The $300K Law School Mistake That Will Destroy Your Legal Career (And How to Avoid It)

[0] Last month, I spoke with Jessica, a top student with a 3 .9 GPA.

[1] She had her heart set on a top 10 law school, but because of one critical LSAT prep mistake, she lost out on $300 ,000 in scholarship offers.

[2] The mistake wasn't that she didn't work hard.

[3] She studied for six months, took dozens of practice tests, and reviewed every single one of them.

[4] But her strategy was fundamentally flawed.

[5] Today, I'm going to show you exactly what went wrong.

[6] why so many students fall into the same trap, and how you can avoid it.

[7] Now, Jessica's story is common.

[8] Her scores bounced between 156 and 163, but she couldn't break past that plateau.

[9] When I asked her how she reviewed her tests, she said, I read the explanations and try to understand where I went wrong, then I take another test.

[10] This approach, what I call random practice, is what holds most students back.

[11] It feels productive because you're putting in the hours, but it doesn't actually address the underlying issues.

[12] If you're making the same mistakes over and over without analyzing why, you're stuck in a loop.

[13] I know this because I've been there.

[14] First, for those who don't know me, my name is Steve Schwartz.

[15] I've been teaching the LSAT since 2005, and I personally increased my own LSAT score from a 152 to 175.

[16] Now, when I first started studying for the LSAT, yes, my cold diagnostic was a 152.

[17] I remember thinking to myself, I can learn this.

[18] How hard could this test really be?

[19] I was a good student, I worked hard, and I was confident that with enough practice, I could get my score up to where it needed to be.

[20] So I did what most students do.

[21] I took a bunch of practice tests and reviewed my mistakes.

[22] I worked through hundreds of questions, sometimes feeling like I was improving, but other times feeling totally stuck.

[23] My scores hovered in the low 160s for months, and I couldn't figure out why.

[24] One day, After yet another disappointing practice test, I decided to stop everything and take a hard look at my study habits.

[25] And that's when I realized I was doing the same thing over and over, hoping for different results.

[26] I wasn't digging into my stakes to figure out why I was missing certain questions.

[27] I wasn't tracking patterns or targeting my weaknesses.

[28] But once I changed my approach, everything clicked.

[29] I started breaking down my mistakes by question type and error pattern.

[30] For example, I noticed I was consistently struggling with necessary assumption questions because I was treating them like sufficient assumption questions.

[31] I also realized I was second -guessing myself on flaw questions and overthinking simple arguments.

[32] By targeting those weaknesses, my score skyrocketed from, yes, a 152 up to a 175.

[33] It wasn't easy, and it didn't happen overnight, but once I had a system in place, I saw steady, measurable progress.

[34] So if you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed, I want you to know it's not about how many hours you put in.

[35] It's about studying the right way.

[36] And that's exactly what I help students do.

[37] At LSAT Unplugged, we offer personalized private one -on -one LSAT coaching to help students like you break through plateaus and maximize your potential.

[38] Whether you're aiming for your first 170 plus LSAT score or trying to secure scholarship money, my coaching programs focus on building a customized strategy tailored to your strengths and weaknesses.

[39] If you're ready to take your LSAT prep to the next level, you can check out the links below to find out more and to book a call with me and my team.

[40] We'd love to help you reach your LSAT goals.

[41] Now, let's dive into the exact steps you can take to avoid Jessica's mistake.

[42] The first is misunderstanding necessary assumption versus sufficient assumption questions.

[43] A necessary assumption question asks you, what needs to be true for this argument to work?

[44] These questions require you to find a key assumption the argument cannot survive without.

[45] A sufficient assumption, on the other hand, asks, what guarantees the conclusion?

[46] These answers might feel more direct and absolute.

[47] One of my students, Jacob, struggled with this distinction.

[48] He kept picking strong, persuasive -sounding answers in necessary assumption questions, but they weren't actually required for the argument to work.

[49] Once he learned to look for the bare minimum the argument needed to hold up, his score jumped from the low 160s to a 171 in just eight weeks.

[50] Now, here are three common mistakes holding you back.

[51] Every mistake on the LSAT falls into one of these categories.

[52] The first is misunderstanding the question type.

[53] Are you confusing necessary versus sufficient assumptions?

[54] Are you struggling with parallel reasoning because you don't fully understand the argument structure?

[55] Or maybe you're misapplying a concept or rule.

[56] For example, are you mixing up correlation and causation in strength and weakness?

[57] And finally, are you making process errors like running out of time?

[58] rushing through questions, or second -guessing yourself.

[59] Now, here's how to identify patterns.

[60] When my students analyze their mistakes, they don't just look at what they got wrong, they figure out why.

[61] This involves asking, using the Socratic Review Method framework, what questions am I consistently missing?

[62] Are there specific argument structures or logical concepts that trip me up?

[63] Or am I making process -related errors like mismanaging my time or overthinking?

[64] Now, here's the exact process you can use to start seeing results.

[65] First, track every question you miss. Write down everything you guess on, even if you got it right and got lucky because it could have gone the other way, of course.

[66] Note the question type, your initial thought process, and why you think you got it wrong.

[67] Also, review for patterns.

[68] Each week, look for trends in what you're missing.

[69] Could it be necessary assumptions or maybe more abstract science reading count passages?

[70] Whatever it is, ID the recurring issues.

[71] You also want to engage in targeted drills where you focus exclusively on your weak areas.

[72] So for example, if you're struggling with parallel reasoning, you might want to focus on those for a couple days.

[73] If timing's an issue, work on pacing drills with individual sections.

[74] Then at the end of each week, check your progress to evaluate your performance.

[75] Are you still making the same mistakes?

[76] If so, adjust your approach and refine your strategy.

[77] Because here's the reality.

[78] Every week you spend on random practice is costing you potential scholarship money.

[79] A three -point jump on the LSAT could translate into $150 ,000 in scholarships at top law schools.

[80] Imagine what a 10 or 15 -point jump could do for your future.

[81] Don't let inefficient study habits hold you back.

[82] And if you'd like my help getting that LSAT score up, ideally to 170 +, my team and I would be glad to help you out.

[83] You could check out the links below to find out more and to book a call with me and my team.

[84] And in the meantime, I'll wish you all the best and take care.