Thinking LSAT

Law school prices aren’t real. Scholarship data from ABA 509 reports show that most students don’t pay anything close to sticker price. Are law schools due for a tuition reset? On this week’s pod, the guys discuss a New York Times article about universities that are slashing tuition to better reflect the real cost of college. They consider whether law schools might follow suit. Also on the show, t...

Two mice fell into a bucket of cream. One gave up quickly and drowned. The other refused to quit and struggled for so long that it churned the cream to butter and crawled out. On today’s episode, Ben and Nathan answer an anonymous listener’s question: Which mouse should you be? If you’re drowning in the LSAT, how long should you struggle before calling it quits? The guys discuss why people who are...

Fears and false narratives often destroy our productivity. Only when we let go of such counterproductive thoughts can we achieve our full potential. Today on the pod, Ben and Nathan counsel listeners whose misconceptions about law school admissions have distracted them from what’s truly important. They respond to a father’s misguided advice about admissions, address fears about rising medians, and...

Ben and Nathan review a law school’s streamlined application process that doesn’t require a personal statement or letters of recommendation. The evidence is clear: some law schools really care only about your LSAT and GPA. Later on, the guys reassure an applicant that a great LSAT score overshadows a lackluster résumé. They also consider whether ABA 509 data misrepresent scholarship offers and dis...

Ben interviews Angela Vorpahl, a consultant who guides law students through their 1L year. Angela shares the top five mistakes students make on law school final exams. But first, Nathan and Ben kick off this week’s episode with a brief discussion of the recent news surrounding the U.S. News rankings and the ABA’s decision to end the testing requirement for law school applications. Current applican...

Ben and Nathan discuss score ranges and why your confidence in your ability shouldn’t rise and fall with your practice test scores. The guys also review an unusual Logic Games question type that popped up on the November test, poke fun at an email soliciting donations for Nathan’s alma mater, and celebrate another soul saved from law school. Watch Ben and Nathan's response to Yale and other la...

Ben and Nathan celebrate Demon students’ successes on the October LSAT—and encourage more students to retake the test. When every point matters, it pays to get greedy. Also on the show, the guys advise a law enforcement officer on his study habits, counsel a student who faces tremendous parental pressure to apply this cycle, and evaluate a full-ride scholarship offer with an early deadline to comm...

Ben and Nathan discuss LSAC’s upcoming Analytical Reasoning Field Study and assure listeners that the Logic Games aren’t changing anytime soon. They also hear from two former students who followed their advice and decided not to pay for law school—or not to go at all. Plus, the guys recommend resources for improving your writing and comment on the first fully online JD program to be approved by th...

Nathan and Ben continue their discussion about IQ and the LSAT with some input from Thinking LSAT listener and amateur psychometrician Anthony. They discuss how the LSAT differs from other tests of IQ and why it’s possible to make huge improvements to your LSAT score despite its correlation with IQ. Later on the show, the guys analyze CUNY School of Law’s decision to stop awarding merit-based scho...

Today on the show, Ben and Nathan take a glimpse behind the curtain at a law school’s approach to scholarship negotiations. The guys examine an email that reveals how one school is prepared to negotiate, and they discuss what it means for applicants. Also on the pod, Nathan and Ben advise an MMA fighter on his personal statement, comment on whether the LSAT tests IQ, and evaluate tips for addressi...

Should you retake the LSAT? The answer is almost always yes. Today on the show, Ben and Nathan advise a student who fears scoring lower on a second attempt. They discuss why law schools care only about your highest LSAT score—and why that means there’s only upside to retaking the test. Also on the pod, the guys review a task management framework, give advice on how to stay focused, and tackle a Lo...

Nathan and Ben are joined by special guest Megan Smiley , who coaches lawyers seeking to leave legal practice. They discuss why so many lawyers want to escape their careers—and why that’s especially challenging for anyone burdened with student loans. Megan encourages listeners to examine their values and strengths before committing to law school. Also on the pod, Nathan and Ben hear from recent st...

Ben and Nathan are joined by special guest Alison Monahan, cofounder of Law School Toolbox . They discuss law school and bar exam prep, the law school–big law pipeline, and the current legal job market. Also on the show, the guys talk tactics for scholarship conversations, consider the value of learning to speed-read, and review a strategy for answering Flaw questions. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS Ap...

Admissions officers may say that you have to pay for law school. Nathan and Ben disagree. On today’s pod, the guys review financial aid advice from Dean Z of Michigan Law. They then discuss how applicants can improve their scholarship bargaining power. Later, the guys vibe to some soulful advice from Ray Charles, evaluate the diminishing returns of higher LSAT scores for “splitters,” and consider...

Savvy listeners who applied early this cycle continue to receive scholarship offers. Today, Ben and Nathan discuss an offer that promises all the benefits of an early-decision program without any of the risk. The guys also discuss the shady history of government-backed student loans, an inventive strategy for ignoring the test timer, and the futility of worrying about yield protection. LSAT Demon...

Today on the pod, Ben and Nathan celebrate two LSAT Demon students who increased their scores by a whopping thirty-one points. They also offer advice and encouragement to listeners who are disappointed by their August test scores. Plus, the first full-ride scholarship of the 2023 admissions cycle arrived even earlier than Nathan and Ben had anticipated. The guys remind listeners to apply at the be...

Most law schools have begun accepting applications for fall 2023 admission. Nathan and Ben predict when the first scholarship offers of the cycle will come in (hint: soon) and double down on their advice to apply in September with your best LSAT score—or wait until next year. The guys also help a student trying to break out of a Logical Reasoning slump, consider an accounting student’s possible ca...

Episode 365 marks a milestone for the podcast. Listeners can now indulge in an episode of Thinking LSAT every day for a year. Nathan and Ben reflect on some of the hiccups and highlights of their podcasting partnership. Then, they weigh in on a particularly unfavorable early-decision program, debate the merit of a tip for evaluating LSAT answer choices, advise a PhD chemist considering a pivot int...

Ben and Nathan address a myth that rising LSAT scores will make future application cycles more competitive. But first, they kick off a Pearls vs. Turds triple-header with a Bruce Lee quote and consider its applicability to LSAT study. Then, they dive into a mailbag of listener questions on topics ranging from online JDs to offline LSAT study. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Ep...

LSAC just made Score Preview available to all test takers. Ben and Nathan discuss the change and why it’s inconsequential. As long as law schools care only about your highest LSAT score, there’s no benefit to canceling. The guys also share advice on how to overcome anxious thoughts on the test, warn listeners against the perils of Netflix binges, discuss the rising number of older student borrower...

The guys unveil LSAT Demon’s new Law School Rankings page, which charts U.S. News and Above the Law rankings over the years. Spoiler: Rankings are basically worthless for deciding where to go to law school. Plus, Ben and Nathan develop a simple formula for LSAT success, discuss why score “plateaus” don’t actually exist, and give advice on writing addenda. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon D...

How much should rankings influence your decision about where to attend law school? On this week’s episode, Ben and Nathan rebrand their “100% rule” as the “2x rule” for law school rankings. The name’s changed, but the rule is the same: When comparing one school to another, you shouldn’t consider their rankings unless they differ by twice as much or more. The guys also discuss how to study like a t...

Law school can leave you with a lifetime of debt if you aren’t careful. On today’s episode, Nathan and Ben discuss a cautionary tale of a recent law school graduate who is $347k in student debt and can’t find a job. He thought that attending law school would set him up for a comfortable future. Instead, he’ll likely be in debt for the rest of his life. The guys implore listeners not to make the sa...

If you want to help others, you need to take care of yourself first. On today’s episode, Ben and Nathan advise a listener to focus on helping herself before becoming a non-profit family law attorney. Doing so will ultimately put her in a better position to help others. The guys give another listener tips on how to ease test-day anxiety. They discuss the benefits of taking a gap year—or several—bef...

June LSAT scores have been released, and lots of Demon students are riding high. Today on the show, Ben and Nathan share a bucketload of inspiring LSAT success stories submitted by listeners. Then, they comment on a former Demon student’s admissions cycle recap. They discuss Columbia’s decision not to participate in the U.S. News law school rankings. They wrap up the show with a discussion of LSAT...