Franklin & Marshall College

Professional references are different than the type of references you might supply when filling out a rental application for housing.  While a landlord would be interested in speaking to your family friends, an employer would prefer to speak to people who have known you in a professional capacity (past supervisors, coordinators from volunteer projects, professors, etc).  The same is true when determining whom you will ask to write letters of recommendation for you.   

Coming soon to a computer terminal near you, in 2015 actually, the New MCAT will rise up to its full height and might, a formidable dragon of a standardized test, including new sections and a longer time allotment (from the current 4.5 hours to about 6.5 hours).  “Slaying” it will require the patience and focus of a saint, fearlessness in the face of the unknown, peak physical stamina, and a sharpened intellect applied in broader swipes and strokes . . .

I recently had the privilege of listening in as two young alumni, Pharyl Weiner ’06 and Aamer Bajwa ’10, shared advice with graduating seniors about their own transitions from F&M to life after F&M.   The conversation was a way for soon-to-graduate seniors to learn from the experiences of alumni who have gone before them, about what it is really like to launch from F&M. 

What exactly does the LSAT test, and is it a fair measure of someone's aptitude for the study of law or potential for success in the legal profession?  In order to answer these questions, I attended a two-day LSAT prep course as the guest of Penn State's Dickinson School of Law.   It's been over 30 years since I took the LSAT, and I honestly didn't spend enough time preparing for it.   Now that I advise F&M students who are considering law as a profession, I figured it was time to reacquaint myself with an exam that is the only common attribute for all law school applicants.