AcesCracked2 '22–'23 app cycle Class of 2026 class year

Intro: This page/section is currently undergoing some major edits as of ~05/29/2023. Certain information might be outdated, inaccurate, or even unfinished. To help with readability, I’ve used ChatGPT. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/user/Terrible-Swordfish-9).

Background: During my time in college, I double majored in the arts and political science. I was involved in various activities, including being the president of a club and participating in student government. Alongside my studies, I also took up some minor political internships. After graduating, I spent two years working. One year was in a regular minimum-wage job, while the other was in a unique industry. It’s worth noting that this is my second time applying, as I reapplied after my previous cycle. You can check out my previous cycle at https://www.lsd.law/users/creep/acescracked.

Application/Cycle:** **Last cycle, I decided to hire a consultant to help me, particularly in addressing my character and fitness (C&F) issues. This cycle, I mostly recycled my application materials with only minor tweaks. However, towards the end of the cycle, I did seek assistance from my consultant for the “Why X” essays of schools I applied to late, such as UT, Duke, and NDLS. Additionally, I utilized my consultant for general advice on interviews, letters of continued interest (LOCI), and email correspondence.

For the majority of schools, I submitted my application with a recorded LSAT score of 164, but I managed to improve my score twice during this cycle, reaching 167 in February and eventually 172 in March. While I submitted most of my applications by early November, I took advantage of my improved LSAT score in March and applied to Duke, UT, GULC, and NDLS. It’s important to note that my application faced significant C&F challenges, which I believe played a significant role in some of the underperformance I experienced. Nevertheless, my outcomes surpassed my expectations!

C&F Issues: I addressed specific C&F concerns by submitting relevant addenda to each school I applied to.

For all schools, I provided addenda regarding a DUI incident that occurred in mid-2021, as well as disciplinary actions during my college years related to alcohol in the dorm and minor housing violations spanning from 2018 to 2020.

In cases where it was required, I also submitted additional addenda to certain schools. These included an expunged/dismissed felony charge from approximately 2019, a sealed theft citation where charges were never filed around 2018. Additionally, I was terminated from my job in 2019 due to what can be essentially described as insubordination with upper management. Furthermore, I have a traffic violation from 2021. “A fun undergrad experience” as one Reddit user put it.

School Details/Cycle:
Caveat: Cost of Attendance (COA) was calculated by using Tuition + Living Expenses - Scholarship- and then multiplied over 3 years.
Living Expenses- were calculated using figures on each respective school’s website; I didn’t at first know this, but these figures (for living expenses) only account for the academic year, which is ~9 months, not for all 12 months. Student loan interest is not calculated in the cost of attendance, nor are living expenses over the summer.

09/01/2022
University of Iowa - ADMITTED, DEFERRED, (Initially) ATTENDING, **WITHDRAWN
Total 3-Year COA = **~$59k
Last cycle, I elected to defer my admission/attendance at Iowa. This decision initially resulted from Iowa not having scholarship funds available to me due to the lateness of my application. While Iowa did end up having scholarship funds available weeks later, I had already set a plan in motion to remain in my city/job for another year and R&R, and requested and was granted a non-binding deferral.- In mid-December of this cycle, Iowa offered me a full tuition scholarship.
On 04/04/2023**- , I withdrew my application and acceptance

12/16/2022
University of Florida - ADMITTED, **WITHDRAWN
Total 3-Year COA = **~$45k
Florida was my dream school for some time, and I really wanted a full ride. I was offered Ethos after raising my LSAT to a 172, but UT-Austin simply offered me too much money to say no. Withdrawing from UF was the hardest withdrawal I had this cycle. 12/19/2022 Arizona State University - *ADMITTED, WITHDRAWN
Total 3-Year COA = **~$95k
On 12/19/2022*- I was admitted to ASU! They initially offered me a scholarship amount of $7,000/yr. I did not seriously consider attending ASU, due to a COA of around ~$194,000. After my 167 LSAT, ASU raised their scholarship amount to $40,000/yr.

01/04/2023
University of Alabama - WAITLISTED, WITHDRAWN
On 01/04/2023, I was waitlisted. I was not surprised as one may think, as I believe this decision was affected by my C&F disclosures, but I was certainly still disappointed. I sent a LOCI about a week later after I received a 167. A week after that, I attended a virtual session with one of their directors of admissions. I did not - send an update/LOCI after raising my LSAT to a 172.

01/05/2023
University of Minnesota - WAITLISTED, ADMITTED, **WITHDRAWN
Total 3-Year COA = **~$80k
On 01/05/2023**- , I was waitlisted. It was my second waitlist of the week but wasn’t super emotional about it. After raising my LSAT to 172 in early March, I was admitted off their waitlist with a full-tuition scholarship.

01/19/2023
Boston College - REJECTED
On 01/19/2023- , I was rejected. I was definitely a little surprised at this one. While I had gotten some waitlists (which I credit to the major C&F issues), this was my first rejection, so it was definitely kind of a shock. I wasn’t exactly confident about how the rest of the cycle would go.

02/17/2023
Washington University in St. Louis - ED->RD, WAITLISTED, **WITHDRAWN
Oh boy, where to start with WashU. WashU had begun to kind of manifest itself into my dream school. I decided to apply under their Binding Early Decision program, but unfortunately, I had to disclose every single C&F issue to this school, so this was definitely mentioned in the interview, which I think went well, but it was obvious C&F was giving the admissions committee hesitancy. - I was deferred from their Early Decision program to the Regular Decision applicant pool. I clung to a false sense of hope that I “still had a chance”.
On 02/17/2023- , I was waitlisted. I had felt this coming, but I still considered WashU my dream school and my top choice. I debated on whether or not to continue to plan on visiting WashU the week after this decision and ultimately decided to still do so. I visited WashU. I was very impressed with the school and thought I gave a good impression.

03/15/2023
Vanderbilt University - WAITLISTED, **WITHDRAWN
On 03/15/2023- , I was waitlisted. Even though I had recently raised my LSAT to a 172, I felt like I was still kind of “underperforming”, and I wasn’t exactly optimistic about my future decisions.

03/17/2023
University of Texas at Austin - ADMITTED, **ATTENDING!
Total 3-Year COA = **~$74k
UT has long been an “unlikely” dream school of mine. While I believe in the idea to “shoot your shot”, I also am a realist. UT is required by state statute to reserve 65% of their entering class for in-state applicants. This immediately gives out-of-state applicants an immediate and unfortunate disadvantage. Because of this, UT is very stats-driven when it comes to choosing which out-of-state applicants TO admit. - Some data analysis: In the 2021-2022 cycle, there were 136 applicants on LSData who applied to UT with an LSAT range of 160-168 and a 3.8+ GPA. Only 11 were admitted (~8%), and of those, 7 were in-state, 2 were out-of-state, and 2 had unknown residency. At best, out of all UT Law applicants with a 160-168 LSAT, and 3.8+ GPA, only ~3% were both out of state and granted admission. If you simply lower the LSAT score band to 160-167, the results are grimmer; out of 108 applicants, only 4 were admitted, 3 of who were in-state. 1 had unknown residency. At best, out of all UT Law applicants with a 167 or below LSAT and 3.8+ GPA, only ~1% were both out-of-state AND admitted to the law school.
On 03/07/2023, after I had increased my LSAT to 172 and 6 days *after *- UT’s application deadline, I applied to UT Law. I submitted a “Why UT” and a “Why I submitted my application late” addendum to their e-mail that I thought exhibited a strong narrative. I was granted/completed their KIRA interview a week later.

• A few days after my KIRA, I was admitted to UT Law!! I attended UT’s Admitted Students Day. For me, this was just the last confirmation I needed to know that I was set on UT. A couple of weeks later, I asked to have my scholarship award reconsidered. I explicitly asked for $35,000/yr, which was just under a full ride, and which I knew was unlikely to be granted. UT offered me $34,000/yr. I put down my deposit that afternoon.

03/23/2023
Boston University - WAITLISTED, **WITHDRAWN
On 03/23/2023- , I was waitlisted. I wasn’t really disappointed, although obviously, it’s an ego hit when you are above a school’s 75ths and you get hit with a WL. I did not submit a LOCI.

03/29/2023
University of Southern California - REJECTED
On 03/29/2023- , I was rejected, my 2nd R of the cycle. Being above both 75ths, this stung!

04/03/2023
University of California Los Angeles - WAITLISTED, **WITHDRAWN
On 04/03/2023- , I was waitlisted. I wasn’t too surprised though.

04/12/2023
University of Virginia - REJECTED
On 04/12/2023- , I was rejected. I was definitely bummed about this one, but the writing had been on the wall for months. This was only my 3rd R of the cycle. UVA is a fantastic school and the highest-ranked school I applied to. I had a very genuine interest in them.

04/13/2023
Georgetown University - ACCEPTED, **WITHDRAWN
Total 3-Year COA = **~$190k
On 04/13/2023**- , I was accepted! To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I thought I was headed for the waitlist after my group interview, which I felt went poorly as I was often in the minority with how I voted on each topic (and also was on the opposite side of Dean Andy), but I was respectful and felt I came across as a dissenting advocate, as opposed to an aggressive contrarian. Georgetown offered me a scholarship of $45,000/yr. Because tuition is $75,000/yr, Georgetown was simply too expensive for my goals.

04/27/2023
Duke University - REJECTED
On 04/27/2023- , I was rejected. I had originally considered withdrawing my app, as UT at this point was where I was 100% going, and even if I got into Duke, they would not have a financial aid package that would make me consider not attending UT. Was still definitely disappointed.

Waiting On (as of 04/18/2023)
Notre Dame - REJECTED
Applied 03/09/2023. Rejected 05/25/2023- . I had already made up my mind at this point, but this was still an unwelcome surprise.

RESULT/RECAP:** ATTENDING UT-AUSTIN - HOOK ‘EM!!
UT has been my “unrealistic” dream school **- for two cycles now. I went from not applying because of 0% admission chance (16mid LSAT and out-of-state, T4 softs) to applying last-minute and getting accepted very quickly!! I submitted my deposit in mid-April

• This cycle, I had been leaning UF almost the entire way, especially once I raised my LSAT to a 167, and then again to a 172. Money/scholarship is a very big factor for me, so the “dream goal” was to try and get a full ride to close to it from UF. UF has impressed me in every regard, but in the end UT is just too amazing of a school to turn down for the price I am getting.
• I think in some ways, it is a blessing I did not get in at WashU ED. Having a near-full ride at UT is an incredible opportunity, and had I been accepted to WashU under their ED program, I never would’ve been able to retake the LSAT to be inclined to apply to UT. In every regard, I would’ve chosen UT over WashU, but with a 16-mid LSAT, I knew I only had a realistic shot at WashU. Again, sometimes pain can be a blessing in disguise.