Stay ConnectedBen Olson and Nathan Fox started the Thinking LSAT Podcast to become better LSAT teachers and have some fun. Please 1) subscribe, 2) rate and review, and 3) send us questions: help@thinkinglsat.com. Don’t pay for law school!
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We’re well into the law school admissions cycle and letters are beginning to come back to 1L hopefuls. Included in letters that make and dash dreams are the occasional, inevitable “you’ve been waitlisted” letter. The guys hear from a listener who’s been waitlisted and answer a few questions about how to let school’s know they’re still your top choice. Plus they offer some help to someone whose practice scores are always higher than their official test scores, they hear from a junior in college who’s racing toward law school, and they answer another LR question from Prep Test 65. Read more on our website!
Application season can be stressful, you’re gathering up your documents, your letters of rec, your personal essay, your transcripts. It can be a mess, especially if you’re waiting for your autumn LSAT scores to roll in. And it can get even messier if LSAC locks your account down because you applied for an LSAC fee waiver. In this episode, the guys hear a tale of woe from the 2020 application cycle, they field some questions about whether someone else can submit your application for you in 2021, and they offer advice for someone is looking for a job ahead of attending law school in 2022. Plus, the guys consider some advice about LG setups, they get the insider scoop from a current 1L, and they slice and dice an LR question from prep test 65. Read more on our website!
The guys pick up where they left off last episode and kick things off with an LSAT LR question from practice test 65. They discuss the importance of reading comprehension skills even while unpacking an LR argument. And they show how you can use your own real-world knowledge to help ground you while you’re reading, even if the argument differs wildly from what you know to be true in real life. Plus, the guys critique a law school personal statement from Vancouver, British Columbia. Read more on our website!
Some. Most. Sufficient Assumption. Inference. The LSAT is full of jargon. Some of it useful, and some of it…not so much. What makes matters worse is that many LSAT prep companies confuse students’ understanding by building unnecessary complexities into the study process. In this episode, the guys hear from a listener who just can’t quite understand “existential quantifiers,” hard as he may try. The thing is: the guys have no idea what “existential quantifiers” even means—especially not in the context of the LSAT. Nathan and Ben do their best to bring clarity to this confused 1L hopeful. Plus Nathan advocates for doing more inquiring and less note taking, the guys hear about a life-changing 20-point improvement, and they offer up a PSA about talking and LSAT-ing. Read more on our website!
Sometimes the best advice comes from where you least expect it. The guys take a look at an email from a UPenn computer science program and find a gold mine of advice. They read through the email and discuss each of its 13 pieces of advice. The guys also hear from an LSAT Demon confrontation at…Target, and they offer some advice to someone who’s wondering how they should switch up study habits in the home stretch toward the January LSAT. Plus, the guys consider the link between the LSAT and nutrition, they hear from a happy Demon subscriber who’s headed to Georgetown Law fuh FREE, and they chop up a listener’s personal statement.
Black Americans are woefully underrepresented in the field of law, making up around 5% of all attorneys compared to 13% of the U.S. population. Enter NBLSA, the National Black Law Students Association—an organization working to improve the relationship between Black law students, Black attorneys, and the American legal structure. Nathan and Ben are joined by NBLSA National Director and Chair, Rachel Barnes to discuss how NBLSA is articulating and promoting the educational, professional, political, and social needs and goals of Black law students. The guys also hear from two students who are trying to push their scores higher than their current on-record, they advise someone who’s bummed about an early decision decision, and they tackle another LR question from PT 65. Plus, get the latest updates about the LSAT Demon. Read more on our website!
It’s the time of year when students are visiting college campuses, sending in their admissions packets, and talking to law school admissions staffers. But in the world of the pandemic, fewer on-campus visits are taking place. Now, these Q and A sessions are taking the place where everything else in the world is taking place. On Zoom. The guys discuss a current law school trend—admissions officers offering one-on-one Zoom pre-application discussions for curious students. They also take a look at some personal statement advice from Nebraska Law, Ben tackles a brain teaser, Nathan touts the benefits of video games, and the guys slice and dice an LR question from prep test 65. Plus, you’ll hear from a student who’s not paying for law school in 2021. Read more on our website!
Many law school hopefuls are starry-eyed and idealistic, hoping to be a force for good in the world. But after three years of Torts and Wills and Trusts courses, they end up disillusioned and in debt. What if there were careers in the law where you could do some good but didn’t need to get a JD first? Today on the show the guys take a look at some alternative careers in law. Plus, Ben and Nathan assess an “ancient cramming technique,” they hear from a student who tracked their score from 160 to 174 with interesting results, and they offer advice to two listeners who are feeling downright stuck on their LSAT journey. Read more on our website!
As we get late into the 2021 law school admissions cycle, a new generation of 1L hopefuls are starting to study for the LSAT to apply for the 2022 school year. But for anyone getting ready to apply to law school, the process can be daunting. The guys break down what an ideal LSAT and law school application journey looks like—which starts as much as two years before starting school. Nathan and Ben also hear some solid advice from a pre-law advisor, they discuss why you don’t need to make the LSAT your life, they advise a listener on whether to write a “why you” letter to their law schools of choice, and they respond to some criticism about assertions they’ve made on previous episodes. Plus, they tackle an LR question from LSAT prep test 65. Read more on our website!
Diversity statements are an oft-overlooked part of some students’ application packages. But a short and to-the-point diversity statement can give law schools a much better picture of you as an applicant. In this episode, the guys review a lengthy diversity statement from a listener and offer some advice about how to make it a stronger piece of their application. Nathan and Ben also consider some advice about LG questions, they offer some “tips” on how to improve your LR and RC performance, they help a student narrow down where to apply to law school, and they advise a student with a disappointing first-time score. Plus, the guys introduce a new segment, Hills to Die On. Read more on our website!
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