Sara

I came to Elemental after two LSAT scores that I knew were below my potential -- I just didn't know how to get to my potential. Over the course of eight months, I went on what feels like the journey of a lifetime. Utilizing Ellen Cassidy's methods and holding myself to the highest standard forced me to change who I was as a test taker, and a student.

I started my preparation in January 2021 with a diagnostic score of 164 and a family friend who had general test prep expertise but lacked specialized LSAT knowledge. Through focused self-study I developed foundational logic skills, but I needed something more systematic to break through to my target of 175+.

Ellen's magic is in her individualization: through careful observation, she figured out exactly where I was making mistakes and used customized homework drills to reinforce what I learned in session. Early on, she established the "solid gold" standard -- no shortcuts on Translation, no peeking at question stems during CLIR, and never choosing an answer just because the words looked familiar. The Chocolate Chip tracker became my accountability tool, enforcing the discipline of commenting, translating, and quipping every single answer choice.

My Reading Comprehension accuracy improved dramatically through Party Trick and Camo work, reaching -1 and eventually -0 on full sections. By October 2021, I hit a 180 on a practice test, followed by a 173 and a 179 in consecutive weeks. The recurring lesson was that comfort was the enemy: "The more comfortable you are, the worse you do. We need a consistent itchy sweater level of irritation."

Ellen also introduced the "Bulletproof Standard" -- requiring me to have a textual reference for every answer, not just a feeling of correctness. She pushed me to approach my law school applications with a fresh mindset too, and together we crafted essays that I feel extremely proud of.

Learning the LSAT with Elemental is like learning to ride a bike. You might fall off a few times, but once you get it, it sticks. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to study with the Elemental family and feel more confident than ever about my ability to succeed in law school.

-- Sara, 179 (enrolled at Penn)