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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 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 171 GPA 3.90 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Chicago

I’m a late-cycle applicant, and I applied to UChicago last (besides WashU). Shoot for the stars and focus on your softs! I almost didn’t apply to Chicago because I didn’t think that I would get in without insane stats (read: 175 or higher). Clearly my softs made a hell of a difference and ended up getting me into my…

LSAT 162 GPA 3.70 2021–22 cycle

Admitted to University of Virginia

…I felt that I needed to explicitly state this. 2+ years WE Softs: Worked two jobs during undergrad, TONS of leadership/volunteering experience, department awards, completed two thesis, and one funded research project. Some other softs are not mentioned as they are doxxy. Wrote a DS and included it with every…

LSAT 170 GPA 4.00 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of Notre Dame

…a full semester of pass/no pass grades thanks to COVID-19. SOFTS: one great internship, a couple meh internships, some retail/food service part-time work, and no full-time work experience. campus involvement throughout undergrad including some leadership. captain of university speech team and a few cool awards for…

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 169 GPA 3.90 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Virginia

…Attended a small liberal arts school, not prestigious. Softs: NCAA athlete but otherwise pretty common softs: Internships, PT jobs, etc. UVA’s been my dream school since day one. Took trips to Ithaca and Nashville to check things out, but I just couldn’t bring myself to pass up UVA. I’ll also be close to my family,…

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 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 171 GPA 3.96 2022–23 cycle

Attending Vanderbilt University

Didn’t write any optional essays Applied RD to all schools in December No major C&F issues Softs are academic awards and honor societies, including PBK. Interviewed at GULC, Cornell, and WashU Scholarships from Vandy and Emory

LSAT 172 GPA 3.79 2022–23 cycle

Attending Duke University

…many times as it takes to get a 170+, and lean into your softs. I don’t have any family members or friends in law, and had no idea what I was doing when I applied. I was just very candid and transparent in my application, and studied for the LSAT for over a year. Do some community service and show law schools that…

LSAT 178 GPA 4.00 2022–23 cycle

Attending Yale University

…don’t have prestigious awards/internships or other T1/T2 softs (I didn’t), it just means you have to have a well-rounded application with a compelling personal statement and cohesive narrative for law school. Without giving away too much personal information, I had some fairly unique aspects of my childhood that…

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…

LSAT 170 GPA 4.02 2021–22 cycle

Attending University of California—Berkeley

no “optionals” are truly optional shoot your shot!!! you only apply to law school once (or twice, or thrice :p) cohesiveness is super important; softs only matter insofar as they fit into your narrative Wrote optionals: Penn, SLS, Berk 4 pg PS and why berk, why uva, vandy video essay, NU kira, why UCLA and prog…

LSAT 178 GPA 3.45 2020–21 cycle

Attending University of Virginia

…can change. You can’t change what happened in the past. Softs: HYPSM undergrad (with tough course load + GPA addendum), prestigious 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…