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Applicant wisdom

Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.

LSAT 168 GPA 3.72 2023–24 cycle

Attending Columbia University

***General *** Essays:- I wrote my personal statement about my goal of working in IP and the arts space rather than tech and focused on my personal experiences that led me to that goal. I had one person review my essays that I’m not too close to, which helped to give more objective advice. I wrote a…

LSAT 170 GPA 3.95 2024–25 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

Supplementary Statements - Stanford: Optional Essay, Optional Short Essays (2) Yale: Optional Essay 1 UChicago: Why UChicago, Diversity Statement Duke: Why Duke, Diversity Statement Harvard: N/A UPenn: Why UPenn, Essay Two, Essay Five UVA: Why UVA, Diversity Statement Columbia: Optional Statement + Public Service…

LSAT 165 GPA 3.94 2020–21 cycle

Admitted to University of Chicago

…to make sure everything told a story. Did NOT write a diversity statement; however, my personal statement touched on elements of diversity (race & class background). Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t think of anything to write for a diversity statement, I really don’t think it hindered me at all by not having one.…

GPA 4.01 2023–24 cycle

Attending Stanford University

…send your recommenders a packet with your personal statement, diversity statement, and resume so they can help add to your application’s narrative apply to a range of schools so you can negotiate shot your shoot!

LSAT 174 GPA 3.95 2022–23 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

…would have improved: Could have written/finalized personal statement, diversity statement, supps over the summer. Not sure why I didn’t? I think I felt like I needed to have the apps open to start which is not necessary. To be fair, this is more to mitigate stress than improve outcomes. My SLS essay topics were more…

LSAT 170 GPA 3.74 2020–21 cycle

Attending Yale University

Ivy undergrad Legal job after gradation Strong personal statement / diversity statement (I think this was the most important part !!!) Recs from professors I was very close with

LSAT 180 GPA 3.99 2021–22 cycle

Attending Columbia University

…my apps were not submitted earlier. Essays: Personal Statement on my work experience and why I want to be a lawyer Diversity Statement on growing up in a lower socioeconomic class w one parent who didn’t go to college and one parent who went to college in another country. Some supplemental essays on times I’ve been…

LSAT 176 GPA 3.78 2022–23 cycle

Attending Columbia University

…App Materials, Supplementals, & Context: Wrote “Why X” statements for CLS, NYU, UVA, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke; “core values” essay for Penn; two optionals for Stanford, “top 10” list for GULC.- Submitted a diversity statement to each school about a specific disability, as well as a brief GPA addendum (grades are…

LSAT 180 GPA 3.93 2023–24 cycle

Attending Yale University

wrote diversity statement (LGBTQ, mentioned URM identity) for all schools, wrote why Xs for chicago, penn (core strengths), duke, UVA, berkeley, and michigan and integrated why X into PS for columbia and georgetown. STEM background and work experience in STEM field, had a pretty specific PS topic and clear goals,…

LSAT 176 GPA 3.94 2020–21 cycle

Attending Columbia University

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…

LSAT 170 GPA 3.88 2020–21 cycle

Attending New York University

Included diversity statement in addition to PS in all applications (non-URM). Yale: N/A Stanford: wrote optional essay. Harvard: N/A Columbia: N/A UChicago: N/A NYU: Applied to RTK, wrote optional scholarship essay. Rejected from RTK. UCBerkeley: Wrote why X. UPenn: N/A Northwestern: Did Kira. UMichigan: Wrote why…

LSAT 176 GPA 3.91 2020–21 cycle

Attending Yale University

…to display your reasoning and deducation skills Personal statement -> chance for you to bring out the person in all of these things. You want to go beyond the accomplishments and illustrate the person behind them - why did they do it? what core values do they have? What problems (business or social) do they want to…

LSAT 177 GPA 3.63 2020–21 cycle

Attending Columbia University

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…

LSAT 174 GPA 3.90 2021–22 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…by my non-prestigious background or by my risky personal statement topic choice! Finally, I took the LSAT 3 times. 168 and 169 in back to back tests, then I took a 10 month break (6 month break and 4 months of studying) and then got my 174.  **I just wanted to start off by highlighting that and saying PLEASE study…