Hi everyone! I am a rising senior in undergraduate and am really hoping to go straight into law school. However, many advisors and peers have told me that taking a gap year and working in a legal profession is almost always recommended for boosting chances of admission to most T14s. I have been working part time with an attorney since junior year of college, so technically I have legal work experience, but it is not "official" as it was an internship. Would this experience be enough to count as legal work experience, or do I really need a gap year? Moreover, are gap years with legal work experience really that important for admissions? Are there any schools in particular that really really prefer students with gap years? I am seriously so stressed about this, so any responses would be SO appreciated-thanks!

Question about resume ordering.

I've been out of school for two years. Should Education or Experience come first on my resume for apps?

Can I purchase CAS in advance even if I do not know when I will start applying to schools?

Is there a way to see the writing prompts for schools I want to apply to before starting the application?

I recently turned 42, and law school has always been my dream since I was eight when an Uncle experienced police brutality in 1980s Southeast Texas. I always have done well in grade and high school – school has always been enjoyable. Left Texas for California at 21, primarily for a relationship that lasted 21 years. Although my relationship with my Husband lasted 21 years, it was not easy. As a gay man, he suffers tremendously from mental illness, severe depression, and alcoholism. In supporting my Husband, doing well at the community college was a struggle. I have taken classes on and off for the entire 21 years, intending to earn a bachelor’s degree – it never happened.

Fast forward to now, I’m the principal of a small tax practice, and I enjoy helping my clients solve their tax problems with federal and state tax authorities. One of my clients, a retired police investigator from Alameda County, encouraged me to return to school and finish what I started 21 years ago – especially since the recent dissolution of my relationship. Reflecting on our conversation, I decided to return to school to finish up and revisit my long-term goal of eventually enrolling in law school. But two things worry me about the realistic chances of being admitted to law school – my GPA and the school I’m transferring to.

I used the calculator provided by 7Sage to determine my GPA this far, going back 21 years, and it is calculated showing a 1.4. The undergrad school I’m transferring to does not calculate a GPA. It has a Pass/ Fail grading system. So this extracts any opportunity to get my GPA up. If I score well enough on the LSAT in the near future, what are my chances for admission to a law school? I’m considering moving back home to Texas or Louisiana, and the law schools I’d be interested in are Southern University Law Center (Part-time), South Texas College of Law at Houston (Hybrid), and Mitchell Hamline (Hybrid). What say you? Any advice?

Hello, I was wondering if there is any way to know the prompts for the upcoming law school admission cycle before the fall. Are the prompts usually the same as the previous year? Would the recent SCOTUS decision on affirmative action have impact on the essay prompts? Thank you in advance!

On Wednesday, June 28 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, Emory University, Loyola University Chicago, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Richmond, and the University of San Diego, as they weigh in on various parts of the reapplicant process and common reapplicant questions––should you write new documents? Will retaking the LSAT help? Will applying earlier make a difference? Do I have to specifically address being a reapplicant? We hope to see you there!

Register here: https://7sage.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_akOx91pHQSOyN07230Arqw

Note: if you can't make it the session will be recorded and subsequently posted to our podcast.

Hi,

I plan on applying to law schools this fall and I plan to study my butt off all summer and hopefully get a really good score come October. My original plan was to take it in September but I have had some complications come up that make that not really an option for me.

If I plan to have all my application materials ready to go by the time scores are released (including 2 letters and a 3.99 GPA), and hopefully get a better score than I would if I were to take the LSAT any earlier (ideally 170s), would submitting applications in very early November seriously decrease my chances at getting into top ~30 schools and scholarships (not necessarily from top 30s)?

I'm really worried about this and I'm wondering if since I cannot take it any earlier if I should just postpone my applications all together until next year.

Thanks!

A lot of schools list questions such as "have you ever had disciplinary actions/charges brought against you?" Does disciplinary action include inquiries?

Other schools specify that they're asking for "academic disciplinary actions/academic misconduct" so are academic actions included under all things disciplinary or do they differ from disciplinary actions?

I assume no matter the specifics an applicant should either call and ask the admissions office or just err on the side of caution and submit anything they think might apply.

I've been going to school full time (summer semesters included) for the past 3 years and I'll be graduating from undergrad this fall, all while working full time as an office manager, and now a paralegal. My GPA is 3.9. I took the April LSAT and got a 148, 10 points lower than my PT average. I'm planning to take again in June and aiming for high 150s minimum. When I apply to law schools, will my background benefit me in regard to acceptance?

I need help deciding on a school! My deadline to accept (provisionally or firmly) uOttawa is tomorrow, but if I accept there, my acceptance from Osgoode will be cancelled. I'm not sure what to do. I know Osgoode is ranked much higher, but I'm nervous about living there. My career ambitions are to go into the government/human rights/non-profit/humanitarian/international development sector(s), and I simply don't know what to do. Maybe I could transfer schools if I end up not liking it? I'm so nervous! I have also yet to hear back from UBC or McGill, and I have a deferral from UVIC. Please help (in a gentle way, I'm quite fragile at the moment lol).

Edit:

I wanted to add that I would love to make community in law school as I went to a small commuter school in undergrad. I also want to consider the school's abroad program and opportunities for growth. Prestige isn't necessarily the most important thing but I would love to make kind friends and have a lot of opportunities within the subject areas that I want to pursue.

Hi! I plan on applying to law schools this September for Fall '24 and had some questions about the FAFSA application. The LSAC advises law school applicants: "If you plan on enrolling in law school at the beginning of the fall term, you can apply for federal financial aid using the FAFSA beginning October 1 of the prior calendar year." As the FAFSA 2022-2023 application closes at the end of this month, am I fine to apply for 2023-2024 when it opens up this October 2023? Or am I misunderstanding and should've applied 2022-2023? I'm having a hard time picturing my timeline as financial aid always worries me.

Hello all,

I am currently in my third year of a business program. In my second year, I became interested in computer science through elective courses I had taken, and decided to enroll into a dual degree offered at my school. This adds 1-2 years of course requirements (depending on how many courses you take per semester).

After a year in the program, I have realized that it is likely not for me. Overall I perform well in the courses, but since I joined the program late, I am realizing that I am unlikely to finish in only 1 additional year. I am most likely looking at at least 2 years due to a maximum allowance of courses that can be taken per semester. (I work full time over summers, so that is not an option).

Given that I want to go to law school, it seems silly to me to continue to pay for rent in a town far from home, and to continue paying tuition, simply because I find the courses interesting. With all that being said, I am wondering what people think the effects of dropping the second degree will be on my applications. Like many, I am hoping to go to a t14 school. According to my academic advisors, there will be a note on my transcript that I withdrew from the program, but it will not have any effect on my marks or my progress in my business degree.

TLDR: I am currently enrolled in two undergraduate degrees through a program offered at my school. I want to drop the second degree, and I am worried it will negatively impact my applications.

I read somewhere that some schools like to see "why x" essays even if the topic is not specifically listed as an optional essay. I’m concerned because I’ve aleeady submitted a few applications without this addendum, and I don’t want those schools to think I don’t really want to go there. I just thought it wasn’t necessary if they don’t ask for it. Anyone have info on this?

UPDATED QUESTION 12/20: I want to write a Why X essay for Columbia and NYU because I am below both their medians and they are dream schools. I originally thought it couldn't hurt to include a short one (350 words or so), but after reading over a super old thread on a different forum, I'm concerned that I may hurt my chances (and annoy admissions officers) by including unsolicited additional reading material...especially given that it's obvious someone with my stats would love to go to their school. Any advice?

Hey I am applying to a new school after being dismissed (due to external factors that have since improved) from another law school last year. This is my first time applying to this particular law school in question. Should I put first time or reapplicant as my applicant type? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all,

I am in a bit of a shock at the moment. I received my cum GPA and it dropped from a 4.06 to 3.58. I had a rough start in 2010 and walked out on my courses without withdrawing. I need an expert to help me double check if LSAC may have made an error. I need an absolute pro to help me out. I don't want to ask LSAC to double check in case they made an error and somehow end up with a lower score. Any avail to help me out?

Thank you!

Olsas says the admission committees of the law schools reserve the right to apply their own evaluation. But will they really see my original transcript and realize 3.3 can’t really represent my academic performance? Does they solely rely on the WES result?

Hi!

Does anyone know that which gpa is more important when the AOs evaluate our application? Because I transferred twice during undergrad. My current school’s gpa is high. But the CAS gpa will be light 0.3 lower than my gpa now. Any advice for that? Please let me know!Thank you guys.

I'm currently both involved in a court case and attempting to apply to law school. My parents have told me to ask my attorney to write me a letter of recommendation, but I've said that I think this would be really weird. After all, I'm paying her, so why would the law school trust her objectivity?

BUT, when my attorney heard I'd taken the LSAT, she got REALLY excited and happy. She told me that the comments and feedback I've given on a certain document were "third-year associate level," and is thrilled that I'm planning to try for law school. So it would be really awesome if it wouldn't be weird to ask her for a recommendation, since she's both a well-respected attorney at one of the top law firms in our city, but genuinely gung-ho about my potential.

I'm 95% sure that everyone will tell me this is a terrible faux pas, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

When do I need to ask for letters of recommendation? Should I get them in months before I apply?

I was thinking of having one letter come from an undergrad professor and one come from the attorney I worked for since I worked for her as her assistant.

Or should all my letters be from professors?

Thanks!!

I applied to law school in late December and sent a January LSAT score (162). I was accepted to a #50 ranked law school with a ~30-40K/year conditional scholarship. I deposited and have been planning to attend in the fall. For context: this school was not my first choice school, and I have been secretly harboring a desire to transfer after my first year if I'm unhappy and do well with my coursework. I've been trying to suppress this "transfer fantasy" and start school with the intention of staying because from what I've read it's impossible to predict one's 1L grades.

Recently, I started to rethink my plans. I can't help but feel jealous of some of my friends who are starting law school at programs I'd love to attend. Shouldn't I feel more excited about the program I am planning to attend? Simultaneously, I love my new job and am in a happier and healthier place than I've been in a long time. As I think about moving, I can't help but feel like I'm giving up on my potential to attend a higher-ranked program that might be a better fit for my career aspirations. What if, I've been thinking, I defer my offer, work another year, and save up more money for school. I could also invest in LSAT tutoring (something I haven't tried yet) and retake the LSAT in the hopes of getting a higher score and reapply to some of my dream programs. For context: I previously applied for law school and studied for the LSAT alongside a very demanding job. I now have much more free time and bandwidth to study. I could also spend the year getting mentally prepared for school. For me this means, seeing friends and family, traveling, and pursuing personal goals.

I know it is very challenging to increase one's LSAT score, so as I weigh this decision I want to be realistic about how much I can improve. I would admittedly be disappointed if I didn't improve my score and ended up in a similar (or worse) position a year from now. And when looking at the numbers, the reality is only a small fraction of folks get above a 165. I do have a strong GPA and career experience working in my favor.

So... what would you do if you were me? Go? Or wait a year, retake the LSAT, and reapply?

x

So when I was in 8th grade I was suspended for vaping (I know). There was no arrest or anything criminal accompanying this, and it was in middle school. . . would this be appropriate to report with an addenda? When I read some of the questions, they say ANY academic or disciplinary records from ANY school (which to me, means K-College). That language would suggest I need to report this, would it not?

I did poorly in undergrad (but at a good school- Lehigh) largely because I got sick and was dealing with my illness for several years. I scraped through with a 2.1 average (though about a 1/3 of my credits were transfer credits because I had to withdrawal several times and attended other schools). I went on and decided to go to get my MBA which I did from a pretty good school (Fordham) and graduated near the top of my class with a 3.72 average. Am I screwed because of my undergrad despite having done much better and at a much higher level of academic rigor? I've heard that they largely weight undergrad because its part of ranking criteria ect.

Hi,

I am thinking of transferring out to a nearby community college to take paralegal related courses and maybe to boost my gpa before graduation. Would this be frowned upon by law school admission committees?

After one year, I will return to my university to graduate during summer as I will have only one course left.

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of getting my application together for 2024 and was wondering if anyone had any additional personal statement resources, tips, or advice I could use when beginning to write (other than what's on 7sage)? Anything related to diversity statements would be very helpful too.

Thanks!