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

TIPS: (I’m obviously not an admissions officer, so take these with a grain of salt; this is just what I felt helped me)
When studying for the LSAT, don’t be afraid to take breaks! Especially if you’re studying a lot during a short period of time (e.g., 3-4 months of consecutive studying instead of 1 year of on and off studying). I burnt myself out from studying so much that I had to take 2 weeks off (which is a lot, considering I only gave myself 4 months to study). Don’t be like me. - On that note, 7Sage was so helpful with LGs!

• Write your supplementals! ESPECIALLY WHY Xs!!
• Do your research on the schools you apply to! Try not to write generic “Why Xs.” I wrote very genuine Why Xs for some reach schools, and I got in!
• Shoot your shot! Blanket the t14 (or most of the t14s) if you have the means.
• Don’t be afraid to reach out to current students/alumni to learn more about the school, and make sure to mention that you spoke to them in your Why Xs (this shows genuine interest).
• I don’t think it’s worth it to hire an admissions consultant unless you have some C&F issues. I didn’t hire one, and I got into a few t14s, while I’ve seen others with higher stats get locked out of the t14s who did hire admissions consultants. Ultimately though, it’s up to you!
• Don’t be discouraged if it takes awhile to hear back. As you can see, it took me awhile to hear back from some of the schools I ended up being accepted to.
  STAY OFF OF REDDIT AFTER YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPS!!!! LOWKEY TOXIC AND WILL GIVE YOU ANXIETY!!!When choosing a school, go with your gut. I spoke to a law school alum that said “unless you get into Harvard, Yale, Stanford, just go with the school that fits you best.” So don’t go for School A that you sort of liked over School B that you LOVED simply bc it’s ranked 2-3 spots higher. Rankings fluctuate, and you’re spending 3 years at law school; try to pick the school you think you’ll thrive at (academically, mentally, and socially).
  Some maybe relevant details: 
  LGBT+ (but did not write a DS, since I didn’t think I could write a good one), not FGLI, East Asian woman- From a very populated state (idk if geographic diversity matters lol)
• Graduated from top 10 public university with an admittedly easy non-STEM major; I was also a transfer student
• ECs were nothing remarkable: did an internship (not related to law), worked minimum-wage customer-service jobs throughout undergrad, part of a few standard student organizations

Something else that probably had a big impact on my app: 
I’m (sort of) a college drop out!! I started off at a mid-tier 4 year university and dropped out after a month due to health and family reasons (with 4 Ws, but they didn’t go into my lsac gpa). I then started at a community college, spent 2 yrs there while working customer service jobs, and transferred to the t10 public uni I eventually graduated from. I included all of this in an addendum. I was scared this would have a big negative impact on my app, but it looks like some schools were willing to overlook this!! I’m sure it might’ve been a red flag for some schools, but evidently others were willing to see the improvements I’ve made since dropping out 4 years ago!! So for anyone who has had a little bit of an unconventional college journey, or who maybe fear a few withdrawals — it turned out fine for me! As a former college drop out (lol), just make sure to show how you’ve improved since then!! 
Application materials:
Personal Statement- : nothing incredible, but I thought it was decent. I only had my family read it over for grammatical errors, so no professional help. A couple of deans made comments about my PS, so I’m assuming it was alright. My life story isn’t anything remarkable, but I felt my personal statement was fun and showcased my personality! I also consider myself a decent writer, since I work in a pretty writing-intensive industry.

Supplementals- : Did optional essays (mostly Why Xs)/included Why Xs at the end of my PS for all schools except Vandy, BU, WashU, and UT (which I assume contributed to my WLs). Interviewed/did video essays for Cornell, Northwestern, GULC, WashU, and Vandy

LORs- : I obviously didn’t get to read them, but I think they were all okay! I had a good relationship with all recommenders, and I continue to talk to them. 

LSAT notes and tips- : took it twice, studied for 3-4 consecutive months after I graduated while also working full-time. Diagnostic was around 150 if I remember correctly, so just know it is possible to raise your score 15-20 points in 3-5 months, which I didn’t think I would be able to do! I used 7sage and didn’t use any additional tutors. 7sage is AWESOME for LGs, which was by far my weakest section going in. For reference, I couldn’t even finish 1 game at the start (I think I would get like -15 wrong in that section alone haha), and I was able to finish all games in the nick of time on my second lsat attempt!! I was also fortunate in that RC was my best section going in (with LR not far behind), which I know is the least learnable section. So I can’t speak to 7sage’s RC curriculum, but if your weakest section was LG like me, I cannot recommend it enough!!
 
Going into this cycle, my expectations were pretty low. I did not think I’d be able to crack the t14 (maybe 1 at most), so I was pleasantly surprised to find I got into a few of them (and with some money)! I thought being below 170 would’ve locked me out of the t14, but having a good GPA and applying broadly definitely helped. Michigan was my dream school entering this cycle, so needless to say I was FLOORED when I got that acceptance. 

Final thoughts and decision: 
In the end, it came down to Michigan and Cornell since they gave me the same amount of money. Cornell was lovely, and obviously the Ivy League lay prestige is a huge draw. But I found their administration wasn’t as helpful as they could’ve been, and the students don’t seem as tightly-knit there (which I’m sure is some people’s preference, but I like a strong sense of community). The campus is BEAUTIFUL, and Ithaca is so so cute. If I hadn’t gotten into Michigan, I would’ve 100% chosen Cornell. 

But UMich absolutely blew me away during ASW, and their administration and student/alumni ambassadors have been by far the most helpful and kind throughout this process. Before visiting, I thought the hype around the culture might’ve been marketing, but after visiting, I swear, everything they say about it is true. The students are so welcoming and helpful, and they don’t take themselves too seriously! And out of everyone I talked to, I don’t think any other students or alumni were as enthusiastic about law school as Michigan students (who knew people could actually like law school? lol). Overall, I am beyond excited to join the MLaw community. GO BLUE!!!! 〽️💙💛