Let Your Strengths Guide Your Future (Ep. 326)
After starting the show with a logical reasoning question, the guys jump into the mailbag to help some students decide when to apply to law school—and whether they should even go at all. Then, they tear apart another personal statement with some great content but a subpar approach.
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.
12.3.2021 — January LSAT Registration Deadline
12.29.2021 — February LSAT Registration Deadline
1.15.2022 — January LSAT
2.2.2022 — January LSAT Score Release
2.3.2022 — March LSAT Registration Deadline
2.12.2022 — February LSAT
3.3.2022 — February LSAT Score Release
6:22 - Test 73, Section 2, Q23
Ben and Nathan break down the passage by asking questions and getting curious about what the author really means. They demonstrate how this process helps them reach a deeper understanding and sets them up to make a solid prediction before even reading the question or answer choices. The guys pick apart each answer choice and destroy the wrong answers. They explain why answer choice C is the only one supported by the passage. Try this question on LSAT Demon.
23:39 - Should You Ask for Accommodations?
Listener and Demon student Chris is diagnosed with ADD, but he still feels like it’s cheating to ask for accommodations on the LSAT. The guys let Chris know that this is exactly what accommodations are meant for. They don’t believe that it’s immoral or cheating, since Chris has a legitimate diagnosis and is playing within the rules of the game.
31:07 - Deciding Against Law School
Giovanni is a former LSAT Demon student who decided that law school wasn’t the best fit for him. After realizing that he loves working in IT and cyber security, he was offered a job as an IT contractor for NASA. The guys congratulate Giovanni and encourage all listeners to choose a direction where they have some natural aptitude. Let your strengths guide your future, and find a career that you both love and are good at.
42:08 - Delaying Law School
Listener Haden recently applied to law school for fall 2022 admission. He doesn’t really like his job, but he was just offered a promotion that pays six figures. Should he delay going to law school to save money? Above all else, Nathan stresses that Haden shouldn’t pay for law school. If he’s considering saving money to pay for law school, he is going about this the wrong way. Ben also wants Haden to consider whether he’d actually enjoy being an attorney and whether changing careers would truly be the best path for him.
53:20 - Withdraw and Reapply?
Listener K applied to law schools in September with a subpar LSAT score—and didn’t receive full scholarship offers at either of the two schools she’s most interested in. Now, she’s trying to decide whether to retake the LSAT and try to negotiate a better scholarship or to just withdraw her applications and reapply next cycle with a better LSAT score.
The guys advise K to withdraw her applications and reapply at the beginning of next cycle with her best LSAT score. K should check out the LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator to help her determine which schools to apply to and what LSAT score would put her in the best position to receive a full scholarship.
1:16:40 - Vlad’s Personal Statement
The facts at the beginning of Vlad’s statement are great, but he needs to do a grammar check specifically on the verbs he has chosen. His sentences are too long, and almost every sentence has an opening clause before the subject is addressed. The guys want Vlad to start over and present himself as a badass, successful person in the military. Focus on your achievements, and say what you did. Cut out any protesting and mentions of mental states.