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

Took the LSAT three times: 156->166->164 (ugh)

Went into this cycle with NU as my top choice, so it’s honestly surreal that I’ll be attending next year with $$. As a reverse splitter, I couldn’t be happier with how my cycle played out. I didn’t apply to the rest of the t-14 because I wasn’t entirely happy with my app and was planning on retaking the LSAT in the spring and (hopefully) reapplying next cycle with a 170+. Although I would attribute some of my success this cycle to luck, I do think I was pretty strategic in maximizing my outcomes. For those that want it, here’s my advice for future applicants:

THE LSAT SCORE OF YOUR DREAMS WILL TAKE TIME TO GET NO MATTER HOW SMART YOU THINK YOU ARE -
I have terrible self-discipline which made studying for the LSAT absolute hell. If you are anything like me, give yourself plenty of time to study. I stupidly signed up to take the LSAT wayyyy before I was ready (end of sophomore year of college w minimal studying) and got a 156. I took a break and studied on and off for about 6 months before getting a 166. I was PTing in the high 160’s/low 170’s and truly believe if I’d given myself more time to study, I’d have broken into the 170’s on exam day. Being a KJD and studying for the LSAT is not fun and it always felt like class assignments and exams took up all the extra time I had set aside to study. If I could do it all over again, I would have either started studying earlier or taken a gap year after I graduated to devote more time to LSAT studying.

LSDATA IS A GOD TIER RESOURCE. USE IT TO ANALYZE TRENDS -
I spent way too much time on this website. Yes, it destroyed my self-esteem, but it also helped me pick up on trends specific to certain schools. I knew I had a decent chance of getting into NU ED as a reverse-splitter because in the 2021-22 cycle, everyone with a 4.0 and a 166+ LSAT score was admitted ED. Even if I was admitted to other t-14 schools RD, I knew I wouldn’t get anywhere close to 120k in scholarships. This made the decision to apply ED to NU very easy for me. You should do this to see what your chances are at getting in and what kind of money you should expect from that school with your stats. If you are a reverse-splitter with a 165+ LSAT, UPenn ED, Michigan ED, UVA (ED or RD), NU ED and WashU RD are all good options (especially if you are fine paying sticker). I’d also plug your stats into LSData and see what schools are giving students with your exact stats full-rides and apply to those schools (for me those were Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana). You will want these A’s when it comes time for scholarship negotiation. As long as your PS and LORs aren’t terrible, your admission outcomes will be fairly predictable if you look at past applicants from the previous cycle (don’t look at any earlier cycle, 2019-20 will give you false hope and 2020-21 will make you scared).

IF YOU WANT AN A, YOU NEED TO SHOW SOME INTEREST -
First off, you need to be writing the optional essays and Why X statements for every school you actually want to admit you. Yes, it is tedious and annoying and time-consuming, but they are not optional. I didn’t write anything extra for ASU and I’m 100% sure that is why I got WLed. Second, the easiest way to demonstrate interest (and write a good Why X statement) is to do a good old-fashioned in-person visit. COVID makes this a bit more difficult, but before I applied I toured NU, WashU, and Fordham. Not only did I make sure to bring this up in my application and interview, but I also was able to learn additional info about the school (that you can’t find on their website) and talk with current students which made for amazing Why X statements. This entire process is so damn expensive already, but I promise you that spending the extra $300-500 on flights and a hotel to visit your top choice school will improve your app and better your chances at admission.

In summary, if nobody has told you this already, it’s a numbers-based game. While in undergrad, take the easiest possible classes to get the highest GPA possible. Take several classes with the same professors, go to office hours, and make an effort to get close with them so you know who to turn to when it comes time to ask for LORs. Do a couple internships/extracurriculars so you have some stuff you can put on your resume and be thinking about an interesting story you can write about for your PS. If you don’t have anything cool to write about, go get involved in something that will make for an interesting story later.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CYCLE!