FallaciousSubduedAlligator '23–'24 app cycle Class of 2027 class year

For future lurkers, the below are just my musings, so take them with a grain of salt!
Reasons I think this cycle went well:
Strong narrative focused on PI (and specifically public defense), reinforced by relevant legal internships- Active in undergrad extracurriculars. Did not expect this to help much, but it kept getting referenced in my interviews and was always a good response for the “leadership” question

• Wrote all the optionals/supplementals
• Framed “Why” essays by doing one paragraph about why the school is a good personal fit, another about why academically. Also helped me figure out why I was applying too!
• Not everyone agrees with this, but I think particularly with new USNews rankings highlighting employment stats, professional rec letters are a good idea! I included 2 as a KJD, and it has gone pretty well.
  Things I wish I knew:
  NEVER count yourself out! I thought about applying to Knight-Hennessy early on, and then thought I didn’t have a shot/that it was too much work. Regretting that now haha, I may have had a chance!- High-stat KJDs have a VERY fine line to walk. Put a lot of effort into supplementals for schools with a tendency to yield protect (Penn, UVA, Michigan, etc.). Even if YOU know you want to go there, the schools may assume otherwise and think you aren’t worth a slot! Along the same lines, accept that no school is obligated to accept you.
• It’s ok to be yourself in interviews! Take it as an opportunity to show your personality. Personally, I just threw on a dress shirt (rather than a whole suit) to remind myself not to go overly formal the moment I entered the meeting.
• Don’t spend all your time on here/reddit. You can get good info, but it is not healthy to be glued to every status update or minuscule wave - your decisions will come in time!
  Will update this as I think of more. Be kind to yourself during this process! It is tough for anyone.