Hi 7Sagers!

It's been a good long while since I've been on this forum, but I thought I'd bring an admissions-related Q to our amazing community!

Here's my backstory: I applied last cycle to a bunch of schools and decided to accept admission to one, but then had to defer b/c I gave birth and wanted to spend the first year fully devoted to raising my now 2.5-month-old son :)

I met with a friend the other day who attends a certain law school I originally applied to but was rejected from last cycle. Even though my hard stats haven't changed (GPA, score on LSAT, which I have no plans on retaking), she recommended that given my significant change of circumstances, I should try reapplying to this law school again for the upcoming cycle and work on incorporating these big life changes into, and hopefully in the process improving, my messaging (i.e., all law school essays, including the optional ones). If I could have gotten into this school, I definitely would have accepted the offer btw!

But besides the fact that my GPA/LSAT are right at the 25% for this school, I explained to my friend that I had signed a deferral contract to the school where I accepted admission (which says very plainly that "By signing this form, I agree to: ...Refrain from submitting any additional law school applications..."), but she said people break these all the time and simply lose their seat deposit without any other serious consequences.

Giving up a seat deposit is one thing, and by virtue of applying to another school, I know I'd also essentially be saying "so long" to this law school where I've already been accepted... but are there really no other ramifications? No demerits I'd be getting on character/fitness?

If anyone who's been there/done that could offer some advice from their experience or general perspectives, I'd very much appreciate it!

I am applying to law schools this season and gathering my letters of recommendation. I was wondering if it would be better to have someone who knows me better and directly supervised me during my work at an NGO but has no legal background write my recommendation or if it would be beneficial to have someone with a legal background who I didn't work directly under write one for me? I could definitely meet with them and discuss some of my qualifications and skills but I'm not sure if it would be super specific and helpful for the law school admissions teams. Then again, having an LOR from a legal professional could be a really strong boost to my application. Could I possibly have them cosign an LOR?

Hi folks,

This isn't a question about the LSAT, but it is a question about law school admissions and in particular the LSAC, so I hope it's still permissible to ask it on this forum.

I've not yet purchased CAS (Credential Assembly Service), and I'd like to do so as soon as possible (preferably by next week). I understand that in order to do that I need to list all of the institutions I've attended.

But on the page on the LSAC where I'm supposed to add all the institutions I've attended, I find this sentence: "Please carefully review your responses before selecting the Confirm button to submit your institutions attended to LSAC. Once you click on Confirm, you will not be able to edit your institutions."

This wouldn't be a problem if I were absolutely certain which institutions I should list, but I'm not. For:

I studied abroad for a year and I'm not absolutely certain I don't need an international transcript in addition to my domestic transcript. I don't THINK I do because I only attended for a year and the program was sponsored by my home institution, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

I believe I took two college courses from a different institution (not my undergraduate institution and not my study abroad institution) when I was in high school, but I can't remember exactly. Maybe it was three. And I don't remember the exact year.

The question: is it really the case that I have to know definitively the answer to these questions before I can "select the Confirm button"? Is it really true that I can't edit the school information page/the institutions attended page if I figure out I've made a mistake or that I do need to add the study abroad institution or that I do need to add the school I attended while I was a high school student.

I find it inconceivable that LSAC wouldn't allow people to make edits to that page in case they make a mistake or need to supplement it.

Am I wrong?

Hi,

I wanted to know if law schools look at the grades you got in your certification program or in a graduate degree program?

Thanks

Hi All,

When is a good time to ask for a recommendation? I’m not sure when I will apply to schools, but I graduated June 2022 and have been working full-time since. Should I ask my professors (that I had a year ago) now even though I don’t know the specific time I will apply? Ideally, it will be by November of this year, but it will probably be later this or next year. Also, how did you write your asking email?

Thank you,

Melissa

I am currently drafting multiple diversity statements with different topics to prepare for my law school applications here in the fall. As of right now, I have a few different topics that I'm considering to write about and would love to get other peoples opinion on the topics.

Background Information:

For the first three bullets, I could easily compile these issues into one essay with a good story. However, I feel like the topics may be a little generic. I'm really leaning towards my fourth bullet point. I've heard that admissions are kind of over reading essay about Covid-19, however, I think I could write my most compelling essay with this story. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on, 1. whether this would be considered a diversity factor and 2. should I focus my essay on points 1-3 or on point 4.

Thanks!

Hi All,

I just started studying for the LSAT. I believe I’m a potential splitter because I graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors at the University of Washington with a GPA of 3.98 and my GPA at community college was 3.37 hence the average GPA of 3.67. I was also the training and resources coordinator of universities club council and the vice presidential of national honor society at UW. For a year now, since I’ve graduated, I’ve been working full-time at a municipal court as a judicial specialist.

I’m trying to get 170+ to get into the T15. My blind was 156. Idk if that’s possible. I’m studying 5-6 hrs every Saturday and Sunday. I’m not sure if I should (if I’m able to) study more if I intend to take the Oct/Nov LSAT and get preferably a 175. I am willing to extend the test date for the score but it’s a last resort given I don’t want to stay at my job.

I also regret not asking for letters of recommendation from my professors when I graduated last June. I was scared to ask them although I had made good impressions. Now I’m not sure if they remember me after a year and idk how to specifically approach the “asking” email.

Should I spend lots of time on each email to each professor and demonstrate what I learned and what I valued about the experience in their class and them as a professor and attach assignments completed with feedback from prof and my resume? I read the lesson on how to ask for a recommendation - but i don't think it’s enough.

I’m interested to know how you asked your professors for recommendations. Was it short and sweet or lengthy and in-depth. Why did you chose to do it one way vs. another.

Also, I have a professor I plan to ask that got her J.D from Harvard. Should I ask her to write one for Harvard and one for general applications? I know I’m looking really ahead here.

I'm a non-citizen ngpa applicant with a transfer record during my bachelors (2years in one university, dropped out and transferred to my current university which accepted my previous credits, did two additional years and currently in 4th year).

After sending my transcripts to LSAC, I got the evaluated scores back and the first transcript from my previous uni came out as Above Average, marked as 'T2 / postsecondary institution'. The transcript from my current uni came out as Superior, marked as 'Bachelor-Equivalent Institution', also marked as T1 on the first page of the transcript summary.

How does this work for me during my admissions cycle? Do schools see the evaluations and take both grades into account, like 50% AA and 50% Superior? Or do they only count the diploma-granting uni, the one I'm currently attending in? (Superior)

I sent an email to LSAC of course, but they sent back what I assume is an automated response. I sent them an another email but no replies so far. Is there anyone on the forum who has any idea how this works? I would love a response from one of the 7sage counsellors as well..

I have been accepted to UBC and McGill recently, and I am so unsure of where to go. Does anyone have any insight? Rank is important to me as well as community, programming (I'm interested in International/Human rights law), and opportunities. My main issue is that my family lives in BC and I'm not sure I can move far away from them to somewhere that I'd have no community. Any insight is much appreciated.

So I’m about to go into my last year in undergraduate and taking my LSAT in September. I have been planning to go straight into law school (fall 2024) for multiple reasons. 1) If I take a gap year, I feel like I would lose motivation to go back to school. 2) I have the funds necessary to go to law school. 3) I have an idea of what type of law i’m interested in.

Now my question is, even with all of these reasons, is it still advised to take a gap year? I’ve heard a lot about needing it to build up a resume and have more experience in law. I’m just not sure whether this outweighs my reasons. What do you guys think?

Question about resume ordering.

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

Hi, I’m planning on taking the LSAT in July 2024 and I started studying a month ago. I’ve been working full time as a tattoo artist for 3 years and I graduated from my bachelors in 2021. I feel that I’ve acquired a lot of valuable skills as a tattoo artist such as communicating with clients, marketing, managing my schedule, I’ve traveled to work across Canada/ US, interacted with different types of people and learned how different shops manage/ operate. However, I’m worried that it wouldn’t be taken as seriously since I don’t work a conventional job.

I don’t have any corporate experience, I haven’t done any other work/ volunteer in the past 3 years and I didn’t assist in any research during undergrad. I’m wondering if I should pick up a volunteer or part time corporate job? I didn’t see any law related volunteer opportunities in my area but I did find some positions abroad. I’m open to all options and I’m still working but my schedule is very flexible. Thanks so much in advance for any advice!

I was advised by a recent law grad to pre-write all of the optional essays for schools before their application opens. Because of the recent SCOTUS decision, I'm guessing a lot of those essays are going to be shifting around. I'm applying to a large amount of schools and working a full-time job, and I'm concerned that if I don't pre-write I will be swamped and won't be able to write all of the essays.

Is pre-writing something that is even a thing in the law admissions process? And if so, how do we go about doing it?

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!

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!

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?

7Sage admissions consultant Tajira McCoy published a new blog post about SCOTUS decision on affirmative action. You can check it out here: https://classic.7sage.com/scotus-decision-on-affirmative-action/

Hi Everyone!

I have had a pretty rocky road with studying for the LSAT... but I really want to apply this fall for law school. I graduated this May with 2 degrees/3 minors and a lot of work/internship experience (3.76 overall GPA on LSAC, 3.82 cumulative). I took the LSAT in June 2022 with a 147, and cannot for the life of me figure out how to study. I have been battling myself while trying to make a study schedule, whereas I will study for 8 hours at a time and then can't study for a few days afterwards. I do not have a goal score because I don't want to disappoint myself.

Anyhow, my next LSAT test date is September 8th. What do you think of me pushing back another month to October, and using these 3 months to study about 40 hours a week? Is early November too late to apply to school? I'm focusing on all 3 sections, but LR is my worst. My dream is to work in a federal position, and I promise I am intelligent and hard-working. I think the LSAT has really threw my self-confidence and urgency off as I thought I would be better at studying like I was in college. Thank you for your time and reading this, and I sincerely appreciate any and all advice.

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!

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?

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.

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 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.

Alright here's my dilemma:

I just asked two people to write my letters of recommendation for law school. Assuming they say yes, most websites I've read recommend THREE letters of recommendation. However, I don't have that close of a relationship with any other professors/TAs.

I do play a club sport for my university and have a decent relationship with our coach. Should I ask him to write me a letter or is that too casual? He 100% knows my worth ethic, determination, etc., which could look good on a rec letter. Alternatively, do I ask a professor I've talked to maybe once, or just leave it at two people?

Any help is appreciated, thank you!

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.