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

Apply EARLY. Apply early. Apply early. When I first began researching the process of applying to law schools, the conventional wisdom from a lot of sources went that anytime before Jan. 1st was perfectly fine, and that even applicants submitting throughout January were not significantly disadvantaged. I think that was true enough in average cycles, but the 2025 cycle’s volume of applications far and away exceeded everyone’s expectations, even the most plugged-in, longtime insiders of the law school application “industry.” I feel strongly that waiting until December and January to submit my materials negatively impacted my results. The number one thing I would do differently: submit everything before December. 

The next few cycles are going to be as competitive, if not significantly more so. Get your letters of recommendation early, take the LSAT early, complete your essays early. If you’re waiting on a recommender or retaking the test late, fine! But have everything else 100% ready to send. 

Don’t be afraid to apply to law schools as an older, non-traditional student with gaps in education history and/or mediocre work history! My GPA was low thanks to dropped classes and immaturity in my younger days, which put me as a splitter at most schools. If you’re like me, work extra hard on your personal statement and essays, do ALL of the optional/supplemental components, and have help with proofreading and edits and suggestions. Submit your best possible app even to your “safety” schools, because many people found in a historically competitive cycle that they were very mistaken about schools they considered themselves a “shoo-in” for. 

Let your personality shine through. Show off what makes you unique, because you are more than you realize! Own your mistakes, be transparent and forthright and emphasize your sincere resolve to become that person who represents the best and brightest of the legal profession.