Many students struggle with time management—35 minutes sounds reasonable until you factor in planning, drafting, and reviewing. Others find it difficult to construct a compelling argument quickly or worry about grammar and clarity under pressure. The key challenge is balancing speed with quality, which is why targeted practice and strategy coaching make a real difference in performance.

A tutor can teach you a structured approach to essay planning that works within the time constraint, help you identify your specific writing weaknesses, and provide detailed feedback on practice essays. With personalized 1-on-1 instruction, you'll learn strategies tailored to your writing style and get real-time guidance on how to strengthen your arguments and organization—something that's hard to develop through self-study alone.

Most law school admissions experts recommend writing 10-15 full timed essays during your LSAT prep to build muscle memory and confidence. This should be spread across your study timeline—not crammed at the end—so you have time to review feedback and adjust your approach. A tutor can help you space these practices strategically and ensure each one teaches you something new rather than just repeating the same mistakes.

Since the essay isn't scored, many students prioritize the logical reasoning, reading comprehension, and analytical reasoning sections first. However, once those sections are solid, dedicating 2-3 weeks to essay-specific practice is worthwhile—it ensures you submit a polished writing sample and builds overall test confidence. A tutor can help you prioritize based on your specific strengths and timeline.

The most effective structure is a quick outline (2-3 minutes), followed by an introduction that clearly states your position, 2-3 body paragraphs with specific reasoning, and a brief conclusion. This straightforward approach helps you stay organized under time pressure and makes your argument easy for admissions officers to follow. Tutors can teach you templates that work for different prompt types, so you're not reinventing your strategy on test day.

Your tutor will likely have you write a timed practice essay to assess your current skills, then review it together to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. You'll discuss your test timeline, any writing concerns, and what success looks like for you. From there, your tutor will create a personalized plan that addresses your specific challenges, whether that's time management, argument clarity, or grammar.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors for students in Murrieta who specialize in LSAT prep and essay writing. You can share your goals and timeline, and we'll match you with a tutor whose expertise fits your needs. Whether you need intensive essay-focused prep or broader LSAT support, personalized 1-on-1 instruction gives you the targeted feedback and strategy coaching that makes the biggest difference.