Our Favorite Episodes (Ep. 400)
From the “holy grail” of Logical Reasoning to roasting their own personal statements, Ben and Nathan celebrate 400 episodes by revisiting some of the podcast’s greatest hits. Later, the guys unpack the meaning of the word unless, address a discrepancy between drilling accuracy and timed-section scores, and advise a listener on whether to write a GPA addendum.
0:00 - The Best of Thinking LSAT
Ben and Nathan revisit a few of Thinking LSAT’s best moments, handpicked by LSAT Demon team members:
- LSAT Elevator Pitches (Ep. 322)
- Slow Down to Speed Up (Ep. 299)
- The Man with the Kind Eyes (Ep. 156)
- The Guys Roast Their Own Personal Statements (Ep. 190)
15:08 - LSAT Price Increase
In August 2023, the LSAT test fee will increase to $222, and the CAS subscription fee will increase to $200.
16:35 - Unless
Listener Karl finds himself correcting people’s language more often as he studies for the LSAT. His wife isn’t amused. Nathan and Ben adjudicate a verbal dispute and explain that the word “unless” works like an escape hatch.
25:23 - Accuracy vs. Speed
The guys theorize why an anonymous listener performs worse on timed sections than in untimed drilling. They encourage Anonymous to find some swagger and to commit to leaving timed sections unfinished. Ben also shares some details about overcoming his struggles with reading.
39:13 - Application Deadlines
Listener K shares a chart comparing law school rankings and application deadlines. Ben and Nathan discuss some takeaways from the data.
46:22 - T14 with a Low GPA
Listener Jack worries that his low GPA will keep him out of the T14. Nathan and Ben think that Jack’s Reddit-fueled fears are overblown. They recommend that he apply broadly and make efforts to express his genuine interest in the schools he applies to.
57:25 - Lawyer Parents
An anonymous listener worries that law schools might discriminate against them for being the child of a lawyer. Ben and Nathan assure Anonymous that no such stigma exists in law school admissions.
1:04:00 - Own Your GPA
Listener Dan has a near-spotless undergraduate transcript. Should he write a GPA addendum to explain two outlier grades? Nathan and Ben suspect that addendums may exist so that law schools can gather unflattering info about their applicants. Dan would be better served by focusing on the positive parts of his application and not making excuses for low grades.
1:15:32 - High School Activities
An anonymous listener asks if it’s okay for a 19-year-old applicant to reference high school activities in their applications. Ben and Nathan encourage Anonymous not to rush and to get some work experience before going to law school.
1:19:27 - Marijuana Law
An anonymous listener worries that working for an attorney who practices marijuana law might be a red flag to some law schools. Nathan and Ben think that any school that discriminates on that basis probably isn’t a school that Anonymous would want to attend.
1:26:07 - Nothing’s Off the Table
The guys assure listener Jayson that no school is off the table as long as he applies broadly with his best LSAT score.