Steve Schwartz, Founder and CEO
LSAT Unplugged
August 7, 2019 \ LSAT Unplugged (the home of LSAT Blog) was founded by Steve Schwartz in an effort to release free and low-cost LSAT self-study resources as an alternative to the $1,500+ traditional prep courses.
Read the Full Q&A Below
Why would a prospective law school applicant with a 175 LSAT score skip law school to teach the LSAT?
Because I became strangely obsessed with the LSAT in the process of my own (year-long!) journey from a 152 to a 175. I wanted to help other students avoid making the same mistakes I did. And I didn’t want people to feel they needed to spend $1,500 on an LSAT course now that the Internet can significantly reduce the cost of education.
What are the biggest LSAT prep mistakes you see?
I made a lot of dumb mistakes back when I was studying…and it took a while before I was willing to admit this….but it actually took me a FULL YEAR to master the LSAT!!!
I probably could’ve been done with it in less than half that time if I’d gone about things the right way from the beginning. After I learned the RIGHT way to do things, I made a list of all my mistakes (at least, the ones I could think of). I’m not going to share the whole thing because it’s too embarrassing (and long)… but today I am going to share with you the three BIGGEST mistakes I can think of:
#3) Didn’t use right books / PrepTests
I spent too much time on older exams, not enough on newer ones!
At one point early on, I even considered not getting the newest exams at all just because they were 8 bucks each (LSAC hadn’t put them in books of 10 yet.)
In hindsight, this was pretty stupid because the most recent exams are the most relevant!
Doesn’t make sense to try to save $40 on 5 individual exams if it means getting a lower score (costing thousands in lost scholarship $$$, future income, etc.)
So…get the newest exams.
#2) Didn’t review
Instead, I just took test after test, hoping my score would magically improve —they didn’t.
Don’t JUST analyze the stimulus or passage (for LR/RC)…make sure you ALSO analyze answer choices.
What was it in the incorrect answer choice you chose that tempted you? Then identify what made it wrong in the end. Or, if there was something in the correct answer that made it seem unappealing, identify what it was. And identify what made it correct in the end.
#1) Didn’t have a study plan
I put this one first because I’d say not having a study plan was probably — no, definitely — my biggest mistake.
I talked about this a bit above, but, basically, I jumped right into taking practice tests without learning the fundamentals first.
And my scores didn’t go up because I wasn’t actually learning strategies to attack the questions BEFORE trying to attack them!
Sounds obvious in hindsight….but with all these books of old tests out there (and thrill of POSSIBLY getting a higher score next time), I kind of got addicted to taking PrepTests, measuring my scores, and looking for trends. I had lists, spreadsheets, graphs, etc…it was all kinda nuts.
Anyway, what I needed was someone to sit me down, kick my ass when I needed it, and show me exactly what I should be doing every. single. day.
I didn’t have that, so it took me WAYYYY too long to crack the LSAT “code.”
So I made LSAT study plans because I wished I had a real plan of attack when I was studying. It would’ve been a LOT easier if I knew exactly how to use all the practice tests and other books.
How are you different from other LSAT instructors?
* LSAT tutors usually parrot what they learned from a particular company, or they’re only able to work with a specific style. However, as a coach, my methodology is YOU. As we work together, I’ll be your mentor, your guide, and your accountability partner. I’ll look at the techniques YOU’RE using – because my goal is to help you deeply understand the test, instead of just copying someone else’s strategies without knowing why they work.
(And, yes, I’m familiar with all the major techniques and can adapt to whichever system you’re using. And, with your permission, I can also show you the techniques I’ve developed for each section.)
* Most tutors are “geniuses” who got top scores without much studying. It took a while before I was willing to admit this, but I actually started in the low 150s. I was only able to improve to 175 after studying every LSAT book I could find and every LSAT question ever released. I know what it’s like to find the LSAT confusing because I’ve been there.
* I’ve written explanations for over 1,000 LSAT questions. This process allowed me to make connections between question-types and see the deeper patterns I was previously missing.
* I release 98% of my information for free. You can get my strategies for virtually every aspect of LSAT preparation, then decide if you’d like to work with me.
* Most tutors work temporarily before or during law school to make extra money. I’ve coached the LSAT full-time for over 10 years because I actually love it.
