VenetianTrader '25–'26

This cycle’s been a helluva ride, but I’m very happy with how it turned out. Here’s all of the wise and seasoned advice I have to offer you as a bright-eyed, barely drinking-age KJD:

1. Take the LSAT multiple times if possible—a point’s difference can be the difference between an acceptance or a denial

2. For your personal statement/essays, have the smartest people you know critique them, and make sure they don’t pull their punches. When in doubt, kill your darlings.

3. Application timing matters a lot less than some people would have you believe. There is no boost for applying early, but there is a significant boost for applying with a strong application. If you get everything in before December, you’re on time.

4. When considering applying ED anywhere, ask yourself, “If I could press a button right now and teleport 3 months into the future with me guaranteed to go here with X scholarship, would I do it?” If you’re happy imagining this outcome, then absolutely do it. It’s an excellent way to hedge your bets and increase your overall probability of getting an outcome you’re happy with, but only if the finances make sense.

5. Spend a lot of time reviewing wrong answers on the LSAT and learn how to manage your time on the actual thing as best as you can. I didn’t do this enough!

6. Test anxiety is absolutely real, and a high score on paper is far from guaranteed. I was PTing 10+ points higher than some of my lowest scores. Mitigate this through 5, and maybe get a tutor as well.

7. Finally, stick to the plan, and make plenty of contingency plans! In most cases you’ll know what you’re dealing with better than anybody else, but this is what worked for me, and I hope some part of it can be helpful for you too!