Saying No to Law School, A Love Story (Ep. 206)
The guys are enjoying a brief reprieve from the blazing summer heat, and the cooler weather is giving them some extra room to breathe and think about the LSAT. You know, things like why the eff is the registration deadline so freakin’ far out from the actual test date? 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.
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.
Personal Statement Review Package
Instagram (upcoming events)
Important Dates
8/21/19 – Y’all July test-takers will get your scores in your inbox
9/21/19 – It’s the September LSAT!
11:21 – Email 1—Translate and Predict
When yer deep into RC and you’re grinding it out with little to show for your efforts, you might just need to get back to basics. Like second-grade, fifth-grade basics. That’s what Ben and Nathan recommend. When you’re approaching a reading comp. passage, read a sentence, translate it in yer brain, and try to predict what will come next. Just like when you were learning to read in the first place. One of Ben’s students took the advice to heart and—shocker—it worked out great for them.
21:47 – Email 2—Auto-Submit Writing-Sample Fail
Another one of Ben’s students writes in having recently completed—or, more specifically, NOT completed LSAT writing. According to Jackson, the instructions for the section indicate that your writing sample will be submitted automatically once the time is complete and that you do not need to hit the “submit” button. But for Jackson, this wasn’t the case. He came. He wrote. He got watched by big brother. He left the “submit” button pressing up to the LSAT robots. And he ended up with no writing sample on file. So as a general PSA, dear listeners hit that “submit” button after you’ve completed your writing sample. Anyone with a UX background might be scratching their heads as to why you need a “submit” button if your sample is auto-submitted. Anyone with any background might be left scratching their heads as to why Jackson didn’t just hit submit when he was finished writing. The guys rib Jackson a bit on this decision and give an update on lessons you’ll find in the LSAT Demon.
26:45 – Email 3—Is October Too Late To Take The LSAT?
Anonymous was gunning for an awesome performance in the September LSAT but decided to bail on account of feeling unprepared for the test. With a 3.1 GPA, they’ve got high hopes for their LSAT score to counterbalance their report card. But now that they’ve decided to forego sitting in September, they’re concerned that taking the test in October will set them up to apply too late in the cycle. Nathan and Ben weigh in and agree that whether you’ve got a 3.1 or a 4.0 GPA, you need to apply to law school with your absolute best LSAT score. They also talk about how it’s never “too late in the cycle” to take the LSAT. October’s a fine time to take the test. You can also hold off on applying to the following year, or better still, maybe you decide to not apply at all!
38:24 – Pearls Vs. Turds
In today’s advice showdown, the guys weigh a “helpful” recommendation from Khan Academy. Their wisdom? Do the writing sample. If that makes you go like WTF!? Bitmoji you’re not alone. Nathan and Ben are like “where’s the effing meat on this sandwich?! It’s all bread!” Yep. The guys give this a tie and riff some more on the writing sample, but the bottom line is…yeah, you need to do the writing sample. It’s part of the test. It’s easy. Do it and do your best. No need to go overboard. Keep calm. Carry on.
43:56 – On Deciding Not To Go To Law School
A while back, long-time listener Basic Lauren wrote in to ask some advice about studying for the LSAT. That was over 100 episodes ago. And BL ended up taking more than just the advice about the LSAT. She took the guys’ long standing advice to not go to law school at all. Tune in to hear how things turned out for someone who decided to change course instead of becoming a lawyer and going into a mountain of debt.
59:29 – Practice Test 71, Section 2, LR Question No. 9
The guys talk correlation, causation, and other mix-‘em-ups as they walk you through the next LR question from the December 2013 LSAT. They offer their thinking behind the question and Nathan shares why this one tripped him up. The guys get to the heart of the question pretty quickly and then show y’all how to call bullsh*t on the incorrect choices in record time.