“I’m not gonna lie, I’m getting cooked”

I went into this process blind and realized that I could have done a lot better. Each piece of advice below addresses a mistake I made in the process. Avoid shooting yourself in the foot by following these tips.

Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your applications. Start working on them early, ideally submitting in January at the latest. Most regular decision deadlines start in February. Even if you’re preparing for the LSAT in January or February, try to work on your applications simultaneously. Quality, well-edited statements require more time than you think. Many schools allow for submission of applications before the LSAT score, so check each application’s requirements or contact the admissions office for clarity.
Avoid surprises by thoroughly reviewing the application requirements of each school before the deadlines. Open them up and skim through all of them well before you plan to submit. Some schools have specific requirements, such as page-limited personal statements or unique questions. Give yourself sufficient time to make modifications and draft optional essays.
Prepare for different types of interview formats. If given the option to interview, be ready for anything. I found that schools usually do interviews through pre-recorded video responses instead of you talking to someone directly. One school only asked low-stress icebreaker questions and gave me plenty of time to prepare and respond to each question, with multiple retakes allowed. Another school asked serious interview questions in rapid succession, giving me little time to prepare and respond to each question, with no retakes allowed. Whatever you do, don’t go in unprepared.

These are simple and obvious tips, especially in hindsight. Still, they’re good reminders to be on top of things and put your best foot forward. Your application journey doesn’t have to mirror mine. Equip yourself with the knowledge and preparation to excel with admissions. By reading this, you’re already doing better than me.

Seize the day!