YLS Notes | Almost did not apply but I did because I was invited to via LSAC’s referral service. I admit that I regret applying because of the dong and because I would pick SLS over YLS (if in the nearly impossible position to make that choice). SLS Notes | Top choice by far, but I have low expectations. I wrote two…
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
449 entries
Admitted to Cornell UniversityReapplicant. Went through the hell cycle of 2020-21. Reapplied with a higher LSAT, prior LSAT was in the mid-160s. Did Why X essays in my 2020 apps for NYU, UPenn, GULC & CLS. Did not add why X 2nd time around, common wisdom for reapplicants is that they will review your old file as well to see if you made any…
My biggest advice would be to apply broadly! I am so glad I blanketed the t14s because I was actually close to not even applying to the law school I ended up deciding on (UVA), because they never sent me a fee waiver and I didnt know much about the school due to where I grew up in. But fortunately, I decided to live…
if i could do it again, i would apply to fewer schools. i also wouldn’t retake the lsat - i took it a second time and scored lower. retaking is generally a good idea, but i didn’t set myself up for success to score higher by retaking it during the same semester i was taking 19 credits and writing my app materials.…
I’m hoping that this can be helpful for any future super-splitters out there (and don’t despair, there is hope - I’m attending Penn). The caveat of course is that I am a URM super-splitter, specifically a Hispanic one (Cuban & Puerto Rican). I am well aware of just how helpful that kind of designation can be. So,…
TIPS: It is impossible to understate the power of a cohesive narrative throughout your application. Second only to studying for the LSAT, I would recommend spending the most significant amount of time thinking about why you genuinely want to go to law school, and then highlighting some compelling links between the…
Wrote LSAT FLEX 3x (170 -> 166 ->177), no addendum. Wrote 3 Books Essay for Stanford, Core Values Essay for Penn, Why Xs for Michigan and Berkeley, Programmatic contributions for UCLA, applied for Furman Academic for NYU. For most schools (all but Harvard and UCLA because of space restrictions) tailored the final…
Apply as early as you can! Be genuine and be yourself. You are good enough! Try to have your school list set at the beginning so you can apply everywhere at once (rather than scrambling to apply to safeties later in the cycle). One of the best pieces of advice I got before applying was to follow the 3-3-3 rule:…
Softs: Engineer, ~3 years of unique work experience, graduate degree, significant time spent volunteering Personal statement: described the series of events that led me to pursuing law school School specific optional essays I wrote: Stanford: “Would you rather travel to the Moon or travel the Earth?” Harvard: None…
Top 4 undergrad, top masters program. A lot of work experience in the field I want to practice in. Wrote Why X for every school I applied to. Wrote all optional essays. Also included a LSAT addendum with my SAT scores to show a history of outperforming standardized test scores. NYU - got HTE, sent in a LOCI, was…
For future lurkers, I withdrew from Harvard, UPenn, and UVA before getting an admission result. As listed I received scholarship awards from Columbia, Michigan, and BU—I withdrew from everywhere else I was admitted before hearing about financial aid. The Hamilton at Columbia and Dean’s Scholarship at BU came with…
Jan. 2021 LSAT Flex (considered retaking, as I would like to minimize debt - however, I told myself that I would be satisfied with a 170+ before going into the test and felt that I should maintain that perspective. My PT average over the 12 or so tests that I took leading up to the January administration was a 171,…
This is extremely doxable and long for the benefit of anyone interested. Academic: PhD (expected) + MA in social sciences discipline with emphasis in law & society from T20 university in my field (3.99 GPA), undergrad at Ivy with humanities major (top 30% of graduating class), 1 year medical leave in undergrad…
Stealing this recap format from TroutLawyer, my fellow URM splitter! Going through this process as a STEM undergrad who never considered law school growing up, it always felt like I was drinking from a firehose. The lawschooladmissions subreddit and LSData are helpful for learning the ins and outs of the process,…
Extracurricular theme made sense but no prestigious awards/interesting work experience. Also Super-KJD (20 y/o when submitting) Essays: Stanford: Optional Long Essay, 3 songs, One Day Class Proposal UChicago: Why Chicago Div. addendum Duke: Freedom of Expression and Why Duke UPENN: Core Strengths Columbia:…
Turn on CRS & make a law school email filter! I literally was only going to apply to like 11 schools but got a surprising amount of fee waivers from CRS and I am so so grateful I opted in. The spam is annoying but you literally can just unsubscribe from schools you are not interested in! Try not to compare yourself…
Don’t take the LSAT until you’re ready, I took it 4 times and would not recommend. 164 -> 169 -> 171 -> 168. I ended up fine though so don’t let it stress you out too much! I really recommend perfecting your essays; any story can be successful, you just have to convey it the right way. Try to get a wide variety of…
Shoot your shot, honestly. A lot of people will tell you what results you can and cannot obtain with your numbers alone but if you tell your personal amazing story, you can do anything. I had a 143 diagnostic before my prep course with Kaplan in 9/2020. I wasn’t feeling confident so I signed up for the self study…
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