Question: Is it better to apply later (November/December) w/ a slightly higher score than applying in October w/ a slightly lower score? For example... is a 170 application in November/December better than a 166 application in October?

ddddd

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone happens to know what the realistic possibilities of getting into Harvard or Yale with a 3.82 cGPA.

I attended a post secondary right out of high school for only a single semester, and posted a 3.54 gpa across 5 classes. Due to health issues that arose from malaria, I had to take a few years off.

I then applied to a more prominent university and essentially started my degree from block one. At this university I have a 3.93 over 4 years (3.9 on LSAC scale), so my L2 and L3 are 3.9, but cGPA is 3.82.

I am aiming for mid 170s on the LSAT, and have plenty of work experience (about 10 years worth) including multiple jobs, working all throughout my degree to support my large family, and running my own business for the last 6 years.

As strange as it is, there is film of me as a child saying my dream is to go to Harvard one day, and it truly would be a dream come true. My concern is that this unfortunate one semester that clearly drags on my GPA, will ruin my hopes. Does anyone here that tried applying, or has got in, have any advice or guidance for me? Anything is appreciated.

For LSAT: I had a 154 diagnostic 3 weeks ago, and only 30% through the CC I scored a 161 yesterday on PT80.

Hello all!

Am I eligible to apply/be considered to law schools if I have one out of two majors completed?

I will have my first BA this fall, but will need an extra semester to finish my second major. I'm having trouble finding an answer online without having to contact law schools directly, but that is probably my best bet lol

Any information is greatly appreciated, Thanks!

Hi all,

I have a pretty specific question that I am not sure others will have a definitive answer for. During my Sophomore year of college I was studying on exchange in Hong Kong and due to the protests I was ultimately evacuated from the country with 72 hours notice. This left the remaining 6-8 weeks of the semester online with little to no preparation for the transition. Based on this they gave us the choice to go pass/fail instead of letter grades which I elected to do. I have heard that some admissions offices do not look fondly on pass/fail grades and I was wondering if this sounds like something worth writing an addendum for. Thank you in advance!

So I applied to 13 schools over the holidays, from late December to mid January. I heard from most of them months ago, and the rest of them save Minnesota as of the first week of April. I still haven't heard anything from UMN, even when I submitted a LOCI/Why essay two weeks ago. Is anyone else being ghosted by them or another program they applied to 4+months ago? 4 months wouldn't have been so crazy if it was still winter, but I would have thought, this late in the cycle, that they'd know one way or another.

I have 3 LSAT scores on record and a 5 point jump between my first score to my second and my second score to my third (total 10 point jump). I've seen a lot of conflicting information online from not writing an addendum and letting my scores speak for themselves to people saying that multiple LSAT scores/score increases need to be explained in an addendum. Do you think my multiple scores and the 5 point score increases between each requires an addendum? I really don't know what to do here so I would love any feedback that anyone has. Thanks!

Hey guys, I'm waitlisted in my top school and I wanted to know how many others may be in the same situation. What's your coping strategy? Are you studying to improve your score for the following year (if you don't get in)? Are you getting your financials in place (just in case you do)? Are you call bombing admissions to see what movement (if any) is happening and/or your index score? Or, are you normal and doing yoga.

I am considering talking about my struggle with--and recovery from--addiction in my personal statement. I am 11 years into recovery with an academic record that reflects this: I had 2 semesters of sub2.5 gpa when I was 18 followed by a 3 year gap. But then at 21 I began treatment and at 22 I returned to school and got straight As and -A's through undergrad and graduate school, along with some moderate professional success.

Addiction is a big part of my personal story, but there is nothing in my record (disciplinary action, arrests, DUI's) that would require me to disclose this fact about myself. So, I'm a little torn. Do I needlessly risk being potentially judged negatively for my past struggle with addiction or does my 11 years of continuous recovery speak to the fact that my past with addiction is not a liability (and perhaps an asset) ?

Hi 7Sage,



Heads up! We’re increasing the price of Unlimited Editing to $799. We’ll sell twenty-five more packages at the old price of $699. On June 1, or whenever those packages sell out, you’ll be able to purchase Unlimited Editing at the new price.



What’s Unlimited Editing?



Unlimited Editing entitles you to as many rounds of editing as you need in order to brainstorm, draft, polish, and proofread one essay.



If you hire us for help on a personal statement that you haven’t started, we’ll begin by sending you a list of prompts. When we see your answers, we’ll schedule a phone call to continue brainstorming and outline your essay. Afterwards, we’ll play ping pong: you’ll send us a draft, we’ll send it back to you with notes, and so on. Our feedback tends to focus first on big-picture issues of structure and story before funneling down to more specific issues of language and tone, but we won’t spoon-feed you sentences or help you realize our vision for your personal statement. We’re here to help you tell your own story in the most effective way it can be told. When you’re satisfied with the result, we’ll finish with a triple proofread: first by you, then by us, then by a third-party professional.



You can use Unlimited Editing for any sort of essay or résumé, not just a personal statement, and we’re happy to work on essays that you’ve already drafted.



I think of Unlimited Editing as our foundational service. We believe that editorial guidance lies at the heart of any consulting service—you are, after all, presenting yourself to an admissions office via essays—and we tend to hire consultants with a deep background in creative writing and editing. This product is about as far into our wheelhouse as you can get, and it’s what many of us are doing in our free time: brainstorming ideas for stories, then refining, revising, and re-envisioning them until they shine. 

If you’re looking for advice and guidance on every aspect of your application—including all essays—you should consider Admissions Consulting, but Unlimited Editing is a great choice for price-conscious 7Sagers who want to take advantage of our core expertise.



Why are you increasing the price?


The bottom line is that we value our editors deeply. We want to take care of them, so they’ll stick with us and we can continue to offer exceptional editorial services.


Can I buy Unlimited Editing now and use it later?


Yes! Unlimited Editing doesn’t go stale. You can buy it at the old price and sit on it until you’re ready to use it, or you can get a head start on your applications for this fall.


Thanks for reading, everyone!

Hello!

I received a score in the mid-upper 150's for my LSAT back in February and I graduated from W&M with a 3.77. I'm currently signed up to take the LSAT in June as well, but for the law schools I wanted to go to (UNC and UIUC), my chances of getting in are well above 80% according to the 7Sage Law School Predictor.

I was just wondering how trustworthy the Law School Predictor was because I'm considering cancelling the June LSAT Flex if the scores are truly good enough to get into these schools.

Would love to get some thoughts from you all – Thanks!

This questions is brief but seems complicated in my mind. I am intending to write a diversity statement for schools that require/offer the opportunity. In it, I plan to write about various diversifying characteristics of my life, including that my father suffers from schizophrenia -- and remains unmedicated. If the admissions faculty member that reviews this statement knows anything about schizophrenia, then they understand that its onset is typically in your early 20s (my age). I am worried that revealing this information might worry the law school personnel that this might happen while I am in law school. Do the risks outweigh the benefits here?

Hi folks,

I am currently preparing for my law school applications this fall/winter and dealing with the Letter of Recommendation part.

So far, I decided to apply for JD/MBA programs, and already found 2 recommenders from my professional environment with whom I've closely worked with in projects. Both know me well personally, we have an excellent relationship and I am sure that I will get excellent LORs from them. I also informed them regarding the fact that they should adjust the law-school-LORs so that there is a focus on my academic abilities (analytical, writing, reading skills etc.).

However, I found out that law schools generally prefer academic over professional recommendation letters. E.g. Harvard requires at least one academic LOR, and Yale explicitly states that they strongly prefer academic over professional LORs (even if applicant has been several years out of school).

Although it's only 1.5 years since I graduated, I don't feel very comfortable with having an academic source as my recommender. I have a Master's degree in engineering from a top US university, but that's precisely where I found out that I did not like this profession at all. It was a time where I suffered from a lot of anxiety, did not really participate in class and really struggled to keep pace in group projects. Therefore, I feel that, if any professor or instructor will be willing to provide me with a LOR, it will not be a very impressive one (and, worst case, it will have negative formulations and hurt my chances of being admitted).

Regarding my undergrad professors: it's been 2.5 years since my graduation, and it was a European mass university where students don't really get a chance to know their professors personally. I also had a very bad relationship with my thesis supervisor back then. Therefore, I don't think a recommender from undergrad would be helpful at all.

Do you think I should stick with my current recommenders from my professional environment for both JD and MBA part? Or should I also try to add at least one academic recommender to the JD part of my application, although it will probably be not an excellent one?

Hi all,

This is a weird question, I'll admit, for a weird subset of people. I'm a second-career law-school hopeful (36 years old). While it's still months away, I was musing with a friend the other day that I'd need to get back in touch with my college professors and ask them for recommendations. She seemed absolutely SHOCKED by this and said I shouldn't bother, because college is too far behind me. I should only get recent professional recommendations.

My impression was that a mix is best, and really I should have at least one college rec, even if I graduated 13 years ago. This may be easier for me then most because I actually had three professors write me letters back then (for a grad program I ended up not doing). Getting recs from them would just involve checking in, saying hi, asking if they want to update it in any way, and having them resend it.

But IS THIS WEIRD? Will law schools be like "what the heck is she doing getting a recommendation from 13 years ago she could have become a serial killer in the meantime"? I would of course supplement with a couple of more recent recommendations from people I've worked with/for.

Any and all insight appreciated. Thanks!

Giulia

Quick context, international (Korean) graduated from National University of Singapore (not sure you heard of), got AA for CAS assessment. Felt bit unfair because my school is notorious for the ridiculous bell curve. Was in Dean's list though. Got 168 for LSAT this April, and have worked in Big 4 Management Consulting for 2 years. What are my chances for low T14(Cornell, Gtown) or even for T20?

Hi there 7Sage neighborhood, has anyone heard anything about when law schools are opening in-person campus visits back up?

Hello! I have some questions about how the actual application process works (for next fall) and a few specific application related questions, but am not sure where to get the answers. If anybody who has applied before is willing to help me sort out some pre-application questions, either via this thread or over direct message me I would really appreciate it! Thank you in advance!

Hi guys! So I am asking for advice because I'm kind of ~freaking out.

I'm a third-year student in university and I don't have any legal internships lined up in the summer. Or any internships for that matter. I'm double-majoring, so instead I'm taking three summer courses to catch up on some requirements and studying for the LSAT simultaneously. This is making me worry because while I do have some extracurricular involvements, most of them are dance-related. I do want to preface that I'm banking off of my entertainment-related activities to justify why I want to go to law school (entertainment law), but still, I'm worried that this will reflect very poorly on my application, especially that I plan on applying for Fall 2022. Any advice? Or words of encouragement? Idk. Anything :/

Hi all, I am officially done with this crazy cycle (yay!)... However, I am having second thoughts about whether to attend this fall or try and get a 170+ / re apply next year to maximize my options. Before my official LSAT score, I was scoring in the mid to high 160's and occasionally scored 170+ so I'm wondering if I should take an extra year to re take and get some work experience ? If I R&R, my realistic goal would probably be 170-173 unless something snaps in me and I'm able to get higher lol

On the other hand, I have narrowed it down to two schools I would attend for Fall 2021 but one of them is a wait list and a dream school. So realistically, I only have one contender thus far which is UCI. I hope I can get into northwestern off the wait list but with all the moving variables, it's hard to ride out that waitlist much longer. I do love the programs at UCI and I feel it's a great school for me given class size, academics, clinics, etc.. but for some reason, my gut isn't 100% on any one decision. I feel split between R&R and UCI. At the same time, I'm slowly opening up to the idea of big law which pushes me towards R&R. I am not dead set on big law but I definitely know that I want to keep that option open. I have thought about attending and maybe trying to transfer, but I know it's not an easy thing to do.. does anyone have any transfer experience or success stories they've heard? If anyone has some insight or advice on my situation, I'd love to hear it. My mind has been a dumpster truck fire of a mess (I've been very indecisive and my head is about to explode with deadlines coming up)

Edit: I will say that the fact that I did not get into my #1 choice makes me want to re-take as well. Do I HAVE to go to that law school? No, but a dream school is a dream school, right? 😪

*For those who do vote in the polls, would some of you mind sharing why you chose a certain answer? I just want to see the reasoning behind the answers and some thoughts y’all may have. Thanks !

Hi everyone!

I can't believe I am almost done with my 1L year. I remember the days where I felt like 7Sage was my digital home, so as 1L comes to a close, I wanted to hop on here from "the other side" to share where I am.

I remember when I was here on 7Sage, I felt like everyone was posting their 170+ journey and strategy and sharing their journeys from a subpar LSAT to a T14 school. I have so much respect for everyone who shared those stories, but I felt isolated because I could not connect with their journey and it gave me a bit of anxiety of whether I could be successful.

Since I feel like I don't fit the mold of someone who is heading into Big Law, I wanted to share my story.

Here are my stats:

When they say they look at the holistic candidate profile, I feel like they mean it. My stats are not stellar compared to the average associate at my firm, but I have extensive corporate client services experience working (successfully) in a fast paced environment very similar to a law firm environment. Managing clients is a good chunk of your work as a lawyer in a Big Law firm. I also have stayed very engaged and involved in my community and corporate culture all throughout my life. My GPA is not at the top by any means, but I'm also doing Zoom school while caring for my two children during this pandemic, so I think overall, the hiring committee saw that I have the soft skills to succeed as a lawyer in an intense environment, because I have a proven track record of doing so.

For those who are interested in the nitty gritty, I'll leave some more specific details about my journey below. And of course, feel free to ask me anything!

Choice of Law School

I did not get into my "top choice" school, but this school is absolutely the right choice for me. So when the admissions roll on, don't fret no matter how disappointed you may feel. My stats are considerably higher than my peers, so I ended up getting a 70% merit scholarship. I cannot stress enough how much in hindsight this was such a wise move for me... I felt strongly that if I let my waitlist schools know that I would go no matter what with 0 financial aid, I would have a very, very good shot at getting in. However, I decided not to do that. To not have the burden of tuition hanging over my head gave me the freedom to consider ALL options. So many of my friends who came in for public interest are quickly pivoting to other career paths because it's not a financially sustainable choice for them. Also, I don't know how else to say this, without sounding arrogant, but my stats had indicated that my scholastic abilities were at least above average. I went to a top 5 undergrad, and I can definitively say that A's seem more attainable for me here than they did at my undergrad (this is NOT to say that law school is easy... it is challenging for sure!) Simply put, I would not have the grades I have now if I had gone to my top choice, much higher ranked school, especially because I have a family and I am not in a life stage where I can devote 100% of my time into caring for myself and my studies.

Network, Network, Network

Most Big Law firms hire one 1L summer associate through their diversity programs. I learned about this opportunity by attending a variety of virtual events and speaking with various attorneys. When time came for my interviews with the firm I am heading to, I had probably had 15+ 1:1 Zoom calls with both attorneys and recruiters that I was extremely comfortable talking about my resume and also being myself in an interview setting. Be proactive about reaching out to attorneys and recruiters for informational interviews and ask them to connect you to someone else (if it makes sense). Law firms keep a file on you and take note of which events you attended, who you have spoken with etc. Even though the 1L opportunity may not be open to all students since they tend to be diversity based, I know several upperclass students who received offers before OCI started because they networked successfully (5-10). For those who may not be familiar, OCI stands for on-campus interviews and it's the formal recruiting event for those interested in Big Law summer associateships.

Pivoting to Big Law

I did not set out to go to law school to get into Big Law. In fact, I applied to every public interest scholarship opportunity and thought I was going to become a prosecutor and particularly interested in criminal justice reform. I'm going into law school 10 years out of college, this was a very deliberate decision for me. So what changed? I attended a lot of career events at school and quickly learned that public interest did not necessarily align with my personal goals. I ultimately pivoted to Big Law because I realized that law firms are NOT like Suits (and it occurred to me that I had a very stigmatized impression of Big Law). The firms I developed interest in have very robust pro bono programs integrated into their practices, and I realized that I could make potentially a bigger impact by bringing my firm's name value and resources to causes and organizations I care about.

There is an entire world beyond admissions, and I want to break the stigma that in order to get into a top Big Law firm, you need to go to a T14 school. My school has about 50 summer associates heading to a variety of highly ranked Big Law firms; essentially almost everyone who wanted to go into Big Law got in. Our school has maintained amazing relationships with major firms, and our career director recently told us at a Big Law overview event that even though our school ranking trails behind other schools, we absolutely have a shot and a seat at the table. My school is located in a major Big Law hub, which I think helps. It's not always about the T14 or T20 or T50 (lol)... it's really about how much opportunity you create for yourself!

Where would you place these 4 things?

Unpaid internships during undergrad, not for credit

Student newspaper where I was paid for what I wrote

Leadership position with the union where I work (volunteer)

Volunteering to coordinate internship program where I work

Thanks in advance!

Hello! I have been accepted to a Law School with a lot of scholarship money. However, I'm worried that after I send my "final transcript"this Spring Semester, they will alter or even end up not offering scholarship money anymore. Does this happen often or even at all? Do Law School's report students GPA and LSAT with the score they applied as or the LAST CUMULATIVE GPA including your second semester senior grades? If Law School's report with the GPA you applied with, wouldn't my lower GPA not be of an issue to them? I applied as a 3.75 GPA which was in their 75% percentile. With my Spring Semester Grades, I'll drop down to a 3.6~. However, the 3.6 is still higher compared to their median GPA.

Hi all,

Thank you again to 7Sage for helping me with my LSAT and achieving my goal in the mid-150s (up from low 130s). I've been in the working world for almost 12 years, and taking the LSAT and scoring in that range was a big achievement for me.

Its been a tough year with acceptance as i'm sure alot of you can attest to. I was waitlisted at my dream school, waiting to hear back from a target, and received a conditional scholarship from a safety school (almost a FULL scholarship provided I maintain a GPA of 3.0/4. Does anyone have any experience with conditional scholarships like this one? I'm ready to accept and i'm just afraid that I won't be able to maintain that - especially if the curve at this particular school is pretty low. My undergraduate GPA - if that is any indication - was close to a 4.0 at a Top 20 school.

That being said, i'm a bit bummed with acceptance this year and wondering if I should even drop my idea of returning to law school. I don't have time to retake the LSAT and am just in awe at how competitive 2021 was for acceptance. Anyone have a similar situation? I think the most important thing is that we have to remind ourselves to be proud of even the thought of returning to school and our drive taking the LSATs in the first place.

Thanks for your help!

Jer

Hi everyone!

I was waitlisted at my 'dream' university this cycle. While I received a 156 LSAT score on my most recent exam, I'm below the school's median LSAT score.

I saw a few older posts on this subject, but does anyone think that in this specific cycle it would be worth it to retake to improve my LSAT score in order to help my chances of getting off the waitlist (and/or, of increasing scholarship at a school I've already gotten into)? I realize this cycle is uber competitive generally.

I was PT'ing 160-164 before my last exam, though felt I did poorly because I had to take my exam at an early morning time (7 am). I know I can do better - it is just a question for me of whether taking it again would make any demonstrable difference in the application process.

(And if so - should I let this school know I'm retaking the exam?)

Is there a page/link?