7/13/2006 -- Have been waiting to get ready for the LSAT for what feels like forever (3 years, about, since I decided I wanted to start). Just started TestMasters yesterday. Diagnostic a year ago was 158 and this time was 156. Really need to get it up to at least 165 and am hoping for even better. I'd heard about this site but avoided it because I'm neurotic enough already about this process... but here I am anyway!
7/25 -- LSAC acknowledged receipt of my transcript today. Unfortunately, their conversion brought down my GPA. My school does +/- at .3 and .7 whereas LSAC does .33 and .66. With my one class in the fall, I was hoping to hit 3.3; but that won't be possible, at least not on the LSDAS system. Bummer. Still hoping I can sell my technical major as one that causes a lower GPA; though considering it's my freshman year (when I wasn't a tech major) that's bringing me down, I think that might come across as disingenuous. Ah well, the grade trend should speak for itself.
8/12 -- Took a diagnostic LSAT with Testmasters on Saturday - TOTALLY sucked. The entire time I couldn't focus or concentrate, I was nervous, I kept getting distracted by people writing or turning pages... all in all, pretty much a panic attack. It was no big surprise when I ended up with a 150. I know that when I'm not stressed and know nothing, I am at least as good as a 158. If I can return to "not stressed" (Xanax??? j/k) now having learned something, then I'll be alright I think. I definitely realized I need to be studying more than I am right now. Ordered paper apps today from the above schools... I'll apply online to be sure, but why not get my name on their lists. It's fun to look through the books, too. Gotta track down my old con law prof for a recommendation... it's been about 2 years since I first asked him and we're getting close to deadline, heh.
8/26 -- TM instructor told us to take an unlimited length diagnostic so we could get a handle on what's taking us too long. I got a 171 (!!!) which definitely was a thrill, but unfortunately my times weren't. On logic games, I took THREE TIMES LONGER than we're allowed (101 minutes).
I feel decent because I know the three questions where I got caught in a total timesink and all of them were dumb things because I didn't read carefully. Also, in a timed test, I think I'd just skip the timesink question and move on, rather than sit there until I could answer every last one. So... hopefully I can cut that time a lot, but I gotta bite the bullet that I've always been a slow test taker and it's gonna hurt me.
On the upside, I was over by only 9 minutes in the first LR section, under by 8 minutes in the second LR section, and over by 8 minutes in RC, so those aren't bad times and won't take too much work to fix. Gonna start with the timed testing next Saturday morning, bright and early.
9/02 -- Took another diag on my own, this time with actual 35 minute sections vs. untimed. I finished all the sections but logic games with time to spare, which was fantastic... and got a 164 which also made me feel fantastic. Only was able to do 2 of the 4 logic games; they just take me forever. I'm going to keep practicing them almost exclusively... one more game and I could claw my way up to 168... assuming I don't panic on test day and blow the whole thing.
9/09 -- :sigh: today sucks. Took a diag with the Testmasters crew this morning and got a 159. I'm trying to look at the bright side - this is the highest score from a diag I took in a group setting (previous ones were 158, 156, 150) and was much better than my last score of that sort, but I was hoping for better; 159 isn't going to cut it. Only could get to 2 of the 4 logic games and my reading comp sucked. We had a RC for the experimental and I hit all the problems on that, but on the one that was counted I only got 3/4 readings. Fatigue? Maybe. It sucked. What's so frustrating is that of the problems I did in LG and RC, I got 100%. The implications for my score if I could get to all the problems is pretty clear... SPEED UP. Twenty days...
9/16 -- Took a diag on my own today and got a 163. Woohoo! That's my dream. It's odd too, because I felt like I didn't do well. I vascillate between getting 2 of the games or 3 of the games done in time and got myself convinced that if I didn't get 3, I was sub-160 for certain. That wasn't the case this time -- I still only got two games, but I got the 163.
In reality, at least on this test (Dec 01), you can get a 162 if you peg out all the other sections and don't do ANY games; 167 if you get one game, 171 if you get two games.
I've been concentrating so hard on speeding up my games and despite all my work, I'm really not seeing any improvements... so perhaps this shows that I should keep trying to improve my answers in LR and RC. I missed 8 LR between the two sections, and 3 on RC; the more I narrow that, the higher my score goes, all things being equal (i.e. logic games taking me a shitload of time).
Taking another one of these mothers tomorrow morning. Finished up two of my apps, revised my PS a bit, and wrote up the embarassing discipline section. September 30th is coming... two weeks, my friends.
9/17 - 161 today (Oct 05). Still good, but I really want >162. Reading comp section hurt... missed 5, couldn't get through 3. LR I was on fire though, 0 wrong in one section!
9/23 - 161 again today. I'm pretty happy about it too. I've never cracked the 160 line in a group setting and today was particularly bad... I was so cramped at L'Crap Plaza Hotel that I only had room for 1 piece of paper - the book folded in half on top of my answer sheet. If I can do that, I can do anything. If I crack 160 on test day, I think I'll probably stick with it and not retake.
I walked out of the test feeling like a million bucks... I knew I did well on RC (only missed 2) and was pleased that the faux experimental section was LR (I hate extra RCs & LGs). Hopefully I'll be that lucky on test day -- which is in one week :) I missed more than usual in LR, so I'm going to take a look at those in these last few days.
Scoped out the test site today and it looks decent; my LORs are done, and so are my applications. Going to make some changes to the personal statement, add a "diversity" statement, and we're pretty damn set for kicking ass 9/30 and mailing apps shortly thereafter.
GOOD LUCK SEPTEMBER 30TH LSATTERS!!!
10/2 - Eesh. Wish I felt as good about this test as I had about the diag I took before. I have upsides and downsides and really no idea what kind of score to look for... reading comp hit me unbelievably hard... I didn't even get to the last passage... yet I did better than ever before on logic games, getting not just through the third set but to the first question of the fourth. It's hard to know what to feel like when you know your score can't possibly be great but surely can't be awful, either. As a part-timer with my GPA, I really need a 162 to be a solid applicant at GW... and even with doing as well as I did on LG, I can't help but think the RC doomed me. It's going to be a long few weeks of waiting.
10/20 - Today might literally be the best day of my life. After spending the last few days -- particularly today -- hitting reload on LSAC, assuming about a ~156, I got my score and it was a 163. I started screaming I was so happy -- my neighbors must think I am insane. I worked so hard for this. I was prepared to take it in December -- already registered, gotta cancel now -- but I would've been crushed. I feel incredibly lucky --- hope you all did well and do too!!!
10/27 - Sent in GW and GMU; Georgetown & AU accept a diversity statement which I'm having a bit of trouble fleshing out. Hopefully they'll be done by Sunday and I'll submit those apps as well.
10/30 - Georgetown and American are now out the door, so to speak. Diversity statement took awhile to knock out but I feel good about it. Here we go!
Good luck everybody :)
11/06 - Gtown status checker says I'm complete - it's EA, so decision'll come by 12/15/06.
11/10 - Email from American that I'm complete!
11/14 - I am such a nerd. I stopped by the GW Admissions office to ask if my application was complete (it is). After he told me that, I asked if there was a space for me to write that it's my top choice, and to please let me in! He laughed. I repeat, I am a total dork.
11/20 - Mason notified me that I'm complete, and to not expect a decision prior to 1/15/07.
11/27 - In at American!!! I'm so happy. I know I'm going to law school now!:) What a wonderful way to cap off a great Thanksgiving.
12/08 - Rejected from Georgetown today. To be perfectly honest? It doesn't bother me in the least. I didn't have the numbers, and didn't want to go. I don't like the institution, which was only reinforced after seeing GULC begin to send letters (accept, reject, WL) to regular-app candidates before they'd bothered with my early-action app. I think the only scenario in which I would've attended is if I got into GULC but not GW - really unlikely. If I got into both, I would've chosen GW.
Still hoping so much for a GW PT offer... please please please...
12/23 - Took two days off from all this LSN/LSD speculation craziness to travel and see the family, and then when I clicked back on GW to see if they started sending decisions... THEY DID! Sounds dramatic but I started to get all queasy. It begins! According to the LSDers (and stats here), Dean Richard seems to be calling very high-ranked people at this point. That means some time for me, I imagine -- my numbers certainly aren't auto-admit, but I hope they'll be enough. Major congratulations to all those who have gotten offers, and I hope to be as lucky!
12/26 - Final class's final grade got posted, so that nudges me up from 3.26 @ LSAC to 3.28. Not sure if it'll help anything, but I faxed in a transcript request form from LSAC to the University. As I understand it, that'll trigger updates to all my schools. Will they send it to Georgetown? That would be kind of awkward. Eh, whatever. Filled out the CSS PROFILE today. It asks for a ton of parental data, even though I'm independent (it says if you're under 30, you *have* to include your parents), and so it was easier to do while at home. If I get into GW, hey, maybe I'll get some money. American and GMU look like they take the NeedAccess form so I'll do those next.
12/31 - Feeling kind of wait-fatigued. The rush of studying for the LSAT and taking it gave way to scurrying to get apps in which in turn gave way to waiting. Waiting for the LSAT was unpleasant, but it had a fixed timeframe and there was much to do in the meantime. Now, with classes done and apps in - and winter vacation days - there's nothing to do but wait and it isn't a fixed time.
Saw someone who applied to UC-Hastings and waited five months only to get a WL decision. That gave me hope - can't possibly imagine my schools taking that long. I just wish there was a way to get it out of my head until the decisions were made -- kind of like how when I was a kid, I could sleep through at least half of the 24 hour drive to spring vacations at my great-aunt's in Florida. I suppose in a sense that's true here too -- I *could* be waiting even *more* hours if I didn't have to sleep every night.
I've never been very patient in life nor have I ever been very good at unresolved situations. I like to resolve situations quickly and neatly: charge cards vs. checks, email vs. phone calls, a quick clip down the sidewalk vs. a stroll (slow-walkers should be condemned to walk in the street!). Pretty typical Type-A personality, right? I'm rambling. It's New Year's Eve. Let's see if I can put all this nonsense out of my head with some celebrations... and what's more, I resolve to stay off of these sites for at least the first two days of the New Year, where there shall be no mail, no admissions decisions, and no reason to stress about it all :)
1/10/2007 - Happy New Year all. Looks like today's the day that GW starts accepting non-auto-admit applicants? And rejecting them :( Ugh, that makes me queasy.
Got chinese food with the boyfriend tonight. Fortune: "All your hard work will soon pay off". Here's hoping... and I am hoping.
1/25 - Had what is probably the closest thing to a heart attack today. I got in touch with GW Law because I had some concerns about the PT program. I'd heard from many that there was pretty much a purge second and third semesters because there were so many who switched to FT. The person with whom I spoke made me feel a lot better -- I guess it's the case that some switch but not nearly as many as I'd worried about.
While I was there, I asked if we could check my application status and apparently something on the screen was marked incomplete (in error). It got fixed, but I started to panic for the next half-hour or so, worrying that my app hadn't been reviewed yet and I'd be treated like a late-January applicant, not hearing until March or so. I calmed myself down enough to get back in touch with the same person, who told me it totally wasn't the case -- all was well, my app was progressing normally, and there was nothing to worry about -- the "incomplete" word was just an artifact, not the actual status. PHEWWWWW. My boyfriend jokes when I get like this, he pictures me as a cat hanging upside-down from the ceiling with all its fur standing on end. Well, right now I am retracting the claws and coming down from the ceiling, heh :)
2/11 - Anyone else work in Excel? I do a lot. The formula "=INT(TODAY()-DATE(2006,10,27))" might as well have a macro for how often I type it. Today it says "107", as in days of waiting. I feel like sometimes I don't think about much else. Just... waiting. I take solace in that hardly any PT 3.0 index people have heard from GW, and many schools in general are waiting as a result of less applications plus the new retake policy bringing many December LSAT applications. And I am one of the highest LSAT scores in the PT 3.0 band, in a year where GW seems very bent on high LSAT... GPA be damned. It's just so hard to wait into my 16th week when I was thinking 8 weeks -- 12 tops. Ah well... maybe this one will be the week :)
2/13 - Just got a very sweet phone call from George Mason! It really caught me off guard. I am in! It's really great to have a choice now... Mason definitely has benefits, notably cost and commute.
2/13 - OH MY GOD IN AT GW VIA PHONE CALL, MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED!!!!!!!!
4/4 - Withdrew from American after receiving their financial aid offer (lack thereof!). I guess some part of me thought they might offer some money, despite the fact that they flatly deny PT applicants the opportunity to apply for need-based grants. Seems weird - I'd be willing to wager the average PT applicant has less resources upon which to draw than the average FT applicant. Oh well. Made this decision easy and hope the seat goes to someone who wants it bad! :)
4/5 - Withdrew from GMU today after receiving their financial aid letter. Like American, money here might have made a difference. In-state tuition was definitely appealing, but it wasn't enough to change my mind.
I will be at GW in the fall and couldn't be happier if I tried! It has been my goal through all of this and the years preceding it. Still doesn't feel quite real. :)
thanks for the endorsement and best of luck on the LSAT... make sure you do as many real LSATs as you can under times conditions. also i suggest the Powerscore LG bible and read voyager's post about RC on 4lawschool.com for an interesting RC strategy.