Main Conclusion Questions | Logical Reasoning

When a Main Conclusion question appears in the Logical Reasoning (LR) section of the LSAT, it usually looks something like this:

• "Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?"
• "Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the journalist's argument?"
• "Which one of the following most accurately restates the main point of the passage?"
• "The main point of the argument is that"

LSAT neophytes often (mistakenly) think these Main Conclusion questions are asking them to deduce or infer the main conclusion from the vignette. But not so much. Rather, Main Conclusion questions are usually asking you to find the main point within the vignette - much like the way you are asked to find Waldo within a sea of other people, except in this case Waldo = Main Point and sea of other people = Premises. 

Conclusion indicators --- therefore; thus; hence; clearly; so; in conclusion; consequently; and as a result --- can help you find the main point. But don't rely on them too much because LSAT makers ain't gonna make it that easy. Often times, in Main Conclusion questions the segment of the vignette introduced by conclusion indicators are Subsidiary Conclusions or Intermediary Conclusions (a.k.a. a premise supported by another premise). 

For Main Conclusion questions, it's best to read the vignette and understand the flow of the argument, and identify which sentences are supporting which. This requires some degree of fluency in English and good reading skills. 

If you aren't able to "understand the flow of the argument," then here are some tricks that have worked for non-native English speaking students:

1) Fact or Opinion? - Is the sentence you're reading a fact or a strong opinion? Considering the following example:

Most fashion designers prefer to drink coffee over tea. They ought to drink tea over coffee. After all, coffee can be bad for your body. 

Sentence #1: Most fashion designers prefer to drink coffee over tea. (FACT)

Sentence #2: They should drink tea over coffee. (OPINION)

Sentence #3: After all, coffee can be bad for your body. (FACT)

If there is only one opinion, then that opinion is the conclusion. When there are multiple opinions, you have to think about which opinion is supported by the facts, and also possibly by the other opinion. 

2) Should - When a sentence contains the word "should" it is usually a conclusion. See the following example:

You should wash your feet before going to bed. Otherwise, you will infest your bed sheets with all the bacteria and germs on your feet. 

3) N.O.V.A.™ - stands for Number Object Verb A**. See the following illustration:

Most mothers believe that their children are too young to do anything alone. But they are wrong. 

The first underlined word "Most" is a number word. The second underlined word "mothers" is the object word. The third underlined word "believe" is the verb. The fourth underlined word "But" is the a** (a.k.a. butt or donkey) word. When you see this sequence you know that whatever follow after the A** word is the conclusion. It's a nifty trick and it works - most of the times. 

Quantifiers | Give me "some some"

Some means at least 1 or more (all the way up to 100%).

Weird, huh? But that's the definition of some on the LSAT. Don't fight it. The sooner you accept this truth/theory, the better off you'll be on the LSAT.

Studying for the LSAT makes you smarter

If you've ever received an email from me (with exercises, drills, or study schedules), then you know that I endearingly call my students, "LSAT Genius (to be)"~

Over the years, I intuitively knew that the LSAT actually makes people smarter. I noticed my students become sharper and better at reasoning. I didn't need any "scientific study" to confirm my intuition.

But here it is - a scientific study that confirms my intuition. The Wall Street Journal did an entire piece on this.

So how is this suppose to make you feel better? Some of you view the LSAT as just another "evil barrier" standing between you and law school stardom. But this study confirms that anyone can become smarter and improve their LSAT score through consistent and regular exposure.

Does this mean that everyone will achieve a perfect 180. No. Of course not. Everyone hits a plateau. And from that point, it takes a lot of patience and practice to actually gain incremental point increases. Theoretically, I suppose it's possible for anyone to achieve a perfect score. But practically speaking, not everyone has the time and luxury to achieve it.

Next time you open up your LSAT book, I hope you have a grin on your face - knowing full well that you brain is getting smarter.

180 Degrees LSAT Prep

1. What is your company's name and where is it located?
My company's name is 180 Degrees LSAT and it's located in Brooklyn, NY. However, I also teach in Manhattan, and the surroudning areas.

2. What is your web address?
www.180degreeslsat.com

3. What makes you such an awesome LSAT instructor?
I treat each of my students as individuals. I recognize that the LSAT is a test that is testing not only student's skill, but their level of confidence, anxiety, and general state of being. I recognize that the LSAT is a skills-based test, and the best way to improve skills is through effective practice. I recognize that the LSAT requies a worldview that is completely different, and necessarily so, than the one we use in our every day life.

Anyone can sit down and go over problems withsomeone, but no problem appears on the LSAT twice. Although many issues are repated, the LSAT can always include novel issues. Even if the test has no new issues, problems can be presented in so subltle or unusla a way that it can confuse many people taking the test. My job is not to answer the problem for you, it's to teach you the underlying logic so that even if the problem is presented in an unusual way you have the skills necessary to answer the question.

4. Why do you think most students choose you over behemoth test prep companies?
I would say for two reasons. The first is that a lot of my students have already tried a behemoth test prep company and it hasn’t worked for them. The large class sizes, the cookie cutter methods, and the unqualified teachers leave a lot of students no better, and sometimes worse off, than before they started. They take those classes, unfortunately, and then come to me when they don’t work and oftentimes it can take more time to teach a student who has been to other classes than someone who has never seen the test.

The second reason is that many of my students are attracted to the holistic way I approach the test. I try very hard to teach the individual who is sitting next to me and to treat them differently from the “average student”. This is why I prefer to teach one-on-one tutoring (although I may expand into classes in the near future because I recognize that many people cannot afford one-on-one tutoring). This approach to tutoring can create some really amazing results and that shows in my students scores.

5. How did you first get into this gig?
After I took the LSAT in 2005, I just started teaching for a little extra money on the side. I found I enjoyed it so kept doing it. After I graduated law school, I realized being a lawyer wasn’t really my thing and that I loved teaching and was quite good at it (or so they tell me).

6. Did you go to law school? If so, where?
I graduated from NYU Law in 2010

7. What do you love most about your job?
I love how it’s a combination of therapy, philosophy, logic, problem solving, and just pure unadulterated critical thinking. To really improve someone’s score you need to figure them out and learn exactly why they are picking the incorrect answers they are. The human mind is infinitely complex and trying to figure it out is a constant challenge. I once had a student who I worked with briefly who had been brain damaged in an accident and had multiple issues surrounding it. It was incredibly interesting to look at how she was thinking in comparison to how other individuals think. I just took on a student who is blind. These novel issues are what make the test fascinating to me. Solving the problems on the LSAT involves critical thinking for the student, but figuring out what people’s weaknesses are involves critical thinking on my part. As I get more interested in the LSAT as an institution, I am exploring not only how to improve peoples scores, but also why demographics are correlated so strongly with LSAT score. There are numerous demographic traits that cause discrepancies including income level, race, undergraduate major, school choice, geographic region, and countless others. These differences have been studied, but not in a comprehensive way. Trying to figure out why these demographic traits are so strongly correlated and what that means for teaching individuals from these backgrounds is my next project.

8. Could you please share with the world on of your most memorable LSAT (horror/fun/heart-breaking) stories?
I always talk to my students about the anxiety that the LSAT causes. In part, this is because of an old student of mine. She had completed 3 courses from a major test prep company and in that time her score only went down. They kept letting her re-take the course since her score wasn’t improving, and it just kept sinking. She wanted to go to law school so badly and had such a hard time with the test that whenever she opened a book it made her cry. The first time we met in a Starbucks, I remember sitting down and talking to her about preliminaries and then being shocked when she started sobbing as soon as we opened up a book. I thought I had offended her somehow, but she explained to me that it was just the effect the test had on her. It’s very humbling to watch that happen. Stories like that reminds me of how much of an impact I have on people’s careers and lives. Having that much impact means that failure isn’t an option and that whenever I teach I need to give it my all.

9. What is the most frequently asked question that you receive from your LSAT students, and what is your response?
I get asked a lot if I can help people improve their time. And my answer is no. I can’t. What I can do is help you learn the material better, help you think better, and help you to learn what the prompts mean. This will allow you to answer questions faster and naturally improve your time. But it’s extremely difficult to improve your timing just by focusing on timing. My point here is twofold. The first is that although time is an incredibly important part of the test, the way to improve on time is by improving your understanding of the test. The more you understand the test, the faster you will go. The second point is a point many individuals make, that all the information to learn the LSAT is out there and available so there is no need to hire a tutor. And they are right. The answers to all the questions are out there. But do you know which questions to ask?


10. (Just for fun) if you could be anything in the world (besides an LSAT guru), what would you be? Why?
I would be either a social worker or a Philosophy professor. I love delving into people’s minds and figuring out what makes them tick, how they think, who they are. I would be a Psychiatrist but after law school I am done with school for quite a while now.

Free LSAT Prep Options

Doing well on the LSAT requires significant preparation. A decent LSAT course can easily cost $1500, and the fees for qualified LSAT tutors can range from $150 to $500 per hour.

Although LSAT prep courses and tutors do a great job at preparing people for the LSAT, not everyon can afford their services. If you fall in this category, then the following tips and advice are for you. There are plenty of ways to obtain free (or cheap) LSAT prep.

1. Prelaw Advisor. The first place to begin is your college's prelaw society or prelaw advisor. Your prelaw advisor may have organized LSAT courses for free or at a price much cheaper than the commericial courses.

2. Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO). CLEO is a part of the American Bar Association (ABA). It probably has the most extensive prelaw program designed for first generation lawyers. In addition to providing invaluable and cost-effective LSAT prep options, CLEO provides assistance and guidance in every step of your Road to Law School.

3. LSAT Alumni. Folks who have already taken the LSAT and successfully matriculated at a law school have no need for their LSAT books/materials. Ask them for the books/materials. Some companies forbid former-students from "selling" or "giving away" their books. So if you're going to solicit old/used books, do it off the web - preferably in-person.

4. Public Library. Your local public library most likely has copies of LSAT prep books. Take advantage of your taxpayer resources! BTW, if you're using LSAT books from your public library, don't be that douche-bag who writes in them.

5. LSAT scholarships (from LSAT tutors!). Professional LSAT tutors occasionally offer unbelievable scholarships. My guess is that most behemoth test prep companies can't do this (despite their vast riches) because it's plain bad economics. But smaller, self-employed professional tutors can give of their own time (without having to deal with burecratic BS). Ask your LSAT tutor if he/she has scholarships available.

If you know of any other free LSAT prep options, please share!

Use Your Paper and Pencil; Not Your Head

Today, I met a prospective client in California. Super smart guy. I noticed, however, him doing everything in his head. The Analytical Reasoning (a.k.a. Logic Games) question was asking for a min/max list. He clearly knew what the question was asking for and he also knew exactly how to derive at the correct answer. However, he didn't get the correct answer. All because he didn't keep track of which variables he already used (and which ones he had not yet used).

He could have avoided this careless and silly mistake by simply remembering to write out his work. 

There's nothing wrong with writing things out. It doesn't mean you're any less smarter than the person who can do it all in his head. The LSAT isn't measuring how fast you can deduce and calculate something in your head per se. It's a multiple choice test that measures your accuracy + speed. Avoid silly mistakes. Take the 2 nano-seconds to write out your work. 

Cheating the LSAT | by Fox Test Prep

I received this book (Cheating the LSAT by Nathan Fox) a while back. But I finally got to review it last night, for the first time. My verdict - EXCELLENT book!

It's the newest addition to my small list of must have LSAT study books. 

Outline and summary of the book

The book is simple. The first half is an actual hard-copy of Prep Test 61 (just like the kind you can purchase from LSAC) and the second half is a question-by-question explanation of Prep Test 61. 

But don't let the simplicity of the book lead you to think that it's "not worth the money." This book efficiently (in a no BS manner) delivers the sort of substance that Kaplan Test Prep books take 2000+ pages to execute. I'm so serious. Mr. Fox takes you on a step-by-step journey in outfoxing the LSAT. 

Positive

What differentiates this book from all the other "how to LSAT" guides out there are 1) it's well written (reads smoothly and surprisingly quickly); 2) it's practical (cuts straight to the point and jumps right into actual LSAT questions); and 3) it doesn't glorify the LSAT. I especially like this third aspect of Mr. Fox's book. 

I have been teaching the LSAT for years to thousands of students - and one of the most important debilitating factors that prevent a student from scoring high is his/her mind-set. If you build up the beast into something bigger and scarier than it actually is, then you've failed before you even started. 

Negative

It's not comprehensive. So students wishing for a thorough, A-Z prep, would be wise to purchase other books along with this one OR enroll in with a test prep company. 

Having said this, I believe Mr. Fox is going to publish more books along this book's format. He calls this book "Volume 1". 

Before and After - LSAT score 143 to 171

There are many LSAT prep options out there (see here and here). One of the most common advertising ploys/tactics that companies love to use is the "before and after" testimonials.

Below is a similar example from one of the test prep company out there:

"The T********** course does a marvelous job at rigorously exercising your brain and preparing you for the real thing."

Jin Choi

Before: 156

After: 168

But don't believe in everything you read or hear. You don't know if Jin Choi actually exists. Despite laws against false advertising - it's really difficult to check and monitor against companies that will make up fake testimonials and numbers.

Don't abandon common sense. If you think something is too good to be true, perhaps it is. If you have your doubts, you ought to do your due diligence and ask the right questions - find out whether the claims are actually true (or not). You're going to be LAWYERS - it behooves you to be an excellent critical thinker and investigator. 

LSAT Sensei | Journey to Law School

1. What is your company's name and where is it located?
LSAT Sensei, Chicago, IL

2. What is your web address?

www.LSATsensei.com – company site

3. What makes you such an awesome LSAT instructor?

Besides my stunning aura?

I love my job – absolutely love teaching and empowering. I have a  firm conviction that my student(s)’ success equals my success. I take the time to figure out anything and everything, both LSAT and law school related, about each and every one of my students. This entails figuring out his/her study habits, strengths/weaknesses, and motivation(s). Once I have a good baseline idea of where the student is coming from (and where he/she wants to go), I know exactly how to help him/her.

High Energy. I make it a point to keep my classes upbeat. I’m an extreme extrovert, so I’m naturally very high energy in front of a crowd. The idea is to be contagious – and enable my students be equally enthusiastic about the LSAT. For example, the LSAT can be really FUN. Between all the flawed arguments and ridiculous hypos, how can you not laugh and take jabs at it? If a student walks into my class nervous, wary, and/or uncertain, they usually walk out relaxed, focused, and confident.

Teaching Experience. I’ve been teaching the LSAT (as well as other school subjects) for a very long time (for over a decade). And I taught it everywhere (including California, Vermont, Arizona, Seattle, Illinois, New Jersey, China, Japan, Korea, etc.). When anyone does anything for as long as I have (see Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule), you sort of become a “genius” at it. Very few people possess my teaching experience, and even fewer people possess a deep understanding of the LSAT the way I do. I strongly believe that I offer the best LSAT prep service in the Chicago area and most likely one of the best (if not THE best) in the nation.

4. Why do you think most students choose you over behemoth test prep companies? 

Besides my stunning aura?

In all seriousness, I think they choose me mainly because the instruction quality is just so much higher than at the large behemoth companies. I give everyone a chance to compare my class/lessons with other class/lessons. Thus far, when given the chance to compare and contrast, 100% of the students chose me.

Another key attraction is that everything about the LSAT Sensei training is personalized and tailored to meet students’ needs. I partner with other LSAT tutors and instructors who help me ensure that all students are getting their questions answered and staying on schedule. Great LSAT prep isn’t simply about what books or curriculum you use; it’s also about how good of a coach your teacher can be. This means constantly keeping a pulse check on student progress – knowing when to be tough and pushy, and when to enforce rest and fun.

It also helps that my classes and workshops are a better bargain. 

5. How did you first get into this gig?

I took the LSAT, while I was in China, as a Peace Corps volunteer. I did very well, so some of my fellow volunteers and a few of the expats in the area asked me to tutor them. What began as a small group tutoring session quickly grew into a full size class. Soon, Chinese natives began attending my class. Now that I think back at it, it was kind of crazy and amazing.

When I returned to the States, I got hired by and worked for a national test prep company.

6. Did you go to law school? If so, where?

Yes. The University of Chicago Law School

7. What do you love most about your job?

I love that I get to teach and inspire. I did not enjoy corporate law practice because of my limited human interactions and because there was no tangible difference I was making to improve anyone’s life. I’m a huge people person, and I love that my job enables me to always interact with people.

8. Could you please share with the world one of your most memorable LSAT (horror/fun/heart-breaking) stories?

Jimmy comes to mind.

So Jimmy is one of those plugger types – he’ll plug and plug away until he gets it. When he and I first met, he told me one of the most tragic LSAT stories: while he was taking the test, a crazed and panicked student ran into his examination room, waving a gun in one hand. There were two types of students/reactions – the ones that immediately hid under their desks for cover, and the ones that feverishly continued on with their exams. When I first heard Jimmy recount his story to me – I asked him, “Which one were you?” He sheepishly smiled in response. I knew he was the latter.

I taught and coached Jimmy for six months. By exam day he had gone through each and every published exam at least eight times. This was enough for him to have every single LSAT question nearly memorized. It was amazing. I would ask, “Jimmy, June 1999, the second LR section, question #21?” And he would recite the entire question (not quite verbatim, but close enough) along with the correct answer to the question.

I vividly remember his phone call after the test, “Dave, I might need to cancel. I screwed up.” He was crying.

I remember thinking that, “He’s overreacting.” After all, Logic is logic is logic, and this guy had practically memorized all iterations of LSAT logic from past exams.

Jimmy ended up scoring a perfect 180.

10. (Just for fun) if you could be anything in the world (besides an LSAT guru), what would you be? Why?

Kpop star! I would be a Korean Pop singer. I love to dance, sing and perform. I actually sing and dance for my students all the time (in class). If I weren’t an LSAT instructor, I’d definitely be a Kpop star. 

Fox Test Prep

1. What is your company's name and where is it located?
Fox Test Prep, San Francisco, CA

2. What is your web address?
www.foxtestprep.com

3. What makes you such an awesome LSAT instructor?
I just love teaching the LSAT.  It’s a fun test!  (At least it is if you’re doing it right.)  I try to inject as much humor and irreverence as possible, which helps students stay awake during four-hour classes after a long day at work or school.  My process in class is very simple:  I teach without the answers in front of me, so that I can walk students through the actual path I would use to solve a problem.  It’s especially fun to argue with the Logical Reasoning:  If the presented argument is bogus (as it usually is), I’ll say “Okay, this argument is bullshit because of X, Y, and Z.”  Students will chuckle, but this is the kind of critical thinking that allows us to answer the questions before even looking at the answer choices.  If you can get angry at the speaker on the Logical Reasoning, then you can answer 75 percent of the questions pretty easily.  It’s a lot simpler than people think.

4. Why do you think most students choose you over behemoth test prep companies?
The behemoths simply don’t pay their teachers enough money to keep the good ones around for very long.  If you go with a behemoth, you have no idea whether your teacher was just hired that day, or can actually teach.

I love teaching, and it shows in my classes--people choose me because of the reviews they read on Yelp and Google.  My book “Cheating the LSAT” has attracted a fair amount of positive attention on Amazon, which also sends folks my way.

I also do a lot more than just teach LSAT.  I provide end-to-end counseling about law school admissions, even long after the class is over.  I read personal statements, give advice on personal statements, and help students decide when and where to apply.  When they get their acceptance letters, I help them make smart decisions about where to go, including weighing the value of a scholarship vs. the value of a slightly better school.  (Hint:  Take the money!)  In short I really care about my students, and that means I’ll do a lot more for them than just churn them through an LSAT class and kick them out, which is what you’ll get from Kaplan or Princeton.

I’m confident that my classes are the best in the area, and they are also quite a bit cheaper than any of the behemoths.  When you offer the best product at the best price (think Costco) you tend to do pretty well.

5. How did you first get into this gig?
Totally by accident.  In 2005-2006, I did an MBA.  After graduation, I was teaching GMAT for one of the behemoths, and they needed an LSAT teacher.  I didn’t like teaching GMAT that much anyway, so I took the LSAT (scoring 179 on the Feb 2007 test), and started teaching LSAT.  I immediately loved it—it’s a superfun test, and prospective JD students are (on average) a LOT smarter than prospective MBA students.  (I can say this since I have both degrees.)  Then I got tired of the behemoth getting rich off of all my hard work, so I quit and started Fox Test Prep.

6. Did you go to law school? If so, where?
UC Hastings (San Francisco, CA), class of 2011

7. What do you love most about your job?
Really, there are too many things to count.  But I’ll name three:  1)  Positive feedback from my students.  I get Yelp reviews that say “My LSAT instructor made me laugh every night in class”—that’s awesome, and it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.  2)  I LOVE being my own boss.  I make my own schedule, and I call all my own shots.  Part of the reason I’ve never had a bad review is that I have full authority to make things right when I make mistakes (which happens all the time!).  Students have my cellphone number, and they know that they can use it.  It’s very satisfying to take care of people.  3)  I love giving away seats in my LSAT classes.  This is something I’ve done since the very beginning of Fox Test Prep.  I’ve never turned someone away for lack of funds.  It’s a great feeling to be able to do something so tangible toward enhancing racial and socioeconomic diversity in law school and the legal profession.

8. Could you please share with the world on of your most memorable LSAT (horror/fun/heart-breaking) stories?
I’ll share a couple horror stories.  My point isn’t to shame these folks, but to let others learn from their mistakes.

I always tell my students they can call me on the morning of the actual test if they are hyperventilating and need someone to talk them down from the ledge.  Only one student has ever taken me up on this.  It was two minutes before the scheduled start of the test, and this guy called me as he was RUNNING across campus at SF State:  “Nathan, they changed the test room on me!  It’s all the way on the other side of campus!  What should I do?!?!?”  My response was obviously “hang up the phone and run faster,” but what I really wanted to say is “Why didn’t you show up earlier, like I advised you to, and WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ACCOMPLISHING BY CALLING ME AT THIS POINT?”  I was glad he reached out to me, but that moment probably wasn’t the best time to do so.  Anyway, I think he did well on the test in the end--but definitely not that day.

Then there was the student who called me four weeks after the test and said:  “Well, I was doing pretty good on the first couple sections, then I got to a very weird section of Logic Games.  It was totally unfamiliar, and it was OBVIOUS that it was the experimental section.  Since I knew, for sure, that it was the experimental section, I just closed my eyes for 35 minutes and rested, rather than waste my energy. … But um… when the scores came back … as it turns out … that was actually NOT the experimental section, so I bombed the entire test.” I had told her, but she didn’t listen: YOU CAN’T TELL WHICH SECTION IS EXPERIMENTAL WHILE YOU’RE DOING IT.  Unfortunately for her, she became a horror story that I now tell all my classes.

9. What is the most frequently asked question that you receive from your LSAT students, and what is your response?
One that I get a lot is “why do I always narrow it down to a 50-50 and then guess incorrectly?”  My response is “that’s not actually what’s happening… you just don’t review the ones where you’ve narrowed it down to a 50-50 and guessed right.  You need to start circling all your guesses as you go, and you’ll immediately see that you guess correctly half the time on your 50-50 guesses.”  Students don’t love to hear this, because they want a magic bullet, but that’s one of my trademarks as a teacher:  I am NOT going to bullshit my students.  Accepting reality is necessary if you want to do well on the LSAT.  These students will benefit from reviewing their CORRECT guesses just as much as their INCORRECT guesses.  Just because they got lucky doesn’t mean they actually understood the question.

10. (Just for fun) if you could be anything in the world (besides an LSAT guru), what would you be? Why?
My heroes include Ricky Gervais, Willie Nelson, and Miguel Angel Jimenez.  So I guess I’d be a standup comic / potsmoking outlaw country singer / professional golfer.

ScoreItUp LSAT Prep

1. What is your company's name and where is it located?
ScoreItUp LSAT Prep in Irvine, CA (in Orange County, between Los Angeles and San Diego)

2. What is your web address?
www.scoreitup.com

3. What makes you such an awesome LSAT instructor?
I suppose I could sum it up with four words that all begin with "e": experience, enthusiasm, expertise, and energy.

1. Experience: In addition to enormous LSAT Prep teaching experience (I began teaching LSAT Prep before attending Harvard Law School), I also taught over 35 full-length University law courses and gained a tremendous amount of experience working with the logical reasoning concepts tested on the LSAT in law school and as a practicing attorney. Candidly, I don't think students are likely to find an instructor with  more depth and breadth of relevant LSAT Prep experience anywhere!
2. Enthusiasm: For me, teaching LSAT Prep happens to be a perfect example of the old saying "if you love your work, you'll never work a day in your life." I think my enthusiasm and passion for teaching comes through strongly in my classes.
3. Expertise: Doing extremely well on the LSAT helped me get into law schools of my choice, and having a deep and solid understanding of the LSAT helps me as an instructor. However, LSAT Prep is about teaching and what truly matters is an instructor's ability to teach students how they can maximize their potential on the LSAT. That is one of the reasons I provide extensive and independently verifiable student evaluations online. I believe a LSAT Prep instructor ideally should have tons of teaching experience, a law school degree, and expertise in explaining the LSAT's legal reasoning concepts. 
4. Energy: I prioritize bringing a lot of energy into the classroom to make LSAT classes a really fun experience. I like to have fun when I teach, students like to have fun when they learn, and students' results are enhanced if they enjoy the experience. Students routinely tell me that they are convinced my course was much more helpful than a course from one of the large test prep companies would have been, and a lot more fun than they ever would have expected.

4. Why do you think most students choose you over behemoth test prep companies?
I suppose I can best answer this question with an analogy.  Imagine craving a hamburger, and seeing two places:  McDonald’s and Mark’s Burgers.  McDonald’s is everywhere, but Mark’s Burgers offers larger hamburgers, higher quality hamburgers, a much better value, and is a fun place to eat a burger.  And the burgers at Mark’s Burgers are guaranteed to be prepared by a highly experienced, well-trained burger chef.  Students who see the obvious benefits of the bigger, higher-quality, better-value burger would be the ones who choose ScoreItUp.  Students will get the same training in the basics they would receive at one of the large test prep companies, but much more. Students tend to like ScoreItUp if they value clear, straightforward advantages and proven results over the advertising gimmicks and fake student comments frequently used by other test prep companies.

5. How did you first get into this gig?
I was looking for teaching opportunities and I really enjoyed preparing for the LSAT, so I began teaching LSAT Prep for one of those large test prep companies.  It became apparent to me that I could do this far more effectively on my own, using recent and real LSAT questions, and guaranteeing I would teach the course myself – students would not have to worry about getting a part-time student instructor with questionable student evaluations or limited teaching experience, or who had not even gone to law school.  After getting very positive feedback from students in the University courses I taught, I started ScoreItUp.

6. Did you go to law school? If so, where?
Yes, I graduated from Harvard Law School.

7. What do you love most about your job?
As for my LSAT Prep teaching, a couple things immediately come to mind:  (1) watching students go from being utterly confused to extremely confident (often most dramatically when dealing with the Logic Games section), and (2) the point in every course when the class develops a sense of deep confidence in the course and their instructor – that’s a very rewarding feeling!  I also am a practicing attorney - the excitement of jury trials and the satisfaction of assisting victims are two very rewarding aspects of that job. 

8. Could you please share with the world one of your most memorable LSAT (horror/fun/heart-breaking) stories?
This is a story that only LSAT nerds would find funny, but here goes.  I once had a very animated student who was expressing frustration with a Reading Comprehension question after class.  He felt the information in the passage was wrong, and therefore the correct answer choice was wrong.  I told him that he needed to focus only on the information contained in the passage, and explained the question’s reasoning process to him.  He wouldn’t let the issue go.  His face turned bright red, he began gesturing wildly and pacing back and forth across the classroom.  He got so worked up that other students became worried, and thought he might have a heart attack.  One of the students then found the official LSAC statement indicating that information contained in LSAT passages is not necessarily correct, and to base answers only on the information provided.  He relaxed and we had a good laugh over his passion – LSAT questions can sometimes do that to you!

9. What is the most frequently asked question that you receive from your LSAT students, and what is your response?
I’d say it’s a two-part question:  “When should I start preparing for the LSAT, and how much time per week should I plan on devoting to it?”  It depends upon the student, but I would say that serious LSAT Prep students ideally should plan on spending a minimum of 2 months time preparing.  During those 2+ months, they should assume that LSAT Prep will be roughly the equivalent of a full-time job (or a full and challenging quarter of college courses).  One certainly can have a life while preparing for the LSAT, but having a full-time job or a full set of college classes on top of LSAT Prep is likely to be overwhelming for students seeking to maximize their potential on the exam.

10. (Just for fun) if you could be anything in the world (besides an LSAT guru), what would you be? Why?
This may be an unusual answer, but I suppose I’d be a philanthropist along the lines of Warren Buffet.  Everyone may not agree with me, but I really admire him - certainly much more than athletes or celebrities.  He spends half his time outsmarting the world with his brilliant investments and the other half of his time figuring out how to save/improve the world by donating his massive fortunes to the causes and charities he finds most worthy.  That sounds like a fun and very meaningful way to live one’s life, and I have a lot of respect for him.