In case you’re like “my real life would be so much better if my top 5 challenges disappeared.” Would it? If Super Mario Bros was just jumping over one pit and rescuing Princess Peach, then no one would play it. Where’s the risk and the reward? Where’s the challenge? There’s no ultimate feeling of satisfaction. If…
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
6,731 entries
I chose to apply to these schools because they mostly fit into these descriptions: moderate class sizes, reasonably robust support for tax and business law, and not in Chicago, NYC, LA, or SF (trying to avoid extremely expensive areas and major metros). I also have a spouse who will be working which restricted…
What I wish I had done: applied earlier (just so I could have had a more peaceful winter and heard back earlier) applied to more places, and ESPECIALLY t14s that are more scholarship generous than my schools (duke, uva, michigan, penn, etc) Spent more time on PS (especially for hls i basically submitted first drafts…
LSD is full of people who worked really hard and did significantly above average, yet are still complaining about their 170 score. You don’t need a T20 to be a good attorney. Work hard and hope for the best.
Applied late December last cycle, rushed applications - no why X’s or additional essays. Wrote a scholarship essay for NYU but that was it. Rejected at Harvard & waitlisted at Columbia/NYU/Fordham. Stats are the same, but this cycle I’ve written either a Why X or an optional essay for every school except UCLA, ASU,…
I wrote a why x/equivalent essay for Penn, UVA, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke, and Vandy. I worked hard to create a cohesive narrative that pulled together some of the disparate threads of my resume and answered why law, why now, and why me. I really wanted to make sure that my materials together painted a good picture…
Softs details (tier 3 and 4): legal field employment - Immigration paralegal with a mid-sized firm for ~2 years (honestly love it, would consider immigration law if swayed from int’l/comparative during law school)- Academic honors/awards - graduated with major honors (completed an honors thesis), Major Dept…
-Currently in the military. -Went pretty broad, service waivers helped keep the cost down. -Jumped early on the ASU CAS waiver, submitted a meh app. After that, just went up the list rankings wise sending out apps. Had a couple of app typos relating to date mismatches between the apps and my transcripts in some of…
Got your heart in a headlock? You know you’re better than this…
Isaiah 6:8 for you, dad.
You’re going to be fine no matter how this process turns out! Rooting for you :) Dates: Stanford: DLS in portal on 5-7-24- Penn: UR3 on 1-22-24 –> Waitlist Decision on 1-30-24 GW: Priority hold on 2-15-24 Miscellaneous pieces of advice: Only write a “Why X” if you have something real to say, not just listing off the…
Gain some professional experience. Treat everything, especially school, like you’re a professional. Getting a humanities masters may not strengthen your stats, but it will teach you to skim hundreds of pages a week and make you a strong researcher and academic writer. Experience grading essays also makes you a much…
What I need to hear and probably what you need to hear too: Feeling disappointment and regret is inevitable. It’s what makes us strive to be better. What you decide to do afterwards matters so much more than the fleeting moment of frustration, disappointment, sadness, anger, etc. One chance/opportunity is all you…
Decided to apply pretty last minute so my application was somewhat rushed. Additionally, this cycle was brutal. I feel like had I had more time and a previous cycle I would have seen less wait lists and rejections. I was hoping I’d at least get into a few T14 but it was not to be. After much consideration I decided…
I applied very late in the cycle due to issues with my transcripts, and I would not reccomend that to anyone. Though I am a splitter, I have strong reasons as to why my GPA is so low. My biggest piece of advice is to find your unique voice. Remember your GPA does not define you and you are so much more than the…
Now that my cycle is officially over, I’m going public for those applying in future cycles! Thrilled to be attending CLS :^) Best of luck, and don’t let this process make you question your worth. App Materials, Supplementals, & Context: Wrote “Why X” statements for CLS, NYU, UVA, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke; “core…
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind, until now, until now you’ve become the very thing you swore to destroy. Anakin Skywalker: Don’t lecture me, Obi-Wan! I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to…
god is great
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