AccessibleDisgustedCentaur '22–'23 app cycle Class of 2026 class year

This is a lonnnng process, but don’t give up. I am the first person in my family to go to law school, so I had absolutely 0 experience before applying. Here are some things I wish I knew before I started:

-No essay is optional. Write a “why x” for every school & make sure it’s well researched.

-Find someone to help mentor you. It can be a career services person at your college, a professor, or even a law student you connected with on LinkedIn. This process is 1000x harder alone.

-A waitlist is not a death sentence. Continue showing interest and updating the school as your resume updates.

-Try to hold out for the option that is best for you. Oftentimes, these decisions come extremely late. It can be financially and emotionally taxing. Consider the long term outcome for you personally and weigh all options.

-Do your research on LOCIs (Letters of Continued Interest) and send them accordingly. While a school like UVA may appreciate a LOCI before a waitlist, a school like NYU may not. Podcasts and articles online have a wealth of knowledge for people unfamiliar to the process (i.e. the admissible podcast).

-Put effort into waitlist feeler emails. A school asks you if you have anything else you would like to tell them? Let them know the important updates and why they matter to you. Always offer to share more information if needed.

-Are you below median or a splitter? Chances are you will not receive a decision until very late in the cycle (like March/April/May late in the cycle), and that’s okay! Log off of law school admissions forums and do things you love to do.

-Don’t withdraw from the waitlist unless you have to or you are 100% sure you would never attend the school (i.e. ED applicants).

-Things are variable and change all the time. Do not be afraid to go back on a decision you thought you had made in favor of a decision that will benefit you in the long term. In short, do what is best for you!