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.
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
471 entries
Admitted to Duke UniversityWrote 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 :)
Wrote “Why X” essays for Columbia, Duke, NYU, Northwestern, Chicago, and Michigan; wrote GULC 250 optional essay on “Top 10 List;” wrote Core Values essay for Penn; wrote about thesis topic for Yale 250. Kira interview for Northwestern; group interview for GULC. Chicago UR3 on 2/15.
Hispanic from southwestern state, extensive experience living/working/studying abroad, speak 3 languages, won a prestigious fellowship, currently working in a hot industry (and hope to focus on that during law school). Hope schools ignore my low GPA :) edit: they are not ignoring it
what is meant for you won’t miss you xoxo best advice i can give is to not be like me and decide to take the lsat/apply to law school for that cycle in august. i think i lost *at least *5 years off of my life with the study-for-the-october-lsat-then-apply-by-mid-november turnaround.
A cohesive narrative and clear idea of what you want to do as a lawyer goes a long way! Also apply as early as possible so you have max time for scholarship negotiations (and peace of mind).
Wrote every optional essay possible and a Why X to avoid YP outside the T6. Did not write any DS. If you get an HLS interview, make sure you’re really jazzed and emphasize that it’s your first choice. That’s what I think got me WL’ed, since my interview otherwise went really well.
lol don’t apply with the gre Went from all Ws and Rs to a strong cycle
Study for the LSAT, it’s worth it Tell a cohesive story in your essays
Hey creeper. Welcome. Here is my self worth in a page. Some notes for you: 3 years WE (relatively impressive, not unicorn though) 4 time LSAT taker (about 10 point increase from 3rd take to 4th take, so don’t give up) Wrote whys for all schools other than the T6
Took the LSAT once and used Khan Academy and Mike Kim’s LSAT Trainer to study. No significant work experience except for an on-campus part-time job. Wrote a PS about my experiences growing up as an immigrant, no DS. Wrote a “Why X” and supplemental essays when recommended.
stop spending so much time here and on reddit. go meditate. Latina, ivy undergrad, double-major, 3 years WE in legal field, low-income, first-gen everything, immigrant, LGBTQ+. Wrote programmatic contribution + Achievement Fellowship essay for UCLA. puro perreoooooo
Never give up. Be a leader in one or two clubs/activities in undergrad. Don’t just be a member of several. Get to know well two prominent members of your undergraduate faculty. Maybe do research for one. You need STRONG letters of recommendation, not just good letters.
I got my first acceptance in 3 days and my last in 183 days. In the 180 days in between I tried (and failed) to anticipate each and every decision and it compromised my mental health. My advice? Block this site and wait patiently for the emails like you’re supposed to.
WE in litigation support; Political Science major at state flagship university; run-of-the-mill softs during undergrad; wrote GPA addendum about medical condition. I wrote optional essays for: Duke Michigan UCLA Georgetown Good luck to any lurking future applicants!
Just breathe, and trust that it will all happen as it is meant to.
Applied to every school under the sun because I was hunting that sweet $$$$. Take advantage of fee waivers. No special softs, but strong public service resume, solid recommendations, and creative essay topic. Proud to have two T14 A’s in the cycle from hell.
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