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Applicant wisdom

Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.

LSAT 176 GPA 3.94 2020–21 cycle

Admitted to Stanford University

…T-3 school once told me that one way to write an excellent personal statement is to weave a thread through one’s past, present, and future. This writing technique, when used effectively, can help applicants convey to admissions officers a full and clear picture of their personal story. Admissions officers want to be…

LSAT 179 GPA 3.50 2021–22 cycle

Attending Georgetown University

…and was denied. NYU - Applied to RTK, but used my personal statement as my RTK essay. UPenn - Wrote Core Values Essay. Applied for Toll PI Scholarship and was denied. UVA - Nothing extra. Really considered writing a Why Virginia, but ultimately didn’t. Duke - Nothing extra. UMich - Wrote optional essay on meeting a…

LSAT 172 GPA 3.91 2021–22 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…Wrote books essay; one of “up to 500” invited to do video statement for Knight Hennessy but not selected as finalist (such a tease) Harvard interview: The most one-sided of all my interviews. I immediately felt good about it (told some friends I probably had a 9/10 performance), but then I fell into a downward…

LSAT 176 GPA 3.64 2023–24 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…had two professors who had very different classes and one person from my childhood (he used to be in local gov and I volunteered to help his ward when he needed it for storms/stuff like that) who is now a judge. I think having 3 people who had very different things to say about me probably gave the committee a wide…

LSAT 174 GPA 3.96 2025–26 cycle

Attending Stanford University

Your personal statement is your gold. Also, I highly recommend doing social work or something adjacent to it prior to law school. You learn a ton about how the law interacts with vulnerable people at systemic and individual levels, and it makes for a great narrative. I think that’s what gave me the edge in…

LSAT 171 GPA 4.00 2025–26 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…(to an extent), focus on outcomes over rankings, and be personable in interviews. Background: I am a highly non-traditional applicant. Although I was born in the US, I spent my entire childhood and high school abroad, followed by four years of mandatory military service as a combat officer in that country’s…

LSAT 179 GPA 3.93 2021–22 cycle

Attending Columbia University

…safeties. I included why X paragraphs in every one of my personal statements, and I think it helped me avoid YP at safeties (no comment on Mich or UVA LOL). If you genuinely can’t write a why X, you probably shouldn’t apply to that school IMO. Mental health: Know when to log off LSD and reddit. Some info on here can…

LSAT 180 GPA 4.00 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Chicago

Didn’t write any optional essays in addition to my personal statement, unless you count the mandatory Yale 250-word supplement (in retrospect, this definitely hurt me at UVA, Penn, and Columbia, where I was above 75th for both stats and didn’t do a good job demonstrating interest) T4 softs, did some research at my…

LSAT 174 GPA 3.90 2021–22 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…either by my non-prestigious background or by my risky personal statement topic choice! Finally, I took the LSAT 3 times. 168 and 169 in back to back tests, then I took a 10 month break (6 month break and 4 months of studying) and then got my 174.  **I just wanted to start off by highlighting that and saying PLEASE…

LSAT 177 GPA 3.99 2020–21 cycle

Attending Stanford University

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 :)

LSAT 172 GPA 3.88 2021–22 cycle

Attending Harvard University

I don’t really know what I’m doing. But if I had to say, here’s my best advice: Knock it out of the park on the personal statement. The advice I got was to be memorable – so I did not write about law (although I had a few sentences in the end). Draft early (like really early) and get help from the best writers you…

LSAT 173 GPA 3.90 2024–25 cycle

Attending Harvard University

Track LSAT studying by counting hours. Start early. Try to prep your personal statement before Sep. 1. Stay off of Reddit. Go for walks.

LSAT 173 GPA 3.90 2024–25 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…deadline back when I realized I had more to add to my personal statement. I customized my diversity/perspective essays for each school, in order to communicate what I would bring to their community. Speaking of–I only chose schools I would be excited to attend.- I think file readers can tell when you are not…

LSAT 175 GPA 4.09 2023–24 cycle

Attending Yale University

…would recommend choosing your schools, then tackling your personal statement, then working on other required and optional essays.- Do the optional essays if you can. I know lots of people talk about yield protection and getting waitlisted at “worse” schools than they think they deserve (although I think this mindset…

LSAT 179 GPA 3.88 2022–23 cycle

Attending Yale University

Wrote Why Michigan, Duke, WashU, Cornell, GULC. Wrote Penn Core Values, GULC Unpopular Opinion, Stanford Library Books. Updated personal statement for Columbia. work on your materials early and apply early!

LSAT 175 GPA 3.80 2024–25 cycle

Attending Yale University

…of subission) University of Michigan (8/26) Optional on personal qualities- Why X Academic Addendum ACCEPTED 11/6 University of Virginia (9/1) Why X- Academic Addendum Interview invitation (9/5) Interview completed (9/9) ACCEPTED 9/10 Northwestern University (9/3) Optional on public service- Optional on academic…