- Ben Olson
Ep. 167: The Impersonal Statement
Even if you’ve got writing chops, it can be tough to write effectively about yourself. When the guys review a personal statement, that’s one of the first things they notice. Most statements just don’t give them a sense of who the writer is, what they’ve done in their lives, or why they are a good candidate for the law school in question. On today’s show, Ben and Nathan read a particularly impersonal statement and give advice throughout on how to better illustrate your story. They also give a PSA about the 35-minute LSAT timer on Spotify, tackle an LSAT India question, and discuss some interesting accommodations granted to a listener. Plus, we’ve got a real treat for you, dear listeners. There’s a brand-new segment of the show. Get ready for Pearls vs. Turds.
If you like the show and you want to get more from the Thinking LSAT community, check out the links below. You can connect with other folks studying for the LSAT, and get more useful resources from Nathan and Ben.
The Thinking LSAT Facebook Group.
Find us on Twitter. Nathan’s Twitter handle. Ben’s Twitter handle.
The Thinking LSAT personal statement review.
11:06 – Email 1—A concerned listener alerted the Thinking LSAT crew of an issue with the 35-minute LSAT timer on Spotify. It turns out that if you try to listen to the 35-minute LSAT timer on Spotify, you’ll just burn a hole in your ear. Because instead of a nice, silent, 35 minutes of time, it sounds like aliens are trying to rip the fabric of space and climb into your brain. We’re looking into it. In the meantime, just listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever else you find these podcast things.
12:52 – Email 2—Michael Scarne just found out that he nabbed a 170 on the September LSAT. Hell yeah, Michael! Great work. What’s more is that Michael got his score with accommodated testing. In fact, he got more accommodations than he bargained for. Tune in to hear his accommodations story. Then, Nathan and Ben discuss how they would handle the ongoing accommodations crisis, if the LSAT were under their charge.
21:37 – Email 3—Sarah sends her personal statement to be…just destroyed by Ben and Nathan. And as is customary, the guys do indeed burn it to the ground. The good news? Sarah, your writing is pretty good! The bad news? This may be among the most impersonal personal statements the guys have ever read. Throughout, Ben makes a ton of helpful observations about good writing, good storytelling, and how to create a compelling argument using the facts.
53:07 – Pearls vs. Turds—Perk your ears, dear listeners. It’s time for—get ready—a brand spanking new segment of the show. And boy is it good. Welcome to Pearls vs. Turds. In this segment, the guys will review and assess the pearlship or turdship of various LSAT wisdom and lore found out on the information superhighway. Today’s pearl-or-turd segment is brought to you by guessing strategies. Nathan and Ben cover a guessing strategy and crown it…pearl? Turd? Tune in to find out.
1:02:59 – LSAT India Time! The guys continue their trek through a 2009 LSAT: India exam. Today they answer question three in section one, which involves the color of blueberry pie filling. How apropos with Thanksgiving just around the corner! Turns out this LSAT India question isn’t just prepping you for law school, it’s helping you in the kitchen, too.
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