Law School Alternatives (Ep. 216)
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Even though the October LSAT is behind us all, the Thinking LSAT duo takes no vacations. The guys are here to weigh in on your questions about law school and life. Things like—“can’t you just take the effing GRE instead and be done with this BS??”—or, “if I’m not going to be a lawyer, what the hell should I do with my life?!” You know. Things like that. Plus, 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.
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.
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Important Dates
11/25 November LSAT
5:55 – Nathan works for Kaplan?!
A friend of Nathan’s made a curious and startling discovery. While perusing the Yelp pages for Kaplan in multiple cities, he noticed the visage of none other than Nathan Fox in the promotional photos for Kaplan LSAT classes. Don’t worry dear listeners. These photos are simply a misappropriation of Nathan’s pictures nefariously used on these Yelp! pages. He doesn’t work for Kaplan. “But why would they do that?!” you might ask. And the guys are left wondering the same. Ben and Nathan discuss how this may have happened, poke some fun at the big K, and ask what—if anything—should be done to resolve the matter.
10:51 – In defense of the GRE
Anonymous recently took the GRE and kind of smashed it out of the park. According to a GRE Comparison Tool for Law Schools, Anon’s 332 GRE score translates to a 173 (badass, Anon!). And because every testing center within 8 hours of them is booked for November, they want to know if it’s such a big deal to apply to law school with just your GRE score. I mean…school’s take ‘em, right?! They also want to know if they can apply to schools with a GRE and send an LSAT score later. Here are a few things to consider:
- Applying with just your GRE limits you to a select group of schools that accept the GRE
- Applying with a GRE instead of an LSAT may signal that you’re not as serious about law school as other candidates
- You can send your LSAT later, and it may help bring you off of a waiting list—but it could hurt you as well
- If you’re submitting a GRE score in the 99th percentile, chances are the admissions staff will view you favorably
20:04 – Law-School Alternatives
It’s no secret that Ben and Nathan want you to rebut the presumption that you should absolutely not pay for law school. You should think hard about whether or not you should even get a JD! Maddie writes in and asks—if you’re not going to law school, what the hell else are you going to do?? Ben points out Nathan’s Venn diagram about the intersection of your passion, your skill, and your ability to get paid for something. The guys share their own stories about how they ended up in their current careers, and talk about how the path to your ideal career is often long and winding. The pro tip? Do the things that you love and that you’re good at—eventually, you’ll find a way to get paid for them. And if you’re having a hard time finding what you love? Try, try, try different job after different job—discovering what you don’t like is just as important as discovering what you do like.
38:04 – Six-point drop?!
Anon just got some bummer news. They just suffered a six-point drop in their official LSAT score. Their first official test earned them a score in the high 160s, but they bombed their second take by comparison. To make things worse, they already applied to their target schools. They want to know whether it’s appropriate to send an addendum to explain the drop. Tune in to hear what the guys have to say about explaining a step down in your official score.
43:59 – Personal statement review
Last up, the guys take a look at a personal statement. And you know what that means. A serious shredding is sure to ensue. Anon shares their story of perseverance in the face of crippling drug addiction. And while their story is heartfelt, Ben and Nathan offer up some tough love to help get this essay ready for law school admissions staffers.