firsttimelawapplicant '25–'26 app cycle

Seize the night

The dream: Public Interest

University of Minnesota Non-Trad 1–4yr WE

LSAT 161

GPA 3.74

Softs T3

About & Wisdom

Major: Environmental Science · Biology Minor - ended with a 3.91
Work Experience: HS Science Teacher / Certified Personal Trainer / Certified American Red Cross CPR Instructor

Softs: Teach for America (AmeriCorps)
LSAT Prep: 7Sage · 20 weeks · 15 hrs/week · 300 total hours; 7Sage was great; I just worked full time and lead a busy life so it was challenging to devote so much time to study.

Send e-mails out to schools asking for application fee waivers AND CAS waivers. Of my 9 schools, two gave me a CAS waiver (which costs the school money). That’s a $90 savings just for asking!
Apply to outside scholarships. Make it a goal to apply to a new scholarship every week. I have already got $14, 000 just from doing this alone (that doesn’t even include the money I may get from the schools I get into).
Start early (a year before you plan to apply) and submit apps as early in the cycle as possible (sept - dec).

Applications

2025–2026 cycle

Oct 01

May 01

77d tracked on LSD.Law

School	Result	Scholarship	Sent	Received	Complete	UR	Interview	Decision
2025–2026 cycle Oct 01 May 01 77d tracked on LSD.Law
University of Florida (Levin)	Waitlisted, Withdrawn	-	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	Feb 28, 2026
University of Minnesota	Waitlisted	-	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	Mar 04, 2026
University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign	Rejected	-	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	Apr 19, 2026
Texas A&M University	Pending	-	Feb 03, 2026	-	-	-	-	-
Case Western Reserve University	Pending	-	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	-
Yeshiva University (Cardozo)	Pending	-	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	-
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)	Accepted, Withdrawn	$85,000	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	Feb 20, 2026
St. John's University	Pending	-	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	-
Mitchell Hamline	Accepted	$135,000	Feb 01, 2026	-	-	-	-	Mar 10, 2026
Total Applications: 9