B-I-N-G-O '25–'26 app cycle Class of 2029 class year

Welcome to BINGO’s comprehensive and far-too-detailed thoughts on law school in general. Now that I’m part of the way through 1L, i’ve come back to update this, add info, organize it better, and get rid of anything I thought was inaccurate. This isn’t advice for everyone, its just my thoughts on what worked for me.

TEST-TAKING PHASE

(1) Get off of reddit. Its full of overly competitive people. It brings out the absolute worst in people. Don’t compare yourself to the yappers because theyre probably lying through their teeth anyways.

(2) Start studying for the LSAT early. If you’ve been out of school a while, you might need months or even years to get back into the swing of studying every day and taking exams.

APPLICATION PHASE

(3) Apply broadly, but figure out WHERE you would SERIOUSLY go. Don’t just blanket the T-14, or ignore schools in the middle of the pack. Actually look at academic programs, bar passage, professional outcomes, the city, the school culture, etc. Follow the 1/3rd rule (1/3rd Reaches, 1/3rd Targets, 1/3rd Safeties).

(4) CHOOSE A SCHOOL WHERE YOU WANT TO BE! Wherever you go to law school, that’s probably where you’ll end up staying for several years. Even at T14s, your best opportunities are gonna be in the the closest large city to where you go to school. Your 3L Friends, Journal Members, Advisors, and Career Counselors will be able to find you regional jobs. They might not be able to find you jobs in LA if youre on the East coast, or vice versa. Think about where you’d like to live after law school while dealing with a high stress high hours job.

(5) Talk to your partner and family about law school. Explain to them how stressful the application cycle is. Explain to them how busy you’ll be during law school. Explain how hard the recruiting process can be. Explain how expensive law school is and then follow that up with how much attorneys make.

0L SUMMER

(6) Do a summer prep program if you’ve been out of school a while. Personally, I am an advocate for summer prep programs. I participated in one and absolutely loved it. It taught me so much, helped me make so many friends, and prepared me for law school. It also helped with recruiting. However, they are a lot of money. If youre currently a senior or junior in college, you already know how to study. You don’t really need this. However, they can still be a ton of fun. I would suggest looking for affordable / free programs. They exist, your school probably has one.

(7) Set priorities. 1st should be your mental health. This process is hard. Law school is hard. Your mental health is key to succeeding. Do self-care, get a law school therapist, spend time with family, go to church, meditate, etc. Whatever you do, make time for it. If your mental health is currently bad (mine was terrible after the stressful application process) you’ll want to work on that before you start law school. Law school will challenge your mental health, but it doesn’t mean you have to be stressed and depressed all the time. Practice good time management. Spend time with family. Try new things, participate in pro bono work, go out with your friends. And know that its totally ok to cancel on your friends or your club or your journal because your grades and mental health come first.

(8) Enjoy your last summer before starting. You really will be so busy during school. Try to take a vacation, quit your job early, or use your PTO.

FIRST SEMESTER

(9) Start Outlining Early. And yes, you should make your outline yourself. Your 2L friends can totally share outlines with you, but you should do the work of synthesizing the info in your own brain. Think of it as a super efficient way to study. You should try to start outlining about a month in to get a good head start for midterms. After midterms, I’m taking a one month break, with a plan to start outlining again in early November.

(10) Network. Network constantly. Plan your weeks during first semester because the networking takes TIME. It will take alot of your energy, sometimes more than actual class. But every good lead on a job I’ve had so far has come from talking to people. Don’t assume your school is gonna drop a job in your lap. Go out and ask people. Cold email attorneys and ask them what they like about what they do. Ask your friends where they are applying. Ask 2Ls and 3Ls where they spent their summers. Ask your career office for help with your resume and cover letter and alumni connections.

(11) Dont think about the curve. Just don’t. There will be times when it hurts you, and turns your 90% into a B+. And there will be times when it helps you, and turns your 57% into an A. Just accept that it exists, you can’t do anything about it besides study as hard as you can and do your best.