June LSAT Grab Bag (Ep. 249)
The summer is starting to heat up and the resulting weather is causing Ben to remove trees from his property. The guys talk about Ben’s “death trap” backyard and then dive into LSAT current events. They talk about the upcoming LSAT-Flex in June, July, and probably August, and they take a look at how the test dates differ from previous administrations of the test. They also let you know how you can get a free night in a hotel via LSAC. Plus, the guys hear from a peaceful protester who wants to know if their activism will affect their chances of becoming a lawyer, they 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.
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
6.14-15.2020 – The likely dates for the June LSAT-Flex
6.30.2020 – The June LSAT-Flex scores are released
7.12.2020 – The week of the July LSAT-Flex
7.30.2020 – Fingers crossed! July LSAT-Flex scores are released
8.29.2020 – Can you beat the heat?! It’s the August LSAT!
5:29 – Announcement: Job Opening at Thinking LSAT - Ops Manager
Are you considering deferring law school for a year? Maybe two? Are you still a few years away from applying to law school, but you’re early to the game when it comes to the LSAT? If that sounds familiar, have we got an opportunity for you. The Thinking LSAT team is looking for an Ops Manager: someone who can help with running the LSAT Demon and with the podcast. If you’re interested to know more, send an email to help@thinkinglsat.com with a note about why you want to join the team, and of course, your LSAT score.
7:07 – Protesting and Law School Admissions
Allison writes in to ask whether being arrested at a peaceful protest would have a negative effect on her legal career. Would it affect her chances of getting into law school? Would it have implications for her fitness and character review when it comes to getting admitted to the Bar? The guys agree that most admissions officers and state Bar Associations would be understanding for an arrest related to peaceful activism, but the pro tip is to just call those institutions and ask them!
10:11 – LSAT-Flex On Sundays
The LSAT-Flex is administered during a week-long window. The listed dates start on Sundays. Previously, Nathan and Ben interpreted the Sunday date as “the week of,” not thinking that LSAC would schedule testing dates on a Sunday. But listener, Gates, writes in to set the guys straight. The LSAT-Flex is indeed being administered on Sundays (and other days of the week). In fact, Gates is scheduled to take it on a Sunday.
10:54 – Hotel Getaway on LSAC
If you’re nervous about taking the LSAT-Flex because you have a shit internet connection at home or your noisy-ass family won’t let you have a moment to think, well set your mind at ease! LSAC sees you! They’re offering reimbursements of up to $125 so you can book a hotel and have a quiet space with stable internet to take the test. That’s pretty rad. You might have to get outside of the city, but hell, that Holiday Inn in the burbs might be a fun vacay after being pent up for months.
15:10 – Fee Waivers and Cancellations
Anon was set to take the June LSAT on a fee waiver when they decided they wanted to withdraw their registration and take the test at a later date. But that left anon wondering: would their fee waiver carry over to the next test? The short answer is yep. Absolutely. The guys go on to share anon’s experience working through this with LSAC and discuss the other benefits of seeking a fee waiver.
19:36 – Pearls vs. Turds
It’s your (sometimes) weekly segment, Pearls vs. Turds! This is the part of the show where Ben and Nathan consider LSAT tips, tricks, and strategies “from the field,” and deem them pearls or stanky turds of wisdom. This week, Sam writes in with a tip for when you find yourself down to the wire in Reading Comp. If you’re down to your last two RC passages, and if one of them is a comparative passage, Sam suggests doing the comparative set last, even if it’s the third passage in the section. Then, when time is tight and you get to the comparative passages, only read one of the arguments and answer the questions as best you can. The guys discuss the benefits and drawbacks of Sam’s strategies and ultimately deem this a tie!
36:22 – The Bible vs. The Demon
Anonymous comes in hot quoting some statistics they learned in church. Apparently, if you attend Catholic mass every day for three years, you’ll be exposed to 85% of the bible, or 28% each year. Anon wants to know if you study with the LSAT Demon every day, what percentage of total LSAT questions would you be exposed to? Nathan and Ben do some back-of-the-napkin arithmetic on this one, but as with anything else, it depends. How many questions and how long are you studying in the Demon each day? If you accomplish two tests a week? You’ll be exposed to 100% of the questions in a year…ish.
41:46 – LR Question 1 in Section 4 of Practice Test 65
Ben and Nathan dig into the first LR question in section 4 of PT65. The argument is all about acid rain, its effects on soil content, and how trees respond. It’s challenging and informative! The guys slice through the argument like acid rain through calcium content and share their process along the way.