Thinking LSAT

Ben recommends Grit by Angela Duckworth , a book that could help with your LSAT prep and studying mindset. In that same vein, he mentions episode 202 of the podcast “The Art of Manliness,” which discusses the effort and commitment required to achieve a goal. (5:27) Next, a barrage of emails (3 can be a barrage, right??) from listeners who want to thank Thinking LSAT for helping them achieve their...

Did you take the June LSAT? Are you freaking out about your performance?? If you answered yes, we encourage you to slow down, take a deep breath, and refrain from any drastic decisions about canceling your score. (4:05) “Overwhelmed Dad” in South Texas emails a series of questions regarding his potential career shift from high school history teacher to lawyer. Worried about his ability to balance...

Episode 61 features an interview with Seth Harding, a 15 year old college senior who is preparing to take the LSAT. Seth is planning to take the test on June 6th and hopes to raise his current practice score of 148 to an Ivy-league competitive score within the next 3 weeks. Will we convince Seth to postpone his test date, as his goal is extremely ambitious, if not impossible? Will he convince a sk...

After months of anticipation and teasers from Nathan, The Fox LSAT Logic Games Playbook is now available! Check it out here and start crushing all those games. (3:10) Ed, a far-flung listener from Meyers Chuck, Alaska describes the unique route he will be taking to get to the LSAT testing center, and asks for advice on how to stay focused after the expedition. We discuss his questions and pose som...

In Episode 59, Nathan interviews Alison Monahan: Columbia Law School graduate, co-creator of The Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox programs and podcast, and creator of The Girl’s Guide to Law School . 10 Things You’ll Hate About Alison Monahan: 10- Nathan nicknamed her “The Hustler.” So awesome. (0:55) 9- She could have gone to medical school without taking the MCAT. (2:55) 8- She decided sh...

Two old dudes leave the jogging to the kids while they rhapsodize over the benefits of swimming slow laps—it’s so easy on the joints! Nathan really hammers the point home when he makes Ben aware of a runner’s worst nightmare…nipple bleeding (4:20). Good news! Law schools are giving out more scholarships than ever! Bad news–you’re going to have to do some math to determine which offer is really you...

After a bad test day and a “questionable” prep guide got him a 147 on the LSAT, Torvald* uses the Thinking LSAT podcast to jump his retake score to a 165 — Gratulerer, Torvald! As he considers law school options, Torvald wonders how to leverage scholarship offers from lower-ranked schools to get the best offer from his top-choice program. We advise him to apply broadly and discuss how to make the...

Nathan recommends adding something unusual to your morning coffee. Try it and look like a badass at your next brunch. (2:30) David, a listener who graduated in 2006 with a degree in civil engineering, asks about his chances of being accepted into a good law school despite his cumulative GPA of 2.78. He is currently preparing to take the June LSAT after letting his 2009 score of 161 expire without...

We interview Ann Levine , law school admissions expert, author and yoga teacher. Ann counsels us on the importance of meditation in creating a clear mind before studying. She also discusses test day anxiety and answers questions about the admissions cycle. Read more about Ann and sign up for her newsletter here . (2:00) Listener John is joining an LSAT study group and asks for tips on how to make...

Fire alarms, marching bands and mice … oh my! Listeners Ayung and Lauren share their LSAT test day horror stories. We discuss what to do when you encounter the unexpected in the test room, and how test-takers can sometimes turn a bad situation to their advantage. (7:30) We stop talking about the LSAT and start talking about law TV! Nathan recommends two shows, one of which has shown him more court...

Nathan finally saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens , and we find the flaws in the film like it’s Question #16 from Section 2 of the June 2007 LSAT. (Spoiler Alert from 0:55-9:00) Bonifacio, a former student of Nathan’s, asks for advice on slowing down while working through the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT. We talk about pacing during this section of the test, and whether or not it is a major...

Arnold took the LSAT in October and December 2015, and ended up raising his score to 174. We talk about retaking the LSAT, the third Logic Game on the December LSAT, and how actual LSAT scores compare to practice exams. (5:24) Hannah has a question about an application fee waiver. She took the December LSAT and improved ten points to 163. She received an email from Georgetown inviting her to apply...

Curtis is 33 years old, has an associate’s degree and wants to be an attorney. He is enrolled in a bachelor’s program and received a 146 on the June LSAT. He is worried about competing against younger law school applicants. Curtis asks about letters of recommendation, and the importance of internships and volunteer work when applying to law school. (3:25) Diane asks about financial resources and h...

Emma just took the December LSAT. She's trying to decide if she should apply to law schools this year or wait until next year. Most of the schools she's interested in attending do not have deadlines until March; but will her chances of admissions increase if she applies early? We discuss the number of people taking the LSAT (based on numbers from the LSAC), and the implications of those statistics...

One listener has a full-time job, a diagnostic score of 165 and wants to take the June LSAT. She plans to study now, take a break during her busy season at work, and then re-start studying in the spring. Is this a workable study strategy? Should this listener retake the LSAT after getting a score of 171 on the October test? A listener from Brazil is studying for the LSAT and has taken five practic...

A student asks if she should take the December LSAT if she's currently scoring in the 130s on practice tests. Her GPA is a 3.3 and she has three "F" grades on her transcript. In addition, she is half-way through the Princeton Review LSAT course and her scores are not improving. Should she take the December LSAT, or wait until the February test? We tackle Logical Reasoning question 11 (Section 2) f...

We discuss the current state of LSAT accommodations since the topic was discussed in episode 43. We tackle Logical Reasoning question 10 (Section 2) from the June 2007 LSAT. Camilla asks what ranges we recommend for reach, target and safety when using the LSAC calculator and the percentage it gives. Two listeners ask if they should spend time reviewing questions/answers they got correct, or just t...

The October LSAT scores are out. Should you retake the LSAT? And what's the first thing you should do when you get your actual results back? Paul asks if it's possible to go from a LSAT score of 146 to 170. Vincent shares his experience after taking our advice to stop reading the Logical Reasoning question stem first. Did his practice scores improve? Dylan wants help answering abstract questions (...

Ann Levine, Law School Expert, talks about whether law school early decision programs are worth exploring. She also addresses whether law schools can see if you've applied to multiple schools via early decision. Joe shares an October LSAT test-day horror story that involved the use of an analog watch during the test. He asks advice on how to address the situation with LSAC. Listener Kayle talks ab...

This student's practice LSAT score is stuck in the mid 140s, despite the fact she has been studying for quite some time using several different prep materials. She wants to reach the 150s. Should she take the October LSAT or wait until December? This student has been studying consistently for the LSAT and scoring in the mid 160s. But as the October test approaches, his score is slipping down to th...

Mika talks about applying for LSAT accommodations for persons with disabilities, and what the LSAC decided in her case. She discusses the process of submitting more than 100 pages of documentation, and her request to take four LSAT sections, additional time to answer the sections, the use of noise-cancelling headphones, and an isolated testing environment. We answer questions from Benny who is pur...

Student Loan Expert Heather Jarvis addresses the following topics: What are need-based versus merit-based scholarships? How does tuition discounting work? How should students ask for more scholarship money? Tips for borrowing and reducing living expenses in law school. Should you borrow money from an IRA investment account or take out student loans to pay for law school? We also answer the followi...

Ann Levine, Law School Expert, shares advice and answers questions about law school admission. What do law school admissions committees do with LSAT score bands? How does the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) compute your GPA when you retake a college course and then receive a higher grade? How does LSAC handle transcripts when you're involved in a dual degree program? What are the first things...

Andrew asks if he has enough time to study for the December 2015 LSAT or should he wait until the February 2016 test. He also asks if he will be at a disadvantage if he takes a later LSAT because more people will be sitting for the exam. Kayle is doing well on her practice LSAT tests (scores of 169 and 172). When studying, she asks if she should: a) concentrate primarily on the number of questions...

Here's what we talk about in this week’s Thinking LSAT podcast: Andrew asks what we think his chances are of admission to the University of Iowa College of Law. He scored a 155 on the LSAT without any preparation (and is now scoring much higher), and is retaking the test in October. He will have a compelling personal statement, and has impressive extracurricular and leadership activities. He also...