Goodbye Flex, Hello Online LSAT (Ep. 285)
It’s not always fun to say “we told you so.” But guess what. We told you so. This week, LSAC announced that the LSAT Flex is here to stay. And with a few small changes, the online test will be known simply as “LSAT” after August of this year. The guys cover this major announcement from LSAC and share some other news, like the release of the testing schedule thru June 2022. Nathan and Ben also hear from a student who’s considering a retake at 174, they advise a listener who fears they’re too old to go to law school, and they hear from a student who’s got a handful of full-ride offers. Plus, the guys consider an excuse of the week about tough vocab on the LSAT, and they rip thru a listener’s personal statement.
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Important Dates
02.24.2021 – It’s not a joke, it’s actually the registration deadline for the April LSAT
04.10.2021 – The April LSAT Flex testing week begins!
2:52 – Important update from LSAC
This past week, LSAC made some major announcements. Sh*t was like LSAC Christmas! First, they announced all of the test dates through June of next year, y’all. Next, as if you couldn’t have seen this coming, they confirmed that the LSAT Flex is here to stay…as the official LSAT. And that’s not all. They’re making some adjustments to the test. LSAC is bringing back the experimental (non-scored) section of the test, which could be LR, RC, or LG, and they’re also adding a short break at the halfway mark of the test. With these changes, LSAC is mysteriously quiet about the omission of the second LR section of the test that was initially dropped for the rollout of the LSAT Flex. The guys cover this story and discuss the implications of these crazy changes.
LSAC’s page on the LSAT after August 2021
23:04 – Casper’s 174 Conundrum
Casper’s kind of a kickass professional. He’s already got two law degrees (one from London, one from China), and now he’s going for the f*cking triple crown, y’all. A law degree from a top 14 school—and hopefully a top three school—in the US. But Casper’s got some concerns. He’s wondering if the fact that he’s an international student will diminish his chances of entering a prestigious institution such as Harvard, Stanford, or Yale. And with a 174 on record, he’s wondering if he needs to shoot higher to give himself a better shot at these elite schools. The guys give Casper a resounding yes. If you haven’t maxed out your testing cycle, and your practice tests indicate even higher (Casper’s scores do), there’s absolutely no reason not to take the test again. Scoring a 175, 176 or higher will move you past hundreds—hundreds—of applicants. Nathan and Ben also try to quiet Casper’s fears of discrimination as a foreign student, citing that if your numbers are in the pocket, and you’ve got some great writing samples, the top schools will be happy to have you.
35:36 – Too Old For Law School?!
Thirty-Something Writer Person is ready for a career change. They’ve been piecing together work by putting their MFA in creative writing to good use writing and teaching. TSWP’s wife is a nurse and their first kiddo is due this autumn (congrats!). And with all of this going on, Thirty-Something’s been thinking a career as a lawyer. The problem is, it doesn’t seem clear that TSWP knows what they’re getting themselves into. Thirty Something asks the guys if they’re too old to go to law school, and if it’s absolutely outrageous to apply this cycle with a score in the high 150s. After all, the regional law school TSWP’s looking at seems to be really enthusiastic about his app coming in the door this spring! Ben and Nathan agree that Thirty Something is absolutely not too old to go to law school, but recommend that they absolutely not go this cycle. Tune in to hear all of the reasons why.
56:35 – Demon Success
Melissa had some pretty incredible success with the LSAT Demon over the past year. She used the best LSAT prep in the land—The LSAT Demon—and landed herself a pretty sweet score. But not only that, she went the way of the Thinking LSAT crew and applied wayyyy broadly. Melissa sent apps to 20 schools and ended up receiving five full-tuition offers. FIVE. That’s amazing, Melissa! Now, not only is Melissa going to law school for free, she gets to pick which law school she wants to attend for free. And when she gets there? She’ll likely be at the top of her class. That’s an amazing way to start your legal career.
1:03:23 – Excuse of the Week
In this week’s Excuse of the Week, the guys hear from an LSAT Demon teacher who has heard folks complain that they “don’t understand words” on the LSAT. It’s true, the LSAT can include some rather confusing writing, erudite terminology, and just plain tough words. Nathan and Ben talk about how to tackle words that don’t fall in your lexicon when you encounter them on the test.
1:16:17 – Personal Statement Review
The guys break out the red pens and razor blades and critique a personal statement from Kayla. Kayla had a pretty wild year last year as a small business owner during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes how she navigated managing eight salon franchises over the past year. In their usual style, Ben and Nathan force the lengthy statement into the woodchipper and offer Kayla plenty of food for thought for her next draft.