Apply as early and broadly as you possibly can. If you’re not BigLaw-or-bust, don’t go to the fanciest school that accepts you. Go to any school with adequate career outcomes that you personally like and can most easily afford. If you won’t be satisfied outside the T14, be prepared to R&R no matter your stats.
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
220 entries
Admitted to Brooklyn Law Schooli am EXTREMELY debt averse, i think paying tens of thousands in tuition for grad school, especially when i intend to enter a very low paying field (public defense) is a fucking racket. so while i’m disappointed by not getting the Toll at Penn, I feel very good about turning down my other offers for a full ride at…
LSAT 163 GPA 3.79 2021–22 cycle
Attending Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles
For so long I was shooting for T30 schools. I was obsessed with prestige, thinking it was everything. Now, I am grateful that wasn’t really an option. I go to a “lower ranked” school, but with a scholarship that is basically paying for my entire tuition. My scholarship is conditional, but it keeps me motivated in…
Why do they call it an oven when you oven in the cold food of out hot eat the food.
Be practical about where you’re applying. Interest rates are high, the job market is tightening, and even those who get jobs in big law regularly refer to their situation as “golden handcuffs.” Where you go to law school does not define the ceiling of your success as an attorney, but having well over six figures of…
Apply broadly splitters and February is the latest I’d suggest applying. Pour your heart and soul into your writing but don’t be too negative or whiny. Vulnerability and candor go a long way into humanizing yourself as an applicant and will give you some more leeway with the empathetic side of adcomms. also, it…
I’m a HOYA LAWYA Shoot your shot and don’t hesitate to apply to your first choice. I only took the LSAT once and my resume, personal statement, optional essays (I always did them) and recommendations all focused on my experience in advocacy and social justice and my interest in my being a public interest attorney.…
LSAT 161 GPA 3.33 2022–23 cycle
Admitted to University of California (Hastings)
waiting on As WILL cause you anxiety so apply early and broadly, especially if you have similar stats as me. make sure your essays and supplements are 100x proofread. and if possible, use career services at your school. they will help you make your resume look refined. your personal narrative will make a huge…
7 years of (not law-related) work in media and marketing. Freelance journalism on the side. Average extracurriculars during undergrad, slightly more interesting post-grad volunteering experience with NGOs/educational institutions. LGBTQ. Wrote why essays for NYU & Columbia playing on my connection to the city.…
Applying: October 1st-November 16th URM: Hispanic Female T3: Disability, Co-founder of Small Personal Finance Company Work Experience: Pro-bono, Family Law, Criminal Law Extra-Curriculars: Election volunteer, Pre-Law Society President, Mock Trial Team member, United Culture Organization, Spanish Culture Club,…
splitters beware: apply early! i don’t think i ever had a great shot at columbia/nyu/ucla/usc, but i snuck into one of them with a good narrative and a good “why me / why now”. but don’t listen to the people who say 173 is competitive everywhere. it’s not. the earlier you apply, the more you can get away with…
Don’t be shy to ask for fee waivers from all schools that have that option. Some schools have a form you can fill out for need/merit fee waivers and are very generous. Ask for your recommendations as early as possible, and try to give a due date of a few weeks to a month before you intend to submit to account for…
I studied using PowerScore books and 7Sage, and of course practice tests on LawHub!
Having an abysmal undergrad GPA is not ideal but isn’t the end of the world. Getting at least a 160 on the LSAT opens a ton of doors. In hindsight I waited way too long between undergrad and law school due to my undergrad performance. Ideally, a 3 year separation between end of college and start of law school…
Enjoy the little things in life. Law school is tough and working in law is no easy journey. The job can be stressful and take a toll on your health. I find that being grateful for the most basic things in life is a great way to manage the stress and intensity and even turn them into positive forms of reinforcement.
I have really weird softs, the kind that one admissions professional might see and say “how unique, that’s a great foundation for a lawyer” and someone else could easily say “this means absolutely nothing”. I put it in as 3, probably it’s really a 4, but the right reader might have given me a lot more credit.
Know ur worth and have fun >.< Congressional intern, involved with various campus organizations, honors college, connected with sorority (TLAM), 3.88 degree GPA @state school (boomer sooner), sent in additional rec. letters, only made why statement to GW and schools that required it.
If they let you write Why X in your PS or in the application itself, write it out (or at least think it through) because it can help you figure out why you like the school other than ranking or employment rate. Don’t be scared, you will get into your dream school. I believe in you!
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