Detailed and Nuanced Reading (Ep. 147)

Welcome to July dear listeners. Summertime is in full swing, and if you follow your nose you might just smell the lingering scent of Nathan Fox’s BBQ ribs on the air. The guys talk about Nathan’s cooking techniques and then reveal some new details about their upcoming Thinking LSAT live prep class in NYC. Ben and Nathan discuss their favorite aspects about teaching the LSAT, then they cover an article about efficacious LSAT prep methods, and, of course, they dive into a bunch of listener mail.

If you’re taking the July or September LSAT, make the most of your study time by preparing with Nathan and Ben in New York City. Their weekend LSAT course will show you the best way to approach each section and the best way to study. It will be held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on July 14-15. Even if you can’t join the class, you can hang with the guys and your fellow Thinking LSAT listeners on Friday, July 13. Sign up here.

As always, you can connect with your peers on the Thinking LSATFacebook Group. You can write in to the show at help@thinkinglsat.com. You can connect with Nathan on Twitter at @nfox. You can listen to the show on YouTube. You can check out Ben’s free LSAT course here, and Nathan’s free LSAT course here. And you can support the guys by donating to the show via Patreon.

26:02 – A 2016 article from US News shares data from a study on LSAT preparation methods, and the guys discuss. This study looked at nine ways one could prep to study for the LSAT. And it turns out, four of those methods generally resulted in lower LSAT scores. Translation? Don’t fuckin mess with these four study methods. Tune in to hear the guys parse the article, and learn some science-backed dos and don’ts when it comes to your LSAT prep.

35:46 – Email 1—Jess writes in with a quick update about the sign-off, “VR.” She confirms that the acronym means “very respectfully,” and gives her own perspective on why this salutation is kind of a POS.

37:53 – Email 2—Are some soft skills better than others? That’s what Sergeant Blank wants to know. Sarge is starting off with a knockout cold diagnostic of 163. But he earned some less-than-ideal grades in undergrad and he’s worried they’re going to hurt his chances of becoming a lawyer. However, a brief stint in the military has garnered him an associate’s degree and other accolades. Sergeant Blank asks whether his military service will bolster his chances for going to a great law school. The guys discuss.

55:05 – Email 3—Neil binge-listened to Thinking LSAT and now he’s experiencing some cognitive dissonance. On one hand, the guys advocate going to law school for free even if it means going to Concordia School of Law. But on the other hand, they share news about how schools like Thomas Jefferson are at risk of losing their ABA accreditation (check out this recent Above the Law article). Neil’s wondering if he decides to go to law school, and the only one he can get into for free ends up losing its accreditation, will it be worth it to have gone at all? Nathan and Ben talk it over and agree: if your best option for going to law school gratis is not that great an option, you should get a better LSAT score.

1:05:09 – Email 4—Anonymous is scoring in the mid 160s and hopes to break into the 170s before sitting for the LSAT this fall. During her review, she notices a pattern. She keeps getting LR and RC questions wrong—especially when the questions require “nuanced reading”—and when she does, it’s because she narrows answer choices down to a 50/50 split and selects the incorrect answer. She wants to know if there’s a way to get over this 50/50 hump. Ben and Nathan suggest that this pattern may not be a pattern at all, and that the best thing to do is take your time, push through the difficulty of the passages, and make sure to get it right.

1:17:58 – Email 5—Sarah is a badass Navy pilot with a pretty cool career in the military under her belt. And now she’s considering law school. But she’s concerned about her letters of recommendation. She has LOR from her commanding officers, but doesn’t have many from former teachers. Sarah wants to know if this is going to be a hang-up for admissions offices. She also asks the guys about the best direction for her personal statement and addendum. She suffered poor grades due to some family tragedies during undergrad. She’s been in some incredible situations as a pilot. And all the while she’s dealt with sexism in the military. The guys weigh in on a direction for her personal statement and give her the green light on her letters of rec.