Admissions Advice from Law School Admissions (Ep. 208)
The guys have been nothin’ but busy on the LSAT front. Nathan’s been writing his ass off, responding to folks who have smashed that “Ask” button in the LSAT Demon. If you’re studying for the LSAT and you’re not asking questions…you’re not studying. Ben’s also had goggles down and dashboard up, slicing through bug requests like a demonic LSAT ninja. If you’re a Demon user and you notice something amiss with the platform, fire away. Ben’s ready for ya. But at the end of the day, they’re never too busy to stop and answer your LSAT quandaries. The guys get a follow-up about a recent writing sample fail. They consider whether you need to warm-up like an athlete before approaching a section. They take a look at an LG question type. And they burn through another LR question from prep test 71. Plus, Ben and Nathan consider some law-school advice from law school, they get a missive from ex-producer of the podcast, Sarah, and they talk more about Ben’s current read: Non-Violent Communication.
As always, 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.
Personal Statement Review Package
Instagram (upcoming events)
Important Dates
9/10 – Registration deadline for the October LSAT. IF you’re taking the September LSAT, you should def sign up for the October test. And if you’re planning on attending law school in 2020, you should absolutely sign up (if you’re ready)!
9/21 – The September 2019 LSAT
11:35 – Podcast-Demon Review
Boston Rob started on his path to LSAT glory with a cold 158. But after digging into the podcast and working in the Demon, he improved by—count ‘em—15 points y’all. He just smashed out a 173 on his recent test, and he writes the guys with some kind words of thanks. Congrats, Rob!
13:14 – Writing Sample Fail Follow-Up
Back in episode 206, Jackson wrote in with a PSA about the digital writing sample as he had a major miss with his own writing sample this summer. He was diligently going about his business, writing his essay, when the timer ran out! To his chagrin, instead of auto-submitting his work, he was basically given a DNF and his work was erased. So keep an eye on that countdown, dear listeners, and finish up (and hit submit on) that writing sample tout de suite!
16:15 – Pearls vs. Turds
4 Pearls. 19 turds. 11 ties. That’s what the leaderboard looks like, y’all. Pearls vs. Turds is your weekly segment where the guys take a look at, and evaluate, some LSAT wisdom from the field. This week’s “wisdom” is courtesy of the University of Nebraska. A Big 10 school in a less-than-big-10 state, if you ask us. They sent a newsletter with three pieces of law-school-admissions advice. First, they recommend getting the absolute best LSAT score you can get. So if you aren’t satisfied with your first score, try, try again. Next up? If you’re struggling with your personal statement, Nebraska gives you some prompts on where to begin, such as talking about “a news story that inspired you to want to work for social justice.” Lastly, they advise you to apply to a few safety schools, reach schools, and just-right schools. Duh, right? Just like that old campfire game, “two truths and a lie,” this newsletter from Nebraska racks up two turds and a pearl. If you can’t guess which is which from this description, just tune in to hear the guys talk about it. Plus, Nathan and Ben talk about the virtues and pitfalls of listening to law schools give advice about law school.
30:34 – LSAT Warm-Ups
Brittany writes in to ask if the guys have a recommended LSAT warm-up routine. As a coach to young athletes, she sees value in waking up your mental muscles for each section before diving in. Ben and Nathan say…not really. If you feel like you need a warm-up, or if you find that you consistently have trouble focusing at the top of a section where it’s easiest, it may be beneficial to do a few LR questions to get the ol’ noggin going. But if you decide to do a warm-up, keep it to a few questions, and don’t take them too seriously.
35:11 – “Completely Determined” LG Questions
You know those pesky questions that ask: "...is completely determined if which one of the following is true?" Well, Manuela gets caught up in these almost every time and has to test each answer choice to get to the correct one. She asks the guys how they think about this type of question, and the guys pull this as an LSAT FUNdamental! They dice up how to find the correct answer faster and offer three different ways to think about this question type. Great question, Manuela!
43:02 – LR Question No. 10 from Practice Test 71
The guys tackle question 10 in section two of the December 2013 LSAT, and it has them asking “WTF?!” in the very first sentence. Tune in to hear Nathan and Ben talk through this LR question and dismantle answer choices one by one.