Law School Lemons & LSAT Ceilings

Ben and Nathan discuss how law school admissions resemble a “market for lemons,” where students face steep information asymmetries. They highlight tools like the Scholarship Estimator and 509 reports that help applicants manage expectations and avoid overpaying. While there are several ways to strengthen an application, none are as effective as a strong LSAT and GPA.

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0:26 – Law School Lemon Law

Demon student Luca applies the “market for lemons” concept to law school admissions, emphasizing the information gap between applicants and schools. Ben and Nate note that schools often string applicants along without providing transparent pricing. Tools like 509 reports and the Scholarship Estimator help narrow this gap by showing what students might actually pay. Despite the added time and cost, applying broadly remains key to determining your market value.

⁠The Disparity Index⁠

LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator

The Market For Lemons

17:36 – Getting In Isn’t the Goal

Ben and Nathan discuss a Reddit post that shared an email in which the University of Oklahoma’s law school advised an applicant to raise their LSAT score. Some were outraged, but the data supports it—Oklahoma’s median LSAT is 160. They caution against accepting offers where you just meet the medians. Barely squeaking in often means overpaying.

23:31 – Announcements

August LSAT Registration closes June 26th. See all registration details at lsat.link/dates.

25:22 – Holistic Applications

Extracurriculars and soft factors help, but only after your LSAT and GPA are competitive. Athletics, internships, and work experience can strengthen your application, but they won’t offset weak numbers.

29:48 – Tips from Departing Demons

Recent Demon students share what worked for them. Asma recommends “having a conversation with the test” to stay mentally engaged rather than going on autopilot. Another student, LT, shares that they ultimately decided not to pursue a JD, showing that sometimes the best move is to walk away.

34:23 – What’s My Ceiling?

Seth asks if massive LSAT gains—30 or even 40 points—are possible. The guys say yes, but they stress not to rush toward specific schools or deadlines. Instead, slow down, focus on one question at a time, and aim for a minimum of 160. Below that, law school might not be the right investment.

39:21 – Personal Statement Gong Show

Amy feels that the Personal Statement Gong Show has given her a great idea of what not to do. Now, she wants to know what makes an elite personal statement. Ben and Nathan highlight some essential lessons using a personal statement from the Gong Show’s first celebrity contestant, Demon team member Stefan.

1:04:32 - Word of the Week - Aegis

[The memoirs] written by royalists, who opposed the Revolution, were published under the monarchy’s aegis.

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Law schools manipulate scholarships to obscure what they’re actually willing to pay for LSAT scores. Ben and Nathan reveal how some schools offer up to $40,000 per LSAT point. They introduce the “Disparity Index” to show how wildly different financial outcomes can be for students at the same school. Don’t settle for mediocre scores—top LSAT performance unlocks the best deals.

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Download our iOS app

Watch Episode 510 on YouTube

0:30 – LSAT Buyer’s Club

Ben and Nathan dig into how much law schools pay for LSAT scores. They introduce the Disparity Index—calculated by subtracting a school’s 75th percentile grant from full price—as a measure of that school’s willingness to buy scores. Some schools pay $10,000 per point while others offer up to $40,000. At full price, you might be paying 20 times more than a classmate. The key takeaway: the 75th percentile grant should be your floor, not your ceiling.

LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator

31:09 – Scholarship Reconsiderations

The guys explain why you shouldn’t expect schools to negotiate openly. Many schools pretend to have fixed offers or use pre-law advisors to dissuade students from pushing back. Protect your leverage—don’t visit schools, don’t volunteer information. “Exclusive” opportunities are often just marketing ploys to increase tuition revenue.

50:43 – Last Call for Uncle Sam’s Wallet

Recently proposed policy changes threaten to disrupt the current tuition landscape of law schools. Limitations on student visas, loan amounts, and repayment options all have the capacity to change the way law schools play the scholarship game.

1:07:05 – RC Comprehension

Ricky scores nearly perfectly on Logical Reasoning, but underperforms at Reading Comprehension. Ben and Nathan suggest that Ricky aim for two perfect passages and guess on the rest. With time and practice, two will lead to three, but perfection on two gives a strong base and builds confidence.

1:10:07 – Grammarly

Ben and Nathan discuss the value of Grammarly. They suggest a smart workflow: use tools like Grammarly to generate suggestions, then double-check those suggestions with Google or other AIs. Cross-referencing recommendations can teach you good writing while improving your output.

1:13:00 – Personal Statement Gong Show

Ian sends in his submission for the Personal Statement Gong Show, the show where Ben and Nathan read personal statements and hit the gong when something goes wrong. The standing record to beat is ten lines, held by Greta.

1:18:31 - Word of the Week - Compatible

Which one of the following statements about cells is most compatible with the views of late nineteenth-century biochemists as those views are described in the passage?

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