The Biggest Myth about LSAT Improvement (Ep. 424)
Law schools thirsty for applicants may tell you that people rarely improve their LSAT score by more than a few points. This week, Ben and Nathan unpack the motivation behind this pernicious myth. Law schools don’t want you to improve your LSAT. They want your application now. Later, the guys discredit the impact of stamina on LSAT performance. They encourage listeners not to write addendums that draw attention to their weaknesses. And they consider the extent to which law school rankings matter outside of the T14.
3:57 - Law School Transparency
Nathan and Ben react to news that the U.S. Department of Education will soon require law schools to disclose more information about student debt and career outcomes.
10:42 - Patience Pays Off
Don’t rush to apply this cycle. Patient applicants can make life-changing improvements to their LSAT scores. Ben and Nathan also warn listener Jacob that law school isn’t a business investment—it’s a box to check en route to becoming a lawyer.
29:10 - Unlocking LG
The guys ponder what’s keeping LSAT Demon student Aidan from unlocking perfect scores in LG. They preach accuracy over speed and suggest that Aidan stop trying to finish all four games in a section.
34:03 - Premise Indicators
Ben and Nathan explain how words like “for” and “because” indicate premises.
36:52 - Strengthen and Weaken
The guys use a football analogy to illustrate different approaches to strengthening or weakening an argument.
42:22 - Stamina
Listener Jewel blames her lack of stamina for lower scores in the later sections of practice tests. Nathan and Ben fear that Jewel is engaging in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
48:30 - GPA Addendum
An anonymous listener asks whether to address a past substance abuse problem that negatively affected their undergraduate grades. Ben and Nathan advise Anonymous to highlight recent career accomplishments instead.
55:52 - Résumé Addendum
The guys encourage listener Sydney to refrain from writing an addendum that draws attention to a gap in their résumé.
58:24 - Do Rankings Matter?
Listener Chris wonders whether ranking matters outside of the T14. Nathan and Ben reiterate their 2x rule for law school rankings: When comparing one school to another, you shouldn’t consider their rankings unless they differ by twice as much or more.