ModernSeoul '22–'23 app cycle Class of 2026 class year

Before I introduce some of the most significant lessons from this past application cycle, I do want to take a moment to say one thing: this is a trying and arduous journey. I don’t want to minimize how difficult it is to silence the raging anxiety inside at every stage (albeit I am a bit anxiety prone… and by a bit, I mean quite a lot). You will become stronger by the end, even if just by a minuscule amount. So always remember that even though the world around you may have a preconceived notion of what a timeline should look like, it will likely look different for you personally. With that said, here are my top lessons that I hope resonate with at least one of you:

1. The LSAT and GPA get your foot in the door, and the rest of your application gets you admitted: it took me such a long time to come to terms with this. I thought that if I put my heart into the application (i.e., writing all the addendums, visiting campuses, connecting with alumni, etc.), it would at least get my foot in the door. Maybe it helped to an extent, but I quickly discovered that these hard metrics ultimately get your name moved from waitlists to acceptances (or directly accepted). As a graduate in 2020, I can’t change my GPA, but I can certainly change my LSAT score. That’s why I’m taking the LSAT again in September to hopefully breach the 170 mark (as a note: I’ll be taking it for the fifth time, yes you read that correctly, so I will likely create a new LSD profile to share my results). There is a possibility that you can get into T20 schools with a below-average LSAT and GPA. That can’t be denied. However, the chance is abysmal, and you aren’t doing yourself any favors by rolling the dice. Breathe, think it through, and choose whichever direction you want knowing what is at stake.

2. Caution for using LSD and Reddit: as I mentioned before, I am an anxious person. I promised myself that I wouldn’t touch Reddit from the very beginning. I’m incredibly grateful that I made that rule for myself. I refused to read forums because it would inevitably lead me to stay up late and not get enough sleep. For LSD, I focused on updating my profile to keep my records straight and keeping an eye on application waves. There are pros and cons to viewing profiles with similar stats (pro: you don’t feel alone in the process, con: you risk comparing yourself to individuals who actually aren’t comparable to you on paper). My unsolicited advice is to be mindful of how much time you spend on LSD and use your best judgment on how much is too much.

3. Law schools probably won’t try to win you over: I was a bit spoiled coming into this process because the college I attended threw everything they could at me to convince me to attend (long story short, it worked). I was expecting something similar with law schools, but I was wrong. This is a game for them as much as it is for you. Do not expect them to be anything beyond the stoic professional that they are. However, for those applying to Georgetown Law, I will say that Dean Andy and his admissions team were notable exceptions. Even though they didn’t share more information than other admissions teams did, I never felt they were dismissive of me or could care less about me as a human. While it hurt to be rejected from the waitlist, it doesn’t change my impression of them.

Looking ahead, I will be re-applying this upcoming cycle. It’s funny how I was relieved to finally withdraw from my final application and fully commit myself to this new cycle. Despite all expectations, I feel more invigorated now than before. I feel at peace with this next stage wherever it leads me. Stranger to stranger: I truly wish you luck on your own law school journey. It will be hard. It will likely make you cry or at least second guess your value as a human being. But it forces you to grow as an adult. Regardless of what happens, you’ll be a better version of yourself than before. What else is there to life than that?