LSAT Demon student Rafael fears that he doesn’t have a compelling personal statement topic. He’s a senior in college with limited work experience and some student club involvement. Is he overthinking things? Nathan and Ben tell Rafael to forget about his personal statement until after he has his…
Listener Ben scored 177 on the LSAT, but his GPA is below the median at most of the schools he’s interested in. He asks the guys for advice on what he should be doing between now and next fall to make his application the best it can be. Since…
Listener Gage is wondering whether to disclose a medical condition to explain his low undergraduate GPA. Short answer: No. Ben and Nathan advise him to focus on getting the best LSAT score he can get. And if a school asks about the discrepancy, he should let them know that his…
“Softs” refers to everything but your “hard” numbers (LSAT and GPA). Your personal statement is the vehicle through which to present your softs. Ultimately, as Nathan says, your softs certainly matter, but only when you’re on the bubble being compared to people with similar “hards.” Ben reminds students that…
Ben and Nathan respond to listener Jacob’s email about personal statements. Jacob is debating among several potential topics. The guys weigh the pros and cons and argue that Jacob should focus on making a fact-based account of a demonstrably impactful accomplishment of his’.…
Ben and Nathan dig into Bryan Garner’s article in the ABA Journal about good writing. Admissions officers aren’t looking for a kid, or for drama. They’re looking for someone polished that they can turn into an amazing lawyer. Ben and Nathan discuss the merits of Garner’s…
It’s September, and wise law school applicants are trying to follow our advice to get in early on rolling admissions. Offers of admission and scholarships tend to be much more generous for those who apply in September than for those who apply in any other…
One of the most common pieces of personal statement advice Ben and I have given over the years is “cut your first paragraph.” A close second is probably “cut your last paragraph.” Most endings suck and just don’t need to be there.…