If you want to go to a T14, apply broadly and apply early. Consider getting some work experience, KJDs with good (but not perfect) numbers and little else tend to be prime waitlist candidates IMO. Put time into your PS. It’s the only piece of writing that you get to send to the admissions committees of some schools.…
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
6,732 entries
Applied originally and got into zero schools I actually wanted to attend, seriously underperformed. Worked for a year and a half and re-applied with a very strong and clear narrative. It tied into a story from when I was younger but also connected with what my work experience was. Think this made a huge difference,…
After your first LSAT, dont take a study break. You will be at the height of your LSAT knowledge after that point Studied With Kaplan. No improvement from diagnostic to test day. Studied with Adept LR. Two point improvement Lowest PT 159- Highest PT 171 Aug 24- 160 Nov 24- 162 Only applying in the South/Southeast +…
West-European F-1 student with an LL.B. from my home country and an LL.M. from a T-1 regional U.S. school, where I worked as RA and TA. Also landed a prestigious internship in D.C. during the summer of COVID. Took the LSAT once in January. Blanketed the T-14 and added a couple safeties which fitted reasonably well…
Don’t underestimate the value of applying sooner! While I ended up at my top choice school, if imagine I would’ve gotten acceptances at most of the schools I was waitlisted at, and possibly stronger financial aid offers, if I applied sooner. For those a year out or more from the application deadline, this might mean…
Don’t be afraid to do kjd or super-kjd. Take r/lawschooladmissions with a grain of salt lmao
You know, not long after my dad died, someone told me that I eat spaghetti the exact same way he did. They said what an extraordinary impression this fact had made on them. Look at the boy, look how he eats spaghetti. Exactly the same way his father did. He sticks his fork in. He twirls it around, around, around,…
I had an awful GPA due to a traumatic event that happened the beginning of my second year in school. Had to throughly explain that in my addendum. I had super strong softs in my opinion that saved me lol. I interned for my city’s courthouse, I started a nonprofit at 17 plus had so many volunteering hours outside of…
OOOF SHOOT YOUR SHOT!! I am so surprised and blessed by my cycle! I think a lot of it was the work that I put into my essays, LOR, and resume. I took months to work on and tailor each part of my application - I had over a dozen people look at each part of it, and paid for a professional service as well. I think my…
The first time I applied was in 2019. I had a 145 LSAT score and didn’t get in anywhere with my low GPA. A year later I took a Blueprint prep course and got a 150. I was very discouraged and decided not to reapply so I took a 2 year break which I don’t recommend because I lost all the progress I had gained. In 2023,…
Optional essays: Yale - diversity addendum, no “why x”, LOCI Stanford - 1 optional, if you could talk to anyone from history and ask one question, no “why x” or DA U Chicago - included “why x” in my PS, no DA Columbia - included “why x” in my PS, no DA Harvard - no “why x” or DA UPenn - DA, no “why x”, invited to…
LSAT Demon is the way to go. Began studying in May, took the exam once in August, got my score, was done. Don’t just use the platform, listen to the podcasts & do it their way. I also talked to people from as many law schools as I could. I think this signaled strong interest in schools and helped me tailor my Why X…
Took the March LSAT and requested for most schools to hold my application until the new score was released (March 30th). Did worse on that one so really just made me an even later applicant. Should have went forward with my first score anyway, as late March left me for dead regardless of the score. My main advice…
As a non-trad student, keep in mind what your lifestyle is and what you’d like to maintain as you attend law school. Be honest with yourself as you decide where to apply. Continue to be honest with yourself as you consider the full cost of attendance for each school, keeping in mind tuition cost, travel cost, the…
Having an international undergrad this cycle sucked :’) To my fellow UK/EU undergraduate students applying to US law schools don’t lose hope! Things definitely took a lot longer for me than other applicants, but remember to stay positive and try to appreciate the chaos among the lawschooladmissions community and…
Received 0 dollars from Berkeley during initial gift aid process, then used Duke scholarship to get them to match. In my reconsideration request, I highlighted what common things drew me to both Berkeley & Duke, truthfully mentioned that I intended to choose Duke absent a Berkeley scholarship, and then indicated…
WRITE ALL OPTIONAL ESSAYS AND APPLY AS EARLY AS YOU CAN! Worked as a legal assistant in my final semester of undergrad and through the summer. Planned on waiting out all T14 waitlists until the end, but by early August they did not look promising so I requested deferral offers. Michigan responded back within one…
Hope for the best but expect the worst. I have 3-5 years of paralegal employment related to my career goals. I wrote all optional essays (did not write a “Why UVA”) and had a strong PS (but not memorable, probably) that I worked on for months. I think my LOR were insufficient for some schools - the professor I was…
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