jb2028 '23–'24 app cycle Class of 2027 class year

Chose HLS for unicorn PI placement and the LIPP/LRAP. Aid figures are all first offers - did not negotiate.

I had a far better cycle than I expected. I did not have any conventionally prestigious fellowships or softs, my extracurriculars were pretty standard, my interview skills are subpar. I suspect what helped my app was a combination of:
Good writing
Exceptionally supportive recommenders
Work experience relevant to my legal interests - not conventionally prestigious, but unusual enough to be interesting
A lot of luck

If you are still in college, I highly recommend taking your school’s advanced writing course. Use essays and other materials to tell readers something they can’t glean from a resume or application form. And take the time to do it right - a good essay submitted December 1st beats a rushed one September 1st.

That said, don’t sweat the small mistakes. Adcoms are human too. I later spotted typos/formatting oopsies in almost all my applications, and things turned out OK. Once your apps are in, any correction will stand out more than the original error anyway, so what’s done is done. Let it go, enjoy your winter holidays/spring, and odds are you’ll forget the slip-up altogether once you get a few As.

Shoot your shot, be grateful for the As, and don’t take the rest personally. You can only attend one school; it may as well be somewhere that wants you there.