now that my cycle is pretty much over (i mean i’ll see where the tide takes me, i suppose) here are the details on my app:

i took the lsat 5 times. yup, shoulda cancelled a few times because of proctor issues, but i am also inherently bad at standardized tests.
i had a minor c&f issue: alcohol policy violation 2nd day of freshman year.
i believe my softs are classified correctly, at least according to the LSData provided tiers.
i worked with a consultant from spivey on all my materials.
also had a diversity statement.

takeaways:
i mean my gpa wrecked me. i went to a school where my gpa was 80-85th percentile (small, private liberal arts school, but that’s really not taken into account in most app readings.)
lsat performance is crucial. 5 times with little improvement really looks bad.
my softs and essays were (i’d like to say great, but what the hell do i know honestly) at least above-average.
in general: the covid cycle was rough. I think I underperformed in many respects, but as a february applicant that is, at the end of the day, how the cookie crumbles. I should have written Why X’s for several schools, but due to wanting to get my apps in ASAP, i ignored doing this.

advice: just spread your wings when you apply. don’t be afraid to ask for fee waivers, I got them from every school where I applied. Make sure to submit as early as possible. This was truly one hellacious year, but I’m glad to be outta the process now. if you’re on this site, you already have a leg up in the admissions process. don’t stress too much, at the end of the day you’ll be attending where you’re supposed to be at, you got this :) spacehippos out.