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

Top-Line Advice (for what it’s worth):
-Be authentic, trust your gut.
-Don’t waste time trying to write what you think admissions officers want to hear.
-Don’t count yourself out of anywhere.
-Work for a while before going to law school.

LSAT:
-Took a lot of practice tests and reviewed wrong answers extensively.
-Took LSAT with logic games.
-My advice would be to give yourself a good few days off from studying before the actual exam.

GPA:
-Wrote an addendum addressing a neurological issue and several family deaths that all happened during undergrad.
-Will also be 7 years removed from undergrad when starting law school.
-Didn’t have a STEM major, but had a STEM-heavy course load.

Personal Statement:
-Wrote a personal statement that logically laid out why I want to go to law school in a way I figured an admissions officer might like to see, hated it, and rewrote a riskier personal statement that was more true to myself. Even with mixed results, it felt like the right move.
-Wrote about a large personal/professional accomplishment which led to the pivot from being an EMT to working as a legal assistant and later paralegal.
-Purchased 1 hour of 7Sage consulting to review my PS but they didn’t have any substantive suggestions.
-Didn’t spend a ton of time editing my PS or seeking further feedback. Just trusted my gut that it was ready to go.

Statement of Perspective:
-Wrote about challenges arising from being an EMT.
-Again, made sure it was true to myself as opposed to writing what I think an admissions officer might want to hear.
-Had a 1-page and 2-page version.
-7Sage consultant was handy here in making sure the tone of the SOP wasn’t whiny.

Optional Essays:
-Wrote optional essays whenever given the chance.

Interviews:
-Actual: UVA, WashU, Vanderbilt. Kira: Cornell, Northwestern, UTexas
-Did very little prep, and I think that helped me come off as personable, mature, and authentic, though the Kira interviews were miserable.
-Just made sure to have “why law” and “why now” ready to go.

Results:
-Very grateful for the options I had, even with very mixed results.
-UVA was the first school I got into and stayed the top choice throughout the cycle due, in order, to outcomes, culture, and the practicality of living in Charlottesville. The Admitted Students Open House sealed the deal.

What I would change:
-Apply to fewer safeties.
-Only pick schools I’m genuinely excited about, regardless of prestige.