I have two situations I want to ask you guys about:

A while before and during my prep for LSAT and law school, I started doing angel investing, and got incredibly close to 2 founders at now multi-million dollar companies. I've changed and developed enormously during the last year or so, especially during the process of helping with their companies. I feel like they know me and speak for me better than any of my professors, and probably any past colleague or boss can. They have all eagerly offered to write and basically wrote it on the spot when I asked them if they would be my referrer, but I am not sure if I should use these. From an outside perspective, there is obviously a potential conflict of interest, as I am a partner and a shareholder in their life's work. Do you think I should use these letters?

One of my favourite professors has agreed to write a letter for me, but the thing is, I got a B-, and a B in his classes, meaning, I was not only not a top student, but in fact, a low performing student. However, that professor, who taught me marketing and entrepreneurship, knows that he affected me deeply, and is part of the reason why I changed from my traditional banking career, and went into the start-up world and then started getting involved in venture capital, and can provide a unique perspective to my application. It probably won't be too personal though, because it was about 5 years ago, and he probably didn't pay much attention to me. Do you think I should use his letter?

I really appreciate any insight on this topic. I know it may be a tad unusual, but I honestly don't quite know what to do. I'll probably end up using them though, if there are no strong objections, since I don't want to re-use past references and have been self-employed for too long now.

I had planned to apply to law school during this cycle, but things in my life have changed. The new circumstances already had me leaning toward waiting to apply next year, and getting my LSAT score today basically confirmed that waiting is the right choice. I have already requested LORs, and one professor has already completed the letter. Now I will not need the letters until next year. Is there a specific protocol for how to address this with them? Can I just send an email or should I meet with them in person?

Hey all!

JK on the title, there are just going to be some difficult decisions to make in the coming months. This post is mainly me just decompressing after receiving my LSAT score and asking for input from others on my current situation, as I don't like to just sit and think to myself at times like these.

So like many people, I got my score back today and was kind of disappointed with the result. My last three PT's averaged like 162.7 and I got a 159 on the actual test. The main school I was highly considering was the University of Utah and their median LSAT is 158. My GPA is 3.92, so I'm not really worried about being accepted, but the issue is that I don't think I will receive much in the way of scholarship money. Utah changed their residency policy so now if you are classified as an out of state student (which I would be) you have to pay out of state tuition all 3 years (base is around $38,000, they are still figuring what the final number will be). I am pretty debt averse, so being over 100k in debt after school sounds like a bad financial decision. My "safety" school (I use quotations because I would enjoy living in the area because I love the mountains and am not really going into law for the money) is the University of Montana. Their median LSAT is 154 and I would be paying significantly less in tuition. I plan on going into environmental law, and Utah has a top 10 EL program, while Montana does not.

For some reason I seem to have a weird ego thing where I would be less excited about going to a school ranked where Montana is ranked (although I could probably accomplish the goals I have there). As for taking the test again in November, I seem to have no motivation to go through prepping and actually taking the test again. I am just trying to make the decision whether to apply with my current score and get into Montana and most likely Utah (but without scholarship money), or to apply to Montana in October with the 159 and then retake in November to see if I could get a better score for more scholarship money at Utah.

So a few questions for everyone: How highly do you consider school (and program) rank when comparing schools if you would enjoy living in both states and would plan to stay in those states to practice law? Given the information in this post, would you recommend applying to both schools in October with the score I have or to apply to Montana in October and then retake in November and apply to Utah in December?

A lot of this post might be me getting my thoughts and feelings off my chest, but I feel that is the best way for me to rationalize the score I got since I tend to be way too hard on myself when it comes to things like this. Thanks in advance for any insight!

Admin note: edited title, no all caps please

Do I get to see what my transcript or what the admission will see? I’ve graduated forever and a day ago and I honestly don’t remember mg gpa and what I did badly on. Makes it hard to write an addendum.

I can't imagine how informative and fruitful law school fairs and campus recruiting events must be for y'all Americans, but yesterday I had a chance to meet a few school reps who came to visit my city in Canada. It was my first time meeting anyone from the admission committee, talk about the process outside the online 7sage forum, and was shocked to see so many other eager and passionate applicants (in real life).

It was overall a very uplifting experience because I could really see the passion they had for their programs. Well, I got to meet one of the Assistant Deans for a school I was interested in applying, and I instantly bonded with her over our passion for biotechnology and drug discovery! I worked as an anti-cancer research assistant for a couple of years before taking this route as a law school applicant. Turns out she was also heading the Innovations & IP clinic of that school. I think I ended up talking to her for about 20 minutes and then she asked for my personal contact before I left the fair.

This morning, I got in touch with an IP law professor of that school (who happens to be very famous in the scientific world for her research), who happens to work with pharmaceutical and biotech firms in the city the school is located in. I had a phone call after that and she got me in contact with the people who can help me secure a summer job in their R&D department even before law school started. This is super exciting!

Of course, I need to work really hard to meet their median LSAT score on the November exam to be a qualified applicant, but the moral of the story is, when you are genuinely interested in a school's program, do your homework, and ask questions nicely, the reps will guide you in a way and help open doors for you. Just wanted to share some positivity during this anxious time!

Hello,

So I'm just looking at my very rough draft for PS and I'm quoting someone I've worked with in the past and I'm opening my PS with a very brief conversation with him. And as a direct way to quote that person to help illustrate my principle in life/work ethic, I threw in the word "half-ass." Once again, I didn't say it. S/he did. Will this make admissions officers cringe? Since I'm going to directly quote him, it would sound super awkward if I rephrased it like "halfheartedly" because that's not how colleagues at work speak to each other in an informal setting. Well at least I know that's not exactly how the conversation went.

What do you think? I mean it's not an F bomb but I don't know what to do with this. Should I not risk it? #supercautious

I'm probably getting caught up over trivial details, but what do you guys put for "Step two: Describe the file" when submitting your personal statement on law school apps? Just "Personal Statement"? Same question for "Why School X"/"Why Lawyer" essays.

Hi all, I just wanted to let you know what happened when I toured UCI yesterday.

The topic of the LSAT came up. Two things stuck out:

The admissions rep made a point to reinforce the “holistic” approach the school has for applications, so if someone falls below the medians she said that person should still apply with a strong application.

During the tour the rep also mentioned that taking the LSAT twice wasn’t a good look. Nothing about withdrawals (though they do like to see improvement in scores so think about that before you cancel), and for those who have done 2+ tests, you may want to write an addendum as to why you did so many retakes.

Hope this helps!

[Please delete, thank you]

I was just in the admissions webinar hosted by David but didn't get a chance to ask some questions. I hope David can see this :)

But also, it would be tremendously helpful if you 7Sagers can comment if you have any thoughts!

So, I've got essentially three questions.

I am a foreign student (UK educated) and UK institutions do not have GPA system per se. I've already submitted the transcript to CAS for their individual evaluation but their academic summary report does not say anything about GPA (it only says "Foreign" under the institution section and 'Above Average' for quality academic record) although the transcript has been already processed. How would this work? Should I just care about LSAT score since undergrad GPA is kind of unknown for now?

I know Law school admissions are mainly about the numbers (LSAT and undergrad GPA). But where does having a graduate degree (Master's) kick in as a factor? Does it only count as an academic/research experience?

I am in Asia so I'm obviously taking the LSAT this October. But depending on the score, I'm willing to travel to US/Canada territory to take the November LSAT. Would this say something unsettling to the admissions process? I mean I was fine and still am fine with the idea. But I have consulted one of my professors and he suggested that taking 2 LSATs in a row within two months may send a wrong signal to schools although I'm not really sure what he meant by that signal. He said that 1 more month wouldn't make a difference but I personally experienced that even 2 weeks of intense PT-ing makes a difference. Since even 1 point increase in LSAT score boosts your admissions chance by many points, I'm more than willing to take both OCT/NOV LSATs.

So.. questions got a little lengthy haha but I would appreciate it if you could share your thoughts on these matters!

Good luck everyone!!

Hi everyone,

I am trying to submit "Why School X" statements for my top 5 law schools. But I don't know where to add them as they are not listed as part of the application.

Thanks!

Hey All,

A question regarding LOR's...

I already have 2 professors that know me somewhat well who are writing me an LOR. One professor taught one of the classes for my major. The second taught a course related to racism and the law. With that said, I have been working at a firm for some time and the head attorney is also willing to write me an LOR. Should I request one from him as well for my 3rd LOR?

I understand most law schools prefer/request only 2 LOR's and have thus heard conflicting things.

Thank you all in advance!

**Edit: typo.

Hey guys, so some schools ask you to list the other law schools that you're applying to. Some say it's optional; others don't specify, but still allow it to go unanswered.

Do you guys answer this question? I feel like listing other schools could backfire if an admissions committee interprets it as a lack of specific interest in their particular school.

Hey guys, I have a question about the "Education" section of some schools' applications. If anyone's in Phi Beta Kappa, what did you put for the "Description"? "Honor Society"? There's a pretty small character limit.

I have heard and read conflicting things about SLS preferring a targeted LOR. Some people swear that if you don't have them, you're not going to get in, but others have reported not having them and still having been admitted.

I just checked Stanford's admissions website and they state, "Stanford requires that at least two and no more than four letters of recommendation be sent directly through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. Letters sent directly to the Office of Admissions will not be accepted. Please be aware of the high value Stanford places on school-specific letters of recommendation. If you choose to provide us with a targeted letter, please be sure to assign the appropriate targeted letter to Stanford Law School. Recommenders should be instructors who have personal knowledge of your academic work, preferably those who have known you in a seminar, small class, tutorial program or the like. If you have been out of school for a significant period you may substitute one letter from an employer or business associate. Sometimes these applicants find it difficult to obtain even one academic recommendation; in that case, you may submit two nonacademic letters. Please advise recommenders that should you choose to apply for a joint degree and/or other programs at Stanford University, the letters of recommendation may be forwarded to that program for review."

I have not yet made requests to my recommenders to create targeted letters for Stanford, but I already have two recommendation letters on file. My concern is that if neither of my recommenders has a strong connection to SLS, then their targeted letters may sound insincere. However, I don't want to hurt my chances simply because I didn't request these professors make a targeted letter for Stanford. Making the additional requests to my recommenders would likely delay my SLS app by several weeks. One of my recommenders received her PhD from Stanford, but she has no ties to the law school.

Any input is welcome. I'm curious to hear how others are handling this, as Stanford seems to be the only top school that explicitly states a preference for targeted letters.

Also, for context, my GPA is between their 50th and 75th percentiles, and my LSAT is above their 75th percentile.

I was listening to a podcast about law, and the topic for that episode was how tech was impacting law. Most people agree that tech will reduce law opportunities and jobs in the future, and increase competition, but one exception was if the employee was properly trained in using new technology in law. The analogies I imagined when they mentioned this was a financial analyst who is a master in excel and python, or a industrial designer who is proficient in AutoCAD or Rhino.

So my question is if you guys know any schools that focus on teaching their students the newest in law-tech? I know northwestern has a few programs that introduce law tech to students, but I can't find anything for other schools.

I'm applying to 3 schools total, 1 much higher ranked out of state (obvious reach for me) school and 2 schools local to me that are obvious competitors and ranked close to each other. When asked in person by my reach (who actually mentioned one of them), I answered openly. However, does answering the optional question on the application "Which schools have you or do you plan to apply to?" benefit me as an applicant? I realize admissions committee are much better at this than I am and know that I'm applying to multiple schools, but is there a benefit to me in providing this information? Is there a way it could hurt my chances at any of the three schools (each of which have a legitimate chance of me going to for very different reasons)?

For context: I consider myself a competitive applicant for the 2 locals schools (above the 75th LSAT) and a stretch for my reach school (at 25th LSAT).

Pros / cons of providing the information?

Love to hear @"David.Busis" 's opinion as well :)

Edit to just bold the question in case its just too much reading.

ETA: I visited a law school today and asked this question directly to their admissions office. They responded with, "To try to determine who is serious about us. Its basically a way we guard our yield."

I graduated from college back in the dark ages when GPAs didn't go over 4.0. Do I need to point that out?

On the one hand, the dates I attended are clearly written on my resume and I don't want to sound whiny.

On the other hand, David advises us to point out different aspects of our GPA if it makes us look good. For example, he says to compare your GPA to the class average if you benefit from the comparison. While researching I found that the average high school GPA for students enrolling in my former college is 4.23. I realize that's high school but still - it drew me up short. My college GPA of 3.74 may or may not be impressive to the admissions officers, but it definitely won't if 4.23s are typical.

Or is it only high schools that go above 4.0 and not colleges?

#help

I have a 3.32 cumulative gpa. However, I had poor grades my first year of undergrad. I want to write an addendum that states that my grades my first year are not reflective of my potential as a law school student. I am writing that high school was simple and that everything was set out by teachers. However, in college, I had to adjust to creating my own schedules to plan my study time. I am also writing that I lacked maturity coming out of high school to know that I needed to plan my time. My grades rose during my second year up until I graduated. Does this addendum sound good?

I am completely lost on my personal statement. It feels as if I cannot find the perfect story to share. I want it to be unique and have been advised to stay away from the "immigrant child story and transition into US". I feel like it is very difficult for me because I am only 19 years old. I've been quite fortunate to not face challenges in my life and things have gone per plan. I don't want to write the basic "I am a perfectionist" story either. I have been very confused and would appreciate any help you are able to offer.

First, I really appreciate any help that you guys are able to provide me and I apologize in advance for any errors (writing late at night). Some information about me is that I am 19 years old, I finished HS at 17, and got Bachelors in 2 years. I feel like I have been quite fortunate to not face challenges that will say "WOAH!", but I am still confused. Also, if anyone is please able to read it and wants to trade, I would love to do that!

1)NERD PS: I do have a PS from Top 100 where my college chose 100 students focusing on internships, research, volunteering, GPA, and more. Personally...it does make me sound like a nerd and does share a lot which is on my resume. I feel like it could be a unique topic, but I'm not really sure.

DIVERSITY PS: I do wanna save this PS because it will focus on how I moved from India to US and adapted as a child in a new homogeneous community..

CREATIVE PS: I could focus on Bollywood movies and even romance novels which made me see world in "rose colored" glasses essentially. I could even switch this and add my first love/heartbreak...what I learned from it, how I grew (ideas of self growth/feminism) , decided to volunteer and help victims of domestic violence, etc...but idk if that makes me sound like a little kid. I think i could word it appropriately tho

THANK YOU!

Is transferring between Canadian law schools possible? For example, if I performed well at University of Victoria, would I be able to transfer to UBC?

Splitter here. I'm trying to figure out whether to include an education addendum for low grades for schools that have already sent me a fee waiver. The reasons for the low grades are the kind of thing that could help to know in some cases (if my low GPA is the one reservation a school might have about admitting me, and they view the circumstances as ameliorating) or could hurt to know in others (if they really don't care that my GPA is below median, but the information in the addendum is perceived as damning).

So I guess I'm wondering - Do schools that send you a waiver have knowledge of your GPA and LSAT, or just your LSAT? In other words do they know you have less than perfect grades already, and invite you to apply in spite of it, or do they invite you to apply only with knowledge of your LSAT, and would be surprised by your low grades and want some kind of an explanation for them.

Thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

I absolutely love how supportive 7sage community is and I am glad that I chose this program. I was hoping that you guys would be able to check my rough draft of the personal statement and provide some feedback. I know there is always room for improvement and I would love to see if I am actually on the "right track". I would love to check yours as well and we can just switch them back and forth. Let me know if anyone is interested and I will message you! Thank you!

I don’t see a feature on the LSAC website to read a submitted LOR before we assign it to a school and send it. Has anyone else accomplished this? Obviously I want to make sure I’m only sending the strongest letters.