Hi applicants! I'm the coordinator of 7Sage's admissions program. It's my job to organize our committee of admissions officers, train all of our consultants, and refine our expert strategic advise to all applicants. I'll be on the 7Sage podcast answering questions about the admissions process. Give me all your questions, particularly those related to:
How admissions officers view different 'softs'
How to approach the personal statement
What law school are really looking for
Anything else!
Two lucky question-askers will get a free Essay Workshop with a 7Sage consultant, chosen at random on the day of taping ! (Friday, May 1st). Post away!
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I graduated in 2022 and have spent the last few years working before applying to law school. For applicants who’ve been out of school for a while, how do admissions committees weigh older academic letters of recommendation versus stronger, more recent recommendations from supervisors or employers? At what point does professional experience carry more weight?
@UlisesSG I also had this question! Specifically once you get into the 5+ years out of school range
@UlisesSG I’m military and have a similar question. Would love to hear response to this.
Do you have any questions to recommend an applicant ask themselves while brainstorming/drafting up their "why law" statements?
How do admissions officers weigh ‘softs’ for candidates who have been in the workforce for 5+ years but are below medians for schools?
How do law school evaluate traditional splitters (high LSAT, low GPA) versus reverse splitters (low LSAT, high GPA)? Do they prefer one over the other? I am a reverse splitter and am worried that schools care about the LSAT more than my GPA.
I used to work at my university's writing center, so I've had my fair share of personal statements, statement of purposes, prompt responses, "why our school", etc. It always blew my mind on how people were able to so holistically and beautifully articulate their passions and why the natural progression would be attending grad school. It is this constant exposure to these essays that has made me so worried about being able to capture that in my applications. I don't have one "ah-ha!" moment, or super crazy life changing story, I honestly just feel like an average joe. Where do I even begin? What are some things to consider or brainstorm when approaching these response questions?
What’s a common piece of ‘good advice’ about law school applications that you think is actually overrated or even counterproductive when followed too closely?
What’s a small but meaningful way applicants can improve their application that most people overlook?
I've been applying to jobs for almost a year now and have probably sent over 300 applications. I know the job market in general is pretty bad right now and I'm sure others are having similar experiences. But haven't gotten a job yet and I'm assuming this gap on my resume will look less than ideal. How should I approach this on my application? Should I not address it? Or should I be writing an addendum for it? If the latter, how would one explain that without coming across as a worse applicant?
Does it actually matter who writes your LOR, or is it more about what they say? Like is a glowing letter from a direct boss better than a more generic one from someone with an impressive title?
Should I write an addendum if I had a year where my GPA was slightly like very slightly below the rest of the semesters (but it did bring down my GPA). How severe does the grade fluctuation need to be to warrant an addendum?
Hi!
As a mature student, I have lost contact with all my academic references. I would like to know if I provide professional and community references, would that weaken my application?
Also, how important is volunteer and community work?
how to make your answer to "why law school" stand out?
Hi Ethan,
For applicants with a lower GPA but strong upward trajectory and meaningful work experience, how do admissions officers weigh professional maturity and real-world impact against academic performance? And how can we best demonstrate that we’re prepared to succeed academically in law school despite earlier grades?
Hi Ethan, thank you for hosting! I'd like to ask how best to approach framing a gap between undergrad and law school dedicated to non-law-related work (3-5 years)
@maru I have this same question! I have 3 years of non-profit work between undergrad and law school that doesn't really fit my application or play a definite role in what type of law I want to pursue.
Should a law school resume be one page in the same way that a resume should be one page when applying for a job? When I apply, since undergrad, I'll have held ~2 years full time work experience, but a 1-year year gap filled with 3 part time positions (substitute teaching + interesting food service industry experience). 3 part time positions would hog precious space on a one page resume and is not as strong as my full time + undergrad experience, but it does show work ethic and accounts for a resume gap. Please advise — thanks!
Since there are lots of international students who are using 7 Sage, I think it would be great to answer some questions related to international applicants. I have been trying to gather information about international applicants but not much information is provided:
Are international applicants viewed the same as U.S. applicants? Some schools seems to prefer U.S. citizens more... Or is this just a myth?
What could be some important tips pertaining only to international students?
As an international applicants, are there more obstacles that we encounter? If so, how can we overcome them?
(Not related to international applicants) Are job experience important for law school applications? I heard that gap year does not look good on law school application and I have bee applying for jobs but did not get any responses back.
Thank you!
How would you compare approaching the personal statement versus optional diversity statement when it comes to why you want to law and talking about your background? Should they be similar or very different?
@alai Congrats! You get a free Essay Workshop. I messaged you!
How do you create a personal statement that is dynamic and encapsulates your personality. What are dos and don’ts of a personal statement? What are the best qualities of personal statements you have seen?
Hello, my question would be : Beyond numbers - For applicants whose numbers fall below your median, how much can strong work experience, recommendations, and a compelling personal statement realistically move the needle?
When an applicant’s numbers are slightly below a school’s medians, what specific things in the application can realistically move the file from ‘maybe’ to ‘admit,’ and what kinds of personal statements or soft factors do admissions officers tend to discount as less persuasive?
Any advice on those who are currently working and are on a different career path? Thanks!
How important is it to personalize your personal statement to each school? Not including any "Why this school" prompts and such.
What’s the main question you tell someone to ask themselves when brainstorming a personal statement?
What are some things we should avoid when writing a personal statement?
I'm having a hard time approaching the personal statement in that I'm trying as much as possible (for my sake) to not go for a sob story in how I've gotten here and overcome obstacles in my life. How can we be able to walk the line between creating a compelling narrative of our lives that is powerful and impactful yet reserved and not overtly victimizing that the reader is turned off?
I feel as if so many people have narratives about their direct experiences within the legal system that they can write about in their personal statements. I am passionate about law, but I do not have direct experience. What advice do you have as I try to write a personal statement that conveys my passion for law from a indirect legal perspective?