Thinking LSAT

LSAC has changed how it calculates an applicant's undergraduate GPA: college courses taken during high school will no longer count toward the UGPA. Ben and Nathan discuss how this could benefit many applicants and how students can get their UGPA updated.

Also in this episode:
- A viewer who is applying to law school for the third time
- Washington cancelling their bar exam after technical difficulties
- The next contestant on the Personal Statement Gong Show

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Watch Episode 571 on YouTube
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Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library

0:00 LSAC UGPA Change
4:14 Avoiding Strike Three on Law Applications
11:24 Washington Cancelled Bar Exam
18:32 Test D Question — Linguistic anthropologist 
32:58 Exit Survey on Demon Explanations
38:55 Ask Button Secret Feature
42:18 Personal Statement Gong Show
59:32 Word of the week — logomachy

A listener asks whether drilling one question type until they've "mastered" it beats mixed practice. Ben and Nathan explain why focusing on  a single type creates a false sense of progress. They argue that mixed practice better prepares students for the unpredictability of the real LSAT.

Also in this episode:
- A law school asks waitlisted applicants to take a “situational judgment” test
- Which test a student with only two attempts left should register for
- How to reapply after being dismissed from law school

Study with our Free Plan⁠
⁠Download our iOS app⁠
Watch Episode 570 on YouTube
Check out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segments
Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library

0:00 Drilling Method
8:47 Tips on Predicting
22:11 Waitlist Games
41:13 Test D Question — Planet Y
58:50 When to Register
1:04:32 UC Law SF Alumni Email
1:09:12 Reapplying After Law School Dismissal
1:23:14 Word of the week — intransigent

Dan Currell returns to unpack a decade of major shifts in legal education and hiring. Nathan and Dan discuss employment outcomes for recent law graduates and the unusually frothy market in law firm hiring. 

Also in this episode:
- What's fueling the surge in law school application
- The mounting pressure students face once enrolled
- Grade inflation at the undergraduate level

Employment Outcomes Since 2016
Hiring by Firm Size Since 2016
Law School Applications by Year
Mean UGPA for First-Year Class

Study with our Free Plan⁠
⁠Download our iOS app⁠
Watch Episode 569 on YouTube
Check out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segments
Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library

0:00 Introduction
5:21 Enthusiasm or Fear: What's Driving Applicants?
16:26 Employment Outcomes for Recent Law Graduates
25:53 The Frothy Market in Law Firm Hiring
34:24 The Super-Star Effect
42:25 Removal of Logic Games
49:09 The Rise in Law School Applications
59:06 Pressure on Students
1:04:30 Take-Home LSAT Change
1:12:55 Grade Inflation

The Demon team discovered that LSAC removed a Reading Comprehension feature in its updated interface. The test will no longer highlight referenced text in the passage. Ben and Nathan talk about this change and what it means for students.

Also in this episode:
- Chicago Law Releases Update on AI Strategy
- Whether to pursue a master’s degree before law school
- The next Personal Statement Gong Show contestant

University of Chicago Law Policy
Study with our Free Plan⁠
⁠Download our iOS app⁠
Watch Episode 568 on YouTube
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Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library

0:00 No More Blue Highlighting on RC
14:12 On the Parallel Reasoning Ledge
25:58 Chicago Law Banning Phones and Laptops
36:19 Tips from Departing Demons
40:12 Test D Question — Athleisure
48:17 Pursuing Master’s Before Law School
55:24 Personal Statement Gong Show
1:19:48 Word of the week — recalcitrant

A student pushes back on the Demon's advice against diagramming on the LSAT. Nathan and Ben respond with why their intuitive approach helps students answer questions faster and more accurately.

Also in this episode:
- A viewer follows up on their score hold
- A judge's advice on sharing personal struggles in a personal statement
- Whether being a KJD hurts your application

Study with our Free Plan⁠
⁠Download our iOS app⁠
Watch Episode 567 on YouTube
Check out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segments
Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library

0:00 Prematurely Registered for the LSAT
17:10 Accusation of Cheating
41:08 Pearls v. Turds
44:40 Confused with LSAT Demon
49:57 Test D Question — Evil Oil Barons
1:04:13 Sharing Struggles in Personal Statement
1:16:16 KJD Tax
1:25:29 Word of the week — auspicious