Greetings, 7Sagers!

On Tuesday, September 24 at 8pm ET, join 7Sage admissions consultants Taj McCoy and Dr. Sam Riley 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, as they weigh in on strategizing personal statements and statements of perspective. The audience will be able to submit questions on this topic throughout the session via the Q&A widget.

Registration Link: https://7sage.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArdu-urDgiE9B2qMtAQujHhwwD0Jmnlj56.

Note: The event will be recorded and posted to our podcast once edited for sound quality.

Hello. I am confused about the acceptance decision timeline for law schools. Since most have rolling admissions and Deans are eager to know as early as possible who is accepting, how is this done in practical and professional terms for the applicant? Is it typical and okay to wait until the deposit deadline to reply? Are you asked to explain that you are waiting for other decisions soon after a decision is made? This is a different process from undergrad so I am hoping to understand how to handle this in a respectful way. Thanks.

I was reading an article published a few years ago about personal statements, and it recommended to specify the personal statement to each school you apply to. It had two examples where the authors included 2-4 sentences showing some knowledge of the school's programs and why it aligned with their personal stories/interests. (https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2017-04-27/2-law-school-personal-statements-that-succeeded)

My question is, is necessary or even good advice? I haven't seen any schools recommending this on their website, and Harvard specifically states that they don't really want it (They say: "As for discussing HLS in your personal statement, we do not recommend it. The admissions team knows a lot about Harvard Law School — but we don’t know much about you quite yet."). I understand that you shouldn't make the entire statement about a certain school, but am worried that even the 2-4 sentences recommended by the US News article might be penalized.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts about this!

hey all! Looking for some guidance with my personal essay. I've been in the brainstorming phase of my essay for a while now trying to find my ending. I want to tell a story about myself that is genuine and stays with the reader. I want to write about my love of working with kids. i've done it all my life. it was my "thing" in college, serving as a camp counselor for kids with cancer. I could tell a million stories about how those kids shifted my perspective, made me listen more, etc. But i am having trouble connecting that to law. It seems like every university prompt that I read mentions "you should address your interest in law/why this makes you a good candidate" If you have any advice or have gotten over this same obstacle please lmk

Hi everyone! 7Sage Alum here. After a year or so of grueling practice, I finally got a score I wanted to shoot my shot for a T-14 this past August - a 170! I'm a bit nervous applying because I took the LSAT three times, with 2 previous attempts with logic game and the August one without (does that also matter? will the 170 be discounted in anyway because it was in the new format?) I wondering if I need to write an addendum to explain what happened and if so, what to write in it.

For more details, here is my LSAT history: November 23: 159, January 24: 163, August 24: 170

Hi, I just took my August LSAT and I like my score, however, I will be taking it again in October. I was wondering if anyone has any insight on when is a good deadline to have my applications in by.

I also know that some people are offered fee waivers to apply to specific schools by those schools. Is there anything people do in particular to be offered those?

Greetings 7Sagers!

As promised, Dr. Riley and I are going to address some of the most common questions from last night's Q&A that we weren't able to get to. We'll be adding questions and responses to this thread through the end of the week!

Warmly,

Taj

Hi everyone!

This year we got more than 1000 applications for our 7K scholarship! After combing through them all, we’re thrilled to announce the winner and runners-up. We’re deeply moved by the stories and determination of these students, and are confident that the world will be a better place when they have law degrees.

Okay, drumroll please:

The winner of the 7Sage 7K scholarship is Alexis Boehmer. Alexis 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 Liyu Woldemichael. Liyu 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: Shayra Nunez, Jasmin Gonzalez Escobar, Joyce Giboom Park, Bree Pate, and Nayla Paredes. 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 those we didn't recognize—thank you for taking the time to submit your applications. We know it took time and effort, and we’re grateful to have learned about your journeys. This decision was incredibly challenging; so many of your stories moved us. Your essays make it clear that each of you will achieve remarkable things in the legal profession.

We’ll open applications for the 2025 7Sage 7K scholarship this spring—stay tuned!

Winner:

Alexis Boehmer

Runner-up:

Liyu Woldemichael

Finalists:

Shayra Nunez

Jasmin Jasmin Gonzalez Escobar

Joyce Giboom Park

Bree Pate

Nayla Paredes

Was stuck between D and E, but decided to go with answer choice E.

Someone please explain why E is wrong

­In the course of his reading, George Orwell probably encountered certain storytelling conventions over and over again, and these are the devices he would have most likely used in his work. That is why it does not follow that, even though his 1984 resembles other books of its

futuristic genre, Orwell read those books; it is possible that he and the other authors were simply drawing on the same body of literary conventions.

(D) A recent film that involves car chases, explosions, and clever villains is not necessarily directly influenced by other films of the action genre.

(E) A historical romance novel does not fit into its literary genre unless it employs certain kinds of conventions.

I'm writing about a very niche topic, and I'm including a short background paragraph in my essay. Do I need to/should I include a citation for this information? My gut is saying no, but if it's information that didn't come directly from me I don't want to end up plagiarizing.

anyone interested in reviewing each other's personal statements, resumes, essays etc.? May be a good way to get ideas and also learn about schools you did not consider!

Hey y'all. I was hoping anyone could give me some advice or insight on how to pick a professor to write a letter of rec.

I had already picked my two professors for letters of rec and sent out emails to ask if they could write the letters for me. They are both professors that I was a research assistant for during my time in undergrad. They both got back to me and told me yes, however one of the professors wrote to me that I should also get letters of rec from professors who had me in their classes.

This completely stressed me out because I thought I had my letters of rec all figured out and done but now I'm spiraling and trying to figure out if it will look bad if my two letters of rec are from professors I did research with and were not in their classes.

So I guess overall my question is if it's okay if I have two strong letters of rec from professors I was a research assistant for (and they're both political science professors so within my major, and one of them is the dean of the social science department) or will it look bad that they're not professors who had me in their class.

Thanks!

Hello all! I've heard great things about this forum in my non-trad law school journey. I am 28 and wrapping up a PhD in Romance languages. My aim is to finish my degree in Spring 2026 and matriculate into a law program by that fall. I have thought about law over the years, but developed an interest in teaching & humanities research. But it's my research and experiences that have led me back to the legal world, especially anywhere that international, immigration and/or labor & employment law might intersect.

I had a meeting with a career services advisor (not pre-law) who was seriously concerned about my appearing to be a perpetual student when applying. She said I absolutely MUST get some kind of internship experience in immigration or international law before I apply in 2025 if I want to stand a chance for admission.

I have not fully "locked in" so to speak in securing that kind of position, but have a few contacts and programs in mind. I'm also considering how I can balance this with getting my research funded so I can wrap up my dissertation in time. My question is: how much am I jeopardizing my admissions prospects WITHOUT that specific internship experience, ex. if I got funded to research abroad? And will I truly be an irredeemable egghead in the case that I'm not able to land an internship?

Is the career switch (from academia to law) addendum-worthy, or is it something that can be adequately covered in the scope of a personal statement?

I'm fortunate enough to have several close faculty contacts from my undergrad institution. That said, I got my BA in 2018. Should I just focus on current faculty (like my dissertation committee) for LORs?

Thank you all!

Hello everyone. Understanding that the undergraduate GPA is an extremely important factor in your application, I have a hard time viewing the strength of mine. I went to a strong liberal arts college that’s known to be very anti-grade inflation. They also don’t give out A+ grades. CAS gives credit to A+ grades and it seems a 3.72/4.00 GPA is at a disadvantage compared to many people who have it out of 4.33 with CAS conversion.

I’ve been told conflicting answers and now I’m even more confused. I would like to hear input to see where I am so I can put my worries to rest.

Really would like some clarification on this! I know this is what it's like with medical school, and even undergrad. Does this hold true for law schools? For example, let's say I'm an applicant from...Minnesota; will I be held to a much higher admissions standard applying somewhere like...University of New Mexico?

Hi, I recently got my score for the September 2023 LSAT (I just finished the writing section) and I am wondering if I should cancel it. I got a 165, however, I am retaking the test this August (2024) and again this September. I have recently been testing in the high 160's and low 170's and so I was wondering if I should cancel the 165 or just let it stay. I would really appreciate the advice!

.

I decided to take a gap year at the last minute after my recommenders had already submitted my letters of rec into LSAC. Can I still use these letters when applying for the next cycle or should I get them updated. Idk what to do because one was a professor I haven’t had for awhile so there isn’t anything to update and one is from an internship I had for a semester where there also isn’t anything to update anymore.

Hello. I have noticed that the Law School Admissions Predictor appears to overestimate my chances of getting into some of the listed law schools. For example, there is one school in which I supposedly have a 69% chance (likely target) of getting accepted, although I am below both medians for LSAT and GPA. With this in mind, should I continue to utilize the Law School Admissions Predictor in narrowing down the list of law schools that I should apply to this fall?

Hello all,

It’s safe to say that my GPA isn’t the greatest, and it’s mediocre at best. I finished college with a 3.3 GPA in Political Science, albeit with an upward trend where I was on academic probation the first year of college. I am hoping to achieve a 160 on the LSAT with one year of studying. Does anyone else have a similar GPA with a success story? I’m really hoping I am not putting in work to realize that my chances at law school are bleak. I know the acceptance predictor exists, but I have a hard time believing how accurate it is.

Thanks everyone

I've read a few discussions already regarding a vaguely similar situation, but just wanted some advice re my specific circumstance.

So, I completed my entire undergrad degree remotely and did not engage much with any of my professors. I could not pick any of them out of a lineup due to the asynchronous nature of online learning. Given this, I have considered asking a couple of my dual enrollment professors from my senior year of high school who know me quite well and could write a genuine LOR.

As for my third LOR, I was living in London and working full-time at PwC during my undergrad studies, so I am going to ask a colleague.

Any advice regarding this situation? Would an addendum do more harm than good? I.e., bring attention to my lack of relations with undergrad professors.

I just had a few questions regarding applications, the application cycle and when the best time to apply is. I am planning to take my first LSAT in August and also plan to take another one in October. The reasoning behind this is that if I don't like ny August score, I still have the opportunity to take another test and get the scores back before November. If I end up using my October score, is it too late in the application cycle to start applying on the first of November? Please let me know if my line of thinking makes sense and if I should make any changes. I am currently studying 2-3 hours daily for the past 2 months almost.

I understand most law schools require two, but will accept up to four LORs. Assuming I have four different recommenders that can write me a solid recommendation, is there any downside to submitting the maximum allowed letters?

My GPA is 2.6 and my June LSAT score is a 176, 4 yrs WE. My dream school is USC. I am having trouble figuring out what to do with my ED. Is there a point to apply ED to UCI as a safer option? Would EDing USC be a waste considering my GPA? I wouldn’t mind being admitted to either school, I just want to maximize my chances.

First some context.

My top school is the law school associated with the college I went for Undergrad.

My college is also in my hometown, and I have extremely close ties to the college (I was going to football games, baseball games, and other events they've had before I could walk).

I graduated in 2022 and now live on the other side of the country working for a nonprofit.

Should my Personal Statement be how I want to go home, which is true, study law there, and all of that. Or. Focus not on my desire to go back but rather my experiences post-grad?

Thank you all!!