In this mailbag-style episode of the Hey Future Lawyer Podcast, Ben Parker breaks down two things most applicants are missing: what it actually takes to hit a mid-160s or higher LSAT, and why “business as usual” in law school scholarships is getting disrupted. He opens with a blunt promise about standards, then pivots into a practical, incentives-based explanation of how law schools price tuition and why that pricing model is under pressure.

Ben explains why full rides and large scholarships may shrink this admissions cycle, tying it to shifts in how law school can be financed and why lenders will not bankroll outcomes that do not pencil out. Using examples like Vanderbilt and a lower-ranked regional school, he shows how schools use LSAT and GPA to “bid” for high numbers while charging the weakest applicants the most, then argues that model breaks when loans are not freely available.

From there, Ben answers listener questions about plateauing in the mid-160s, how to structure studying (drilling vs sections vs full practice tests), and what actually matters most: the quality of review and the thinking process behind each question. He also talks candidly about application strategy for someone sitting at a strong GPA with a 166, including whether to apply broadly, whether to wait a cycle, and how much a higher LSAT can change outcomes.

The episode closes with a behind-the-scenes look at messages Ben gets from applicants considering high-risk law school plans, including non-ABA options and “path of least resistance” decisions. It’s a frank conversation about law school ROI, bimodal salaries, avoiding catastrophic debt, and what a realistic plan looks like if you want a stable legal career.

👉 Find everything at linktr.ee/heyfuturelawyer