What Is Mindful Tutoring
My Struggles with the LSAT
The LSAT kicked my ass. I was a high achieving straight A student at a competitive university, and for the life of me, I could not figure out why I was scoring in the 130s-140s on the LSAT. I tried using all my old study habits, dedicated tons of time to this test, and still couldn't hack it. It felt like the Test Makers were speaking a new language, and I was constantly confused by the words on the page in front of me. So how did I achieve a 177?
Things started to take a positive turn for me when I became curious and had a more flexible frame of mind. I remember telling my tutor, "I'm ready to do things your way." I put down my old way of thinking and started approaching things with a new logical perspective that I had never had before. Suddenly my score jumped to the 160s and eventually the 170s.
My name is Emily Colvin. I am a 29-year-old Austinite living life with my husband and 2 crazy dogs. I am passionate about making sure that my students deeply understand the fundamentals of logic, so they are empowered not only to perform well on the LSAT but in law school, the bar, and as an attorney. That’s why I started Mindful Tutoring!
My Approach to the LSAT
I teach the LSAT because I know what it is like to feel hopeless and frustrated with this material. It can be a massive kick to your self-esteem and make you question your dream of being an attorney. I want to shine a light on “Speaking the LSAT” and empower my students to think logically in new ways they haven’t done before. This test can be a huge financial barrier for many gifted students who want to bring meaningful changes to our world. Therefore, I give certain students scholarships if they come from challenging economic circumstances. I genuinely believe it is unfair that we are not taught this material in college.
Even though I am frustrated by the gatekeeping that perpetuates the LSAT, I believe in the logical principles it teaches. As someone in court three days a week, I see attorneys rely on the same logical principles the LSAT teaches that can make or break their argument. This information is essential. As your tutor, it is my job to get inside your head and understand how you interpret the information in front of you. Are you putting emphasis on the wrong words? How are you interpreting those words? Are you skipping or glazing over important details? These are just a few of the questions I will ask to diagnose your strengths and areas in which you can grow.
Please do not feel like this test is going to get the best of you. If I can make it from the 130s to a 177, then anyone can. I am not a natural at this and will not explain things in complicated ways. All this test requires is a deep understanding of a few major principles and then memorization of a variety of examples of those principles. Let’s go knock this test out of the park!