Not everyone has to have the same résumé – in fact, I encourage you to be unique (Being a political science major and doing legal internships over the summer is not the only path)

Without rushing, apply as early as you can*. It shows initiative, organization, and interest – also you beat out the hordes of other people submitting theirs simultaneously. It seems that November and December are when most people submit their applications

*I still stand by this, but based on my experience some schools will drag their feet into February and even March. I became fed up because I got 6 full rides and I don’t need any of the other schools. I waited until Feb 22nd to withdraw from UF, WashU, W&L, and Emory as they never gave me an answer. Now it is March 5th, and plenty of people who applied in October, Novermber, December, and even earlier, are still waiting.

High stats are great, but the written word carries weight. Personal essays can make up for lower stats. People want to know there is a charismatic human behind those stats, not just a type A stickler grinding their Necessary versus Sufficiency notes. Eventually, school will end, grades will end, and interpersonal skills and writing ability will be paramount.

While optional essays are wonderful ways to stand out, I would not worry about them if it means your application will be submitted significantly later. Some essays I wrote and submitted AFTER I sent in my application – just send an email kindly asking if they will add it to your file – worked for me every single time.

HOWEVER, if you can get them done quickly – do it. Also don’t worry about writing abnormal things. I called George Mason a Russian Nesting Doll as an opening tool to explain what I like about the school. The admissions officer may have to google what that is, but it immediately shows this person is unique. I may get rejected by George Mason, but I would do it again – I got an interview from them*. Abnormalities are a strength. These people read thousands of essays – be a little odd. Don’t worry about whether people will think your essay is weird because “who is going to write about that” – maybe review that sentence – because yes, no one else is going to write that. After their 10th essay on the same three topics, they will look at your essay and may initially think huh: but they will also be intrigued. Don’t fabricate a story, but this is your chance to show your personality or how you see things from a different perspective. Don’t be a cookie-cutter person.

Also don’t shy away from diversity statements. They can 100% be about struggles being a law applicant from an underrepresented community – that is perfectly fine. It is part of your story. But diversity statements can also be about perspectives, hobbies, and interests. Basically, what makes you different – because that is diversity. Diversity of thought, experience, circumstance, interests, religion, aptitude, etc. I think too many people hear diversity and pigeonhole it to mean one thing. Don’t let people tell you “that isn’t the diversity they are looking for” or “that is not what they mean”.

I have done three interviews to date – Wash U, UF, and George Mason. I thought Wash U and George Mason were almost too casual and the questions were unremarkable. Perhaps I hurt my chances because I didn’t have great answers to questions I thought were a waste of time. *In particular, I don’t think I did well on the George Mason interview. I found that the questions were average at best and I wasn’t impressed – I think the interviewer could tell. The UF interview had more sophisticated questions: which I liked more. In the end, they offer these interviews because they are interested in you. You are going into it with an advantage so don’t be nervous. Tell them about yourself. They want to know who you are, what you like to do, and how you react to certain things – all the intangibles beyond stats or the fancy internships you did. So take a deep breath and be yourself – the ball is in your court and if they don’t like you for who you are, then so be it.

I paid an application fee for Kansas, Wisconsin, and FIU, but the fee was waived everywhere else. Some schools sent me an unsolicited waiver via email, others I simply asked for. Some schools do not have application fees or waive the fee temporarily early in the cycle.

I withdrew from WashU, UF, and W&L before I got a decision because, after 4 months (interviews, and additional essays), I haven’t heard a word. However, I have received 6 full rides from other schools. Go where you are wanted. They don’t dictate your life – you do.

UPDATE: WashU, in an email, told me they NORMALLY wait until LATE February to March to give out decisions. They said they hear people saying this cycle is slow, but to them, it is on par with other cycles: decisions are not coming any later than normal. I disagree with this system (especially as an October applicant), and I do not regret withdrawing. Let this be a guide to the majority – if you apply to WashU, be prepared to wait – remember deposits are due in April. Good luck.

Observations and opinions on Washington and Lee: A large amount of people are put on hold. They say they are very impressed with your application, but it is too early to make a decision. Before I withdrew on February 22nd, I was on hold for 3 months and counting. I submitted two additional essays within days of first being put on hold - no answer. I was extremely put off by the hold system and withdrew. The following is based on data on lsd.com. On March 3rd, they put two more people on the hold list. As of March 5th, they have given 10 people who were on hold an answer. There are roughly 6 people still on hold who applied in August, roughly 17 people from September, and roughly 26 people from October. When you get accepted to a school, you must submit your seat deposit by April – It is currently March. Deciding on what school to attend is time-consuming and a significant choice – Are you moving to another state? How do you plan on getting housing? What will it cost? The question you must ask yourself is, how long are you willing to wait?

UF gave me a form notice of withdrawal email
Washington and Lee gave me a form email as well

I disagree with WashU’s system, but they cared enough to send me a long email back explaining their process, but also saying they will take my feedback to heart saying they can be more transparent about timetables in the future.