Surrender to Win (Ep. 380)

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Fears and false narratives often destroy our productivity. Only when we let go of such counterproductive thoughts can we achieve our full potential. Today on the pod, Ben and Nathan counsel listeners whose misconceptions about law school admissions have distracted them from what’s truly important. They respond to a father’s misguided advice about admissions, address fears about rising medians, and analyze “customized” scholarships.

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8:27 - Penn State Merger

Penn State University Park and Penn State Dickinson have announced their merger into a single law school. Will two good law schools combine to make one excellent one? Ben and Nathan weigh in.

17:05 - Switch to the Demon?

Should listener Stefan enroll in another prep company’s “170+ guarantee” course, or should he switch to LSAT Demon? Nathan and Ben are biased, but that doesn’t make them wrong—Stefan will learn far more from the Demon.

22:04 - When Should I Subscribe?

Listener Ryan is a college student and can’t afford to spend much on LSAT prep. He asks Ben and Nathan for advice on timing his subscription. The guys urge Ryan to focus on school. He should begin his LSAT prep when his grades are right—and maybe after he finds a better-paying job.

27:37 - Misguided Advice from Dad

Listener Priscila knows she can beat her 160 LSAT score if she keeps studying. But her father wants her to apply to law school right now. Nathan and Ben counsel Priscila to stay the course and keep working to improve her score. Priscila should see herself as a potential asset to law schools and expect appropriate scholarship offers.

34:34 - Customized Scholarships

LSAT Demon team member Brittany shares an email from WashU about their “customized” scholarships, which cover special types of aid like child care and conference funding. Ben and Nathan respect WashU’s gamesmanship, but these awards don’t measure up to real merit scholarships.

41:55 - Fear of Rising Medians

Listener Larry doesn’t want to apply this cycle, but he worries that law schools’ median LSAT scores might go up next year. Nathan and Ben explain why this fear is overblown. They advise Larry that taking an extra year might do wonders for his career.