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

When taking the LSAT, just relax. I was scoring an average of 170 on my practice exams and ended up getting a 162 on the actual test, but don’t beat yourself up or feel discourage; either take it again or, if you’re anything like me and burned out, just apply and see what happens. But if you’re gonna go with the second option, make sure you apply as early as you can because I feel as though I was wait listed or rejected from schools that I should’ve easily gotten into–I applied in January, four months after applications opened. Additionally, you will save yourself MONTHS of torture if you actually invest in a good studying platform for the LSAT. At first, I was trying to be economical and save money by using self-teach books, such as The LSAT Trainer, but I saw a significant increase in my score after purchasing a monthly subscription with 7Sage–my score literally went from a 141 to a 172 in under 3 months. Given my own experience and learning style, I highly recommend it.

Now, relating to law school applications, make sure you brainstorm ideas for your personal statement and maybe talk about instances in your life where you overcame an obstacle and how that translates to either your inspiration to become a lawyer or your capability to succeed in law school. Personally, I found writing my personal statement, as well as other writing supplements, such as the diversity statement, to be THE hardest part of all my law school applications. This may be partly due to my own childhood trauma and inability to speak about myself; however, if you find yourself suffering from the same thing as I do, do NOTTTTT let yourself feel uncomfortable or unsure what to write about; go with your gut and put your pen to paper and just keep forcing yourself to write, revise (look at after a day or two), and repeat–it’s okay if it make absolutely no sense, just keep continuing to write until you find a draft you genuinely like. Also, while writing your personal statement, remind yourself that this is no where near the same as any paper you have written in college, whether that was a research or academic based, so give yourself ample amount of time to write because it may take you months until you have written a paper you are proud of, and this means something you did not copy and paste from AI/ChatGPT. Additionally, remind yourself that this is a persuasive essay, you are actively trying to woo the board of admissions and this means going against everything your parents/society has indoctrinated you to believe, which is to “be humble” and “never speak too highly of yourself.” First of all, f* that and TALK YOURSELF UP. Be your own hype person and don’t feel bad about doing it either, because believe me, if you’re making the effort to apply to law school, you’re doing more than most people are ever willing to do in their lives and that is something that deserves to be celebrated, regardless of whatever score you got on the LSAT or whatever school you did or didn’t get into.

Now mentioning whatever school you got into, I feel this is one of the main reasons I performed poorly (compared to my practice tests) on the June 2024 LSAT. Don’t think too much about “oh I need a 170 to be even considered for a T14 school or else there’s no point in me going to law school.” Again, take a breath and try your best on the exam. And honestly, even if you didn’t get the score you worked so hard for, you shouldn’t just be solely looking at the T14, do your research and look for which school aligns with your best interests, such as the following: employment outcomes, area of specialty, geographic regions you wish to practice in after graduation, community, and moral values. Just because you didn’t get into an ivy league law school or the equivalent does not mean you will not succeed in your career as a lawyer. You know yourself and your potential to succeed in law school and in the years following; so, continue to tell yourself, despite that little voice in the back of your head, that your performance and work is ALL that matters at the end of the day, not your alma mater.

Lastly, if you’re still here, I would personally like to tell you that YOU ARE AMAZING AND ARE GONNA GO SO FAR IN LIFE, no matter what LSAT score you received or law school you decide to attend. The fact that you have the willpower and willingness to become the change that society desperately needs is something to be proud of in itself. Good luck to you and your journey to become a lawyer <3.