Write a good application. Do the research, work with a mentor to nail your personal statement, don’t skimp on the supplemental essays. Be able to say something honest about why you want to go to this school. Make yourself a known quantity. Go to campus if you can. Be that annoying person who “just happens” to run…
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
38 entries matching "personal statement"
Admitted to University of VirginiaGo 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…
…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…
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…
All it takes is one! Apply to more schools than me–I was stupid. Additionally, really focus on that personal statement, resume, and letters of rec. With such a competitive cycle, that’s what got me into UVA + being a really good fit, rather than LSAT/GPA. When it comes down to it, schools will evaluate you…
Start working on your personal statement early.
…a formal “Why X,” you should be subtly tailoring your personal statement and other supplements to reflect the school’s culture, values, and resources. The goal is to give the reader an “aha” moment where it becomes obvious that you fit naturally into their community. Penn’s materials emphasize interdisciplinarity…
…sounds like “Yeah, duh?” advice, but I’ve read so many personal statements that lose that thread and are either narratively incoherent or don’t meaningfully articulate why law school is the right decision for them now. Especially for those applying to top schools, they have far more high-stat applicants than they do…
…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…
Wrote why X paragraphs in my personal statement. Dual enrollment lowered my LSAC GPA by 0.26. Softs are 1) extremely competitive extracurricular team, 2) very low-income upbringing affected by things relate to a very clear rationale for why law, and 3) prestigious undergrad fellowship. White and Hispanic, so kinda…
APPLY EARLY! I submitted all applications except for Penn and NYU in early September. While I had strong personal statements and wrote optional ‘Why X’ essays for Berk, Duke, Mich, UVA, Georgetown, GW, and Vanderbilt, I think being in the first wave of applicants in the early fall helped me stand out. I also highly…
Don’t be afraid to shoot your shot! Take your time really learning the LSAT and writing a good personal statement.
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…
Track LSAT studying by counting hours. Start early. Try to prep your personal statement before Sep. 1. Stay off of Reddit. Go for walks.
…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…
…Finding yourself along the way is a pain, but writing the personal statements can help. Dry out/get clean /before/ you apply, not during. Comparison is the thief of joy. GLHF!
advice i wish i would have known: make sure your personality comes through on your PS. you don’t want to seem passive in your own story. side note: have a clear, DEFINITIVE reason why you want to go to law school and make sure it comes through strongly. application stuff: public interest/systemic reform focused. 4…
…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…
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