LSAT India 2021 topper: Shefali, AIR 1, wants to work for upliftment of underprivileged

Shefali Mehra, a student of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, topped the LSAT India 2021 by securing 99.69 percentile in the three-year LLB programme.  

Shefali secured AIR 1 by bagging a score band between 475 and 479 in the LSAT 2021. Her father is a professor and mother a homemaker. She cleared the LSAT 2021 without coaching and believes that if applicants are familiar with the LSAT exam pattern, practise mocks and expand their reading comprehension abilities, they can easily crack the exam. She likes to write and spend time with not-for-profit organisations. 

Shiksha caught up with Shefali to know her LSAT preparation strategy and tips. Read below the full interview.

Q. Did you expect to be the topper of LSAT 2021?

A. I did not expect this at all. My aim was to just take the LSAT exam and perform well enough to receive a scholarship since my family has had some financial constraints. In fact, considering that I was still unsure about committing the next few years to legal education even right before the exam, AIR 1 was an extremely pleasant and a welcome surprise.

Q. What was your preparation strategy that helped you crack LSAT 2021?

A. The most important aspect is to familiarise oneself with the LSAT syllabus and exam pattern and then practice questions of all varieties in a timed condition. Develop confidence in your own abilities and realise that the outcome might be dependent on a lot of variables that are out of one’s control. Finally, the importance of good rest and plenty of breaks cannot be stressed enough.

Q. How did you manage time between board exams and entrance exams preparation?

A. I took the LSAT India 2021 just a week before my final undergraduate exams. So, time management was a key area of focus. I devoted a few hours of the day for the preparation of both.

Q. Did you take any coaching for the exam?

A. No, I did not take coaching for the LSAT 2021 exam. The exam is completely based on critical thinking, reading and reasoning abilities, which can be developed through advancing an interest in reading and analysing various forms of writing. A bachelor’s degree in philosophy equipped me well in these areas.

Q. What study plan did you follow for the LSAT exam?

A. I went through the study booklets provided by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the conducting body of the LSAT India. To be honest, I was unsure of appearing in the exam even until the night before; so I did not really have much time to go through any other material.

Q. Which books did you read to prepare for the exam?

A. There were no other books involved other than the study material of LSAC. Apart from this, a gradual development of quick and analytical reading abilities can be attained through consistent reading of newspapers and researching on any topics that interest you. I love reading. I read the classic Jane Austen novels that helped in making headway with the above.

Also Read: 

• Best  Books for LSAT India 2021 - Check Subject-wise books 
• LSAT  India official Prep Material 
• LSAT  India Question & Sample Papers 2021

Q. How did you deal with your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for the exam?

A. One of my major weaknesses as well as strengths in exams is that I generally follow my first instinct. I suppose it manifested as the latter this time! I also believe that tagging any trait as a weakness or a strength is quite detrimental to one’s own motivation. Everyone can do everything, after all it’s all constructed by humans.

Q. Was law always your first preference?

A. No, law was not always my first preference. I have always wanted a holistic education. So, my subjects in school, graduation, work experience, and now law, all speak about very varied and yet interlinked facets. My primary and only interest lies in contributing to the upliftment of the disadvantaged and underserved, and law allows precisely that perfectly.

Q. Any tips for students who are planning to take these exams in future?

A. Do not stress, take rest and breaks,familiarise yourself with the LSAT exam pattern, expand your reading comprehension abilities gradually (this comes handy for all walks of life) and try to focus on attempting as many LSAT mock tests as possible.

Q. What are your future plans?

A. I have received a few other offers and ranks. I plan to further explore opportunities and options before arriving at any one decision. Research, policy, technology, and ethics are a few specialisations that I may be interested to undertake eventually. 

Read More: 

• LSAT  India  2021 Topper  Interview: Making legal remedies more accessible is Priyanshi  Bhardwaj’s aim 
• LSAT  India 2020 Topper Interview: Pragna Yenduri shares that Consistency  is the Key   
• Important  topics to study for LSAT India 2021 preparation