Hate ads? Verify for LSD+ → Learn More

Follow @lawschooldata on TikTok & Instagram

Applicant wisdom

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

LSAT 174 GPA 3.95 2022–23 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

…Only applied to schools I would realistically go to Personalized mostly all my resumes based on little things I know each school preferred (exp. I sent a long, comprehensive 3 page resume to Duke/UChicago/Penn, while keeping YLS 1 page) Applied to schools in waves from late September to mid October based on how much…

LSAT 170 GPA 3.74 2020–21 cycle

Attending Yale University

Ivy undergrad Legal job after gradation Strong personal statement / diversity statement (I think this was the most important part !!!) Recs from professors I was very close with

LSAT 170 GPA 4.00 2022–23 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…tied together every single part of my application. My personal statement, diversity statement, resume, and school supplemental essays were all related in some way. Always remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. The anxiety of waiting for decisions can be excruciating at times, but in the end, you will end…

LSAT 174 GPA 4.00 2023–24 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…leadership roles in extracurriculars, PBK as a junior) personal statement:  very honest statement of purpose/why law (connected to legal internship) scholarships: all aid was merit + first offers (did not negotiate)

LSAT 174 GPA 3.86 2024–25 cycle

Attending University of California—Berkeley

…professor, Associate Dean (all from grad school) Essays: personal statement about rethinking how I approach anti-sexual violence advocacy after doing my research, diversity statement about experience as an LGBTQ person with a disability, did optional essays/interviews when offered (but only did 1/2 short prompts for…

LSAT 173 GPA 4.00 2020–21 cycle

Attending Columbia University

…but I did work roughly 25 hours/week I wrote “why x” statements for every school that I thought would want them for someone with my numbers (Penn, UVA, NW, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke, Cornell) All statements followed the same formula except Penn. I am fairly unremarkable, so I spent my energy on creating a compelling…

LSAT 171 GPA 4.00 2024–25 cycle

Attending Stanford University

…the right way. Try to get a wide variety of eyes on your personal statement. I had a few revisions, but each person that helped had a different perspective of how to improve it. My optional essays similarly had a lot of effort put into them and showed different aspects of my background and interests. I found a lot…

LSAT 180 GPA 3.99 2021–22 cycle

Attending Columbia University

…only reason my apps were not submitted earlier. Essays: Personal Statement on my work experience and why I want to be a lawyer Diversity Statement on growing up in a lower socioeconomic class w one parent who didn’t go to college and one parent who went to college in another country. Some supplemental essays on…

LSAT 172 GPA 3.99 2024–25 cycle

Admitted to Harvard University

…very cohesive. I asked for letters of recommendation in person, from professors who had taught me multiple times and advised me. I sent them copies of my resume, personal statement, YLS guidance for LORs, and a BRIEF list of key work from their courses (e.g., the title of my final paper). Not URM, but I come from a…

LSAT 166 GPA 3.73 2024–25 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

…decisions I was proud of.- Don’t write an “aww poor me” personal statement about oppression. If you wanna write about -isms make it bigger than yourself. Write about how you volunteered at XYZ organization because alleviating the -ism in ABC community is important to you. Don’t write about how cool some family…

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 171 GPA 3.94 2022–23 cycle

Attending University of Virginia

Go Hoos! Personal statement matters, and your interview matters. Numbers only get you to the interview. If you’re STEM, that’s a big boost wherever you go. Adcoms and employers will assume you’re intelligent and logical, so make sure to have your personality shine when you apply! Also, don’t forget to be real…

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 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 174 GPA 3.92 2025–26 cycle

Attending Yale University

…leadership experience (probably makes for a compelling personal statement!), and then separate from the military with 36 months of free tuition + housing and book stipends. You’d be guaranteed to graduate law school debt-free. And you’d likely learn some interesting lessons and meet some amazing people along the…

LSAT 173 GPA 3.74 2023–24 cycle

Attending Cornell University

…the essays. Try out first drafts of different potential personal statement topics before you lock in on one. You want to find the topic you can not only write about in a compelling way, but that will showcase what you have to offer. And if you think waiting another year to apply will make a material difference in…

LSAT 179 GPA 3.85 2023–24 cycle

Attending Northwestern University

…which probably hurt my scholarship offers. I think my personal statement was also not what most schools were looking for. Splitters can get good scholarships, but for the schools I admitted to, the $$$+ awards seem to go predominantly to URM or above-both-median candidates (which is fair). I truly thought being 5…