Great Advice on How to Get 160+ on the LSAT...(mgm2n)

1) What score did you get?

179

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)

Two books: The regular Kaplan LSAT book and Kaplan's LSAT 180, plus the Kaplan prep course books (there were maybe five or six of these).

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?

The condensed, 4 week Kaplan course (3.5 hours, 3 nights a week).

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)

I studied for about 6 weeks over the summer (took a Sept 30th LSAT), semi-seriously, followed by the 4 week Kaplan course. I spent most of the summer study period familiarizing myself with the different question types & sections, and praciticing Logic Games examples and Logical Reasoning concepts. I found the regular Kaplan book to be useful as an overview and basic starting point.

5) How many preptests did you do?
Four - one diagnostic, and three timed proctored tests via Kaplan.

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
Judging from other posters, as a general rule I would suggest taking more practice tests than I did. My diagnostic score was a 169 (mind you, I had already studied the basic concepts covered by the test, and had some basic strategies for Logic Games), with subsequent practice test scores increasing up to 179 by the third test.
I did ALL of the Kaplan homework problems, both the endurance drills and timed sections, and spent a lot of time with the LSAT 180 book (esp the Logic Games) even before starting the prep course. My thinking was that if I could master the hardest problems & concepts, then the rest wouldn't be too intimidating. Worked for me, but I could see how this approach might frustrate some who prefer a more systematic, building-block approach to the test.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.

- Don't hype it up too much - it's just a test. You've taken thousands of tests over the years & done well - remember that and be confident. It is important to be able to walk into the test and feel calm. Take practice tests until the prospect of the real one doesn't freak you out. For me, four tests was enough. FOr others, it's five times that many - personal preference! Find your magic number.
- A quick word on test day (I refuse to capitalize those two words) fashion: LAYERS. My testing room had a crazy computerized thermostat with a mind of its own, and it was maybe 65 degrees in there - we were all freezing cold. However, I was OK because i had on four layers of clothing (including a hooded sweatshirt, long sleeved thsirt, short sleeved tshirt, and tank top), and long pants. This was in September, too, so a lot of students did not come in dressed for cold. Just be aware that this stuff happens, and you will do a LOT better if you're comfortable
- I have never had much difficulty with Reading Comprehension on standardized tests in the past. The LSAT was an exception - I struggled to complete some of the harder sections at first, running out of time. Learn how to outline passages, and become extremely familiar with the question types asked - it will speed the process tremendously. Don't be afraid to work harder passages either - it will pay off.

**One thing i forgot: As a poster above mentioned, it's a great idea to do a couple of warm-up problems on the morning of the test. I picked out a fairly difficult LG and a few LR questions the day before.