CCSC to Offer LSAT Practices

Columbia College students will have the chance to take practice LSATs in a simulated test environment, according to a proposal passed by the Columbia College Student Council last night.

The proposal, authored by Alidad Damooei, CC '09 and academic affairs representative, and Allan Lau, CC '09 and pre-professions, scholars, and fellowships representative, will allow students to take a pilot test in April. According to Damooei, CCSC could charge less than $8 to cover material costs and might even be able to offer the test for free.

"It's particularly focused on students who don't want to spend $1000 on a prep class, who just want to focus on studying," Damooei said, adding that a formally-administered test would be a better alternative than taking "one in you room, in your pajamas."

David Chait, CC '07 and class president, modified the proposal to include hiring a student to proctor the test.

The Council also discussed opening the test to other schools, although Damooei said that they'd wait to gauge the situation after the initial administration.

By next year, Damooei said that the CCSC hopes to offer four to six administrations per year of the MCAT and the GRE in addition to the LSAT. Damooei said that because they're taken via computer, the MCATs will present an added, though readily addressable, challenge.

At the beginning of the school year, Seth Flaxman, CC '07 and CCSC president, mentioned the idea of giving students proctored LSATs, although Damooei didn't pick it up until winter break, when he saw his cousin taking the test and remembered Flaxman's initiative. He and Lau then reached out to the Pre-Law Society and the Pre-Professional Office for help with getting the idea off the ground.

The Engineering Student Council is also looking to get involved, although it will hold off on joining the CCSC until next year when the MCAT and GRE are included in the deal, Damooei said.