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Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
6,732 entries
APPLY EARLY AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SAFETY, TARGET, AND REACH SCHOOLS! Also pls be nice to yourself during this process. You are applying to law school and that is pretty epic!
all it takes is one and i have no idea how i managed even that i guess don’t let your gpa or score stop you but be sure to have something else you can write about (and do the optionals)
Strong LORs from law school professors and law firm partner Foreign Trained Lawyer Worked as a foreign associate at a top tier firm LL.M. Graduate from T-14 law school Applied to a few 2 year advanced standing JD programs (for foreign lawyers) Accepted at UChicago as a transfer student
Reddit is not your friend – it is simply the blind leading the blind. You’ll be fine – make sure you reach out and participate in events with the law schools that you’re most interested in, and you can make a great impression on the admissions folks. Remember, you’re more than your stats!
I am still confused as to why some schools were not interested in me and others liked me a lot. I think I wrote a very individualized and unique application which probably cut both ways. So, I have no advice or profound wisdom beyond: believe in yourself and Godspeed with this fucked system.
Don’t be like me. Really figure out where you are willing to go location-wise. I could’ve saved myself a few apps and money. I applied to most safeties and targets way too late. I repeat - don’t be like me lol Wrote Why X/Essay for Michigan, UVA, Boston U, Georgetown, UPenn, U of Wash,
HYP undergrad w/ honors, 4 yrs WE mostly at a fairly well-known legal advocacy org. Wrote optional essays for Stanford (1-day class), Penn (core values), Michigan (Why X), and Georgetown (unpopular opinion). Non-URM but submitted a diversity statement about being mixed-race where applicable.
Visit at least one law school and sit in on a class before you even apply! Then ask yourself if you can truly envision being totally immersed in that type of environment for a few years.
Things will work out the way they need to. Try your best, be authentic, and don’t spend too much time doomscrolling here when you have your life to live in the meantime.
I applied so broadly because I wanted to try and negotiate scholarships. Unfortunately the only scholarship I was able to negotiate at all was at GULC. Looking back, I would have just blanketed the T20 + ND and ignored the rest, but I am nonetheless thankful for a successful cycle. GO BLUE!
My name is Nathan Fielder, and I graduated from one of Canada’s top business schools with really good grades. Now I’m using my knowledge to help struggling small business owners make it in this competitive world.
Busted my ass for all of these decisions, especially the acceptance at Alabama. Debt is a prison, go to the best school that will cost you the smallest amount of money.
positive thoughts + positive actions = positive results
Wrote all optional essays and had fun with the prompts. I’m guessing that humor–especially the self-deprecating kind–was seen as a positive Despite the username, I think having clear reasons for Why Law and (as a KJD in particular) Why Now was real important. Good luck with ur cycles!
Worked hard in personal statement + supplements to create a strong why law/why now narrative. Wrote Why X’s (or each school’s equivalent) for every school outside the T6, plus optional essays for any schools that had prompts. Otherwise, very boring KJD who’s had a lot of luck this cycle :)
Biographical: HYP undergrad. BigLaw paralegal for 3 years. White, LGBTQ+ Re: the LSAT - took it only once, July 2020 Flex. Had a diagnostic of 160, self-studied up to a 168. I used my COVID stimulus check to pay for a tutor starting in late March 2020. Studied for about nine months total.
Go to therapy during the application cycle. Trust.
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