The Truth About Softs (Ep. 555)

Dan Currell, former Department of Education official, joins the podcast to break down how colleges and law schools use opaque pricing, fake tuition numbers, and binding early decision contracts to maximize returns from students.Study with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 556 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 The Early Decision Racket5:30 How College Pricing Actually Works14:54 The Hidden Price Problem22:13 Antitrust, Regulation, and Who Could Fix This33:18 Who Pays Full Price?41:59 Southern School Surge and Demographics50:19 Record Law School Applications and Final Advice

A viewer writes in asking about their chances at the T14 while being a super splitter. They explain their work history includes founding a multimillion dollar healthcare business. Ben and Nathan ask if the viewer really wants to pursue law school given their entrepreneurial success. If they do, they should focus on maximizing their LSAT. Also in this episode- A question on the “soft” side of applications- Partnership between Arizona State University and Starbucks- Whether to use a recommendation letter from a former boss Study with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 555 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 Tough Love12:43 “Soft” Side of Applications24:04 Test D Question – Standardized-Testing50:20 ASU and Starbucks Partnership54:26 Super Splitter with Small Business 1:02:21 Best Time To Start Studying1:10:04 Recommendation Letter Conundrum1:19:30 Word of the week – vociferous

The updated rankings for law schools have dropped! Ben and Nathan discuss the changes, the schools that refused to participate, and what applicants should actually focus on when choosing a law school to attend.Also in this episode- Law school marketing emails wishing students good luck on the LSAT- Whether to drop a class and graduate late to preserve their GPA- Another Personal Statement Gong Show contestantStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 554 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 USNews 2026 Rankings26:17 #thirstylawschools30:05 Test D Question – English Rule43:50 Implicit Assumptions53:00 Pearls v. Turds1:00:03 Should I Upgrade Demon Plans?1:05:19 Dropping Courses1:11:46 Personal Statement Gong Show1:38:38 Word of the week – throes

Ben and Nathan react to two stories: California pushing to require AI training in law schools, and Oklahoma's surprisingly hands-off approach to AI in the courtroom. They discuss AI’s growing role in the legal field and why Oklahoma’s simple rule, use it however you want, just own every word, might be the smartest policy.Also in this episode- A viewer performing differently between timed sections and practice tests- Whether you can predict future competitive cycles- Why the University of Alabama has such a high GPA medianStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 553 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 AI in Law School and the Legal Profession6:20 How to Get Faster20:00 Test D Question – Moving Truck38:52 Incongruence Between Sections and PTs44:54 Will My GPA Hold Me Down?54:22 What’s the Deal with the University of Alabama?1:05:36 Word of the Week – quotidian

A listener asks how to negotiate scholarships, especially when schools claim they don’t negotiate. Ben and Nathan advise always asking for more and using competing offers as leverage.  But, they stress the importance of being ready to walk away from an offer that doesn’t meet your needs.Also in this episode- Handling burnout from LSAT studying - A logical reasoning question about a mushroom allergy- Whether job prestige helps in law school admissionsStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 552 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 Burn Out. Need Advice.17:43 How to Negotiate50:45 Test D Question –- Mushroom Allergy1:00:36 Studying Abroad1:15:28 Pearls v. Turds1:21:28 Job Prestige1:26:43 Losing Study Progress1:36:38 Word of the week – gravamen

A listener asks whether they should include their experience as a professional poker player in their application materials. Ben and Nathan advise that they should. Pursuing something at a professional level demonstrates a meaningful commitment and a proven ability.Also in this episode:- A law school with an endless amount of fees- Whether you should attend an online law program- When conditional scholarships become predatory Study with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 551 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 William & Mary’s Law School Fees13:38 Attending an Online Law School23:06 Predicting Role Questions33:23 Working as a Professional Gambler48:20 LSAC Guided Plus Program1:03:22 Accepting a Conditional Scholarship1:19:08 Ohio Northern’s Summer Program1:33:10 Word of the week — effusive

A listener asks whether they should quit their job to focus on LSAT study and law school applications. Ben and Nathan explain that there’s only so much productive studying you can do in a day and recommend keeping the job.Also in this episode:- Ben and Nathan poke fun at a New York Times article on homeownership with a clear flaw- How to break out of a stuck practice test range- Whether it makes sense to enroll with plans to transfer after 1LStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 550 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 Randomly Doing Bad9:05 New York Times Newsletter Flaw12:20 Stuck in the Low 160s21:04 Asking for More Money37:43 Quitting Job to Study for the LSAT50:48 Misleading Rankings1:01:38 Transferring After 1L1:09:57 Personal Statement Gong Show1:33:13 Word of the week — ascetic

Nathan and Ben react to WashU offering a new institutional loan to help students cover tuition beyond federal loan limits. They argue that chasing a prestigious name isn't worth it if you have to borrow heavily to get there.Also in this episode:- Ben and Nathan roast a poorly written Wall Street Journal headline- Whether highlighting and note-taking actually helps on the LSAT- An engineering grad considers switching to lawStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 549 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 Wall Street Journal Headline 3:29 Extremely Confused14:34 Loan from WashU25:27 Highlighting on the LSAT27:20 Test D Question — Nonprofit Leaders38:05 Career Change as an Engineer50:07 A Few More Points on Your GPA57:26 January Score Hold1:09:51 Word of the week — suzerain

A listener asks about alleged changes to Logical Reasoning that an LSAT YouTuber has reported. Ben and Nathan push back, maintaining that the test hasn’t meaningfully changed and that the so-called “new” question types have been around for years.Also in this episode:- A listener successfully secures a GPA change on their transcript.- Whether to use a letter of recommendation from a university president- What’s going on at Vanderbilt LawStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 548 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 Conditional Scholarships 11:00 Getting GPA Changed16:35 Letter of Recommendation from the President22:22 New Demon Plans28:04 Tips from Departing Demons37:50 RC Speed47:15 Updated LR Questions?1:01:48 What’s the Deal with Vanderbilt1:25:34 Word of the Week — diminution

LSAC announces that upcoming LSAT administrations will return primarily to in-person testing. Ben and Nathan discuss the shift away from remote testing and what it means for test takers.Also in this episode:- How to approach a final LSAT attempt- Cooley Law offers a scholarship for attending a meet and greet with the dean- How much time to spend studying each dayStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 547 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library