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Applicant wisdom

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

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…

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 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 174 GPA 3.41 2022–23 cycle

Attending University of Georgia

…early and chip away at everything. I wrote my personal statement and diversity statement over 4 total months. I had 6 drafts of different topics and waited a week then reread them all and went forward with the topic that I liked the most. By the end of my writing process, I had both essays nearly memorized. I did…

LSAT 172 GPA 4.01 2023–24 cycle

Attending Harvard University

…I filled one of their prompts or used a more general Statement of Perspective (diversity statement). No clue if this helped or not, as I literally just applied, but it makes me feel as though I’ve sent in more comprehensive apps. Cheers!

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 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 177 GPA 4.27 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

…my PS tied as much together as it could. LBGTQ+, but no diversity statement. Canadian w/Canadian GPA. Applied for joint degree programs at nearly every school, ultimately decided on Penn because of fit with joint degree program. I know that my acceptance to the joint degree program helped my application move through…

LSAT 179 GPA 3.71 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Pennsylvania

non-HYP ivy undergrad business major 2 year WE in digital marketing, wrote non-traditional diversity statement about digital advertising informing my interest in digital privacy and technology law took LSAT 2x, 165 on first test -> wrote LSAT addendum Penn: wrote Core Values Duke: wrote why law/why Duke, UR 3 2/4…

LSAT 172 GPA 3.88 2022–23 cycle

Attending Harvard University

(in the order that they notified me) Harvard - A Penn - A - just updated my diversity statement to mention Penn by name; didn’t write any specific why Penn essay. Yale - A - 250 was on a time when I changed my mind in academics, but nothing to do with the law. Also, I believe them when they say that there’s no…

LSAT 177 GPA 3.97 2023–24 cycle

Attending Yale University

…Stanford Songs/Class, Stanford Optional, and submitted a diversity statement or equivalent to everywhere but Yale and Stanford. 4 LORs (2 academic, 1 research position, 1 WE). LPT: Help pay for applications by applying for a new credit card that has a sign-on bonus. The Chase Freedom Unlimited, for example, will…

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…