LSAT-Flex from the Trenches (Ep. 262)
It’s been almost six months since the first LSAT-Flex, and just because there’ve been several administrations, it doesn’t mean all of the issues have been ironed out. Between LSAT Writing and LSAT-Flex, students aren’t having the best experiences as they prepare for law school. Nathan and Ben discuss the problems they’ve heard from their students as a way to hopefully let you know what you’re in for. Plus, 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.
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
9.23.2020 – If you plan to take the LSAT in November—this is the deadline for signups
10.03.2020 – It’s the start of the October LSAT-Flex testing week!
11.07.2020 – Break out the long sleeves, it’s the November LSAT-Flex testing week
4:46 – Seeking LSAT Demons
Attention, ye listeners. Nathan and Ben and the Thinking LSAT team are looking for new teachers and LSAT tutors for the LSAT Demon. Tune in to hear the requirements for the open positions and consider applying if it sounds like a good fit for you!
7:08 – LSAT Flex Disasters
Despite LSAC’s reports otherwise, Nathan and Ben have been hearing horror stories about taking the LSAT Flex. Nathan shares some tales from the LSAT trenches, and the guys ponder why the only consistent testing experience LSAC provides is one that is consistently…not great.
24:08 – Rogue LSAT Question
Ben and LSAT Demon students have unearthed a lost LSAT question for prep test 86. It turns out that in Law Hub, the RC section for prep test 86 has a final 27th question, but in the LSAT Demon, the same test only poses 26 questions. Students wanted to know WTF was up, so Ben went sleuthing. It turns out that LSAC mistakenly included this question on Law Hub and that the .pdf and anything you find in the Demon is officially correct.
28:02 – Weird Dog Picture
Nathan and Ben take a look at a listener who submitted a picture of a napping dog and one of Nathan’s LSAT prep books. A short discussion ensues.
29:03 – LSAC Writing Update
Shelby writes in to share her experience with LSAC writing. According to Shelby, there have been a few changes! Shelby reports that you no longer need to pay the $15 fee for taking this portion of the test. But where you are unburdened financially, you must still endure the psyop that is LSAC’s testing interface, which forces you to practice with the interface before actually launching into the real writing portion of the exam.
38:16 – Pearls vs. Turds
This week’s Pearls vs. Turds resurrects an oldie but a baddie. Anon writes in with a tip they saw on an LSAT prep video series. The advice goes like this: practice the LSAT under shorter time constraints. By working on the test at 25 or 30 minutes per section, for example, you’ll feel like you have all the time in the world when you take the test for real. Ben and Nathan have debunked this advice before and they do it again, stressing accuracy and understanding over speed.
48:12 – Georgetown Part-Time Program FTW
Grateful Former Student, or “GFS,” is a former student of Ben’s. They write in to thank the guys for a 20-point improvement from their cold diagnostic. Their official score in the high 160s nabbed them a spot in the part-time program at Georgetown with a scholarship to boot. The guys discuss what financial aid looks like for part-timers and why it’s still important to ask for as much aid as you can possibly get (or better yet, not pay at all).
53:09 – Personal Statement Review
Mackenzie writes in with tales of Seville, Kentucky, immigration, and radio-show production. That’s right. It’s another Thinking LSAT personal statement review wherein the guys read brave correspondents’ personal essays and critique them on the show. In their usual form, Ben and Nathan take a hard look at every line of Mackenzie’s essay and make recommendations for improvement.