The LEAP Center offered a Mock LSAT to SHSU pre-law students this fall, making 16 semesters in a row that the Center has offered this service.
Approximately 57 students showed up for four-hour test on a Saturday morning, simply to assess where they stand on the single most important criterion for being accepted to law school.
For the past 10 years, SHSU has ranked in the top 150 “law school feeders,” a ranking put out by LSAC. Our students have gone to top schools around the country and, of course, in Texas. Part of the reason for this is the many programs offered by the LEAP Center: (1) mock LSATs every semester; (2) Mock Law class every spring; (3) a strong Pre-Law Society organization on campus; (4) law-school trips; and (5) many other programs designed to promote the skills emphasized by law schools.
Of course, it largely begins with our students, who are willing to spend half a Saturday taking a test simply to invest in their future.
Saturdays tend to be a time for recovery from the hard week of studying, but for some of our SHSU students, this Saturday was one for the books! Every semester, for the past 9 years or so, the LEAP Center provides a free Mock LSAT for SHSU students who are considering law school and careers in the Law field.
LSAT stands for Law School Admissions Test and is similar to what hopeful graduate students take, the GRE. The exam produces a score based off of logical thinking, critical thinking, and reading-comprehension skills. The LSAT is scored from a 120-180. Most law schools need an average of a 151 and above to get in. The LSAT exam is not for the weak at heart, because it takes months of studying and personal responsibility to follow through with it.
The Mock LSAT is taken under conditions that mimic the situations under the actual LSAT exam.
And on this morning, more than 35 students hunkered down for the four-hour test.
The Mock LSAT is not just for our PreLaw students, but for everyone who wishes to try their hand at learning what they would need to improve their score and just get a better understanding of the exam.
Saturday mornings tend to be a time to relax and sleep in. However, on this Saturday morning, for thirty- three future lawyers that would not be the case. Every semester, for the past 8 years or so, the LEAP Center provides a free Mock LSAT for SHSU students who are considering law school.
The LSAT, an acronym for Law School Admissions Test, is a challenging exam that assesses student’s reading comprehension, logical thinking, and critical thinking skills. The offered Mock LSAT, is a full-length exam taken under timed conditions to mimic those of the real LSAT. Princeton Review, who is one of the main companies that offer LSAT Prep Courses, also provides mock exams like these to get the appropriate training for the real LSAT.
Such an intense exam should not be taken likely and may seem quite foreboding….
But it’s actually quite user friendly. More than anything the LEAP Center encourages students to attempt the Mock LSAT so that they can get their footing on what they need to work on and get an idea about how they would do in the real thing. The LSAT is scored from a 120-180. Most law schools need an average of a 151 and above to get in. It takes a lot of hard work on behalf of the student, which is why the Mock LSAT is so imperative to future law school students.
All of this was mentioned by Ambassador Bianca, who was briefly interviewed before the exam by a Mass Communication student, Raven Cheek, for a class project.
We hope this Mock LSAT helped students find their strengths and weaknesses before taking the actual LSAT and plan accordingly. The LEAP Center would also like to thank Michelle Bell, the proctor for the Princeton Review, for making the trip to Sam Houston.
The Center for Law, Engagement, And Politics (LEAP) and The Princeton Review recently hosted a Mock LSAT for Sam Houston State University Pre-Law Students. The test, which takes about four hours to complete, was an actual exam used by the Law School Admission Council and was professionally scored for the students. The scores, however, did not count as official scores and were not provided to the Law School Admissions Council.
“The purpose of the mock LSAT,” noted Mike Yawn, Director of the LEAP Center, “is to give students an idea of where they stand, assist them identifying the areas in which they need to improve, and help them feel more comfortable with the testing environment.”
More than forty students devoted their Saturday to taking the exam. Law School has emerged as one of the more popular post-graduate pursuits on the campus of SHSU. Since 2005, the number of students applying to law school has doubled, from approximately 60 to 120. Even more promising, the number of students accepted to law school has almost tripled, rising from approximately 20 to the 50-60 range.
SHSU Students Take Mock LSAT
According to the Law School Admissions Council, SHSU is now 141st in the nation—out of 2,774 schools—at producing applicants to law schools. SHSU recently moved ahead of Rice University, University of North Carolina, Seton Hall, and Loyola on the list.
“We’ve moved ahead rapidly,” noted Yawn. “We have a Pre-Law minor, numerous faculty with law degrees, and dozens of law-related programs per year. This is a great University to attend for students interested in pursuing law.”
“It was a challenging test,” observed Jessica Rodriguez, an SHSU Junior and aspiring law student. “It was the second Mock LSAT I’ve taken, and I improved, which is what I was hoping for. I plan to take the LSAT Prep Course in the spring and take the real thing next fall.”
The Princeton Review will be offering a Prep Course on the campus of SHSU in the spring of 2014, the only such offering in Huntsville over the next year. For more information on the test, contact Mike Yawn at (936) 294-1456 or at mike.yawn@shsu.edu.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 