The best decision I made was choosing to work for a few years between undergrad and applying for law school. My softs, my writing skills, my interview skills, and my perspective all changed for the better because I had gained real world, professional experience.
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
297 entries
Admitted to University of ChicagoED early and often. Prep a ton for interviews.
Save up early bc apps are insanely expensive without fee waivers Start studying for the LSAT like a year in advance and if you can work with a private tutor, DO IT Listen to podcasts/absorb as much material about law school admissions as possible
Start writing early. I did a Why X essay for almost every school. Did not do a diversity essay, but completed other optional prompts. I had very strong, program specific reasons for UVA and UChicago that I didn’t really have at the other schools
Didn’t put my exact numbers to avoid doxxing, but very close
Go for the higher LSAT score and give yourself plenty of time to study for and take it! Write as many optionals as possible and make the case for how you are unique to a school given your experiences, interests, etc. ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Give Wave
I had a pretty tight resume with plenty of softs related to mentorship, athletics, and research, as well as demonstrated success in a field (IP/tech) where there are very few URMs.
Trust yourself, trust the process, and trust the lord. Everything happens for the best. Don’t let law school admissions define you. You are more than numbers, tell your story, show your motivation and determination… You’ll be just fine
Apply to your top-choice schools last! Your application will improve as you move through the application process. Take a deep breath, you’ve got this!
Wrote every optional essay to all of these applications. I didn’t keep exact track of the dates, so any of the applications where the date complete is the exact same day as the date received was just an approximation.
Wrote a Why X Statement for: UChicago UPenn UVA Berkeley Michigan Duke Cornell Also did Stanford optional essays Sent a LOCI to UVA In early February, which turned over quickly into an interview and acceptance.
Be interesting! Do cool things before, during, and after law school. This is more life advice than it is admissions advice, although it applies to admissions too – do whatever you’re passionate about! Passion shows.
Wrote Why X for Michigan, optional essay for Stanford, Why X for Berkeley, Why X for Cornell, scholarship essays for NYU, optional essay for Penn (not Why X), optional essay for Georgetown (not Why X), Why X for Duke
PS about my interest in human rights law, DS about my racial identity. Wrote why X or optional statements for all non T6 schools. 1 year out of college serving in Americorps, attended a non-prestigious undergrad.
Negotiate your scholarships!!!! The worst they can say is no. With the exception of Northwestern (because they said they weren’t going to negotiate with anyone this year), I got more money everywhere I asked.
Wrote Why Michigan, Duke, WashU, Cornell, GULC. Wrote Penn Core Values, GULC Unpopular Opinion, Stanford Library Books. Updated personal statement for Columbia. work on your materials early and apply early!
Apply to Duke early (before mid-November). Do every optional essay. Be friendly and personable whenever you interact with admissions staff. Always send a thank you email after every interview.
apply earlier for peace of mind
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