Your Undergraduate Degree and the GRE (Ep. 327)
The ABA has recently given the GRE their stamp of approval for use in law school admissions. The guys discuss how this decision might impact future applicants. Then, they tackle some listeners’ concerns about undergraduate records and introduce a plan to “gamify” the LSAT Demon. They wrap up this episode with a Logical Reasoning Paradox question.
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.
12.29.2021 — 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
2:55 - GRE Approved
The ABA has given the GRE their blessing as a standardized test that law schools may accept in lieu of the LSAT. Nathan and Ben doubt that it will have much of an effect on law school admissions. Because GRE scores aren’t published on ABA 509 reports, they don’t affect law school rankings. But the guys do expect this announcement to benefit applicants who already have really good GRE scores on record—it saves them from having to prep for a second test. Still, they say, most law school applicants will gravitate toward the LSAT to avoid the GRE math section.
Check out the full article from Above the Law here.
10:12 - Full-Time vs. Part-Time Undergraduate Attendance
Listener and LSAT Demon student Andrea wonders whether law school admissions officers will look down on the fact that she attended undergrad part time. The guys don’t think that Andrea has anything to worry about. Law schools are required to report your GPA but nothing else about your status as an undergrad. Andrea’s decision to take on a lighter course load in order to get the best GPA possible can only benefit her as an applicant.
16:00 - Gamifying LSAT Demon
The LSAT Demon team is looking for ways to gamify the platform to make studying more fun and competitive for students. Listener Dante suggests that students could gain “LSAT points” for completing certain tasks and accomplishing study goals. And they could “level up” every time they reach 180 points. He envisions that this might encourage students to focus on their LSAT “game” score as they study rather than fixating so much on their real LSAT score. It’s an interesting idea, but Ben anticipates too many confused emails from students whose practice test scores don’t comport with their “game” scores.
The guys also discuss a drilling accuracy leaderboard that’s in the works and invite listeners to send in their suggestions. If you have any ideas to help us gamify the LSAT Demon, email help@thinkinglsat.com.
23:50 - Spotify Wrapped
Superfan Tyler shares his “Spotify Wrapped” screenshot with the pod. Thinking LSAT was his number-one podcast for the year—he listened to 73 episodes for a total of 4,580 minutes. Way to go, Tyler!
Tyler is currently in the lead for the most time spent listening to the podcast in 2021. If you can beat Tyler’s record, send your Spotify Wrapped screenshot to help@thinkinglsat.com.
26:03 - Withdrawals on Undergraduate Transcripts
Listener Carly is worried about how six withdrawals on her undergraduate transcript will affect her LSAC-calculated GPA. Ben and Nathan advise her to sign up for the Credential Assembly Service and submit her official transcripts. That’s the only way to know for certain how LSAC handles withdrawals when calculating your GPA. If any listeners know from experience how LSAC adjusts GPA for withdrawals, please email help@thinkinglsat.com. The guys also suggest that students look into getting low grades redacted if they retook a course and got a higher grade the second time around.
Carly has some additional questions about her major, her extracurriculars, and whether her experience as a paralegal will help her application. The guys discuss and answer her questions, but they inform Carly and other listeners that law school admissions and scholarship decisions really come down to your GPA and your LSAT. Carly should check out the LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator to get sense of where she is now and where she needs to be.
48:06 - Test 73, Section 2, Q24
Ben and Nathan break down the passage by discussing how it relates to real-world experiences. Then, as usual, they predict an answer before reading the question or answer choices. The correct answer on a Paradox question should make you feel better about a confusing set of facts. Ben and Nathan pick apart each answer choice and show how the wrong answers don’t help satisfy the “itch” of curiosity set up by the passage. The correct answer clearly resolves the paradox.
Try this question on LSAT Demon.