Captainredrum3 '24–'25 app cycle Class of 2028 class year

“If you are feeling disheartened, that you are somehow not enough, set your heart ablaze. Dry your eyes and look ahead”
-Rengoku

My cycle is almost over so if you are clicking on this I want to give you my thoughts.

I had a very tough road to get here. In 2023 I was incredibly depressed, hated my job, was overweight, still lived with my parents, and was in a toxic relationship. I wanted to attend law school right after college but Covid completely derailed those plans. I felt as though I had completely failed as a person, and it was the absolute rock bottom moment of my life.

The LSAT and law school gave me a goal and a vision to strive for. A way to better my life and achieve what I thought I was capable of. I had been humbled beyond belief, but I was not out of it yet. I ended my relationship and entered into a training montage of working, studying for the LSAT, and spending countless hours at the gym. I got into the best shape of my life, got LASIK, and improved my LSAT score from a 165 on my first attempt to a 171 on my second attempt. Even though it was grueling, that time helped mold me into a version of myself that was far better than anything that had come before.

Getting into Virginia was honestly a dream come true (I almost replied to the interview invite email within 15 seconds) as it was everything I wanted out of a law school. Because I did not get to finish my last two years of undergrad due to Covid and moving home to help my mom after she got sick, I wanted to go to a school that still had a bit of the fun of undergrad but was also intertwined with the professional development that occurs in law school. I really emphasized fit when I was looking at what law schools I would actually want to attend (I would choose UVA over Harvard 10/10 times) and so came into the cycle looking at Virginia, Berkeley, Michigan, UCLA, and Duke as my top choices.

While I did not get into every school I applied to, I still had plenty of great choices. Georgetown, Cornell, USC, and Wash St Louis I would have killed to get into when I got a 165. Getting into Northwestern was also incredible (I mentioned Dan Campbell and the lions in my Kira interview XD) and gave me another fantastic T-14 alongside UVA. Even with that, however, I kept feeling this pull of fate towards UVA. I got in so early, and they showed such a belief in me and my abilities, that it felt as though that was where I needed to be. While I will update this with my final decision, I think UVA is the school I was meant to be at.

My belief in myself and indomitable will carried me forward even when I felt I had nothing left to live for. Every moment of doubt, of heartache, of pain and suffering molded me into a person who could not be conquered. Now, I get to go live out my dream. If you are struggling just remember that the only person who can defeat you is yourself.