The LSAT - Reading Comprehension Questions

As mentioned in the last post, The LSAT consists of multiple choice sections. The first I wanted to discuss is the Reading Comprehension section.

Quite obviously, this section is designed to measure your ability to read and understand difficult texts and passages, similar to that you will encounter in your law school education. Often the texts are about 110-130 lines long and contain complex themes and concepts. It is not necessary to have any legal background to read the passages, as many are not law related what-so-ever. In fact, when I took my LSAT last December, I remember reading about the micro-biology of cloning – Ugh.

The section is comprised of four reading selections followed by five to eight questions that test reading and reasoning abilities. Roughly half of the passages will be a single text, while the rest of the passages include two separate, but in some way related, passages. These methods test both reading comprehension in a singular form and in a comparative way.

The best way to study for this section is to practice the timed tests, which can be found online or in any LSAT prep book. Practicing reading under the strict 35 minute time limit will allow you to read quickly and efficiently and give yourself enough time to answer the subsequent questions.

Other techniques include underlining and high-lighting important themes, ideas, or passages. In my studying, I would high-light what I thought was the main idea of the passage and underline any other relevant information supplied. Also, I would mark the beginning of sentences. This helps with finding where sentences begin and end, which helps when returning back to the passage to search for answers.

Lastly, unlike the other multiple choice sections in the test, skipping questions is ill advised. Do not skip over to other reading sub-sections without answering all questions associated with a reading selection. If you skip around a lot, you will lose your familiarity with a story and be unable to answer quickly.

The LSAT

The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is a standardized test administered four times a year to all law school hopefuls. Test centers are located all over the U.S. and are typically given at college campuses on Saturday mornings; however, there is the option to take the test on a Sunday if you are a Saturday Sabbath religious observer.

The test usually takes about half a day to complete and consists of six 35 minute sections. Five of the sections are multiple choice, and the sixth is a writing section. It is important to note, however, that only four of the five multiple choice sections actually contribute to the individual’s final score. The test throws in an extra section known as an experimental to not only agitate the test taker, but try out new test sections. I will discuss the multiple choice sections and writing section, along with ways to study for each, in future posts.

You can register for the LSAT online through your LSAC account, through the mail, or via telephone. I suggest going through your LSAC account, since it is the easiest method and allows you to quickly choose your test center and download your LSAT ticket.

According to the LSAT website, the LSAT measures, “…skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to think critically; and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others.”

To what extent this is true, I haven’t the slightest; however, as a potential law student it is what has to be taken and tackled to make your way to law school.

Getting Started Take II - Getting Involved in Undergrad

So you’ve signed up online with LSAC , and you’re probably asking yourself what to do next? If you are in the beginnings of your undergraduate years, the answer is pretty simple: get involved.

Law schools love, aside from the 4.0 GPA and 175 LSAT scoring students, individuals who are involved in their university and community. They want law students who have a desire to be active and enjoy giving back. As a lawyer, you will be constantly working with community members, so any volunteer work you can do during your undergrad will add brownie points to your application. Along with extra-curricular activities and leadership positions on campus, any sort of resume booster can help give you the edge you need to come out on top of a student with comparable GPA and LSAT scores.

In the past few years, I have been vice president of my school’s Pre-Law Society, president of the European Studies Club, and member of Polyglots and the student newspaper. Whether I learned valuable negotiation tools at the European Union Simulations or worked on my writing skills with the bi-weekly student newspaper issues, all of these have helped to prepare me for law school in some way or another.

So get involved and stay involved.

Updates!

I have some exciting news to share with you all, and I have some not-so-exciting news. First, the not-so-exciting, my father recently lost his job at the international financial company ING. With the current, tough economic times, this has created a small roadblock on my road to law school; mostly, this adds the stress of finding substantial financial aid to allow me to not be too buried in debt after graduation. I’ve been on the hunt for scholarships, grants, and loans.

Which leads me to some other not-so-exciting news; after contacting the Admissions Director at Drexel Law, she has informed me the school will be unable to offer me any scholarships. This was quite a blow. It makes my decision process increasingly more difficult. I’m left wondering: do I suck it up, pay the thirty-two grand and go to a school I strongly believe in, or do I go to a less established school and accept the scholarships they are offering? It is becoming slightly problematic for me to make any decisions. But enough with the unexciting news, let us move to something more uplifting!

I have received my acceptance package from Widener University. Luckily, I was accepted to both their campuses (Harrisburg and Delaware). Now comes the very, very exciting news. If I accept the offer from the Harrisburg campus, I am eligible for the Dickson Scholarship. The scholarship itself is offered to Pennsylvania state school alumni, who scored within the top 50% of both the LSAT and their graduating class. The only flaw in the equation is that the scholarship is only offered at the Harrisburg campus, which is the slightly less prestigious between the too.

What to do, what to do.

So here I sit, waiting, contemplating, and analyzing. I am still waiting to hear from Rutgers and Penn State and whether or not Baltimore will offer me any scholarship money. Mostly, what I have gathered from my research so far is that most scholarships are awarded at the time of acceptance, and a few grants are given out after the FAFSA is filled out. I am still trying to decipher the messy world of financial aid and promise to deliver a future post detailing it fully.

Keep checking.

Getting Started

A few years back, during my freshmen year of undergrad, I found myself a little puzzled. The same question whirled through my head day in and day out; how exactly am I supposed to go about getting into law school? I took me a few years to figure out the answer, but luckily my trials and tribulations have yielded an explanation, that I am more than happy to share with you now. Sign up with LSAC (Law School Admission Council) online and utilize this tool to its fullest potential.

LSAC.org’s homepage includes every point of interest a law school hopeful would need to begin their own journey. It has everything from prepping for, applying to, choosing, and financing law school to registering for the LSATs. The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is comparable to the SAT which you most likely took during high school. In the future, I will go more into detail about what the LSAT actually entails and how to properly study for it.

To register for LSAC you will have to create a username and password, and the site will require you to answer a few questions about your undergraduate history, such as gpa and major. Once registered, you will be able to utilize the LSAC’s page to aid you with any questions you may have.

Most importantly, the council will send out periodic e-mails informing you about upcoming law school fairs and allow you the opportunity to sign up for these fairs and attend those that are closest to you. The unique aspect of LSAC sponsoring law school fairs is that the site’s creators actually supply law schools with your gpa and LSAT score and help to facilitate an admission. This has been a tremendous help with my situation as it informed a state school in Florida of my credentials, which in turn gave me pre-qualification for admission and a scholarship.

The website also allows you to submit applications and LORs (Letters of Recommendation) which eases the application process overall. Also it permits you to electronically store your important documents such as resumes, personal statements, and any other relevant documents you may wish to attach to your applications and makes applying quicker.

This is just the beginning though, and I will go into much greater detail about all that has been briefly mentioned above in future posts. In the meantime, navigate your way over to LSAC’s webpage and register.

It’s the first major step to securing your seat into a future law school class!