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

some wisdom (◕‿◕)

Take the money and run.Softs/work experience make a difference. They are necessary but not sufficient. - Some people underestimate softs and think they can easily get into T14 schools without them. On the other hand, some people don’t realize that you need the stats BEFORE your softs matter. There is a limit to “overperforming” also.
Ask for fee waivers! Worse is they’ll say no.- I emailed a few schools and nicely asked for them– Duke, Minnesota, UW Madison, and UW Seattle immediately gave me waivers. Michigan and Texas directed me to LSAC, lol.
Community is everything.- Don’t become isolated, lean into your friends, family, partner, or even your fellow applicants. I get sad because I’ve come across some incredible strangers during this process, and we won’t even be practicing in the same places. But getting to commiserate and celebrate with others who are also going through it, is so important for your wellbeing!
Applying early making a difference depends on the school- , and by that I really just mean apply early to Duke for a chance. Lol. For many schools, there doesn’t seem to be a tangible difference between Sept vs January applicants in terms of results. So, don’t rush your applications. HOWEVER, getting decisions back earlier is a GOOD THING (it sucks having to scramble last minute to do visits and negotiate scholarships and look for housing), so still apply early if you can.
Why X’s are an art. - Schools already know about their clinics, classes, and professors. They do not want to see regurgitated information from their website. They want to know why you specifically would be an excellent fit at a particular institution.
If you are below median GPA, explain why. - I wrote a GPA addendum for Berkeley, and I think it helped me get WL’ed below medians instead of R’ed. I also wrote it as a response to one of USC’s application questions, and I actually got in.