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

Do not over plan - you may end up where you least expect, embrace flexibility- Most law students are generally neurotic people. Ambitious perfectionists, we have big goals and spend time crafting plans to reach those goals. When things don’t work out the way we envisioned them, we feel panicked and out of control. Accept that you cannot predict the future. Law school admissions are unpredictable. Try not to let yourself fall in love with just one school - the vast majority of the time, there will be a slew of schools that will suit your aims. Be open, and certainly do not let rankings make your decisions for you.
Follow your heart - Realism is a good thing. If you get into Harvard and GW with the goal of academia, don’t choose GW just because you adore DC and loved the ASD. That being said, unless you are a robot, comfort and belonging are incredibly important for academic success. Lets say school A is ranked 7 slots higher than school B. But you felt really uneasy during school A’s ASD, you didn’t click with anyone there. You hate that school A is in a big city and far from your family. School B has great (not as great, but still great) outcomes in the field you want, and you felt immensely comfortable and at home when you visited. DO NOT let the prestige of school A cloud your judgment. Go with your gut, it’s your life.
Debt is real- Unless you are a psychic (or a sociopath) and you know FOR SURE that you will be completely happy working for 2 plus decades at a biglaw firm, DO NOT take on $300,000 (approx coa paying full tuition at most law schools) worth of debt!!!!!!! Do not make your future self miserable for the sake of a law school’s prestige. Don’t allow yourself to put off buying a home, getting married, having kids, traveling, and doing what you actually love because you were transfixed by Michigan when Fordham gave you a full scholarship and you’ll end up working in NY anyways.