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

HappySunshineBee left this wisdom for posterity… (◕-◕)

Notes on my apps
I did ALL supplemental essays- I submitted a GPA addendum (noted health issue & upward trajectory)

• had a very clear why law & narrative (significant WE directly tied to childhood experience that led me to law)
• LSAT: 165 > 170 > 174
• Submitted LSAT addendum for schools that want one (bc I took it 3 times)
• Submitted employment gap addendum for some schools (gap was around 4 months, health-related)

Advice for future applicants
Shoot your shot, ALWAYS! You literally never know. Apply for those crazy scholarships that seem like only Nobel winners get selected for. Don’t take yourself out of the running before it’s time, let them be the ones to say yes or no! START EARLY, START EARLY, START EARLY!If I had one major regret for this cycle, it was waiting so long to get started on my statements. I didn’t realize how much work it was going to be… I kept hearing that it’s okay to apply in Dec/Jan (and it is), but for me- personally, I regret this decision.

• I managed to apply to most schools by Dec/Jan but my decisions came later than others. I had less time to apply for aid, less time to weigh my options and visit schools.
• You’ll notice that for many schools, I didn’t even get my aid offers back before I had to make a decision. I feel like I wasn’t able to make a fully informed decision.
• Please, if nothing else, please remember to start early. If you’re reading this a little later into your cycle and you feel like you missed the boat, it’s okay! You can still get into amazing schools. Just know that you might be at a slight disadvantage for certain schools, and you are giving yourself less time overall to weigh your options.
• If I could go back, I would have waited another cycle instead of applying when I did. It was that serious for me lol
• I’m not gonna tell you to get off reddit bc if you’re anything like me, you probs won’t lol
  HOWEVER, I do recommend taking everything on there with a grain of salt. Especially for people of color- , the advice on the main LSA subreddit does not always apply to us, and there is so much hatred and vitriol thrown our way just because we are minorities in this field. Take what you need from the subreddit, and leave the rest.
• Thank your recommenders, friends, family, and support system!
• Be proud of yourself
• Échale ganas :)

More Yapping & Conclusion
I know people will look at my As and mayhaps be confused by my ultimate decision, but it made sense for me. I’m a California native, my family and support system are in LA, and they are unable to travel. I would have been completely isolated had I moved across the country. Which, of course, begs the question: why apply then?

I didn’t know how important my support system was to me until I was actually faced with the decision to leave them. Also, as the reality of debt started to set in, I realized that I am quite debt-averse. I grew up very low income, and it was important for me to have financial freedom after law school, especially since I am very PI-focused. While I might still pursue BL, I wanted to be able to make that decision without feeling pressured to stay in it just bc I had loans to pay back. These factors ended up weighing more and more on my decision as the cycle progressed.

The moral of the story is to remember that this is your journey! People will have opinions and you’ll hear a lot of yapping (including this entire post lol) but at the end of the day, the person that’s gonna be waking up sometime in August at your new school, the person that will be in the thick of it for 3 years, taking the bar, paying back those loans, etc. is you. Make the decision that makes the best sense for you right now, and let the pieces fall where they may.

In the end, I am eternally grateful for the amazing opportunities I got this cycle. I am looking forward to staying close to home and graduating from a great law school, close to my family, in a sunny location, and completely debt-free (!!)

Good luck to you all, and may God bless you! <3