Hi all,

For a school that you REALLY want to go to, how many optional statements would you do? All of them?

In my case, I am applying to Penn (I'm a bit above the 25 percentile for LSAT and GPA, so it is a reach for me). The school offers 4 optional essay topics: 1) standard DS, 2) 'Why X school?', 3) question about teamwork, 4) typical addenda question.

I am already planning to submit #1 & #2 in addition to my PS. The instructions say 'You may answer more than one essay topic if you so choose.' Of course no reason to answer #4 if unnecessary, but is it bad form not to come up with something for #3?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Hey everyone,

During the summer, I asked one of my former employers for a LOR (Letter of Recommendation). I worked for him for 3yrs as more of a personal assistant than a legal assistant. I did do some legal work for him (small claim suits related to his real estate business) but most of my responsibilities were non-legal. Since I graduated from college about 10yrs ago, academic LORs are out of the question. So, my former employer agreed to write a letter for me and to help him draft it, I provided him with a binder full of info about LORs, a sort of guide if you will. The most important thing I included in this guide was a detailed list of the legal projects I worked on and what I did in those projects. I also told him to take his time, and to contact me when it was ready because I had a family friend who happened to be a Notre Dame Law School grad who could proofread the letter and give him feedback.

A few months later, my boss emailed me the letter and without reading it, I took it to my family friend for proofreading. After reading it and going over my resume, my family friend shockingly told me that the letter was prominently missing anecdotal info about what I worked on in my previous job. In other words, my former boss either forgot or chose not to include one of the various legal projects I worked on. I haven't read the letter, but I get the feeling that it's full of platitudes and generalities about why I want to attend law school. As most of you know, anecdotal info is paramount to a LOR. So I think the letter needs major improvement.

I'm a little confused on how I should proceed though: how should I tell my former employer that he needs to carefully revise and include anecdotal info in my LOR? I don't want to sound too forceful or complain about the letter because he might misinterpret my concerns or may just rush through it just to get it out of the way (he's a busy guy); but at the same time, I'm concerned that he didn't take his time in writing it because in the guide I provided, I stressed multiple times that anecdotal info is of utmost importance in a LOR. Maybe he didn't bother to look over the guide, which means he didn't meticulously or carefully craft my LOR, or as much as I would have liked him to. I want to respond to him as soon as the holidays are over, but I don't know how I should approach this. Any advice or suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks

Hello, just curious to get some information regarding Norcal law school admission. Am interested in Stanford, UCB and UCD. Has anyone in here got into Stanford or UCB and is willing to provide some insight regarding application process or provide general information.

If anyone has a PS that is centered around divorce/close family member's death, I'd be glad to swap and offer some insight. My PS revolves around that subject. Go ahead and message me and I'll share email.

I'm bad at writing my resume, and I don't think it's a natural skill at all. I don't think I'm unique in this way. Anyway, I did find a great resource called Creddle which is FREE. Don't worry I'm not an affiliate! It helps you organize, and format your resume. Even better it pulls from your LinkedIn so you don't have to compile it from scratch. It helped me create my first decent (fingers crossed) resume ever. It has a cover letter section too. If anyone has any questions about using it feel free to PM me since I've gotten pretty comfortable with it. Hope it helps. :)

My September score wasn't what I wanted but it's good enough for most of the schools I'm looking at. I'm retaking in December but should I go ahead and apply now? If I apply now, should I write an addendum about another score coming or will they see that I'm registered?

Can someone please nudge me in the right direction with my personal statement? Mine centers around an event that had a significant impact on me in college. I included elements to give the reader a sense of who I am and how I think, but only one or two paragraphs directly address why I want to pursue law school. If you need more details feel free to message me! Thank you for any advice or feedback. :)

Hey everyone, I couldn't find info about this online, so I figured I'd ask on here. I went to an undergraduate institution for a semester and ended up withdrawing from all of my classes (pretty sure it was non-punitive). Would I be required to include this transcript on my Lsac gpa? I was wondering because I did not end up earning any credits there. Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I'm pretty set on putting in applications for this application cycle, but know there is a possibility I would want to defer or re-apply during a later cycle so that I can continue to pursue other goals. I'm wondering how declining admission to a school (T14) would impact a later application. I have heard that declining admission if you got off the waitlist looks very bad. Are deferrals ever granted for 2+ years? How soon after receiving an admissions offer does one have to make their decision?

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

My average PT score right now is 168.5 (highest was a 175) with my recent scores in the 169-173 range; my BRs are consistently in the low-mid 170s. My GPA is 3.79 (it's lower than my actual GPA cuz I went to a quarter-system school: kill me).

I have not started writing any essays and I want to apply this fall. Is it worth it to get any kind of admissions consulting? I'm paying out of pocket and there are so many free resources available, so I'm doubting the value of paid consulting. But I also want to produce the best possible application. What do y'all think?

Secondly, I would love to study for the September/October with some peers based in the Bay or the Pacific Time Zone. If you live around the Fremont or Milpitas area, let me know and we can study in-person at a library or coffee shop. If not, I'm happy to use Zoom!

Thanks in advance!

Hello friends!

I am currently applying to a law school in little rock and there is a section that is required, titled, "Statement of Uniqueness." This section says to explain any distinct experiences that I have encountered in my life and how I have grown from those specific aspects. I am a little confused because this section also has an area where you can say, "this section does not apply to me." What should I do? I don't necessarily have some super distinct experiences in my life, so is this necessary?

All help is much appreciated.

Do you have to contact your verifiers and let them know you will be using them? (former employers)

Is there a wait period for a rejected application to a law school with rolling admissions? For example, if you apply in the fall and get rejected, can you reapply in the spring, or do you have to wait until the following calendar year?

Greetings, 7Sagers!

On Tuesday, January 14 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 the state of admissions in January, first waves of admissions offers, application rollover from early decision, and initial scholarship offers. The audience will be able to submit questions on this topic throughout the session via the Q&A widget.

*Note: The session will be recorded and will be posted to our podcast after it's edited for sound quality.

Register: https://7sage.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpd-6hqT0jHd3MVnlY3jKRjowne8HcEISr

Have a safe and happy winter break!

Anyone else having trouble fitting their descriptions in on the electronic applications?? haha any advice?

I got my Associate's for transfer in a bit less than 2 years and finished the rest of my credits at a University in 2 years. So total education time was 4 years. I took a couple community college classes while I was a high school senior and I took classes every summer and intersession. I guess I should have requested transcripts not just for LSAC but for my own personal review as well bc I do believe there was a period of time like one semester when I was just taking one or two College classes (technically part time??). I think my IGETC transfer was already approved at the time and I just had to wait until the Fall to start university. I was working 35 hours a week during that period as is evident by my resume.

I guess from looking at my transcript one might wonder why I didn't finish my education in 3 years. I just didnt think it was necessary and didnt even think about it until now bc I finished my 4 year degree in 4 years like normal and I honestly dont entirely remember how many classes I took.

I already sent in 3/8 applications and one of them was my [Realistic] Top Choice as it's a top 50 school in a location I love and just based on my GPA and LSAT I should get in with like a 20k merit scholarship.

Did I just ruined my chances of getting in?

Does anyone know of any admissions group chats? I know LSD has chatrooms but I was thinking more along the lines of group chats or discords for people applying fall '24. I don't know many pre-law people, just attorneys from work, as I am in the workforce and am first-gen. If anyone wants an accountability partner for the admissions process please hmu! I've got a 164 and am going to be applying to several schools around t50, mostly in the midwest. Thanks!

Hi! I was wondering if anyone was in a similar position or can help guide me in my current situation. I did two years of undergrad at one Canadian university, and then I transferred to another. Since not all my credits transferred over, and because I did not complete a full course-load in my second year of undergrad, I have to do an additional fifth year. I know each law schools are different whether they look at your best two years or your cumulative GPA, but do they look at your transcripts from the school you transferred from and take those marks into account for GPA calculation/or as one of your best academic years? When I transferred to my new school, my GPA was wiped clean. As well, I don’t require to take a full year’s worth of courses in order to graduate this year in my fifth year, but if I do extra courses to bump my GPA, will they count those even if they are additional courses not required for me to graduate? I have been trying to do research these questions on chat forums and on Canadian Law school websites but I have had no luck.

I appreciate any help!

Thanks!

I had to withdraw from all of my classes halfway through my third semester of university because of a traumatic accident which left me with a severe concussion and broken collarbone. This fact is described in my personal statement, though it is not the main topic.

Would it be advisable to also explain the 'W's on my transcript from this time through a addendum, or would that be over-kill?

Hello everyone,

I would appreciate it if you could provide insight into some potential questions I have received from various applicants with similar/repeated questions. Here they are:

If an applicant has gone to 3 academic institutions: two in US/Canada and one outside US/Canada, will all 3 transcripts be included in LSAC's GPA? It's worth noting that one institution attended outside US/Canada had a 4.0 GPA grading scale with a US/Canadian-based curriculum.

A course was taken twice/repeated. The transcript shows both grades along with course credit however the 1st attempt is marked as an "extra" course meaning while it does have a credit shown, its credit value is equivalently 0 as it does not count towards the institution's cGPA calculation. Hence, would the 1st attempt need to be mentioned/ will count towards LSAC's GPA calculation?

Would meeting a law school's 75th percentile GPA allow you to get in if you meet its 25th percentile LSAT score? Kinda like a reverse splitter per se.

Thank you :)

Well with the Nov test scores out, I finally have my stats and am ready to start applying.

2.47 CAS GPA

168 LSAT

7+ years WE with upward mobility

T3 softs

Pretty decent professional LOR

I don’t have any real geographic constraints (though my local regional school is my target.) Looking for splitter friendly schools and those likely to give scholarships to someone with my background. Thanks for any help!

Hi,

In the midst of studying, I take some time to draft multiple versions of personal statements so I am not rushed later when I am looking to apply and to remind me why I am doing this studying. It’s helpful!

But, I am torn on the statement vs supplement strategy. I have a very mixed background: I started college at a conservatory for musical theatre and left reimbursed due to harassment by a faculty member, which drove me to consider legal coursework at my new university. However, at my new university, I also interned in the legal field (with a Judge, at a class action nonprofit, with men re-entering public life post-incarceration, at the US Mission to UN) and took several legal studies courses at the undergraduate and graduate level (wrote papers on LGBT asylum procedure, which included an interview with an asylum grantee in the US from the Middle East, Fourth Amendment tights and their protection of Christian religious single cell terrorism in the US; the legality of securitization around drone warfare, etc.). My thesis was very legally focused (exploring how indigenous communities in Alberta might use international norms to subvert environmental degradation and displacement).

However, even with all of this passion for law, I wanted to test the aspects I loved of my studies in different settings to ensure law is the field for me, so I worked in the non profit sector (public health campaigns) and now I work in the private sector (analytics) to address two main facets of law I love (serving the public as analytical thinking and persuasion).

Now, I know I want to do law, as these career experiences have taught me that I can’t do either in isolation nor address public interest needs in as proactive or impactful a way as I desire without practicing law.

So I’m torn on where I start. I’ve written about 3 statements, ranging from very plain Jane to driven by a metaphoric concept.

Is there a strategy, given my story, that I should focus on with what goes in personal versus what goes in supplemental?

Part of me thinks I shouldn’t take up space sharing the details of my transition from musical theatre to academia given I have other more recent and relevant experience. However, I know an ad com will look at my transcript and say “what happened here/what was that semester gap”? Do I mention anything about the research work I did in while in school, or is the fact that I took a class titled "Rights of the Accused" or "International Human Rights Law" enough?

My gut is to write a very direct statement that focuses on my legal interests/studies and decision to test the other career paths I thought might address them (recognizing they did to no avail). Then, I would write a supplement that discusses how I went from musical theatre to law (this would likely have some more metaphor than the statement).

Thoughts on this strategy? Am I wrong in assuming an ad com will want to hear about what happened that early in my university career, even though I ended up with a pretty decent GPA (3.79)? Also, given that I took about 6 graduate-level courses in undergrad, is it worth listing those out in a supplement as well so that they are aware of the rigor of some of the courses I took?

Should I nix mentioning my research work I did in school and instead include something like that in a supplemental? I plan on addressing my thesis work in my resume under the "academic" portion, which might be enough.

Thanks for the help and guidance!

I was waitlisted a UM and they invited me to submit any additional materials I didn't include in my application. I have a diversity statement that I could send or should I just send a LOCI?

Thanks!

Is this standard practice? I am writing a LOCI to School A and was wondering if I should include any info on other acceptances, or should I skip entirely?

Schools A and B are in the same city. School B is ranked slightly worse. I applied ED to school A.

Before, I never considered writing a diversity statement, because I didn’t realize how broadly law schools defined “diversity.” I understand that women are becoming better represented in the legal profession than they have been in the past, so I don’t want to seem like I’m just trying to have an extra essay to write. Coming from a STEM background in undergrad, I have seen how underrepresented women are in STEM. I am considering some legal fields pertaining to this (patent law, IP law), but I’m not set on these fields. Would it be worth discussing this in a diversity statement (my potential to bring diversity to the STEM-related fields of law)? I just don’t want it to come across as not being genuine or anything! Thanks in advance!