Is your child a hard worker or high achiever? Do they like to argue? Maybe law school is the right graduate school path for them. Nathan Fox is the author of “Cheating the LSAT” and four other LSAT books. He shares his wisdom here for any family even remotely considering the idea of taking the LSAT and going on to law school.
“It’s the most expensive thing you are ever going to buy, except for maybe a house,” warns Fox.
Is your child dreaming of being a lawyer? Nathan has the answers, and the help you need, if your answer is “Yes!” Get all the info here before making this very important decision.
Questions Answered Today:
What is the LSAT?
This stands for the Law School Admission Test. It is the test taken before going to law school and helps determine where you get in as well as how much scholarship money that school will offer. It is NOT the Bar exam.
It is a test of:
- English language abilities
- Logic
- How hard you can work
- NO math section
There are over 80 practice tests available to help students to prepare for this test. It is scored from 120-180 with the average score at 145. “Almost every school cares about your highest score and will ignore your lower scores,” notes Fox.
What is a typical timeline for going to law school?
Going straight into law school after graduating with your undergraduate degree requires prepping for the LSAT to begin in the sophomore or junior year. Law schools admit one year in advance, so if you are planning to go straight into law school after completing an undergraduate degree it is important to plan accordingly.
“You can go to law school with any undergraduate major,” states Fox. Good grades are one of the 2 primary determinants of where you get into law school (along with the LSAT).
The test is offered four times a year: February, June, September OR October (depending upon the year), and December. You may take the test 3 times in any 2 year period.
What is the best way to prepare for the LSAT?
Fox recommends to begin preparation at least 3 months before taking the LSAT. Generally, students who enjoy reading and read a lot will do better.
The best thing to do is to take as many of the available practice tests as possible. There are no specific topics to study in particular. What is included on the LSAT are:
- Logic Games
- Very easy to train for, you just have to practice.
- Reading Comprehension
- Gives long passages and then asks basic questions about what you read.
- Logical Reasoning
- This is 2 of the 4 sections on the test.
- Presents short arguments that are flawed or incomplete in some way and you are asked to do something to that argument.
An average student will improve their LSAT score by 10 points or more with studying.
How expensive is law school?
“Law school costs $50,000 a year or more,” shares Fox. This can change depending upon the scholarships offered to your student and which school you choose to attend. Parent information is no longer required for financial aid, it is now up to the student. There is quite a bit of loan opportunity available.
Just because loans are available does not mean you should take them.
Seek all available scholarships and try to pay for it yourself before borrowing money and incurring debt. Also apply to a wide range of schools to see what scholarship opportunities they can provide you.
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
- http://www.foxLSAT.com
- Thinking LSAT Podcast
- http://www.foxLSAT.com/free
- All kinds of great stuff including videos, blog posts, free 15 hour LSAT course, and other resources.
- Interested in getting your kids prepped for law school? Contact Nathan:
- 415-518-0630
- nathan@foxLSAT.com
BRAD RECOMMENDS:
Episode 38 with Alexis Amarante
https://tamingthehighcostofcollege.com/38/
Episode 52 with Ryan Gray, MD
https://tamingthehighcostofcollege.com/successful-planning-for-medical-school/
Episode 55 with Ryan Parker
https://tamingthehighcostofcollege.com/culinary-school-and-the-food-industry/
Free Scholarship Guide for Busy Parents
tamingthehighcostofcollege.com/scholarships
THANKS FOR JOINING US!
We’d like to extend an invitation to our listeners to share their feedback and questions. Contact us to submit a question to our email.
If you find our podcasts helpful, please share us on social media and tell your friends!
The bottom line is that we care what you think and want to help you out, so we’d appreciate you reviewing us on iTunes or on Spotify. And even better, receive automatic updates by subscribing to the show on iTunes or Spotify.
Brad is not affiliated with FoxLSAT.