Episode Archives
#283
Late Cycle Admissions Qs with Ann Levine (Ep. 283)
Friend of the show and law school expert, Ann Levine, joins Nathan and Ben to answer some of your burning late-in-the-cycle admissions questions. The squad tackles questions about negotiating scholarships, picking a school with an international program, what’s appropriate for a diversity statement vs. a personal statement, and whether it’s too late to apply to a T-14 school.
#282
The LSAT Is So Aesthetic (Ep. 282)
Nathan and Ben field some questions from folks who got shook by the January test. The guys also help someone who’s caught in a morass of LSAC GPA finagling, they offer some negotiation advice to a student who’s been accepted to their no. 1 school, and they help an ultra-marathoner decide how to work his accomplishment into a personal statement.
#281
LSAT Excuse of the Week (Ep. 281)
Today the guys hear from a high-scorer who had an unfortunate Proctor U mishap, they weigh some advice about being a big fish in a small pond (will it be a pearl or a turd?!), they take a look at a claim that COVID may be causing some law schools to lose their accreditation.
#280
Waitlist Mania (Ep. 280)
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.
#279
Account Lockdown and Other Application Woes (Ep. 279)
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.
#278.5
An LR Question and a Personal Statement (Ep. 278.5)
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.
#278
Existential Quantifiers Crisis (Ep. 278)
Nathan and Ben do their best to bring clarity to this confused 1L. 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.
#277
LSAT Prep Pearls (Ep. 277)
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.
#276
Rachel Barnes, National Black Law Students Association Chair (Ep. 276)
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.
#275
Don't Talk to the Cops (Ep. 275)
They guys 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.
#274
Jobs Without JDs (Ep. 274)
oday 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.
#273
The Law School Admissions Timeline (Ep. 273)
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.
#272
Winter LSAT Grab Bag (Ep. 272)
The guys review a lengthy diversity statement. 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,
#271
Networking During a Pandemic with Rachel Gezerseh (Ep. 271)
Ben and Nathan talk about the effectiveness of a JD MBA, they consider whether an MA certificate program will help your chances of getting into a good law school, they weigh some advice about personal statements from a pre-law advisor, and they offer advice to someone who just jumped from the 130s to the 150s. Plus, the guys answer LR question 11 from prep test 65.
#270
The Lawyer Sorting Hat (Ep. 270)
The guys talk about what to do in the days leading up to taking the LSAT-Flex, they talk “technical cancellations,” they assess some Instagram LSAT wisdom, offer advice to a splitter, and answer an LR question from practice test 65.
#269
LSAC Fee Waivers with Kalyn McDaniel (Ep. 269)
The guys consider the relationship between GPA and scholarships, they offer advice to someone who’s just starting their LSAT prep journey, they hear from someone who’s seen a bump in their score after studying with the Demon, and they critique a listener’s personal statement.
#268
The Most Competitive Admissions Cycle Ever with Ann Levine (Ep. 268)
The guys sit down with law school admissions expert Ann Levine to talk about how this cycle may be the most competitive ever.
#267
143 to 173 with Santi Del Campo (Ep. 267)
Nathan and Ben offer some advice to a student who’s taking the test as a non-native English speaker, they hear from a student who wants to know about scholarship opportunities for folks with low GPAs, and they dive into a listener’s personal statement.
#266
An Arresting Personal Statement (Ep. 266)
The guys discuss LSAC’s new digital forum, they discuss the value of studying with “old” LSAT practice tests vs. new ones, they weigh some advice from a listener, and they critique a personal statement.
#265
The Demon Scholarship Estimator (Ep. 265)
Nathan and Ben are joined by LSAT Demon tutor, Jackson, to discuss a brand-new feature of the platform—a scholarship estimator.
#264
Summer of LSAT-Flex (Ep. 264)
Nathan and Ben hear from a bunch of folks who have received or had trouble getting their scores back from LSAC. The guys also offer up some thoughts about strengthening your reading comprehension skills, and they hear a big list of mostly terrible advice.
#263
The Three Stages of “Unless” Awareness (Ep. 263)
The guys discuss the mechanics of strengthen and weaken questions, they talk about how to handle questions that use “unless,” and they straight up answer a must be true question from practice test 65.
#262
LSAT-Flex from the Trenches (Ep. 262)
The guys weigh some advice about practicing under tighter time constraints, they hear about financial aid for part-time programs, and they take a look at a listener’s personal statement.
#261
Transferring with 2L Kelly Buckley (Ep. 261)
Nathan and Ben answer questions about LG strategy, LR strategy, whether or not to write a GPA addendum, and whether a part-time program will set you up for a successful career in the law.
#260
Beating the Khan Plateau (Ep. 260)
The guys hear some success stories from LSAT Demon users, they offer some mind-expanding advice about logic games, and they review a listener’s personal statement.
#259
Private Tutoring vs. LSAT Demon (Ep. 259)
The guys jump into the latest news from LSAC and talk about the upcoming August and October LSAT-Flex administrations and tackle another LR question from prep test 65.
#258
Surviving Georgetown Law with Michael Bongiorno (Ep. 258)
Ben sits down with a former student, circuit-court clerk, and recent Georgetown Law School grad, Michael Bongiorno for a wide-ranging interview. Michael shares what his law school experience was like and talks about studying for the Bar in the midst of a pandemic.
#256
The LSAT Paradox (Ep. 256)
The guys answer listener questions about aiming for accuracy, how slow is too slow when approaching LR arguments, and whether or not to take a gap year.
#255
Law School Transparency with Kyle McEntee (Ep. 255)
Listen in as Ben and Nathan interview Kyle McEntee of Law School Transparency. When this episode originally aired, Law School Transparency was not yet an LSAC entity. Learn about their recent merger in Ep. 342.
#254
Score Preview (Ep. 254)
The guys dish the latest in LSAC news and answer some of your LSAT questions. Nathan and Ben take a look at a last-minute ploy from John Marshall Law School ahead of the fall semester, they hear a horror story about registering for the LSAT Flex, and they hear some advice about prepping for the Flex. Plus, the guys answer an LR question from practice test 65.
#253
LSAT-Flex Registration Woes and Hacks (Ep. 253)
Nathan and Ben answer some important questions around when and if you should re-take the test, and they read through a rock-solid personal statement that helped earn a bunch of full-ride scholarships. Plus, the guys discuss LGBTQQIA+ diversity statements, tackle an LR question from practice test 65, and more.
#252
The New Law School Admissions Game with Ann Levine (Ep. 252)
The guys talk about converting your LSAT-Flex scores, they hear from a student whose LSAC fee-waiver request was denied, and they answer an LR question from practice test 65.
#251
The Tip of the Spear (Ep. 251)
Nathan and Ben discuss how a global pandemic is affecting admissions cycles, they tackle an LR question from prep test 65, and they answer a question about when to start prepping for the LSAT.
#250
LSAT Tips of a Certain Nature (Ep. 250)
The guys talk about the benefits of showing up week after week and some of the challenges they faced in creating the show and their businesses along the way.
#249
June LSAT Grab Bag (Ep. 249)
The guys judge a listener’s strategy for when they’re down to the wire in an RC section, they answer an LR question from practice test 65, and more.
#248
Rising 2L, Sarah Ashworth (Ep. 248)
The guys cover what to do if you’re stuck in a particular score range, how to handle Character and Fitness inquiries, and they join forces like a gd LSAT Voltron to unlock LG 3 from practice test 65.
#247
Tales from the LSAT-Flex (Ep. 247)
Nathan and Ben offer up some advice about Rule Substitution questions in the Logic Games and talk about how you can get those RC passages to stick.
#246
Bar Prep with Daniel Schweitzer (Ep. 246)
The guys interview veteran bar-prep tutor Daniel Schweitzer to get the low-down on the bar exam, what to expect, and how to prepare. Plus, the guys share the origin story of Thinking LSAT and consider a list of flaws you’ll find in LR sections.
#245
Dreaming LSAT (Ep. 245)
The guys offer some advice about how to manage your time during Logic Games. They weigh some advice about random guessing. And they rip a personal statement to shreds.
#244
Desperate Schools, Desperate Measures (Ep. 244)
The June LSAT is going the way of the Flex, too! Ben and Nathan talk about the change and give you all the details you need to know if you were registered for the June test. The guys also discuss an advanced strategy for LG, they double down on the importance of predicting answer choices in LR, and they offer up their thinking about parallel reasoning questions. Plus, we get a look at how law schools are getting desperate during a slow admissions cycle.
#243
In the Trenches with LSAT-Flex (Ep. 243)
The guys hear from students who are getting cold feet about going to law school, and others who are getting great promo codes in these fraught times.
#242
Law School Promo Codes (Ep. 242)
The guys take a look at some law schools that are getting a little antsy about incoming 1Ls and offering extra discounts to secure their classes.
#241
Before You Take the LSAT with Doreen Benyamin (Ep. 241)
The guys sit down with Columbia 3L and podcast host, Doreen Benyamin, to talk about what law school is actually like.
#240
Introducing LSAT Demon Live (Ep. 240)
In this episode, the guys give you the low down on the latest addition to their online LSAT prep platform: LSAT Demon Live.
#239
LSAT in the Time of Corona (Ep. 239)
Ben and Nathan field questions about anxiety and uncertainty around the LSAT and law school in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and a looming recession.
#238
How to Ask for Stipends (Ep. 238)
Nathan and Ben field some questions about to understand scholarship info on ABA 509 reports and how to ask schools for more money to cover expenses beyond tuition.
#237
Thinking Social Distancing (Ep. 237)
The guys discuss how the coronavirus is impacting their lives, their businesses, and the LSAT.
#236
Swipe Left for the Next Applicant (Ep. 236)
The guys hear from a 3L about how Bar prep is a lot like LSAT prep.
#235
The Waitlist Game of Chicken (Ep. 235)
Nathan and Ben hear from folks who are just beginning their LSAT prep and want advice about their LR pacing or feel like they’re spotting some trends about RC difficulty.
#234
Lower Your Cholesterol with LSAT (Ep. 234)
Nathan and Ben offer advice about when and how to guess when you’re running out of time. They share their thoughts on how to study for the test—do you spend time on your weakest sections, or do you take a more balanced approach? And they help a long-time listener who’s in the throes of law-school-acceptance negotiations.
#233
Do Question Types Matter? (Ep. 233)
Ben and Nathan discuss the importance of understanding LR question types, they talk about how to approach LG sections, they offer some advice on what to do if you experience your score plateauing, they consider just how religious “religious” law schools are, and much more.
#232
Do the Work (Ep. 232)
Nathan and Ben take a look at how schools calculate your LSAC GPA. They answer questions about how to approach “hybrid” games, whether being a paralegal will look good to admissions staffers, and how students in different score ranges think differently about the test.
#231
Law Schools Workin’ Overtime (Ep. 231)
The guys take a look at some absurd and absurdly amusing desperate moves from law schools in 2020.
#230
Winning, Not Whining (Ep. 230)
The guys offer up a definitive list of LR question types, what they mean, and how you should think about answering them.
#229
Hermanas in the Law with Professor Paulina Vera (Ep. 229)
Nathan and Ben talk to professor Vera about issues facing minority law students and answer listener-submitted questions.
#228
News from the January LSAT (Ep. 228)
The guys talk about the first reports back from the January LSAT—and it sounds like the test was (drumroll, please) easy. as. pie. They also hear a few heart-warming stories from listeners about LSAC test-center fails and law-school-scholarship wins.
#227
Fixing Law Schools with Professor Ben Barton (Ep. 227)
Catch Thinking LSAT's interview with Professor and author, Ben Barton.
#226
Wisdom from 1L Shea Daley (Ep. 226)
The guys sit down with a 1L student who’s halfway through her first year. Nathan and Ben also take a look at some advice about personal statements and help a few test-preppers grapple with questions about whether and when to take the LSAT.
#225
Comparing Scholarship Offers (Ep. 225)
Ben and Nathan answer questions about offer negotiations, scholarships, and parsing ABA 509 report information.
#224
Parallel Flaw Hacks (Ep. 224)
Nathan and Ben talk about how you can ace an interview with a virtual assistant, should you have one; they offer up some advice on fielding parallel flaw questions and talk about whether or not you can appeal your LSAC GPA with LSAC in hopes of getting some more impressive numbers. Plus, the guys read a personal statement, and give a PSA about conditional scholarships.
#223
LSAT Writing Samples (Ep. 223)
The guys give you the skinny on top-down vs. bottom-up questions, offer up some advice on when to make worlds during the Logic Games, and read an article about law school students and debt
#222
The Weird Ones (Ep. 222)
Wondering about the difference between Necessary Assumption and Necessary Condition questions? Ben comes correct with some LSAT guru wisdom for your noggin. Plus, the guys learn about a helpful corner of the ABA disclosures website, some features of LSAT Writing, and they take a look at a heady personal statement.
#221
Choosing Your Personal Statement Topic (Ep. 221)
The guys review both a diversity statement and a personal statement. They also offer tips on LG, RC, LR, and law school admissions.
#220
Success is Counted Sweetest (Ep. 220)
Buckle up and get ready for a PSA about LSAT accommodations, news about the LSAT Writing sample, and law school application tips from Yale. Plus, the guys get artistic with some poetry, a personal statement from “LA’s Youngest DJ,” and more.
#219
What's in a Name? (Ep. 219)
Nathan and Ben answer questions about every step on your journey to a law degree.
#218
Scholarship Death Match (Ep. 218)
The guys hear a sad tale of a career-ending LSAT conversation, they answer a question about reapplying to law school when you realize you’re at the wrong one, they take a renewed look at ABA 509 reports, and they weigh in on whether or not to put a response in the “ethnicity” section of your law school application.
#217
Practice vs. Real Life with Ann Levine (Ep. 217)
Nathan and Ben are joined by Ann Levine to talk about how your day-of performance won’t always be like your best practices.
#216
Law School Alternatives (Ep. 216)
Nathan warns Ben of the dangers of the cold season, the guys offer some advice about big drops in your score, they take a look at a personal statement, and Ben confronts Nathan with some damning evidence that he may be working for the enemy.
#215
No More Logic Games?! (Ep. 215)
The guys cover the latest LSAT news, plus they answer some of your questions about the LSAT Demon, LSAT burnout, and more!
#214
Mise en Place (Ep. 214)
The guys take a look at a bunch of insider wisdom from Stanford and UC Berkeley staff, and they offer their own advice about law school personal statements, diversity statements, and letters of recommendation.
#213
LSAT Demon Study Schedule (Ep. 213)
Ben and Nathan talk about how to shift your thinking around LR and RC questions, they uncover evidence of paper tests being offered for the October LSAT, they consider some advice overheard at the September LSAT, they look at how one disgraced law school is goosing their Bar-passage rates, and more.
#212
September LSAT Pandemonium (Ep. 212)
The guys get a PSA from a listener, they offer some advice about GPA addendums for splitters, they consider intermediary conclusions vs. “regular” conclusions, and they take a look at a surprisingly great personal statement.
#211
What’s the Deal with Law School Prep Courses? (Ep. 211)
Nathan and Ben answer questions about reading comp and whether you should attend a law school prep course. They also take a look at an email from Maine Law and a listener-submitted personal statement.
#210
The Four Stages of Flaw Awareness (Ep. 210)
The guys talk about LR flaw questions, they try to help a confused listener out of an LG fog, shedding some clarity on conditional-ordering games. They also talk conjunctions on personal statements, online degrees, and whether you should waive the right to review your letters of rec.
#209
October Test Centers Full?! (Ep. 209)
The guys read through an announcement from LSAC about the October LSAT, they weigh in on a test strategy from a listener, they help a correspondent decide whether to apply early or wait for a better score, and they slice and dice a law-school hopeful’s personal statement.
#208
Admissions Advice from Law School Admissions (Ep. 208)
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.
#207
Showing, not Telling, with Peanut Butter (Ep. 207)
The guys take a look at a few law-school emails to see how these universities are pitching prospective students. Plus, the Nathan and Ben review a personal statement, and look at some questionable advice about timing yourself during LG sections.
#206
Saying No to Law School, A Love Story (Ep. 206)
The guys discuss reports of LSAT testing center shortages and how LSAC may be dealing with the challenges “going digital,” like suddenly needing to manage thousands of devices. Plus, they answer your burning questions about writing samples, testing timing, and they share a love story from someone who decided to opt-out of going to law school.
#205
Digital LSAT Tips for Suckers (Ep. 205)
The guys give some digital LSAT updates, take a look at some pretty wild claims from PowerScore (about their own book series), they read a diversity statement from a listener, and unravel another LR question.
#204
LSAT Burpees (Ep. 204)
Nathan and Ben tackle two new LR questions from the December 2013 LSAT and take you on every step of their thought process as they do so. Plus, a listener writes in with a perhaps pearl of wisdom about exercising before the LSAT, and the guys shred a personal statement.
#203
Accommodations Gone Wild (Ep. 203)
The guys talk about LSAT accommodations gone wild, approaching games from multiple angles, and they answer another LR question from the December 2013 LSAT.
#202
The Digital LSAT Sputters Into Orbit (Ep. 202)
The guys take a look at an email from a friend of the show, Dean Faigman, and check in on a listener’s personal statement.
#201
Meet a Stanford 1L (Ep. 201)
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.
#200
The Best of Thinking LSAT (Ep. 200)
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.
#199
Famously Bad at the LSAT (Ep. 199)
The guys 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.
#198
LSAT Retake Limits (Ep. 198)
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.
#197
The 3.0 GPA Cutoff (Ep. 197)
The guys 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.
#196
JD-MBAs with Rachel Gezerseh (Ep. 196)
Nathan and Ben talk proctoring the digital LSAT, taking the official test multiple times, and they slice and dice a personal statement.
#195
Law School for Free (Ep. 195)
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.
#194
Gaming the System (Ep. 194)
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.
#193
Logic Games Home Runs (Ep. 193)
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. T
#192
Understanding Your LSAT Scores (Ep. 192)
Today on the show you’ll hear more about financial aid incentives from our old friends at Concordia University School of Law in Boise, ID. And the guys set up Logic Game no. 3 from the June 2007 LSAT.
#191
Desert Island LSAT (Ep. 191)
At long last, the guys pry open the lid of iTunes, hack through the stacks of glowing 5-star reviews, and check out the dank and sad corner of 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star Thinking LSAT reviews.
#190
The Guys Roast Their Own Personal Statements (Ep. 190)
Ben and Nathan take advantage of the calm before the summer LSATs to do story-time theater. They read, or rather laugh their way through their own personal statements from when they applied to law school.
#189
The Zen of LSAT Prep with Nina Marinaro (Ep. 189)
The guys interview Nina Marinaro of Zenprep.org, a company that brings a mindfulness-based approach to LSAT prep, law school admissions, 1L success, and more.
#188
Advanced Conditional Reasoning on the LSAT (Ep. 188)
The guys walk through advanced conditional reasoning and share how they approach some of the trickiest questions on the latest LSAT FUNdamental.
#187
154 to 175 with LSAT Tutor Max Youngquist (Ep. 187)
Today the guys have a wide-ranging conversation with Thinking LSAT team member, Demon contributor, and LSAT tutor Max Youngquist about his LSAT journey.
#186
Craig Conover and Reading Comprehension Question Types (Ep. 186)
Today the guys do one last LSAT FUNdamental for Reading Comprehension. They take a look at RC strategy and offer a deep dive into RC question types.
#185
Last Week Before the LSAT (Ep. 185)
Today on the show, the guys crush another LSAT FUNdamental, cover what to do on the day of the test, give you the lowdown on a school willing to pay your LSAC fee, and last but not least offer up some morale boosters for those of you who get down when you crash and burn on a bunch of questions.
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