over.

Don’t wait until your score comes in! You already know from your practice tests that you’re not yet satisfied with your score. We all hope a miracle will happen on test day and you’ll get 180. It doesn’t happen. If you wait until your score comes in, you are losing valuable weeks of study time.

2. Study in a different way.

Whatever you’ve done up to now has not gotten you your best score. Invest in a different plan. What you do between now and February will make the difference between getting into law school a year earlier or a year later. A year earlier means an extra year of earning a lawyer’s wages instead of a waitperson’s wages. It’s worth the investment.

I personally am wary of the big expensive prep programs. I don’t believe you get your money’s worth. Look for a highly experienced coach. If your funds are limited, I recommend that you start with the Barron’s LSAT book that I wrote. I poured my 24 years of coaching experience into it. It goes deeper and has more effective strategies than most other books. Be sure you get the edition with my name on it.

For another $120, you can also enroll in my STEPS to the LSAT program. This gives you a highly structured study manual, access to my advanced instructions and explanations, contact with study partners, and other study aids.

If you do enroll in another coaching program, the Barron’s book and STEPS to the LSAT will help you get those in-depth insights that somehow are still escaping you now.

Studying for the LSAT? You’re going to need practice tests and an analog LSAT watch. We have included individual LSAT PrepTests, the 10 Actual Official LSAT PrepTest series of books, the Official LSAT SuperPrep books with formerly undisclosed February LSATs, The Official LSAT Prep Test with Explanations Volume 1 with the Feb. 1997 LSAT PrepTest, and the free June 2007 LSAT from the LSAC website. We have included all these to be comprehensive in our list and to give you the most choices. Be aware of what PrepTests come with what books so as to not purchase redundant tests from multiple books and/or individual tests. The only instance in which you may want to do this is for the SuperPrep books, which contain undisclosed/February LSATs. The Official LSAT SuperPrep II: The Champion of LSAT Prep comes with PrepTest 62, 63, and another undisclosed PrepTest, which was never previously released (and is most likely a February exam, which the LSAC does not typically release and are not included in their PrepTest numbering system after the mid-1990s.) The Official LSAT SuperPrep: The Champion of LSAT Prep comes with the Feb. 2000, Feb. 1999, and Feb. 1996 PrepTests (all previously unreleased LSATs).

PLEASE NOTE: As you go down the list and approach the older PrepTests (LSATs with lower numbers), be aware that most of these older individual exams are no longer in print by the LSAC and will either be increasingly expensive or not available as a single LSAT PrepTest. Instead of purchasing these exams as individual PrepTests, opt for the 10 Actual Official LSAT PrepTest series books with these older PrepTests in them. The list as it is currently constructed was done to be comprehensive and contain all published LSAT PrepTests in existence in reverse chronological/number/release date order for quick reference, so please do not purchase all tests listed or you will be obtaining redundant copies and vastly overpaying for them.

– SimuGator Support

For Official LSAT PrepTests, see the links below (Listed Newest to Oldest):

Last Updated 9-22-2018

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Anyone who is preparing for the LSAT and has seen the movie Legally Blonde has probably wondered: “How on earth did Elle Woods go from a 143 to a 179?”

One obvious answer is: “It’s fiction.” But even in the real world, such a large jump in LSAT score is indeed possible after months of dedicated preparation.

Surprisingly, if you watch closely enough, you can learn a lot about LSAT prep from Elle Woods. Here are four incredible LSAT prep tips from Elle Woods.

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SimuGator’s Analog LSAT Watch

Unfortunately, we no longer carry the SimuGator Analog LSAT watch, and won’t for the foreseeable future unless something changes. It was and still is a great watch—might even be a collector’s item one day. So snag one if you happen to come across it as its value will surely increase.

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If you plan to take the SAT this spring or have a son or daughter who is, register now for one of the upcoming available exam dates. You can register for the May 4th or June 1st 2013 SAT tests. You have until April 5th to register for the May 4th exam. For an additional fee, you can register by mail, phone, or online by April 19th for the same May 4th test.

If you don’t mind waiting until June to take the test, you have until May 7th for standard registration. For late registration by mail (for an additional fee), you have until May 17th. By phone and College Board’s website, you have until May 22nd for the same additional fee.

Remember, SimuGator’s SAT Edition timer and proctor can help prepare you for the test by timing your SAT practice tests before you take the real thing. To register for the SAT, visit College Board’s website here and click Register at the top of the page.

SimuGator’s SAT Proctor DVD

SAT tutoring can be very competitive. The high demands placed on students to succeed at the SAT, formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test, are greater than ever. This is true despite attempts to change admission standards and policies by many universities for several decades now. With increased pressure on students to do well on the exam comes increased stress for tutors to better prepare them for it.

Increased demand, however, can also present increased opportunity. Set yourself apart as a tutor by giving your students the advantage of timed practice with a simulated test environment. As you already know, timed practice under realistic conditions is one of the best ways to prepare for standardized tests. SimuGator has developed a realistic full-length reproduction of a proctored SAT examination. Use SimuGator’s SAT Proctor DVD along with SAT Practice Tests to give your students realistic SAT test practice from their own homes at their convenience.

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Susan’s first interview for a private equity firm did not go well at all. She was late for the interview with a representative of the company, who later turned out to be the founder’s son.

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As we at SimuGator have advocated since our inception, intense, repetitive practice of the LSAT (as well as with any standardized test including the SAT) can lead to a significant improvement in overall exam score. The LSAT Proctor DVD and SAT Proctor DVD were both created to enhance the test taker’s ability to practice for these exams using simulated test environments.

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One of the best movies of all time is undoubtedly The Shawshank Redemption. And one of the best scenes in that movie is when Red, played by Morgan Freeman, is finally granted parole.

By “finally,” we mean that Red had three parole hearings between 1947 and 1967. At the first hearing, this is what transpired:

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At SimuGator, we are always thinking of better ways to manage time. That is exactly why we created both the SimuGator: LSAT Proctor DVD and the SimuGator: SAT Proctor DVD. We saw that two of the main factors preventing students from achieving their best test scores were the inability to manage time and stress in these exam environments.

From the great expectations we have for ourselves to the mundane daily tasks that need to be completed, balancing school, work, and life can be stressful. Distractions abound in today’s mobile world. While the Internet can be an essential asset to learning and research, it, nonetheless, can quickly turn into hours of unproductive activity. This is why maintaining focus is essential to overcoming the malaise of everyday distractions.

Here are a few ways to improve your focus and achieve better results with the time you have available:

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According to the recent Wall Street Journal Article, “Toughest Exam Question: What Is the Best Way to Study?”, the best way to prepare yourself for the SAT is through repetition and consistency —specifically, by taking the test over and over again:

In his junior year of high school…, Keenan Harrell bought test-prep books and subjected himself to a “relentless and repetitive” series of nearly 30 practice SAT college-entrance exams. “I just took it over and over again, until it became almost aggravating,” he says. Practice paid off. Mr. Harrell, now 19, was accepted at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a college he’s dreamed of attending since the third grade. He scored 1800 (out of 2400) on the SAT, up 50% from 1200 on the PSAT, a preliminary test during his sophomore year.

Students shouldn’t register to take the actual test over and over again, rather students can conveniently purchase previous SAT and practice SAT exams to build confidence and perfect technique. Official Practice SAT exams can be found in The Official SAT Study Guide, the study guide produced by The College Board, the makers of the SAT.

To achieve the highest scores possible, students should practice under the most realistic conditions. To simulate the conditions of test day, students should take timed SAT practice tests using the SimuGator: SAT Proctor DVD, the only full-length SAT Practice Exam Simulation with all 10 sections (including Variable and Writing essay sections) included and an optional added distractions mode. The SimuGator: SAT Proctor DVD is available as an app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and as a DVD on Amazon. Visit the product page on SimuGator.com to learn more about its features, how it works, and to see testimonials from fellow SAT test-takers on how it helped them prepare for the test and improve their scores.

Facebook’s New Comments Plug-In: An Assault on Privacy

In a previous blog post titled How Employers Googling Your “Net Trail” Can Cost You the Job, we warned that job applicants need to reconsider what they are putting into cyberspace and make sure anything private is either locked down or untraceable to their real identity. We gave several real examples of the consequences of not managing your “Net Trails” and provided tips on how to ensure that employers cannot find what you do on the Internet.

Facebook has recently launched a new comment plug-in system, which has already been implemented by many large websites.

This new Facebook system conflicts with our belief that you must vigorously protect what you do online for two reasons.

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Article by Guest Author

The Case for Liberation

We were in the fifth hour of intense negotiations. My throat was dry and sweat accumulating on my eyebrow started running down my face.

“Counselor, I think we have ourselves a deal.  Wait… is there consideration?”

“Um… There’s no consideration… I must have forgotten…”

“DAMN IT! HOW COULD YOU FORGET THE MOST BASIC CONCEPT OF CONTRACT LAW???”

I sat up quickly in my bed, terrified. “Another law school nightmare—wonderful.”

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You have probably heard the quote by the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca that goes, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Oprah Winfrey reiterated a similar version of the same quote almost two-thousand years later. Clearly, these two intelligent individuals were on to something.

In the context of job interviews, the above quote couldn’t be more accurate.

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Article by guest author, Josh, 1L

Before I started my first semester of law school, I had collected a wealth of advice from many different sources, including students, practicing attorneys, and a 300 page insider’s guide.  Although I appreciated their advice, law school is something you have to figure out on your own—and quickly.  Otherwise, you might get lost in the endless amount of work.  Now, after completing my first semester of law school, here are some things that I realized that were not so plainly obvious at first.

1. Only use commercial study guides if you absolutely need to

What do I mean by commercial study guides? When you first start school, you will hear various terms thrown out by 2L’s and 3L’s that will be like a new language to you: E&E’s (Examples and Explanations), Emmanuel’s, Crunchtime, etc. These are all commercial study guides published by outside sources that have an extremely helpful bank of knowledge corresponding to every first year course across the country.  But heed my warning now: some of them are expensive and there will be discrepancies between them and what your professor has specifically taught you. By all means, use them to understand some topics that you might not understand, but only after you have spoken to the professor or a study group (we’ll get to that later) to try and figure it out yourself.  My belief is that they should only be used as a last resort.

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“We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.”
-Lakota Native American Proverb

Cautionary Lessons from a True Story

As a rising second-year student, Felicia’s law career was off to a great start. Although it was a hectic time with advanced courses, Law Review, and applications for summer jobs, Felicia had an excellent GPA and was able to obtain references from two of her school’s most esteemed professors. She was on her way to being hired for a high-paying summer associate position that would help take care of her student loans and get her foot in the door of a highly competitive job market.

On the night before her first job interview, Felicia “Googled” herself out of curiosity during a period of procrastination. To her horror, her Twitter page was the first search result. When Felicia first signed up for Twitter, she listed her real name—first and last. Since 2007, Felicia regularly tweeted about her controversial political views and her tumultuous love life.

Felicia quickly made her Twitter account private. Problem solved, right? Wrong. On the Internet, there are hundreds of websites that leech off of Twitter, indexing tweets and account information. Although her Twitter account was now private, these other sites still displayed her old tweets upon Googling her real name.

But even more terrifying—her Net Trail was exposed. Everything she had done on the Internet under her one username could now be found by anyone who wanted to look for it.

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This past month, SimuGator was featured on Ann Levine’s Blog Talk Radio show about LSAT Prep Options.

As you may know, Ann Levine is the former Director for two ABA law schools and is an experienced law school admissions consultant. She offers admission services at her website, LawSchoolExpert.com. Ann Levine is also the author of the highly informative book, The Law School Admission Game: Play Like An Expert, which we believe is a critical road map to the law school admissions process.

The founders of SimuGator and Ann Levine were previously featured together in the LSAT prep book titled 101 Ways to Score Higher on Your LSAT.

The interview can be heard through the audio player on this page or by visiting the Blog Talk Radio website.

During the interview, some topics discussed were:

• How SimuGator was founded in 2007 and has since helped thousands of students prepare for the LSAT.
• The importance of taking LSAT PrepTests under test day conditions.
• Three easy steps to tell whether you should postpone your LSAT, and the benefits and consequences of not postponing.
• Inexpensive LSAT prep options.
• How to pinpoint weaknesses in the weeks prior to your LSAT.

We would like to thank Ann Levine for having us on her show, and we encourage you to check out her book and website.

This video demonstrates important techniques for solving LSAT logic games questions, as shown through June 2007 LSAT Game 2.

These techniques include:

• Creating an effective diagram
• Making critical deductions
• A great technique for solving must be true questions

We will continue to post free video lessons each week so be sure to revisit our blog. If you would like to be notified of new blog posts, please Subscribe to our blog.

You can also receive notifications of new lessons by liking the SimuGator Facebook Page.

This video demonstrates important techniques for solving LSAT logic games questions, as shown through the first game on the June 2007 LSAT.

These techniques include:

• Creating an effective diagram
• Making critical deductions
• Focusing on where variable cannot go to find out where they can go
• Reusing your previous work

We will continue to post free video lessons each week so be sure to revisit our blog. If you would like to be notified of new blog posts, please Subscribe to our blog.

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Myth: In a country that churns out thousands of lawyers per graduating class, it does not seem to make a difference where you go to law school, as long as you get the good pay day in the end.

Fact: Too many aspiring law students fall into the mind-set mentioned above.

This is your wake-up call! Do not fall into the trap! Due to the poor state of the economy, students have been hypnotized by large dollar signs, which cause them to send their applications (and boatloads of money) aimlessly to law schools with the best reputation for the best-paying jobs upon graduation. If you are smart about where you send your applications out, you will not only save money on application fees, but you will also be pleased with the amount of large envelopes you receive in the mail. The strategy is so simple, yet countless students forget it every year: apply where you think you have the best chances to get in and apply to schools you can see yourself attending.

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So, you made it to the infamous summer before law school. Before you start panicking about what is next on your ever-growing list before classes begin, take a moment to congratulate yourself on getting this far. You have most likely graduated from your undergraduate institution and committed to a law school which has both accepted you and offers a program that interests you in some way. Therefore, allow me to offer my sincerest congratulations! You are about to enter a professional school, filled with (mostly) professional people. It is an exciting and nerve-racking time, but for now, my advice to you is to take it all in. The summer before law school should be spent preparing your mind, while taking care of pre-orientation tasks that your school will undoubtedly require. Oh, and don’t forget to relax! It is summer, after all.

In order to help you along the way, I have narrowed down two Do’s and two Don’ts when it comes to the summer before law school that will be sure to ease the tension and reduce the risk of being overwhelmed a week before orientation.

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Ann K. Levine, Esq., former director of law school admissions for two ABA law schools, is a law school admission consultant and owner of Law School Expert, www.LawSchoolExpert.com. Since 2004, Ms. Levine has personally guided 1,500+ law school applicants through the law school admission process. She is the author of the bestselling law school guide, “The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert.”

Once a student has made up their mind about pursuing a law school education, the question that is at the forefront of his or her mind is: “What’s next?” They wonder how they can gain admission to a great law school and what the respective admission committees are expecting. Once the requirements become clear, the application process can be a nerve-racking experience, on a grander scale than gaining admission to any undergraduate institution.

Have no fear, aspiring attorneys! You have a weapon at your disposal that will take you step by step through the grueling application process on your way to the ultimate goal of admission. Ann Levine, a former admissions committee representative and law school graduate, provides the sought-after expertise on the inner workings of law school admissions committees and the application procedure. Her new book, The Law School Admission Game: Play Like An Expert, clearly outlines how to tackle each step from writing personal statement to writing those ever-confusing addenda.

If you have the slightest inkling that you may want to go to law school in the future, you should purchase this book.

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LSAC Recommends Simulating Test Day Conditions on Practice Tests
According to the LSAC Sample Questions With Explanations, LSAC recommends:

“At a minimum, you should review the descriptions of the question types (below) and simulate the day of the test by taking, under actual time constraints, a practice test that includes a writing sample. Taking a practice test under timed conditions helps you to estimate the amount of time you can afford to spend on each question in a section and to determine the question types for which you may need additional practice.”

Use the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD to Easily Simulate Test Day on Every Practice LSAT
SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD is a complete video simulation of the LSAT shot from the perspective of a test taker. Its purpose is to enable students to easily time themselves on practice LSAT PrepTests while building immunity to the distractions that they will face on test day.

This ability to take LSAT PrepTests under actual conditions results in greater concentration, decreased anxiety, and an overall stronger performance on the real LSAT.

Specifically, the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD allows you to:

• Accurately and easily time your LSAT PrepTests through your own personal LSAT proctor who tells you when to start, when there are five minutes remaining, and when to stop each section.
• Decrease LSAT test anxiety by practicing under actual conditions because you will know exactly what to expect on test day
• Increase concentration by turning on Distractions Mode which reproduces distractions that you will face on test day.
• Stay focused, disciplined, and motivated because the sections move along just like the real LSAT, which eliminates any temptation to take breaks between sections.
• Become comfortable with pacing yourself using your analog wrist-watch.

Click to learn more about this invaluable LSAT study tool.

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Article by Todd Tolin, Seton Hall University School of Law

You’ve spent ages studying, you’ve been in the exam for hours, and finally you’ve reached the very last section before you can escape to freedom.  So why not just blow off the essay section entirely?  It’s not tabulated into the score, so it doesn’t really matter if you do a great job, right?

Wrong!  As a student representative who has read countless files for my law school’s admissions committee over the past two years, let me assure you that this essay can and does matter.  Perhaps there are some law schools that don’t weigh the essay much, or may not even read it, but do you want to take that chance?   Further, the LSAT essay is always a part of your admissions file.

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“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
-Japanese Proverb

If you’re reading this…
If you’re reading this, you were most likely disappointed with your recent LSAT score. You may be obsessing about how your score will affect your chances of admission at your dream schools or whether you will be able to attend law school at all.

Take a deep breath and relax. Many lawyers and current law students missed the mark during their first LSAT administration and had to retake. Maybe you didn’t perfect your strategies due to a lack of preparation, maybe you lacked mental stamina because you didn’t complete enough LSAT PrepTests, maybe your performance dropped due to distractions or nerves that you didn’t account for in your practice tests, or maybe you simply had an off day. Whatever the reason was, the tips below will help you diagnose and treat your LSAT woes.

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LSAT Proctor, the company that invented the Virtual LSAT Proctor DVD and revolutionized the way students prepare for the LSAT, has rebranded itself as SimuGator. The new name gives SimuGator the flexibility to develop products, lessons, and simulation videos in new markets.

The Virtual LSAT Proctor DVD has been remastered and improved and is now called SimuGator: LSAT Prep Edition. This helpful LSAT prep tool can be purchased at SimuGator website (http://www.simugator.com).

(Video Source: ShareATT)

After months of studying for the LSAT, it is common for students to spot LSAT issues everywhere. In fact, seeing life through the lens of the LSAT is a great way to reinforce what you have learned and a helpful way to study on-the-go.

For example, consider the following problem that we wrote based on the current feud going on between AT&T and Verizon.

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(Photo Source: ALSTech)

Every law school student can recall a time when they have been paying attention for about ten minutes in class and suddenly “that guy” comes into the room late. He quietly walks down the steps of the lecture hall and then cautiously sneaks by a few people to get to his seat, thinking he got away with being late. Two minutes later, a blaring Windows startup sound reverberates through the room and everyone, including you and the professor, turns to look at him disapprovingly.

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(Photo Source: San Jose Library)

As a current undergraduate and future law school applicant, you should plan to have plenty of extracurricular activities on your law school application. These activities will serve the dual functions of distinguishing you from thousands of other law school applicants while showing that you are a dedicated and committed student.

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After submitting your law school application to various institutions, you may find yourself being waitlisted. Although it can be a disappointing event, it is actually a great accomplishment because it means that you have met their stringent academic requirements. A law school’s waiting list is certainly not a form of rejection. These types of situations arise when the school’s admission quota has been met due to other applicants being accepted before you. A law school has a predetermined amount of students that can enroll into their courses. Once the quota is met, they begin to waitlist all other qualified students.

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This is a video that everyone should watch, especially law school applicants and current law school students who will one day have to survive the scrutiny of the the “Character and Fitness” process before they are admitted to the bar.

(Photo Source: ccarlstead)

“One important key to success is self-confidence.
An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”
-Arthur Ashe

It is a well-known fact that the best way to study for the LSAT is to practice using official LSAC prep tests. It is also well-known that many students experience a decline in their actual LSAT score. For these students, the drop in their score can often be attributed to test day anxiety that they did not account for when they were taking their prep tests.

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