HePanicc '21–'22 app cycle Class of 2025 class year

After taking the LSAT in January 2021, I applied to Minnesota on March 1st, 2021 (the only school I applied to during the 2020-21 cycle), and was waitlisted in early May. I knew it was probably because I had applied so late in the cycle, but it was still devastating and caused me to doubt my ability to get into law school at all.

However, since I nevertheless hoped I’d have a better shot if I applied earlier in the next application cycle, I decided to spend a year in AmeriCorps and to apply in September 2021 to a broader range of schools. The waiting sucked, but I trusted that my international experience (I speak Spanish, did a lot of studying abroad, and used to teach English in China) combined with my UGPA, LSAT score, and service-oriented perspective as a young person in recovery would make me stand out to admission committees.

So far, I’ve only gotten one A, but it is the perfect fit for me. The first R’s were discouraging, but one year and three months after I began studying for the LSAT, all of the stress, personal statement drafts, and supplemental essays feel worth it. I’ll most likely be returning to Minneapolis (where I did my undergrad at a small liberal arts school) and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

I’m not sure I have much advice to offer people, but hopefully someone reads this and can feel comforted after not getting in to their favorite school on the first try. Waiting for decisions can feel like you’re awaiting the wrath (or mercy) of an opaque and capricious god… I hope the AdComs have mercy on us all :)