ArtoriasTheAbyssWalker '21–'22 app cycle Class of 2025 class year

My biggest advice would be to apply broadly! I am so glad I blanketed the t14s because I was actually close to not even applying to the law school I ended up deciding on (UVA), because they never sent me a fee waiver and I didnt know much about the school due to where I grew up in.

But fortunately, I decided to live up to the promise I made to myself to blanket the t14s, and I sent in that app. I started to learn more about the school and started to fall in love w/ UVA. Going to ASW cemented this affection for the school.

I was very humbled to receive the full tuition scholarship from Northwestern, and I was very appreciative of the initiative they took in reaching out to me personally to attract me to the school. Tbh, I thought I did HORRIBLY on the interview, so I didn’t even think I was getting in, let alone getting a full-ride. Just goes to show you that you may have not done as poorly in the KIRA as you think…

Anyways, this ultimately came down to UVA and Northwestern. Tbh before my cycle I felt more attached to Northwestern simply because I knew of the overall school’s reputation, whereas UVA is not well known in my region. But I realized none of that stuff matters, every employer in the legal field practically has the t14 memorized and knows the superb reputation of each school. I ended up sacrificing a bit of money and going w/ UVA because (1) I want to keep my options open for a clerkship and UVA has one of the best FC numbers, (2) Due to Charlottesville’s CoL, the overall CoA difference actually doesn’t amount to that much, (3) DC is currently my #1 destination, and UVA is arguably the best for DC placement, and (4) I just vibed w/ UVA’s culture much more than Northwestern when I visited, tho Northwestern Law’s campus is aesthetically more beautiful imho.

It’s just crazy to think about the fact that I may have missed on the opportunity of a lifetime if I didn’t send in that one extra app, that at the time I really didn’t feel like sending. Always keep in mind that your feelings/perceptions of schools can change over the course of a cycle. Ultimately, I am very glad w/ how my cycle went as beforehand I definitely didn’t expect to get full/ near full rides from multiple t14s. My experiences were quite basic but I believe the way I tied in those experiences into my overall narrative of wanting to go to law school was the X-Factor.