I hope these comments do not express hubris—this is my best attempt at an objective assessment based upon what I consider 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…
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Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
318 entries
Admitted to University of PennsylvaniaI can say with certainty that I had the cycle of my wildest dreams. I almost can’t believe that it’s over. I put my head down for 4 years for a chance at having this moment arrive, and now it finally has. I’m going to Yale Law School! BACKGROUND GPA: 3.99 / LSAT: 167 / Softs: T1.5ish Three years of work experience…
“The only time a lawyer can cry is when it’s all over.” – Diego Armando I stressed myself out way too much over this process, agonizing over how many recommendations to send to each school, which optional essays to complete, etc. My advice is to not do that. If a school is willing to accept 3 or 4 recommendation…
Yes, you have to write all the optional essays. Schools that called: UVA (434), NYU (212), Northwestern (224, caller ID = “spam risk”), Harvard (617), Penn (215). During the process, a very compelling reason to stay on the east coast arose. If that were not the case, I would have maybe (?) picked Chicago. Looking at…
Background (2024-25 Cycle) Applied last year with a 163. I want to preface this next part by emphasizing that this is absolutely not an excuse, but I was working an average of about 55 hours a week for a year at that point and had just come off of a position where I was traveling (300 miles plus) three times a week…
Genuinely shocked and so honored by the results I’ve received this cycle. Coming in, I could hope for but never imagine this outcome. The decision for me will ultimately come down to YLS vs. HLS, with the main factor being proximity to my SO at HLS versus my significant interest in clerking + prestige-advantaged…
I’m shocked at how much I overperformed in such a competitive cycle, especially given a GPA that is quickly trending towards being below the 25th percentile at most T14s. Here’s what I think likely helped me out: Get some work/life experience after undergrad- don’t be in a rush. Be sure you’re overprepared for the…
There are only a limited number of things you can control during this process, and the most important is your perspective along the way. I adopted a “T14 or bust” mindset and started tying my self-worth to law school decisions. I wish I had trusted the process more. I had already done the work, built a strong GPA…
If you are a splitter, the ball is in your court. It’s up to you to convince the adcomms that they should let you in over the competition. They know you will likely succeed (your gpa/lsat signals this) just as they that know the splitter you’re in competition with will likely succeed. You can seperate yourself by…
Wow what I cycle I had! I wish everyone who comes across my profile the best of luck in their law school journey. I will try and impart my best advice. – Ranking the most important parts of your application: Get the best LSAT you can. Your highest score is the only one that matters. I had a 161 and a 176 (don’t call…
I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have had a fantastic S2S mentor, a best friend who just completed the process, and the world’s most supportive and incredible spouse to help me along the way. Hopefully, you have the world’s second-best spouse — but in case you don’t, here are some tidbits I wish I had…
Give yourself LOTS of time to study for the LSAT. I started studying a full year before I planned on submitting my applications, and it took me approx. 400 hours of studying spread out over 8 months for me to be happy with my score. Especially if your GPA is below the medians of the schools you’re applying to (like…
I entered into this cycle fully expecting to be humbled, that despite my stats I would be met with WL/Rs in the increasingly competitive admissions world. I spent A LOT of time on my materials and researching how different schools would work for my interests. Meaningfully researching every school I applied to and…
Update 05.11: no, Penn is not a better law school than Harvard. Please look at employment stats over USWNR. Please be aware of regionality issues. #happyrankingsday More accumulated advice: https://www.reddit.com/r/lawschooladmissions/comments/qf400l/machos_guide_to_admissions_an_effortpost_by_a/ I am remarkably…
Definitely the right decision to take the money, hurt like hell turning down HLS/SLS though. But Philly is great, the people Penn are fantastic—they all keep pushing “collegiality” but it is a real thing here—and the job opportunities are pretty much the same either way. Advice: don’t neglect your recommendation…
your lived experiences matter. spend a long time contemplating about why law before you even start writing your personal statement. seek mentorship and pre-law pipelines. prepare for a least a year. meet with current students at the law schools and ask for advice.
Cycle Recap for the 24-25 Admissions Cycle TL;DR: Military work experience was a major boost. Targeted state schools to maximize partial veterans’ benefits. Thrilled to be attending UVA - was my dream from the beginning and so thankful it worked out. Preparation Studied for the LSAT on and off for two years, taking…
Don’t let the villain that is neurosis defeat you! Stay calm, cool, and collected; decisions will come your way in time. (I’m a hypocrite with this one but it’s still worth mentioning) Don’t obsessively look at status checkers!!! In fact, I’d go as far as say don’t look at them at all. They’ll only serve to raise…
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