Loan Forgiveness Traps (Ep. 419)
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPs) are often touted as silver bullets of student loan debt relief for low-earning public interest lawyers. But as good as loan forgiveness sounds, LRAPs are riddled with caveats and conditions that may leave some students with far bigger student loan bills than expected. This week, Nathan and Ben present a list of questions that any LRAP hopeful should ask. They conclude that an upfront scholarship should always be preferred over dependence on loan forgiveness.
1:12 - Real-Life LR Flaw
The guys crack up over some car shopping advice that reads like a flawed argument from LSAT Logical Reasoning.
3:39 - LSAT Writing
Listener Dastin provides an update on the functionality of the LSAT Writing interface. You can use the cut, copy, and paste commands while writing your official submission, but not while taking notes in the “digital scratch paper.”
5:45 - New Test Dates
Additional test dates have been added to the October 2023 and November 2023 administrations of the LSAT. Sessions have been added on October 15 and 16 as well as November 8 and 9.
7:19 - August LSAT Shoutouts
Ben and Nathan give props to LSAT Demon students who crushed the August LSAT. The guys implore listeners not to settle for a lower score than they’re capable of.
19:50 - August LSAT Disappointments
Not everybody who took the August LSAT was happy with their score. Nathan and Ben address some common reasons for underperformance on test day and share advice on how to avoid these pitfalls in the future. They also counsel patience to anyone who feels rushed to apply with a less-than-great LSAT score.
33:31 - Diminishing Returns on Retakes
How high do you have to score before retaking no longer makes sense? It depends on where you plan to apply.
36:35 - LSAT First, Apply Later
Nathan and Ben recap an admissions event that dished out some questionable advice for law school applicants.
54:57 - Loan Repayment Assistance Programs
A friend of LSAT Demon and current student at Yale Law proposes some questions to ask before committing to a top school’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). These programs may sound appealing, but they’re often far less helpful than you’d think.