Articles published in 2012

You Took the LSAT! Congrats!…Now What?

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Apply Now

Apply, or Retake in December?

So you woke up at 6:30 Saturday morning, scrambled some eggs, stuffed your wallet, pencils, and passport-size photo into the Ziploc bag you remembered to buy at midnight the night before, and took yourself an LSAT. Congratulations. I hope the rest of your weekend was full of merry celebration, merry relaxation, or both.

Now what?

If you want to take it again… 

If you are concerned you bombed it–or just didn’t do as well as you know you can–and therefore have decided to take it again, check out upcoming in-person and online classes at Manhattan LSAT. And keep an eye out for our FREE Online Review of the October test right after scores are released (on November 8 at 8pm EST). Sign up here.

If you are bidding X –> Y goodbye (for now)…

Now that you’re LSAT-free, it’s time to turn your attention to the rest of your law school applications. Check out the blog at jdMission for all kinds of tips and strategies on applying to law school, from writing your personal statement to getting letters of recommendation. You can also sign up there for a free consultation with an admissions consultant and, for those of you seeking help on personal statements, be sure to register for my FREE Online Personal Statement Writing Workshop on October 23.

Regardless, I hope you are all proud of yourselves for showing up on Saturday and giving it your best. It’s not an easy test or a short day, so give yourselves a big pat on the back for taking on the challenge. Just think–now you have a hundred gallon-size Ziploc bags to last you through the year!

Keep Your LSAT Prep Paperbound

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If you were lucky enough to get your hands on the new iPhone5, we know you’re feeling pretty darn cool. Even if you’re just sitting in class or at work with your Mac Book Pro, Tablet, Kindle Fire, or iPad 2, you’re tech-savvy self is still cooler than the dinosaur hovering over a stack of lined-paper and #2 pencil.  With the ability to double as an environmentalist and a speed typist, why would anyone these days opt for the old-school printouts and notebooks to read and write?

Turns out, according to a recent piece from the New York Times, that while it may feel (and look) cool to spend the majority of your waking hours staring at an array of glowing rectangles, old fashioned paper still matters when it comes to being productive and learning new material. Here’s what a few productivity experts, researchers, and CEOs had to say in making the case for print:
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October LSAT Debrief

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Hearing from a number of students and colleagues who sat for the October 2012 LSAT on Saturday, opinions on the exam’s difficulty seems to be initially

Prep Test Schedule

Before you embark on PT overload for the December LSAT, join our free Oct review session

mixed. Consensus seems to be that there were some pretty whacky games on the test, and and usual, we heard complaints about RC.  Some claimed this was an extremely challenging test, while others even through the “e” word (easy) around. This range in opinion is pretty standard in the aftermath of an LSAT.

As is the case for every released LSAT, we’ve got your back. Managing Director of Manhattan LSAT, Noah Teitelbaum, and curriculum developer Dmitry Farber are hosting a free online review of the October 2012 LSAT on Thursday, November 8th from 8-10pm EST**

Join Noah and Dmitry as they deconstruct some of the trickier problems from the exam and give advice on the all important question of whether or not to retake the LSAT in December.

**Note: the last few of these review sessions stretched on long in to the night.

Free LSAT Events This Week: Oct. 8 – 14

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free gre
Here are the free LSAT events we’re holding this week.

10/8/12 – Online – Online LSAT Workshop – 8:00-10:00 PM

10/9/12 – Online – Game Intensive Trial Class – 8:00-11:00 PM

10/14/12 – Austin, TX – Free Trial Class – 5:30-8:30 PM

10/14/12 – Santa Clara, CA – Free Trial Class – 1:30-4:30 PM

 

Looking for more free events? Check out our Free Events Listings Page.

 

 

LSAT Countdown: Final Dos and Don’ts

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An athlete warming up at the track before his run.Annnnnnd we’re off! Well, almost. The October LSAT is Saturday, and for those of you wondering how to spend the next few days, here are some tips:

DO get to sleep early—and wake up early—this week. You’re going to have to do it on Saturday, so it’s good to get your body on schedule now.

DON’T go to your buddy’s bachelor party Friday night. He will be fine without you (and maybe better off?).

DO continue to do timed, mixed practice through Thursday.

DON’T work hard on Friday. If the idea of taking the day off to eat cherries while watching reruns of Curb Your Enthusiasm panics you, read over your notes or do a game or two, maybe a few hard logical reasoning questions you’ve done before. But it’s not the day to take a full-length test.

DO get a passport-size photo of yourself this week if you haven’t already. (This is in addition to your identification. See the email you recently received from LSAC for details.)

DON’T dwell on what you wish you’d done differently over the last few months. To do so is a waste of critical energy at this point, and your mind should be focused on…

DO think positively. It’s as true as it is cliché. Listen: someone is going to teach this test who’s boss, and it’s not Tony Danza. It’s you. YOU. I can’t stress this one enough. If you don’t believe you’re going to do your best, you’re less likely to. If you do, you’re more likely to. And if you can see that those two statements are not contrapositives, give yourself a high-five right now, please.

DON’T forget your analogue (big hand, small hand) watch. (Bonus tip: set it to 12 o’clock at the beginning of each section so you can easily track your 35 minutes without arithmetic.)

DO take a snack.

DON’T mistake the LSAT for a mythical tool that measures your self-worth. It’s just a test, y’all. Plus, you have more friends than it, and they’re cooler.

Now go put those red and blue and yellow balls in order like you’ve never put them in order before.

Free LSAT Events This Week: Oct. 1 – 7

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free gre
Here are the free LSAT events we’re holding this week.

10/3/12 – Washington, D.C. – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

10/3/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

10/3/12 – Irvine, CA – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

10/4/12 – New York, NY – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

10/4/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

10/4/12 – San Diego, CA – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

10/4/12 – Online – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

 

Looking for more free events? Check out our Free Events Listings Page.

 

 

Friday Links: The Economics of Law School, Career Options, Personal Statements and More

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Set the LSAT prep books aside for a minute or two and catch up on some of this week’s news about law school and the legal profession. Happy Friday!

Study from Nerd Wallet Finds Law School Still Worth Attending (JD Journal)

According to a new study from Nerd Wallet, paying top dollar for tuition is justifiable if you’re studying at a top-ranked law school.

The Economics of Law School (New York Times)

The New York Times takes a magnifying glass to the economics of law school to get a closer look at reform propositions, tuition, salary stats, and more.
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If You Can See Me, My Presence Is Not Assumed

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lsat cardinal rule

Yes, I'm a cardinal and yes, I rule. Your point?

In logical reasoning, if a question asks you the role of a given phrase in the argument, the answer to the question cannot be “an assumption,” no matter how accurately the rest of the answer choice describes the argument.

Recall the cardinal rule of assumptions: they are unstated. If a question is quoting a portion of text to you, that portion is stated. It cannot, therefore, be an assumption.

These questions that ask you to identify the function or role of a phrase or statement are pretty efficient to answer if you know what you’re looking for. If you identify the quoted phrase as a conclusion, you can knock out any answer choice that calls it premise, no matter how accurate anything else in that answer choice is. Likewise, if it’s a premise, you can get rid of any answer choice that calls it a conclusion.

But regardless of its role, you can always get rid of “assumption” answer choices for one reason: since it’s quoted, that’s impossible.

Check out PT64, S1, Q14 for an example.

Free LSAT Events This Week: Sept. 24 – 30

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free gre
Here are the free LSAT events we’re holding this week.

9/24/12 – New Haven, CT – Free Trial Class – 6:30-9:30 PM

9/30/12 – Santa Clara, CA – Free Trial Class – 10:00 AM-1:00 PM

 

Looking for more free events? Check out our Free Events Listings Page.

Friday Roundup: Prepping for Class, Catching some Z’s, and Learning About the Law

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The October LSAT is just over two weeks away! Keep up your motivation with a few of this week’s top stories about life as a law student.

How Much Time Should You Spend Preparing for Class as a 1L? (The Girl’s Guide To Law School)

Doing the readings and prepping for class is only one piece of the puzzle. Here is some great advice for planning your daily schedule and handling your 1L workload.

Sleep and Grad School: How Important Is It For Students? (Psychology Today)

According to Psychology Today, sleep is the single most important health behavior we can engage in. Find out just how many hours you need per night and why your weekend sleep patterns may be hurting your cognitive performance.
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