The Demon Scholarship Estimator (Ep. 265)
Nathan and Ben are joined by LSAT Demon tutor, Jackson, to discuss a brand-new feature of the platform—a scholarship estimator. The estimator takes your GPA and your LSAT score and lets you know what kind of scholarship you could expect from any accredited law school. Jackson talks about how he helped develop the feature and the guys put the beta feature to the test. Plus, Ben and Nathan assess some advice from the Dean of Admissions at the University of Michigan, they help a listener with an addendum, they tear apart a personal statement, 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.
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Important Dates
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
12:05 – Pearls vs. Turds
Dean (of Admissions) at the University of Michigan, Sarah Zearfoss, shared a bit of advice in a recent YouTube video and a listener asks Nathan and Ben to weigh whether it is a shiny pearl or a lowly turd of wisdom. The advice in question? Zearfoss says that when it comes to your personal statements (and addenda), stick to the facts like a lawyer would. Don’t dive into and editorialize your most challenging life moments. Keep some emotional distance from your own story, and you’ll come off much more lawyerly. The guys tend to agree but ultimately give this one a tie.
17:11 – Prep Confusionnnn
E’s just starting her LSAT journey. And she’s off to a great start with a cold diagnostic of 152. She started studying with an LSAT prep company, but she’s finding it more confusing than helpful. She wants to know if she’s a lost cause, if she needs private tutoring, or if there’s hope for her yet. The guys let E know that 152 is a fantastic starting score and there’s a ton of upside for someone in her shoes. But if she wants to see real improvement, she needs to take an intuitive approach to the test—and maybe come over to a platform like the LSAT Demon.
30:25 – Addenda for LSAT Score Jump?
A is noticing that some schools have requested an addendum to explain large jumps in recorded LSAT scores. And for A, that’s just what they experienced. In 2018 they scored a 161, but took the test more recently and smashed out a 177—a huge improvement. A wants to know if and how they should explain this “discrepancy.” The guys agree that A should keep a low profile on this one. All you need to say is that your practice scores indicated you could do better than a 161, so you retook the test. End of story. Ben and Nathan go on to discuss the implications of such a request from law schools, and how asking puts law schools in dicey waters.
44:12 – To Wait? Or To Apply?
R’s been working towards their 1L year for a few admissions cycles. But each time a new cycle comes around, their LSAT score isn’t where they want it to be. But with a high GPA and some pretty cool resumé items, they’re wondering if they should stop their perfectionist tendencies and just apply with what they have. Nathan and Ben weigh in with some advice about what R should consider for their next moves.
58:10 – Personal Statement Review
As a former student of Nathan’s, and a long-time listener of the show, Victor has digested the guys’ advice about personal statements and he’s put his understanding to the test. Now he wants the guys to do their worst and dice up his personal essay, Thinking LSAT style.