CreepyUttermostPuma '20–'21 app cycle Class of 2024 class year

Softs: Engineer, ~3 years of unique work experience, graduate degree, significant time spent volunteering

Personal statement: described the series of events that led me to pursuing law school

School specific optional essays I wrote:
Stanford: “Would you rather travel to the Moon or travel the Earth?”
Harvard: None
Columbia: included a two-sentence ‘why Columbia’ at the end of my personal statement
Chicago: None
NYU: None
UPenn: Core values essay, focused on one specific core value
UVA: None
Northwestern: None
UC Berkeley: ‘Why Berkeley’
UMichigan: essay about the importance of diversity
Duke: ‘Why Duke’
Cornell: None (other than the brief ‘Why Cornell’ required)
Georgetown: Top 10 list

Reflections: Because of family circumstances, I knew going into the cycle I would need to go to school in either DC or NYC. I applied to so many schools hoping to leverage scholarships from wherever possible. Ultimately, I chose Columbia over slightly more money at NYU based on my preference for a quieter neighborhood (Morningside Heights vs. Greenwich Village) and honestly the lay-prestige. My goal is elite biglaw. I think I had good outcomes because of my unique work experience, which helped differentiate me, and solid, self-aware essays. Biggest takeaway from watching this cycle unfold was that you can’t rely on what is typical or what ‘should’ happen. I feel fortunate I got into great schools, especially because I know plenty of people with similar or better applications did not.