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

Stealing this recap format from TroutLawyer, my fellow URM splitter!

Going through this process as a STEM undergrad who never considered law school growing up, it always felt like I was drinking from a firehose. The lawschooladmissions subreddit and LSData are helpful for learning the ins and outs of the process, but don’t spend all of your free time here like I did! My main pieces of advice are:
Ask for Fee Waivers!!!
Write Optional Essays!!!
Connect with current students at the schools you’re interested in through LinkedIn. Many are happy to meet with you and answer your questions. It also really helps you formulate a “Why X” essay/interview answer
Don’t sacrifice your application quality in the name of applying early. I waited until December for several of my apps to be perfect, and I am grateful I waited in the end.
Negotiatie, negotiate, negotiate! I used different offers/asks and negotiated with Georgetown 4 times over 2 months before getting to a final offer.

June 2020 LSAT Flex 179 (was PT’ing in the 170-175 range primarily)

2 years full-time work experience in Engineering at a Fortune 500 manufacturing company. B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Business.

University Softs (orientation leader, executive leader of a first-year mentorship program, resident advisor, member of a social fraternity)

PS focused on family/economic background leading me to pursue engineering, before realizing that climate change policy/law was my true interest. (Basically a Why Law/Why Now/Why Pivot essay)

DS focused on how growing up as a Latino in the South

LoRs from my manager at work and my favorite business professor from undergrad

Essays+Additional Info Below

Stanford - Wrote the optional 250 about where I would go with a time machine.
Harvard - Nothing extra.
UChicago - Nothing extra for application. Applied for Hormel Scholarship and was denied.
NYU - Applied to RTK, but used my personal statement as my RTK essay.
UPenn - Wrote Core Values Essay. Applied for Toll PI Scholarship and was denied.
UVA - Nothing extra. Really considered writing a Why Virginia, but ultimately didn’t.
Duke - Nothing extra.
UMich - Wrote optional essay on meeting a significant person in history. This essay was my favorite to write and I focused on humor.
Northwestern - Nothing extra.
Cornell - Nothing extra.
GTown - Wrote “Top 10 List” optional essay and a strong Why Georgetown.
UT Austin - Nothing extra.
Vanderbilt - Did not write a Why Vanderbilt essay, but gave a very strong “Why Vanderbilt” answer in my interview.
WUSTL - Nothing extra.
USC - Nothing extra.
UF - Weak Why UF essay
Minnesota - Nothing extra.
GW - Decent Programmatic Contribution essay
UGA - Wrote a strong Why UGA essay
Emory - Applied for Woodruff Fellowship (ultimately denied for the fellowship in late February)