Apply early, apply widely, craft a coherent narrative, and negotiate your scholarships aggressively. Numbers get your foot in the door, the rest of your application gets you the acceptance. I think that is really shown in my results – my numbers were not competive at the very top, but I did well at schools where I…
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
471 entries
Admitted to Duke UniversityWrote Why X for CLS (integrated into personal statement), Penn (core strengths), Mich, Berkeley, Fordham. Did optional essays for SLS, GULC, NYU (Furman public policy scholarship app), and BU (PI scholarship app). Extremely minor C+F (speeding ticket) disclosed on applications that required disclosure of civil…
I forwent an LSAT retake and went for the early application gambit, taking my target schools by surprise. Did it work? Maybe. Quality over quantity: A lot of thought went into my school list, and I applied nowhere I wouldn’t have been thrilled to go. That showed in my materials. When it comes to written materials,…
Speak from the heart in your essays and don’t let the LSAT rule your life but try your best! Apply to those reach schools but try to be happy with the idea of attending your target/safety schools. By early April, I was really excited about attending one of my target schools and then was shocked when I got an A from…
Included diversity statement in addition to PS in all applications (non-URM). Yale: N/A Stanford: wrote optional essay. Harvard: N/A Columbia: N/A UChicago: N/A NYU: Applied to RTK, wrote optional scholarship essay. Rejected from RTK. UCBerkeley: Wrote why X. UPenn: N/A Northwestern: Did Kira. UMichigan: Wrote why…
–KJD but with some interesting softs: extensive work experience while in undergrad at a small startup company I helped build, numerous publications, and involvement/competitive success in a collegiate activity (think debate/Mock Trial). They fit together well into a narrative, but aren’t rare enough to be more than…
Shoot your shot, put good essays together, and sell yourself to the max (and always, ALWAYS negotiate scholarships)!
Apply to as many places as you want and feel comfortable affording. I considered only applying to one program (knowing I would likely get in on a full ride) but applied to a few more for negotiation purposes just in case and others because why not. I’ll be attending the school I’d planned on from the start but I’m…
Don’t take yourself too seriously!! Take breaks from law school admissions Reddit. And have fun with the process!!
Just breathe and try to keep your hope alive, even when the cycle is hitting you hard. You are incredible for even embarking on this journey. No rejection or waitlist has any effect on your value and worth. You’ll find your way in the end. Finalist for NYU AnBryce, UCLA Achievement Fellowship; not selected for…
Don’t listen to the people telling you not to be KJD (or in my case super KJD). They are right that you need time to prepare, but they are wrong in thinking that the clock only starts after you graduate. Take the LSAT as early as possible, apply as early as possible, and believe in yourself. A lack of work…
non-HYP ivy undergrad business major 2 year WE in digital marketing, wrote non-traditional diversity statement about digital advertising informing my interest in digital privacy and technology law took LSAT 2x, 165 on first test -> wrote LSAT addendum Penn: wrote Core Values Duke: wrote why law/why Duke, UR 3 2/4…
To all my low-income, first-generation black applicants: Trust yourself! Do not be afraid to ask for what you deserve. I know my success relative to the circumstances of my peers puts me in that top tier. I asked for a fee waiver from every school and a CAS waiver from many. I asked for RUBY I asked for Mordecai I…
no “optionals” are truly optional shoot your shot!!! you only apply to law school once (or twice, or thrice :p) cohesiveness is super important; softs only matter insofar as they fit into your narrative Wrote optionals: Penn, SLS, Berk 4 pg PS and why berk, why uva, vandy video essay, NU kira, why UCLA and prog…
Given the craziness of this cycle, I am very happy with my acceptances as a sub-170, sub-3.8 applicant! I sent out a couple panic apps in late December and was accepted at both schools with seemingly the same scholly offers as earlier applicants. The February panic apps were too late and I was WL/R where I would…
I wish I’d applied to more schools so that I could have better leverage for negotiating financial aid. Also, if you’re a college freshman or sophomore considering going straight through, I recommend checking if your school has a 3+3 program where you can do your 1L year while you’re an undergrad senior (off the top…
Quality materials is more important than timing but pre-Thanksgiving submission is optimal even with admissions cycles slowing down. It doesn’t matter if you only have one LSAT take left, those extra points can be life changing and schools do not care (except maybe HYS) about the number of tests. If you have even a…
Don’t be afraid to take some time to figure out your “why.” I took multiple years after college to work and serve in different environments until I found a cause and calling that spoke to me. Not only was I more confident in my reasoning bringing me to law school, I was a more intriguing and well-rounded applicant,…
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