The Military to Law School series was written by the president of a veterans’ club at a T10 law school. Part III is all about the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
Before we get into LSAT specifics, we need to talk about why the LSAT matters so much.
Do not be fooled. You are a number (more honestly, two numbers) in the Law School Applications world. Specifically, you are your “uGPA” (undergraduate GPA) and “LSAT” number in some way, shape, form, or combination. Other things matter, obviously, but nowhere near what these two numbers do. Combined, I do not believe it’s controversial to say that “the numbers” make up 90% of the strength of your application. Others would disagree and say 70%, some would say 100%. Just be aware that it’s almost everything. I’ll start with some discussion about uGPA and then get to the meat of the LSAT.
Remember in Part II when I told you to research your target school’s median LSAT and uGPA numbers? That’s where this comes into play. If your numbers are ABOVE both of your target school’s medians, you are a “presumed admit” and the goal of the rest of your app is to try to avoid doing anything stupid to change their minds. If you are BELOW both of your target school’s medians, you are a “presumed deny” and you immediately need to understand that the chances of you getting an offer for admission are slim and none.
Does it happen? Sure. But it’s rare. If you have one number above AND one number below the medians you are known as a “splitter” of some variety. Your prospects are much better than being below both numbers but much worse than being above both numbers. Your goal here needs to be to make every piece of the rest of your application flawless and hope that one school that your targeting (it only takes 1) needs your high number in their upcoming class to bolster their medians or, else, just likes you enough to admit you as one of their splitter admits.
URM Status
One final note about your status as an applicant. Certain under-represented minority (URM) categories are given preference by almost all admissions departments. Traditionally, these groups include: African Americans, Native Americans, and Latin-x of Puerto Rican and Mexican origin only. If you fall into one of these categories your cycles can get weird. I’ve seen folks with a 3.9/164 AA designator get into Harvard.
There’s no hard and fast rule here and things can change over time, but if you have URM status your chances of getting into the top schools, or any school really, are certainly better than folks without this status. As I do not fall into one of these categories, I cannot speak from personal experience. I can only tell you what the conventional wisdom is. If you do identify under one of these categories, I highly recommend that you ask to be connected with someone at your target school who also shares your background. They will be more helpful than I can be.
Veteran status itself is NOT a URM designator.
Mark’s note: Before you cry, remember this: no one owes you shit.
Undergraduate GPA
There is a specific process and metric that the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) uses to compute this number. It’s pretty simple to understand. You submit transcripts from every school you attended where you have ever taken a college course, then LSAC computes the numbers and spits out a score. That’s your “uGPA” that the law schools will use in the weight of your application.
For those of you who are just starting your undergraduate degree program, understand what matters in this calculation. Your undergraduate institution does not matter. Your major does not matter. The difficulty in coursework does not matter. What does matter are the grades on your transcript.
Get as many ‘A’ grades as you can. If you can choose a school that gives A+ grades, all the better. Many schools don’t, but LSAC calculates A+ grades at a higher level than a standard A. The median uGPA number for every T14 is usually 3.85 or higher. At the top of the list, if you don’t have a 3.9+ your uGPA is below median. If you’re above the median at your target school, your task is pretty easy: just get an LSAT score to their median as well and watch the admission letters roll in.
Unfortunately, most of us are not in that category. This is the biggest comedown for almost every vet applicant. Some of us went to school while working full time. Some of us have degrees from the notoriously grade-stingy Military Academies. Others were dumb 18 year olds who drank their way to a 2.0 at one school before enlisting and graduating with a 4.0 at another school. When we see the calculation of “3.3” from LSAC as our uGPA it can be incredibly disheartening.
Guess what? Can’t change it. What’s done is done. Your uGPA is your uGPA. Your goal at this point is to crush the LSAT. Nothing else matters. It’s the sole metric that’s going to move you, in the eyes of an admissions officer, from the “almost certainly reject” pile to the “hmmmm maybe we should take this vet” pile. Thus, that is your task.
One final caveat. DO NOT ”forget” that you attended some college courses a decade ago that would potentially tank your GPA and fail to submit them. When you are attempting to gain admission to a State Bar, you are subject to a thorough background check. If they find you attended a previous institution and did not submit your transcripts for evaluation by LSAC, you run the risk of being labeled “dishonest” and denied entry to the bar on “character and fitness” concerns. That would render your entire law school journey an unholy waste of time and money and a potentially permanent barrier to your future career as a lawyer.
The LSAT
The Law School Admissions Test is the other half of “the numbers” that you need to worry about. Unlike your uGPA, however, almost everyone has some control over how they do on the LSAT. This should boost your confidence. For lots of reasons, the LSAT is a lifeline. Many folks did their undergrad when they were younger and uncertain of their future plans. They have no chance to go back and change their GPA. But the LSAT allows you to put a number in your application that makes admissions deans notice you. Furthermore, several (most?) schools view your LSAT score as the single most important piece of information in your packet. Prepare the right way and put your best possible score on paper.
LSAT Structure
The LSAT is a standardized test with a scoring scale of 120-180. It’s composed of some combination of four components, three of which are scored and one which is not. The three scored components are: Logical Reasoning (LR), Reading Comprehension (RC), and Analytical Reasoning (AR/Logic Games). The unscored part is a writing sample which will almost assuredly never be read by another human unless they’re checking to see whether you can coherently write sentences. This is of concern if you’re ESL, but unlikely to matter one iota if you’re not.
These days the LSAT is administered online, through webcam and your own machine, through a format called LSAT Flex. You receive one 35-minute section of each LR/RC/LG, submit it, do the writing sample on your own time, and about three weeks later LSAC sends you your score. The test is NOT curved but it IS scaled. That is, the test has been prepared using sample questions of varying difficulty to attempt to ensure that a certain percentage of test takers falls within certain score bands. Only roughly 4% of takers of any specific LSAT score 170 or above. 153 or 154 is usually the median score.
I emphasize that this is the current information as I write this guide. The administration of the LSAT has changed drastically over the last year due to COVID, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see it return to an in-person affair. In that case, it takes literally all day on a Saturday, you do five sections instead of three, and you complete your writing sample on the day of testing. Scores of the Flex have been consistently higher than scores were on the traditional all-day LSAT. But LSAC is making more money by opening the test to online takers. Will it change back? That remains to be seen.
How to Prepare for the LSAT
Your mindset toward the test is important. The LSAT is not a test where you can sit for it cold, BS your way through it, and come out with a 170. In fact, for the great majority of folks out there, it’s not a test where you can sit for it cold and get a 155. Because I believe that everyone who prepares correctly and speaks fluent English can get to 155, it makes no sense to take the test without preparing. As such, you’re smart to seek out appropriate resources with which to prepare.
The first step EVERYONE should take on their LSAT quest is to Google “June 2007 LSAT”, download the free .pdf from LSAC, and then take that test as a full diagnostic. That means you block 2.5 hours out of your day, lock yourself in a quiet room with a pencil, and just take it under timed conditions, 35 minutes per section with one 15 minute break after the third section. After you finish, you will have what we call a “diagnostic score” which is your baseline from which to start preparation.
As a former LSAT instructor, I can tell a lot by a diagnostic score. Most range from the 140-155. I’m a believer that every LSAT student who takes preparation seriously can improve at least 10 points from their diagnostic score; I personally started at 153 and improved more than 20 points. But it doesn’t happen overnight.
The LSAT is simply not a test that “crams” well. That is, you can’t prepare for it over a long weekend like you might for an undergraduate exam and expect to perform at the top of your ability on Tuesday morning. Instead, your LSAT prep should start AT LEAST SIX MONTHS before you need your score, which if you read the other portions of this guide and can do 1st grade math, means you need to start LSAT prep AT LEAST 17 MONTHS before your target law school start date.
Part I and Part II of the Military to Law School Series
For example, if you’re looking to start school in August of 2024, you would want to submit your apps in September of 2023 which means LSAT prep starts, at the latest, in March of 2023. This gives you three months of study before your first June test, a July retake, and an August third take. You’ll ideally then have the score you want and submit your applications in September.
If you’re not ready for your first take by June, it’s okay to push each testing date back a month. The goal is to have your apps submitted before Thanksgiving at the latest which means October is the last possible month you should take the LSAT for that particular application cycle. Once you pass that date, you’re usually better off waiting until the following September to submit your applications.
What Materials to Use
The LSAT industry is vast. There are plenty of corporations out there willing to take your money. If you’re just starting to prepare, Khan Academy has a passable, though not great, introductory course to the LSAT. Its biggest plus? It’s free. You can get a start preparing and if you decide you hate the LSAT and don’t want to go to law school, which many people decide, you’re out a grand total of zero dollars.
For folks who are more serious, I have a few more resources that I recommend. First, the Official LSAC books of LSAT questions are the gold standard of practice questions because (1) they’re bundled cheaply and (2) the created questions by other third-party programs aren’t reliable. LSAC writes the questions for the official test.
Get your copy HERE.
You should be practicing with LSAC-written material. That’s what these books are. They’re your “workbook” for all your training. The goal of training is to learn enough about each section to get to the point where you can be doing one 35-minute section, and then reviewing it, EVERY DAY. With just Khan Academy and these books you can likely improve your score 10 points without spending more than $75 total. I personally don’t think it’s enough for most people to maximize their potential, but prices after this level increase.
For a little bit more money, probably $150 combined, there are a few books out there that I highly recommend.
One is Mike Kim’s “LSAT Trainer” which is a tome full of good information. It’s massive, and if you worked through it fully, it would take months to complete. Get a copy here.
On the other hand, Dave Killoran’s “Powerscore Bibles” are smaller books broken down to cover each individual section of the test. That is, if you find you’ve mastered Logic Games, but just can’t get going on Reading Comprehension, you don’t need to spend money on a book containing 125 pages on Logic Games. You can just buy the Powerscore Reading Comprehension book and be on your way.
Get yours here.
For those looking more toward digital test prep, I also have a few recommendations.
First, I personally used a program called 7Sage because of the individual explanations for every single LSAT question. The instructor, JY, can be a bit flippant in his explanations, but he does a good job explaining nonetheless. And his curriculum that prepares you before you start taking practice tests is essentially the same stuff as in the books above, it’s just presented in an online lecture format instead of a written format.
Truthfully, it’s a fantastic program and has helped thousands of students prepare for the LSAT. The downside? Though price has come down over the years, it’s still selling currently at a $69/month or $600/year price point. I do recommend that you at least look at their free trial. I get paid nothing from them, I promise, I just think the program is well designed for its purpose.
For those looking for even more support from their LSAT prep program, a Cadillac prep plan so to speak, there is The LSAT Demon. The LSAT Demon is a program created by two experienced LSAT instructors, Ben Olson and Nathan Fox, who have created an algorithm that adjusts the difficulty of LSAT questions to your level to theoretically build your skill over time. Their packages also come with digital classes, where you can get individual help, that meet at different regular intervals depending on your pricing point. At their highest pricing level there are literally multiple live classes every day taught by instructors who, judging by the general cynicism of the program’s owners, are likely to be excellent. This is even MORE expensive, though. Their base level is $95/month and if you want the highest tier it’s a whopping $295/month.
Finally, there is private tutoring which is highly dependent on your instructor. If you can find someone who is really good at what they do, one meeting a week for two months can really send you rocketing up the score table. If you don’t connect, it could be a giant waste of money. Prices for competent 1-on-1 tutors can range from $50/hr to $500/hr and probably higher for those of you with more money than sense.
As a final note, please notice that I did not mention any of the large test prep companies. Programs like Kaplan and Princeton Review, though certainly capable of producing results, have a reputation in the industry for more of a “fire and forget” approach to their prep programs. That is, they come up with a curriculum, hire someone to teach it, and then there is very little oversight to how much it is or isn’t working. If you are a 145 looking to get to 155 and your only in-person option is Kaplan, I highly recommend you scheduling a 1-on-1 meeting with the local instructor before signing over $1,000+ to take an in-person course. These programs can certainly be successful for some, but their reputation lags the above resources that I’ve mentioned.
Alternate LSAT Testing Options
Finally, you may have heard some rumors about how certain law schools have started to open up their applications to applicants applying with the GRE and the GMAT instead of the LSAT. First, I want to be very clear. EVERY ABA-approved law school accepts the LSAT to fulfill its admissions test requirement. You cannot go wrong by taking the LSAT if you want to go to law school.
Having said that, though a few schools have been doing this for a long time (Arizona comes to mind), in 2018 Harvard announced that they were going to start accepting the GRE in lieu of the LSAT and several schools followed in their wake. The GMAT is now being accepted by many schools as well. The idea is simple, law schools want to open their applicant pools so they can be more selective in their admissions.
The fact is, after the 2008 recession, many civilians got the message that law school was, on its face, an absolutely terrible financial investment for most people, and the number of applicants dropped year over year for almost a decade. This has changed since roughly 2017 and the numbers are rising again.
So yes, if you have a GRE score on record already, and it’s very high (like, 320+ at a minimum) you should probably seek more information as to whether you want to take the LSAT at all. First, you need to make sure that your school does take the GRE instead of the LSAT. Additionally, you probably want a competitive (above median) uGPA. If you’re looking to wow admissions offices with a test score because your uGPA sucks, the GRE is probably not the way to do that. In that case, I still recommend you take the LSAT. There’s just too much yet unknown with how GRE admissions work in “the numbers” game.
Opportunity in the LSAT
Understand how important this test is. The LSAT is literally worth hundreds-of-thousands of dollars to many applicants. A kid who graduates from Middle America State with a 3.95 and a 168 might sneak their way into Columbia, but they’re almost certainly paying full tuition if they choose to attend. That same kid with a 175 is competitive for a full ride tuition scholarship at Columbia. Without interest, that’s worth $200,000.
When you cringe at the thought of paying $600 for test prep, understand the worth of that price tag in the grand scheme, if not to you, to your competitors. I’m not telling you that you have to, or even should be prepared to, drop tons of money on LSAT prep. All I’m saying is that your goal is to get above the median score for your target schools. Your competitors are dropping real investment to do so. These companies wouldn’t be in business if that wasn’t the case.
The plus side to this is that you, as a GI Bill applicant, don’t need to get that scholarship money. You only need to get admitted. For you, sneaking into a school is likely good enough! I speak from experience. I snuck into a T14 school with a 3.0 GPA and a 170+ LSAT. No matter where you are, you have an opportunity with the LSAT. If you take it seriously and find success, doors will open.
Final Note
I’ve left a good bit of information out of this guide. Things like limits on testing attempts, LSAC’s rules, policies regarding accommodations, and general unpredictables, are all constantly moving as targets. These are things that should concern you, and you should research them. I do not want to provide information here because it will likely become outdated immediately. I know this is “old guy advice” but I’ve found LSAC, aside from their general nature to nickel and dime you at every turn, to be quite reasonable on the phone. If you have questions that you can’t find the answers to, call LSAC.
Coming in Part IV, I’ll outline the entirety of “The Application Process” which will discuss all the materials needed for each application as well as give general advice on how to navigate that entire year.”
Related Articles:
Military to JD Interview: David Atkinson (Georgetown Law)
100 Things Veterans Should Know Before Leaving the Military
Military to MBA (Part 1/7): Is It for You?
5 Books to Read During Your Military Transition
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