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Avoid 3 LSAT Reading Comprehension Pitfalls

By WTOP Staff

The LSAT is a dreaded four-letter acronym that can make or break a law school application.

After ten years of tutoring law school applicants, I know that thorough preparation and a complete understanding of the test is the only way to ensure that an applicant maximizes his or her score. When I studied for the LSAT, I did every available practice exam three times in order to master the identification of the patterns in the different question types on the exams. I scored a 179 as a result.

[Learn how law schools evaluate LSAT scores.]

Over the next three weeks, in anticipation of the upcoming LSAT, I will discuss common pitfalls for each of the three types of scored sections on the LSAT. This week, I’ll address the reading comprehension section.

The section has four sets of questions and each set is comprised of reading material and five to eight questions. Here are three tips to help you ace the reading comprehension section of the LSAT.

1. Don’t get lost in the details: There is a temptation for test-takers to spend too much time on the details of a complicated passage. Spending time wrestling with a particularly tricky example is risky when you have only approximately nine minutes to read each passage and answer the questions about it.

Do not waste the time you could be using in other places on the exam. The example you’re stuck on might not even be relevant to the questions you’ll be asked.

[Here are seven test prep tips for LSAT success.]

2. Know your source: Misidentifying the source of an opinion can lead you to totally misunderstand a passage, so it is critical that you correctly determine the source of any opinion. Be sure to distinguish between the author’s opinion and the author’s presentation of someone else’s opinion, as authors of passages will often report the opinion of another without actually holding that opinion themselves.

In questions where you are asked to describe the author’s tone, opinion or attitude about something, make sure that the parts of the passage you are using to answer the question describe the author’s opinion.

3. Start things out right: Many people believe that they should start with the passage that has the most questions. However, the passage with the most questions is often a difficult one. You might then miss out on the easy points gained from less challenging questions hiding in a shorter passage.

[Follow these five tips for the five days before the LSAT.]

While there is no hard and fast connection between the number of questions a passage has and its difficulty, your best bet is to start with the type of passage you feel the most comfortable with.

This is especially true if you have noticed a trend in your studying where you do best on one type of passage above all others. For some, there is no discernible trend, and in that case you should just go in the order that they appear in the exam.

Avoiding these common mistakes will help improve your score on reading comprehension questions.

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Avoid 3 LSAT Reading Comprehension Pitfalls originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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