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Last comment wednesday, nov 08 2023

Employment History

I'm 3 years out of undergrad and I'm trying to figure out how many jobs to include in the employment history of my law school applications.

I have 5 full time jobs listed on my resume but I started working at McDonald's when I was 16 and in high school. Should I include all of my part-time work from high school and college? (retail, hospitality, food-service, etc.)

If I list every job (part-time/full-time) and include internships I will be at 17 jobs.

Any thoughts?

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Last comment wednesday, nov 08 2023

Late letter writer

Hi folks,

So, I have two letters of recommendation on file and assigned to schools. I have asked three people to write me letters, and I am still waiting on the third. I should get it this week (I would hope), but then again I also thought I would have gotten it by now.

My question is: If I submit applications now, without the third letter received (and therefore without it assigned), can I assign it to schools once I do receive it even if I have already submitted the applications for those schools? Or is it impossible for me to assign a letter to a school, so that ideally the admissions committee then looks it over at some point, if I have already submitted the application for that school?

With the utmost respect to all my fellow 7Sage users, I am not interested in advice about whether I should or shouldn't wait to submit applications until I get the third letter. I am interested in the answer to the specific question I asked. Thanks!!

Is taking the LSAT in January and submitting my application materials too late for the Fall 2024 class?

I have been out of college for some time and really do not want to put off law school any longer so any advice is greatly appreciated. I understand it would put me at a disadvantage compared to those applying before thanksgiving but do I still have a decent shot if I score in the high 160's? I have backups that are decent in the T50s and below but ideally I would like T30 and above.

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Last comment saturday, oct 28 2023

Character and Fitness

I'm working on my apps right now. One school is asking "Have you ever been cited, charged, detained, taken into custody, or arrested for a violation of any law, statute, or ordinance, regardless of the outcome of the case? Please note this includes traffic offenses for which the penalty was a fine actually paid of $200 or more"

I have received traffic offenses, but I cannot remember if they were fines that were $200 or more. Anyone know how I can check this? Or if I should just state yes/no.

Hi everyone. Just wanted to get your takes on the diversity statement/additional essays.

How much would it hurt me to forgo these and simply submit just my personal statement?

I have read that forcing a diversity statement is not a good idea and even though I am an international, I just can't seem to write an effective essay on the topic!

On the other hand, I am considering writing additional essays (especially the "why do you want to go to our law school" prompt) and short answer essays for my top choice schools but again is this essential?

As a final note, what's the best place to get someone to check over my personal statement? I am considering using 7sage services but alternatives are welcome.

I know this is well in advance of the time; however, I was just wondering if I could in theory submit a letter of recommendation for an application for admission for the Fall 2025 semester right now and have the letter dated for that time. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm wondering what folks' perspectives/ advice would be on talking about highschool extracurricular involvement within a personal statement (Part B of a two-part personal essay).

For context, I live in Canada and all schools in the province that I live in use one standardized application form. The form specifically instructs applicants to only list post-'high-school' involvement, work experience, etc. This question relates to one school in particular that I'm applying to, which has two parts to their personal essays section; Part A is open-ended and I spoke only about broader lived experience and University involvement, my vision for law school, all the basics (no specifics about highschool), and Part B, which has various question prompts, the one that I'm leaning most towards answering is, "Discuss a challenging ethical issue or a serious interpersonal conflict that you have encountered and explain how you resolved it".

The specific experience I want to talk about (being as vague as possible here) is what I learned being a student representative at the board-level during my senior year and the ethical dilemma I encountered when the board was considering a motion regarding school policies that did not align with my own views of equity/ justice and I faced public backlash from other (adult) board members for voicing the opinion of the many student constituents that I represented on the issue. I don't think this is a controversial topic but I would still frame the topic as neutrally as possible to avoid bias from the application selections committee.

Thanks for reading and any input/ advice anyone may have and best of luck to fellow November LSAT takers :)

Hello!

I took the LSAT around four years ago and failed miserably. I didn't prepare at all and didn't comprehend the exam's format, therefore I got a 139.

I had two interviews with top-20 institutions but was not accepted.

After that, I concentrated on working as a teacher while also producing music.

I was able to become a professional in the music industry that produced for celebrities, a big TV show, and a song that garnered over a million views in just a few weeks while trending on YouTube, among other things.

I am likely to have a different resume/experience than many other law school applicants, which I hope will help me.

With my LSAT and new experiences, do I have a chance of getting admitted anywhere?

I am a URM with a GPA of 3.5. I also have a 3.7 GPA in an unfinished computer science degree (few semesters left).

Aside from perhaps retaking the LSAT, I would appreciate any criticism or suggestions on what I should do.

Thank you very much.

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Last comment wednesday, oct 18 2023

Does work experience matter

I been struggling to find a job and I been out of work for almost a year. Due to this will this hinder me from getting into law school even if my lsat and gpa is good? or will other factors play a role such as past jobs, extracurricular activities, personal statement, internship etc? Cause someone told me I wont get into a law school if I dont have a job :(

I still am waiting on decisions from other schools, but nearly all of my target schools have rejected me with one waitlist. I've also been rejected from two safety schools. While I expected mostly rejections mostly because of how late I applied, I wasn't expecting purely rejections.

I work at a firm now and am content staying here for the short-term, but I would prefer not to be here another year waiting to reapply. I would also rather bolster my GPA and LSAT than my experience, as my experience is good but my GPA and scores are definitely what are severely lacking on my transcript.

So... what now?

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Last comment tuesday, oct 03 2023

Fordham Softs

I'm gunning for Fordham because of my desire to live/learn in New York, splitter status (3.18 LSAC (3.42 UG), 168 LSAT, and decent softs.

I'm a mid-senior Marketing Director at 25 and should be promoted to Director of Marketing by EOY.

Is this going to have any real impact on my admission status, or should I retake the LSAT and aim for 170 low?

I need some advice. My two top (reach schools) are NYU and Columbia. I am deciding which to apply early decision to. For context I have a 3.9 GPA from a top undergrad university, will have 3 years of work experience at a top management consulting firm, and 166 LSAT (largely impact by working 70+ hour weeks and limited study time). I also have some interesting extracurriculars, etc.

If I look at the LSAT predictor on 7sage (taking with grain of salt):

  • Columbia - No ED 14%, ED 20%
  • NYU - No ED 25%, ED 33%
  • I know odds are low either way (so maybe it doesnt really matter). I am not necessarily super set on going to law school (will go to biz school if it does not work out because likely better odds BUT if I get into Columbia I would 100% go). It would be great to get any advice!! thanks so much :)

    Hi everyone,

    I'm a current junior in undergrad studying English (major), Government (minor), and Africana Studies (tons of course work). At my school I'm also a Mellon Mays fellow and my research is in comparative Caribbean literature. I want to get a PhD someday, in either English, African American studies, African American literature, comparative literature, or Sociology. But I ALSO really want to get a JD and become a law professor, teaching critical race theory.

    Previously I had planned to 1. go to law school, 2. work at a firm and pay off my considerable undergrad debt (around 80k) and whatever law school debt I may have then 3. think about becoming a law professor. And then later in life I'd get my PhD and become a regular undergrad professor. Or maybe I'd get my PhD before becoming a law professor.

    Now I've gotten enticed by joint JD/PhD programs, especially Northwestern's, which is fully funded. But the catch about having to go directly into legal academia and research, and not even being able to think about working at a law firm, gives me pause. I just read a forum about someone at who did Northwestern's JD/PhD program and not being able to find a job, which really alarms me because I need some way to pay off my undergrad loans. Going to a joint program for six years and not being able to find a job is something that can't happen to me.

    So, where should I go? I've been studying for the LSAT for 3 months now (and haven't really gotten anywhere) and plan to study as long as it takes. I also plan to take a gap year or two between undergrad and and the JD or join JD/Phd program. I plan to write a thesis next year, and for anyone wondering, I am definitely not thinking about solo PhD programs right now. Also I'm not super in to research yet. Also, a lot of my professional and work/internship experience is in diversity, equity, and inclusion and I would like to go into that field someday as well. Also I can also see myself as a author (fiction, poetry, nonfiction) down the road.

    So clearly I don't know for sure what I want to do yet. For sure, I feel compelled to go to law school and get that big salary. My undergrad loans weigh heavily on me and I'm cognizant of interest building up during the 3, 6, or 8+ years it takes me to get my degrees.

    Any and all insight is much appreciated.

    Greetings, 7Sagers!

    On Tuesday, September 26 at 8pm ET, join 7Sage admissions consultant Tajira McCoy for another panel discussion with law school admissions deans from across the country. For this conversation, hear from representatives of Boston College, Catholic University, Howard University, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola Los Angeles, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and potentially others TBD, as they weigh in on the start of a new admissions cycle and we begin to discuss the nuances of the personal statement and how to incorporate your background and experience into some of the new diversity and optional statements. We'll try to reserve extra time to tackle more of your questions and hope to see you there!

    Register here: https://7sage.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FEYd-bY2RZuDtgZgVUNikQ.

    Note: we will be recording the session and adding it to our podcast once it's edited for sound quality.

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    Last comment tuesday, sep 26 2023

    12 credit hours

    Hi, I am a junior with a 4.0 and I am considering taking 12 credit hours for the rest of my undergraduate degree because my program requires a thesis and an internship and I am currently involved with family court research. All that to say, would it serve me better to take 12 credit hours (still full time) a semester and finish in the full 4 years to give me some breathing room for all the important stuff coming up or should I plan to cram it in to 3 semesters and take 15-18 credit hours even if it sucks. Basically, I'm wondering if admissions would look down on 12 credit hours on my transcript? Would several semesters of 12 credit hours look bad? What do y'all think? Would this answer c change based on the prestige of the school?

    Hi everyone!

    After considering a record number of applications (more than 700!), we’re thrilled to announce the winner and runners-up of the 7Sage 7K scholarship.

    Every single applicant was deserving, and this was a challenging decision. The stories of the seven people we chose moved us deeply, and we believe that the world will be a better place when they earn their law degrees.

    The winner of the 7Sage 7K scholarship is Jehieli Luevanos-Ovalle. Jehieli will receive a scholarship of $7,000 to defray the cost of a legal education, a pro bono Admissions Consulting package, and a pro bono 12-month subscription to 7Sage’s LSAT prep course.

    The runner-up is Brianna Gonzalez Ulloa. Brianna will receive a scholarship of $1,000, a pro bono 12-month subscription to 7Sage’s LSAT prep course, and a pro bono Admissions Consulting package.

    There were five finalists: Samantha White, Ahmad Ibsais, Temesghen Ghde, Soumaya Hassan, and one person who wanted to remain anonymous. The finalists will each receive pro bono LSAT prep along with consulting or editing services.

    In all, we are awarding $8,000, seven LSAT prep packages, and seven admissions consulting or editing packages.

    To everyone we didn’t recognize—we appreciate you taking the time to send us your applications. We know it took work and we’re grateful to have heard your stories. It’s clear from your essays that each and every one of you will do incredible things in the legal profession.

    We’ll open applications for the 2024 7Sage 7K scholarship this spring—we encourage you to apply!

    Winner:

    Jehieli Luevanos-Ovalle

    Runner-up:

    Brianna Gonzalez Ulloa

    Finalists:

    Samantha White

    Ahmad Ibsais

    Temesghen Ghde

    Soumaya Hassan

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    Last comment saturday, sep 23 2023

    Withdrawn course as WC

    Hi, I'm considering dropping a class which would go on my transcript as a WC. This is considered non punitive by my university but I don't know that LSAC has this listed as an option. If they were to get this incorrect and lower my GPA, would I have any recourse? Also would a withdrawn course impact my chances at getting merit aid? Thanks.

    Hello, everyone! First of all, huge thanks in advance to anyone who can offer any input for me.

    So, I haven't applied to any law schools yet. I haven't taken the LSAT yet either. (I will be taking it in April.) Still, I feel like this may be something worth thinking about.

    The law school that I want to apply to is T3. In general, applicants have an average undergrad GPA of 3.47,median LSAT score of 152, and the school has an acceptance rate of about 64.5%. I feel that my chances of getting accepted are good-ish, but I think that my letters of recommendation may hurt me. I graduated with my bachelor's in 2015.

    Over the years, I have kept in touch with just one professor, but I haven't spoken to him in a while. It seems as though he has since left his position at the university and now works for a relatively prestigious prep school. It would be better, of course, to have his letter of recommendation on the university letterhead -- something that I imagine is now impossible. And, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure that he would even feel comfortable writing this letter for me. It has been a while since we last corresponded -- a few years now, at least. Consequently, the letters of recommendation that I come up with may have to be professional letters of recommendation as opposed to academic ones. Not ideal, of course.

    My question is: Well, first of all, what should I do about my letters of recommendation? Any advice? But also, if the school happens to reject me, is there any way that I could perhaps meet with someone at the school and ask what my options are for reconsideration? Is this unusual/impossible? In other words, if there were some way for me to become a better, more deserving candidate that would help the admissions board to change their minds, I would love to know what it is so that I could make the appropriate changes.

    Again, huge thanks in advance for any input!

    Does anyone know if being on your college's Honor Council is generally considered a strong extracurricular? I've been wondering this for a while, but I haven't found any information about it online. I had a leadership position on W&M's Honor Council, and I was hoping that would stand out a bit on my applications.

    I scored a 153 on the August LSAT and I'm taking the October LSAT. I know 153 is an average score but I'm just scared I won't get accepted into my law school options and I'm not feeling to confident (because I studied less for the October LSAT). I want to have all my applications in by November 1st so I have a higher chance of getting in. I have a pretty decent GPA (3.81 and 4.0 Major GPA) and extracurricular but I feel the LSAT would hold me back. Should I consider taking a later LSAT and sending out my score to schools after?

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