My advice would be apply for all the optional scholarships, and write every optional essay. This was a tough cycle, but I think my strong written materials were my biggest asset. I believe this set me apart from other candidates with similar stats, both in admissions and later in the scholarship process. I chose SMU…
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
205 entries
Admitted to Southern Methodist University165 -> 163 -> 168 -> 166 (lol). Previous career in healthcare/med school. Goals are Dallas big law. Admitted to SMU 11/29 with 165 LSAT Accepted to TAMU 12/22 with 168 LSAT After receiving a laughable 6k/year scholarship from TAMU decided to apply to some more schools in late Jan for leverage to negotiate. Accepted…
Key Notes/Reflections: Got into the cycle a bit late (took the LSAT in November, submitted most applications in December)- Felt that I had a really strong Diversity Statement, solid Personal Statement, and good LORs I have a misdemeanor from within the past year, which definitely tanked my chances Couple this with…
I focused really hard on my personal statement and other materials to paint a very clear picture of my goals in law school as well as important aspects of my undergraduate career that highlighted areas of growth. Also, I was heavily involved in extracurriculars, which I think showed that I could handle high stress…
After three attempts at the LSAT, my lsat score is a 160. I tried my best, all that I can with this test and am just gonna let fate bring me the results. As long as you tried your best its all good. I went from a 129 diag to a 160 which is 31 points higher. First half of my studying (8 months) was done while in…
If you are planning to take a gap year to work fulltime, try to study for the LSAT before you start working because you will not be able to optimally prioritize and dedicate time to the LSAT while working. LSAT resources used: 7sage, PowerScore Bible Trilogy, The Loophole Rather than just prioritizing rankings, take…
Definitely be involved with extracurriculars in undergrad, but don’t spread yourself too thin just to add more to your resume. Even if you don’t have experience that directly relates to law or other related areas, there’s most likely a way to somehow tie that back into why you want to go to law school. Shoot your…
Talk to the Admissions Office. Many of them will be happy to answer specific questions on how to make your application more competitive or what they’re looking for in a personal statement. These perspectives are invaluable for an application. Remember that every time you engage with a school (whether virtual, in…
To all my low-income, first-generation black applicants: Trust yourself! Do not be afraid to ask for what you deserve. I know my success relative to the circumstances of my peers puts me in that top tier. I asked for a fee waiver from every school and a CAS waiver from many. I asked for RUBY I asked for Mordecai I…
Only apply to schools you would be happy to attend! While I applied to a variety of safety, target, and reach schools, I truly would have been happy attending any of these institutions. Apply early! Secure LORs in the summer. LSAT is king. While my score is fine, I know it was a central factor in why I was…
Extremely grateful for the decisions I have received and for being done with this process. If I had to start this cycle all over again, I would have cut down my school list. Although I received fee waivers to every school I applied to, there was never a realistic chance I would have attended some of these schools.…
You + me both need to stop obsessively checking this and reddit; they’ll get to us when they get to us.
“The mighty in their pride walk alone to destruction.” - Calvin Coolidge “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated…
This cycle’s been a helluva ride, but I’m very happy with how it turned out. Here’s all of the wise and seasoned advice I have to offer you as a bright-eyed, barely drinking-age KJD: Take the LSAT multiple times if possible—a point’s difference can be the difference between an acceptance or a denial For your…
Some random advice: Try for an early A at a safety, even if your application is unpolished. Look for info on LSD to find which schools historically respond early. Once you bag an early A, just skip any school that’s worse - save time, money, stress. Also serves as a proof of concept that your personal statement is…
Wrote supplementals for all my apps. Did any optional interviews. I know I want to practice in Texas, tailored my school list towards that. 3/23 Update - It was always UT, everywhere I applied was for leverage to negotiate with UT. I have a lot of personal ties to the university and Austin that were hard to give up.…
NDLS class of 2024! 🍀🍀🍀 Wrote optional essays for Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, SMU, and Tennessee Wrote LSAT addendum for first LSAT score Received no interview invites Do your best to stay positive throughout the admissions process and try to not obsessively check LSA…
Start visiting schools earlier if you can afford it!
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