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.
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
422 entries
Admitted to University of MichiganQWOC, cultural property/art law focus, pigeon Wrote why x for Mich, Berk, UVA, Duke, ASU; top 10 for GULC; core values for Penn; music essay for Stanny; Y250 about thesis; programmatic contribution and Graton essay for UCLA Two LSATs on record, 168 (cold) -> 179
have hobbies and have fun, life is too serious to worry constantly
R&R applicant. Applied in the 2023-2024 cycle as a KJD with 165 LSAT and struck out of T-14 with some acceptances in T-30. Hope that my outcomes this year can convince others that gaining some relevant work experience and boosting your LSAT score is 100% worth it.
Hello hello! I only wrote Why X for the University of Michigan, so I would encourage writing those for any available schools. I am currently riding out the UChicago, Columbia, and NYU waitlists, but I am aware that those are unlikely to have movement.
Kind of a unique background. Had an explanation for my low GPA and a decent why law. https://www.reddit.com/r/lawschooladmissions/comments/1c82nmv/splitter_cycle_recap/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Not sure how valid my advice is (see waitlists below), but here goes: Take the LSAT when you’re ready. Take your time with the essays. Don’t stress too much. It’d be nice to get into every school, but you only need to get accepted once to be a lawyer!
I had a very clear narrative about exactly why I was going to law school, and how it tied in with my work and life experiences. I think that probably helped. When I got into Yale I withdrew from everywhere else and didn’t wait for scholarship offers.
Third time applicant. Get work experience!!
I had a pretty tight resume with plenty of softs related to mentorship, athletics, and research, as well as demonstrated success in a field (IP/tech) where there are very few URMs.
Trust yourself, trust the process, and trust the lord. Everything happens for the best. Don’t let law school admissions define you. You are more than numbers, tell your story, show your motivation and determination… You’ll be just fine
Wrote a DS + 1 Optional for every school plus an additional Why X for Duke & Emory Except for ASUIn the end I chose Michigan because it was a better fit for me, I enjoyed their ASW and the scholarship made it enough for me to attend 😇
Apply to your top-choice schools last! Your application will improve as you move through the application process. Take a deep breath, you’ve got this!
Ultimately, this was an easy decision. As a PI applicant, my goal for the cycle was NYU or Berkeley. I am exceedingly fortunate to have received a full ride at Berkeley and after being rejected for RTK, it was a no-brainer to attend.
Wrote “Why X” for Chicago, Penn (core values), Michigan, Berkeley, UVA, NDLS. Included minor “Why X” in Columbia PS. End of cycle! Will stay on all waitlists except WashU but most likely attending either NYU, UVA, or Michigan.
Wrote every optional essay to all of these applications. I didn’t keep exact track of the dates, so any of the applications where the date complete is the exact same day as the date received was just an approximation.
Spend more time studying for the LSAT than you think. As long as you are still learning, you should still be studying. Take good care of yourself and take as much time off as you need between undergrad and law school.
Wrote a Why X Statement for: UChicago UPenn UVA Berkeley Michigan Duke Cornell Also did Stanford optional essays Sent a LOCI to UVA In early February, which turned over quickly into an interview and acceptance.
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