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Applicant wisdom

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

LSAT 170 GPA 3.94 2023–24 cycle

Attending University of Utah

…with acceptance. Vandy (A) - Wrote “First interest in VLS” statement and required diversity statement. Also completed the optional short video statement in their portal. Applied too late to do alumni interview. Scholarship was received the day after acceptance. From what I’ve heard they generally don’t negotiate…

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 178 GPA 3.34 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

…heavily into the Puerto Rican side of my roots for the Diversity Statement, especially the post-Hurricane Maria fallout and my family’s, and my own, efforts during the initial recovery phase. Anyone who is actually from Puerto Rico (and I mean born and raised, not just someone whose grandparent happens to be from…

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 174 GPA 3.86 2024–25 cycle

Attending University of California—Berkeley

…Associate Dean (all from grad school) Essays: personal statement about rethinking how I approach anti-sexual violence advocacy after doing my research, diversity statement about experience as an LGBTQ person with a disability, did optional essays/interviews when offered (but only did 1/2 short prompts for Stanford,…

LSAT 167 GPA 3.89 2023–24 cycle

Attending University of Chicago

…LORs, etc.) are outstanding. I spent months on my personal statement, and I’m really glad I did. I wrote additional essays for Stanford, NYU, Georgetown, and Duke. I did Kira for Northwestern and Berkeley. I submitted a diversity statement everywhere but Stanford (error in judgement).

LSAT 171 GPA 3.28 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

…I filled out first and made a grammar change in my div statement months later. I also got exponentially better at those why x statements as time went on- no reason to put your first choice with your weakest application. “Early apps” don’t matter like you may think they do- they only get earlier decisions for high…

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 178 GPA 3.45 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Virginia

…post-grad fellowship, legal work experience, salient diversity statement I wrote Why Xs for UVA, Michigan, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, and Berkeley. Resources I swear by: 7Sage (both the LSAT materials and the $10 admissions course), PowerScore Podcast, Spivey Podcast/blog. Reddit is great for before you apply. But…

LSAT 169 GPA 4.11 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

…the UChiacgo app and was rewarded accordingly. Personal Statement: I struggled with this. I felt like I had no significant life experiences that would help me stand out, and writing about the pandemic I knew was going to be overdone. So I was basically cornered into writing about pre-college, which I was concerned…

LSAT 172 GPA 3.73 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

…put myself as T4 because I didn’t feel the need to write a diversity statement (still mostly in the closet) and most of my softs are just general “you’re a person in college who has their life together” things. ⛧ I am really garbage at interviewing, so I’m pretty sure those hurt me across the board. ⛧ ☠ ⛧ Go blue! ⛧…

LSAT 169 GPA 3.96 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

“Lock yourself in a room doing 5 practice tests a day for three summers.” I’m kidding don’t do that. Wrote Diversity Statement, Music & Classroom Essays for Stanford, Doctoroff Essay for UChicago, Jacobson Essay for NYU, Core Comps Essay for UPenn, Why X for UVA, Michigan, Berkeley, Duke, UCLA, WashU, Vandy, Notre…

LSAT 161 GPA 3.85 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

Though my “softs” are individually T4, I have an outrageous amount of them; thus, on an overall basis, they may be considered T3. STEM Major. Wrote Diversity Statement for all schools. Wrote a tailored Why X for about 1/3 of applied schools (e.g., Berk, Penn, Duke, etc.) My advice is to focus on overshadowing your…

LSAT 172 GPA 3.92 2020–21 cycle

Attending Georgetown University

…Georgetown (unpopular opinion). Non-URM but submitted a diversity statement about being mixed-race where applicable.

LSAT 171 GPA 3.27 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

…in the end I guess. -Wrote two different length PS’s, a diversity statement (non-trad/parent) and optional essays for T14 as requested. -Don’t doom scroll r/lsa , r/lsat , or LSData. No need to get bad vibes/start comparing yourself to others who may or may not exist. Alright, Cycle’s over. I think I probably…

LSAT 176 GPA 4.00 2025–26 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…get your out-the-door before they even read your personal statement. Professional school requires a professional-looking candidate. Rewrite your personal statement a hundred times over. Talk about your accomplishments and frame yourself as someone who succeeds. Your diversity is a strength. I am a first-gen from a…

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…