-Two years out of undergrad. -Currently working as a legal assistant. -Wrote a “Why X” for Berkeley; mentioned specific reasons for wanting to attend every school I applied to in PS. -Eastern European immigrant, came to the US at 6 years old. -Didn’t think I would ever go to law school until March/April 2020. -Spent…
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
I don’t think I count as a URM under LSAC’s definition but I can’t figure out how to fix it lol. I ran into some speed-bumps during my application cycle and was scared about how things would turn out, but I think things are going pretty good so far! If you also run into some weird circumstances during your process,…
Background: 3 years law firm WE, 1 year of teaching English abroad. GPA went down from dual enrollment city college classes I took when I was 14 and the fact that LSAC refuses to calculate my entire Junior year which was spent abroad. Write the optional essays! It is like extra credit. I did for every school that…
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…
LSAT 159 GPA 4.03 2025–26 cycle
Admitted to Washington University in St. Louis
The LSAT isn’t everything, be authentic with your words
Don’t put a question mark where God put a period #asf
Take the year to boost your score and apply early in the next cycle.
LSAT 164 GPA 3.77 2025–26 cycle
Admitted to University of California—Davis
Apply early, and study hard for the LSAT
stop spending so much time here and on reddit. go meditate. Latina, ivy undergrad, double-major, 3 years WE in legal field, low-income, first-gen everything, immigrant, LGBTQ+. Wrote programmatic contribution + Achievement Fellowship essay for UCLA. puro perreoooooo
I think I underestimated how much scores really matter. But if you’re waitlisted, I would just continue following up with the school, go visit, and attend as many admission zooms as possible to show interest. That’s what worked for me. Good luck! This process is a doozie.
Be firm in what you want. If you know where you want practice, go to the school that will best set you up for that. Don’t force it. There’s nothing wrong with trying again next cycle. Especially if you’re in a place rn that is treating you well. Don’t rush a transition.
Apply early, ideally before Thanksgiving. Make sure your essays are *excellent *and write any optional essays offered. I put a lot of work into my essays and I think ultimately they helped a lot to compensate for my < 3.0 GPA and made me competitive for scholarships.
Sometimes life don’t be like it be, but it do.
Shoot your shot! Don’t let places like reddit tell you your LSAT/GPA are everything. Of course you need to fit the school, but your softs can really push you over the edge. Being a well-rounded applicant is a much bigger plus than people think.
Just keep surfin
Give yourself a strict deadline for each aspect of your application… Send out LoR requests by the summer before applying, etc. Don’t be afraid to apply to reach schools. MANIFEST IT. YOU DESERVE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL & YOU ARE CAPABLE.
Apply to 15 - 30 schools. Generally, schools (outside T14) do not consider acceptances from competitors outside the metro when reconsidering scholarship packages. Leverage regional scholarship packages upward based on USN ranking.
Shoot your shot, they can’t say yes if you don’t apply. Also, don’t apply to schools you won’t go to even if they send you fee waivers and invitations to apply. It’s a waste of time and energy for everyone, trust me I just did it
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