Make sure you do a good job on your applications to the schools that are your top choices. Then you don’t have to worry about the ones you are submitting to safety schools.
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
545 entries
Admitted to New York UniversityCohesive resume with clear story for why law and demonstrated interest in a specific area of law. Two LORs: one academic, one professional. Wrote “Why X” for all schools except Michigan, NYU, Northwestern, and Penn. Submitted a diversity statement for all schools except NYU and Maryland. NYU: Applied to a named…
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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,…
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…
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…
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…
Diversity statement about a unique childhood hardship and poverty (which by some classifications might mean T3 softs? T 3.5?) Wrote optional essays everywhere they were available Why x’s for all schools excluding: t6 (though included a paragraph in Columbia PS), WashU, BU, NW, + Core values instead of why X for Penn…
APPLY EARLY! I submitted all applications except for Penn and NYU in early September. While I had strong personal statements and wrote optional ‘Why X’ essays for Berk, Duke, Mich, UVA, Georgetown, GW, and Vanderbilt, I think being in the first wave of applicants in the early fall helped me stand out. I also highly…
Wrote Why X statement for Stanford Some advice for future applicants: Apply as early as possible (by which I mean as soon as you are confident your application is ready). There is absolutely no reason not to (that I’m aware of). I’ve spent most of this cycle regretting submitting in mid-October instead of early or…
Do what you love in undergrad. Get some work experience, even if it’s just a gap year. It’ll give you a difference perspective about the real world and will give you time to make sure that law school is right for you. Write a cohesive PS that speaks true to who you are. Don’t get too stuck on this website the way I…
Went into this cycle fully expecting to reapply next year. Chose a short list of schools that a) have strong programming in my somewhat niche public defense subfield and/or b) are relatively close to my partner. Going to NYU! Please don’t do a throwaway cycle. I promise you won’t want to do it a second time. Luckily…
slay <3 Now that my crazy cycle has come to an end here is my advice to future applicants: Put your soul into every essay - make sure they should who you are and your perspective. Find what you’re passionate about and follow it headfirst. Don’t let the application process stop you from enjoying life. Law school…
Set yourself apart! In addition to boring but rigorous corporate work experience, I also had a 5 year long small business that is truly unique among law school applications. Additionally, I overcame legitimate, significant adversity during undergrad. In a cycle which strong stats and work experience are commonplace,…
As a disclaimer, I took the February LSAT, which is when I received the 177. All decisions rendered before March 10th were with a 170. I asked UVA and UChicago to wait for that score; I did not for Columbia, NYU, Penn, or Northwestern. Columbia, Penn, and NW (as you can see) did not wait for my score. NYU did.…
Take a deep breath! It’s going to be fine. This is a long process, so try to take things one step at a time. Write the optional essays and take them seriously. I always chose to include a “Why X” when given the opportunity. Work experience is SO helpful. It drove my narrative and was the main topic of conversation…
Do NOT trust what LSAC tells you over the phone. I received misleading info multiple times. E.g. I called in about latest processing times for foreign transcripts: Me, reading off the website for JD applications: “So is it currently 2 weeks for LSAC to process and then 2-3 weeks for AA–”- LSAC agent interrupts me:…
Shoot your shot, you never know which law school will value your background, and likewise which law school will be the best home for you to thrive intellectually. I say this as someone whose undergrad GPA falls well below the median of most of the T14. However I have cultivated a career for myself and additional…
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