Hate ads? Verify for LSD+ → Learn More

Follow @lawschooldata on TikTok & Instagram

Applicant wisdom

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

LSAT 178 GPA 3.00 2021–22 cycle

Admitted to Stanford University

…things from the source instead of through hearsay. Both softs and numbers matter. Softs are everything about your app that isn’t quantitative. Whether it is a “good” soft is a matter of framing. In the words of Dean Andy from GULC, this is basically pole vaulting; the bar is set by your numbers, and the pole is your…

LSAT 173 GPA 2.72 2025–26 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

…of my “core” applications NLT 27-Nov-2025. Materials: My softs, in my humble opinion, are incredibly unique but that simply didn’t come through in my writing. I went back and reviewed my 2024 cycle applications and while they weren’t technically weak, they did a poor job of emphasizing what I would offer an incoming…

LSAT 169 GPA 4.11 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

Long recap below ordered by: Biographical, LSAT, Softs, PS, Applications. Summary: Had inconsistent results, but such is the life of a splitter. Apply broadly, study as hard as you can for the LSAT, and emphasize how you’ll fit into a school. I thought I was more likely to get into Cornell than UMich or NW, so 1.)…

LSAT 180 GPA 4.00 2024–25 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…Mike Kim’s LSAT Trainer helped me a lot as well. On softs/your narrative as an applicant: I think a better question than asking what tier softs someone has is what tier narrative they have. Someone can have a bunch of softs that are impressive individually (elite internships, unique upbringing, published work, etc),…

LSAT 179 GPA 3.85 2023–24 cycle

Attending Northwestern University

…My LSAT score carried me for sure, but with stronger softs and essays I think I would have had very different outcomes (proof: stats twin this cycle got a Ruby at Chicago). Not R&Ring as my statistical profile can only depreciate and my softs are bad, so there’s no guarantee I have a better cycle next year. Chose NU…

LSAT 172 GPA 4.00 2022–23 cycle

Attending Duke University

…have been engaged in several activities that amount to T3 softs in undergrad. All I had to do was score well on the LSAT. Ultimately, I did, but let me just say; little compares to the sustained anxiety of studying for a test as difficult to “perfect” as the LSAT for roughly 6 months. Godspeed to all those who come…

LSAT 178 GPA 4.00 2020–21 cycle

Attending Columbia University

…obvi ended up a waitlist). Other details about stats/softs. I took the LSAT 3 times: 169, 173 (Flex), 178 (flex). I listed my softs as T3 because I played D1 baseball (non-HYP Ivy) and made the Academic All-America team one season. My job out of undergrad was very unique (STEM field in what’s considered a “cool,”…

LSAT 179 GPA 3.64 2020–21 cycle

Attending Stanford University

…members because I was so borderline, but my essays and softs made up massively for my questionable GPA. Softs: Teach for America, promoted to a HS department chair role my second year. Liberal arts double major from a top 10 private. Three recs: two from professors that gave me As, one from the director of my TFA…

LSAT 176 GPA 4.00 2025–26 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…your answers concise as well since you are in a group. – Softs: 6’1, 405 deadlift, midwest charm. – Other notes: Stanford: These thoughts come attending from their admitted students day. They love students who have a prestigious undergrad background + are from a unique state. I met people from Kansas, Missouri,…

LSAT 177 GPA 3.98 2025–26 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

…for the prison volunteering that I did through undergrad. Softs details: I did two legal internships (one at a “Big Law” firm, one at a prominent plaintiff law firm), during undergrad I worked as an RA, TA, and Notetaker, I did volunteer work at a prison (and talked about it in 1 of my essays), was active in a bunch…

LSAT 177 GPA 3.86 2023–24 cycle

Attending Harvard University

Very proud of all my statements. Wrote all optionals. Several T3 and T4 softs. FGLI. 1 year of relevant WE (I think not having more hurt me for YLS). Did everything I could to make my GPA the weakest part of my application. Applied late oct-early nov. Would recommend waiting until jan/feb to apply for YLS if you…

LSAT 171 GPA 4.05 2023–24 cycle

Attending University of Michigan

…essays helped set me apart. And yes, I have some good softs, but my two cents is that it’s more about *how *you write about them and use them to tell your story more than what they actually are.

LSAT 174 GPA 3.77 2023–24 cycle

Attending Yale University

…education after undergrad. Those schools who value those “softs” may admit me in spite of my sub 25 percentile GPA. Those who do not either simply don’t have enough spots or value numbers in a way that probably would not work well with the kind of producer I am.

LSAT 177 GPA 3.98 2023–24 cycle

Attending University of California—Berkeley

…at your essays for too long. My only super “unique” soft was an experience with a health emergency and subsequent disability in my senior yr of college, which I wrote about as a diversity/perspective statement. Otherwise, I was a fairly standard KJD-adjacent applicant (graduated May 2023), with lots of…

LSAT 176 GPA 3.70 2023–24 cycle

Attending Stanford University

…to be a very strong application. I have multiple ~T2 softs and sharpened my essays for nearly a year. Strategy Lesson - write all optionals I wrote all the “optional” essays. This seems to be common sense to me but apparently some people don’t understand this. If you can neatly slip a variant of Why X into essays…

LSAT 174 GPA 3.84 2022–23 cycle

Attending Northwestern University

I’m several years out of undergrad and went into this process knowing next to nothing. I hope some of this can be of use to someone. My softs don’t lend themselves to a very cohesive “why law,” and I think if I’d addressed that more convincingly in my personal statement I might have performed better. I could’ve used…

LSAT 173 GPA 3.79 2022–23 cycle

Attending Columbia University

…foreign language double major- What I would guess are T2.5 softs (3 years in top consulting firm; relevant/competitive internships every summer and semester of college; AmeriCorps service; US Senate work; federal agency work; selective fellowship; exceptional amount of in-depth campus leadership experience;…

LSAT 176 GPA 3.56 2021–22 cycle

Admitted to University of Chicago

(∩`- ´ )⊃━━☆゚.*・。゚ background: master’s student, minor c&f issue (grades only), no special softs supplementals for: yale, stanford, chicago, penn, michigan, berkeley, cornell, georgetown bonus tea leaves: chicago: went UR2 through UR5 after interviewing, decision two days after UR5 michigan: date changed two thursdays…