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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Copyright: © Nathan Fox and Ben Olson
It happened, dear listeners. The great Digital LSAT Rollout of 2019. History will look back on this day and may well wonder, “What the hell happened?” The reviews poured in. The test-takers spoke. And the show kicks off with the guys reading correspondence from the front lines about the good, the bad, and the ugly from test day. The verdict? It sounds like the test was easy, but taking the test was another story. Plus, the guys take a look at an email from friend of the show, Dean Faigman, and check in on a listener’s personal statement.
Read more on our website!
Nathan is joined by former student and Fall ’19 Stanford 1L Kevin Dousa for a wide-ranging conversation about LSAT, higher ed, and a career in law. The two discuss what it took to get into Stanford, they talk about the high cost of law school and managing undergrad loans, and Kevin provides an Upton-Sinclair-level account of working at law firms. After the conversation? Nathan slices and dices a few LR questions from the December 2013 LSAT. Read more on our website!
Wow. We made it. 200 Episodes. Two…hundred…episodes! Did y’all think we would ever make it this far? We sure didn’t. The guys thought they’d be cashed in by now, snacking on bagel chips and real ice cream on some exotic sandy shore. But then…the work of LSAT prep is never really finished, is it dear listeners? The guys settle in for a little trip down memory lane in this very special 200th episode. Goggles down. Sharpen your pencils. Strap in. And listen back to some of your favorite moments from the last 100 episodes. Read more on our website!
Sometimes your heroes fall from grace. It’s true. Even if they’re an esteemed writer for the New Yorker and a New York Times best-selling author. They can fall dear listeners, and fall hard they sometimes do. Such was the case for the Thinking LSAT team as they listened in horror to a recent LSAT rundown given by Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast. Nathan and Ben laugh until they cry about how the RH team totally missed the point of the LSAT. They also dive in to some listener questions about speed, principle questions, and low-score addendums. Plus, they dive back into prep test 71 and answer LR question 2 for your infotainment.
Read more on our website!
In 2017, LSAC lifted the limits on how many tests you could take—giving all test-takers carte blanche to take the test as many times as they needed to get the score they were after. But now they’re changing course again. The guys take a look at the new “retake” policy so you can put a new LSAT strategy in place. The guys also take a look at a listener’s personal statement, and jump in to the first LR question of the December 2013 LSAT. Plus, you’ll hear about how Nathan lost all sense of space and time on a recent boating adventure.
June 27 – June scores are released via email
July 15 – It’s ye olde July LSAT
August 1 – The last day to sign up for the September LSAT
August 28 – July scores are released via email
September 21 – The September LSAT
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.
Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package
4:19 – Demon Updates
Ben and the rest of the LSAT Demon team have been hard at work and they’re getting ready to roll out some new features. First, when you log in you can now upgrade to Premium. What’s Premium, you ask? Premium gives you access to all of the most recent tests. So if you’re itching to have the latest tests to practice with, or you just feel like you need more out of the Demon, this is for you.
The team is also working on a feature that will enable you to join groups and take a practice test that simulates an actual test day. You’ll log in, join a group, and be greeted by a proctor who will control the timer and will move you through a full test. Nathan and Ben are checking in to a live proctored practice test on Sunday, June 30. If you want to take it, email help@thinkinglsat.com to RSVP. And if you’re not a Demon user? Now’s the perfect time to sign up for a 7-day free trial so you can join in on the fun on 6/30.
8:02 – LSAC Re-take Update
The LSAC is changing their policy with regards to how many LSAT attempts you can make during your lifetime, dear friends. It’s only been a few years since they created a policy under which you could take the test as many times as you damn well please. But clearly that hasn’t worked out for them. Nathan and Ben work through the veritable Logic Game of an email that LSAC sent to decode the changes. Here’s the skinny on the new policy—you can:
Take a maximum of 3x tests in a year
Take a maximum of 5 or 6 times in the past five years (the email isn’t clear)
Take a maximum of 7x tests in your lifetime
Only score 180 one time—then ya done!
The new policy begins on 9/21/19! Happy testing, y’all!
Read more on our website!
Nathan’s back from the sweltering heat of central California, and Ben’s feeling sore in his abs—but it’s not from some wild crossfit jamboree. Nope. He’s back from seeing Seinfeld in NYC. The guys talk about their past week’s travels and then dive in to an episode chock-full of LSAT news and advice. They talk about Thomas Jefferson School of Law potentially losing its accreditation, they hear from a student who took PowerScore’s live LSAT online prep course, and they offer some advice to cash-strapped and time-rich strugglahs.
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.
Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package
Upcoming Events:
6/27/19 – The June LSAT scores are released via email
7/15/19 – The July LSAT
8/1/19 – Registration deadline for the September LSAT
8/28/19 – July scores released
9/21/19 – September LSAT
03:08 – LSAT News
The guys jump right in to an oddity they’ve uncovered about the July test. As you may know, when you receive your July score back in late August, you have the opportunity to cancel your score penalty-free and take another LSAT at no cost thru April 2020. Badass, right? It’s basically a freebie in the event you crash and burn during the first digital LSAT rollout. However, you can NOT use the September LSAT as your re-take. So if you’ve paid to register for the September LSAT, you’re payin for it and that’s that. Plus, there’s rumors out there that LSAC is going to change the lifetime LSAT limit once again! Tune in to hear the news, context, and commentary from Nathan and Ben.
17:10 – Thomas Jefferson School of Law Update
Our old friends at TJSL have been in the news yet again, dear listeners. It turns out they’re skating on some very thin ice when it comes to their ABA accreditation. This may not come as a surprise to long-time listeners who will remember that the school was placed on probation in 2017. But this past week, their troubles came to a head: the ABA withdrew Thomas Jefferson’s accreditation due to mismanagement of financial resources, and…basically offering a pisspoor legal education. However, TJ’s not goin’ down without a fight. They’re appealing and will keep their approval until the appeal process and subsequent review have been completed. The guys postulate as to why TJ’s losing their accreditation and imagine a world in which more law schools are held accountable for turning y’all into the next generation of bright, capable, prosperous law pros.
Read more on our website!
You may have heard the siren’s song of the dual degree—the JD and the MBA. There are JD—MBA programs far and wide. But are they worth it? Nathan and Ben are joined by lawyer and author Rachel Gezerseh to chat about why anyone would want to put themselves on this arduous path. And if you do want to submit yourself to such a grueling course, what’s the best way to set yourself up for success? Tune in to hear the experts chop it up. Plus, Nathan and Ben talk proctoring the digital LSAT, taking the official test multiple times, and they slice and dice a personal statement.
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.
Instagram (upcoming events)
Personal Statement Review Package
Important Dates
7/15/19 – The Great Crossover! This is the first official digital LSAT, though some students will still take a pencil-and-paper test.
8/1/19 – The last day to register for the September LSAT
9/21/19 – The September 2019 LSAT
00:52 – JD—MBAs with Rachel Gezerseh
Amanda writes in and asks the guys about how prospective 1L students should navigate law school if they have their sights set on a Master’s degree (likely an MBA) after nabbing a JD. How can someone best prepare for a JD—MBA program? To help answer the question, Nathan and Ben have Law-Career Playbook author, Rachel Gezerseh (Breaking into Big Law), back on the show to hash it out. Here are some takeaways from their conversation:
Your 1L year will already be incredibly demanding. Think twice before adding stress on top your law school experience with this idea of a second degree.
Seek out professionals who have taken this path—was it worth it for them to acquire two degrees? Did it really help them achieve a better career in law or business?
Check and see whether you can even find a professional who has successfully taken the path you would like to take and is clearly benefitting from their JD—MBA
Consider choosing just one—go into law or go into business. If you feel like the other will help you later on, pursue that goal at that time. Chances are it will be rare that you’ll need both degrees.
It’s never too early to begin building your network—reach out to lawyers, take them to coffee, ask questions, and start working towards a law career you’ll enjoy.
Read more on our website!
Some will be pumped, basking in glory and achievement, and some will be sad and destitute—wallowing in disappointment. It’s the June 2019 LSAT, and some of you will have just taken it! Congrats to putting this test behind you. And for the Thinking LSAT crew this only means one thing—the July LSAT is nigh! To get you prepped for next month’s test, the guys read some detailed news about the digital rollout from LSAC, they get you pumped up about going to law school for free with some updates about the scholarship offerings at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and they cover the rest of Logic Game no. 3 from the June 2007 LSAT. Plus, you’ll get to hear an interview wherein LSAT Demon contributor, Max Youngquist speaks with a law-school applicant in Spain about using the Demon to supplement LSAT tutoring. 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. Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package Upcoming Events 6/4/19 - Last day to register for the July LSAT 6/27/19 - June scores released 7/15/19 - July LSAT 8/1/19 – Registration deadline for the September LSAT 8/28/19 – August scores released 9/21/19 – September LSAT 2:34 – Notice from LSAC Are you curious about the July LSAT? It’s only a landmark test from LSAC. It’s only the rollout of the digital LSAT with crazy rules like the ability to cancel after you see your score. So if you have questions about it, that’d be pretty normal. The guys have covered this test a lot on the show and on college campuses across the country, but LSAC just dropped some more knowledge regarding this test. Tune in to hear the guys deconstruct a lengthy and verbose email from LSAC. Turns out, it’s going to be a longer waiting period to get your results back from July’s test, which will overlap the last day to enroll for the September LSAT. Translation? If you’re thinking about taking the September test, sign up before the deadline because you won’t have your July results in time to make your decision. 12:27 – Pearls vs. Turds Straight from the heart of the ‘gram, the guys review a piece of LSAT advice born of social media. You know. Think Bane talking about being born in the darkness—I WAS BORN IN IT! As a result, the advice is kind of eye-catching, like most things on Instagram.
Nathan and Ben are just back from a weekend in DC delivering a Personal Statement Workshop and they jump right into the show debriefing each other on their experiences teaching the class. And while Nathan laments he couldn’t spend more time causing mischief with Ben’s kids, they both had a blast going deep on personal statements with 2020 1L hopefuls. After the workshop recap, the guys touch on a bunch of topics ranging from how to properly time yourself during practice tests to whether community-college grades can be a boon to your LSAC GPA. They also take a look at a listener-submitted graph covering 5 months of practice-test data, and they break out the knives and blow torches for a personal statement review. 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. Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package Upcoming Events 6/3/19 - The June 3rd LSAT! 6/4/19 - Last day to register for the July LSAT 6/27/19 - June scores released 7/15/19 - July LSAT Thinking LSAT Personal Statement Workshop If you missed out on Nathan’s and Ben’s personal statement workshop this weekend, don’t fret. The guys have posted the class online! Check it out here and follow along with the personal statements they cover in the workshop: The workshop. The personal statements. (https://www.strategyprep.com/admissions/ps-workshop-190518.pdf) 6:21 – Gaming the system? Listener of the show Will recently asked a question via the comments section on the Thinking LSAT website. Will’s sitting pretty with a 176 official score backed up by a 3.9 LSAC GPA. Pretty sweet, huh? But ‘not so fast,’ Will says. It turns out that Will had a GPA of 3.7. It was only when he factored in his good grades from (non-transferrable) community college classes that he got this boost. Now he’s worried that the elite schools he’s planning to apply to are going to scour his transcripts and determine that he “gamed the system,” with community classes. Should he worry, he wonders?
Did you know that if you sort through all of the possible outcomes of any given logic game, it’s likely that you’ll be lookin’ at less than 18 possible outcomes. Not that many, right? And when you know all of the outcomes of a game, chances are you can slay the questions. In this episode, the guys get gnarly with Logic Game 4 from the June 2007 LSAT. They make worlds, they split worlds, and then they split the splits. It gets wild. They also share an email from a law school who wants you to apply to the school so they can give you admissions advice (ummm…insert crying while laughing emoji, pls). Lastly, you’ll hear about the latest from the LSAT Demon, AND you can get a first look at the new Thinking LSAT website. Happy (Logic) gaming! 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. Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package Important Dates 6/3 – The June LSAT 6/4 – Registration cutoff for the July LSAT (SIGN UP! This puppy is a freebie, and you can cancel your score without penalty AFTER you see how you did…) 6/27 – June scores are released 7/15 – July LSAT 7:17 – Email 1—Alana received a rather amusing and ingenious email from Wash U. Turns out they are writing folks and offering FREE* law-school-admissions advice. Of course, they mention, it sure would be easier to give you said advice if you actually applied to Wash U. so they can review your application documents during the consultation. The guys half love this slick move by Wash U, but they’re also hearing Admiral Ackbar issuing a warning from the cosmos. On one hand, this move basically starts a negotiation with Wash U. You apply to their school. You get a one on one with their staff so you can feel each other out. Pretty cool so far… But their free advice will probably leave you with some warm and fuzzies about Wash U., increasing your chances of actually attending the school if you get in. On the other hand, whether or not you go to Wash U., you are getting advice from admissions officers who will probably share a valuable perspective on your admissions docs. We’d love to hear about this experience if any listeners dare to give it a try… 23:08 –
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