How many Ws on a transcript do you need before alarm bells go off? Do law schools care a lot about Ws? Does anyone have and advice for writing an addenda about Ws?

Hi all!

I'm sure there's a lot of you out there who have gone through this and I thought it would be helpful to get some advice.

I have been on my LSAT journey for nearly a year now and am finally starting to score where I need to be but I find my performance on tests is hindered by my anxieties. I tend to tune into the "I'm taking the test right now" which leads me to read stimuli over a couple of times without actually taking anything in, I almost feel paralyzed if that makes sense? It really only happens in LR I'm not sure why.

I usually score between -5 on LR and just took the second LR on PT 73 and scored -9 not counting the 5 questions I left unanswered. Wondering if anyone has any strategies to combat this?

My undergrad institution and LSAC have the exact same grading scale. When manually going through how they got to the numbers on the report, it fits perfectly with the following:

I determined that LSAC considered four "U" grades, or unsatisfactory grades, to equal 8 total "semester hours" with a 0.00 grade. My undergraduate school does says these count for "0 attempted credits" and do NOT contribute to my GPA. It seems arbitrary that LSAC calculated these to be 8 course hours when my school counts them as none.

***This isn't a legitimate course. It's a ten-minute online training about taking books out from the library that is mandatory before graduation but kind of expected to be completed as a first year. Did not know it would be on my transcript. Instead of a 3.69 overall GPA, LSAC computed a 3.22 which decimates my overall GPA (I transferred with a 3.91 with equal course hours). I know I was lazy but wow, this seems extreme. Can I appeal this to LSAC?

Hi all,

Do I need to send in my study abroad transcript if 1) it was only for one semester and 2) I didn't receive credit for the grades I got from that semester?

Hey all,

I am currently in a dilemma upon receiving a feedback from my old college professor on my personal statement.

My essay is concentrated on the timeframe between childhood and high school. It starts with an incident that happened when I was eleven. The impacts of the incident continues until high school and my essay covers what I've learned and how it sparked my interest in law. I am pretty confident that my story is unique, which is the reason why I wanted to focus on that experience. And I got the impression from 7Sage's curriculum about personal statement that it's better to focus on something specific rather than painting a broad picture.

But my college professor advised me to condense that story to half, and write the other half about my college experience. She recommended that I write about how I've worked to earn and advance the skills that will help me in law school and in a career as a lawyer. She told me to demonstrate that I am a good writer and researcher, but I am not sure how to show that as I have not written any thesis or did research outside class assignments. Some extracurriculars I've done and awards received could be indicative, but my resume already covers them and provide a good picture on how I spent my time in college. She also believes that I need to indicate why I chose my college in the US (I am Korean). Hmm.

I have so much love and respect for the professor that I feel like I need to follow her advice, but at the same time I am not sure if talking about my college experience will just dilute the impact of my story. What should I do?

Has anyone purchased the 7Sage Admissions Course? Is it worth the sticker price? We're down to one income due to Covid-19 and $3K for me right now might as well be $50k lol but if it's worth the fee, I will try to find a way to pay it.

Hey everyone! Michigan asks for "no more than two" optional essays. Does anyone have insight on whether it would put me at a disadvantage to only write one? Michigan is one of my top choices, so I don't want them to think I'm not willing to go the extra mile...

RESOLVED

hey guys

if anyone could help me out, i was just wondering does anyone know how important it is to admissions for us to have experience in the legal field? i dont really have anything except one short internship where i just helped out with some legal related things occasionally. i mostly just have retail experience and some positions in school clubs. do you think thats something that could cause a rejection or look bad?

i also read that if u dont have anything in ur application showcasing that u have helped people/spoken up for people, don't say that u want to do it and that its a reason for pursuing law in ur personal statement, but idk how accurate that is..i didnt think there was anything wrong with saying that something u went through or whatever makes u want to do that, regardless of what experiences you've had..any opinions??

THANK YOU!

How many withdrawn classes do you need to for it to become a problem? Should you write an addendum for more than 3 Ws? Do Ws matter that much?

Hey everyone, I was wondering if I could get some insights on writing an addendum for both LSAT and GPA. On the LSAT side, I took it three times and I had some decently-sized jumps: low 160's to low 170's to 180 (thanks 7sage!!!). I've heard that in general, you should write an addendum for jumps >7 (my first jump was ~10), but some of my friends have told me that I shouldn't write one to save the adcomms some time because of the 180. Any other opinions here? I don't really have a reason for the jumps besides "I spent a lot of time studying." For GPA, I have a GPA that's below the median but above the 25th percentile for my dream schools. My transcript is mostly good except for two classes whose grades are really weighing down on my GPA. One of the classes, I don't have a good reason for getting a bad grade in - I just accidentally slept through half the final. The other class, I had a medical reason for doing badly on the final. Is it worth explaining the latter bad grade, or should I just leave it be? Thanks in advance for the advice!

Does anyone know if you can update your application with a new LSAT score after you have submitted it? I took the August LSAT and got a 168, but was averaging around 173-175. I plan on taking the November test. Should I apply now or wait?

Thanks to J.Y. I was able to get a 177 on the LSAT which is huge because I only have a 3.72 GPA. I was wondering if I realistically had a chance at any top 5 school? I attended an unranked state school so my GPA really shouldn’t be that bad. The “predictor” gives me a pretty good shot, but I guess I was mainly wondering if I would be hurt by the fact that my school lacks prestige. Thanks so much for your help.

3.04 GPA, 163 LSAT (July2020), nonURM, strong softs, Florida resident

I have applied to

Reach: The University of Florida, Arizona State University (Denied; it was free to apply), Boston College

Target: Florida State University, Cardozo Law, University of Illinois, SMU Dedman, Penn State

Safety: University of Miami, Florida International University, (should I apply to another safety?)

I am retaking the LSAT in November, and my PTs have been in the mid 160s. I am hoping to bring it up to the high 160s by the November test.

Right now, the University of Florida is my top choice. I am worried that I should have waited to apply there until I took my November LSAT. I have read conflicting information about what schools do if a future LSAT is scheduled - some wait, others don't. Should I write a letter to UF asking them to wait to evaluate my file until my November LSAT comes back?

Schools I would like to apply to depending on my Nov LSAT score: Fordham University, Emory University, University of Georgia.

Is it advantageous to apply now and ask the schools to wait until my November LSAT comes back to evaluate my file? Or is that the same as just waiting until Nov to apply?

Goals: I want a decent shot at big law; although, I am okay if I don't end up in big law. I am young, single and kid-less so I don't have a lot of ties to any particular area; I'll go wherever the best opportunity is. (although Florida in-state tuition would be nice).

Thank you in advance to anyone who offers a fresh perspective! I have been turning this over in my head quite a lot lately.

I currently work for a law firm that’s unaware I’m applying to law school this cycle (I’m scared I will lose my job if they know I’m leaving next fall). They are listed on my resume and my personal statement but my boss is not a recommender. Do law schools typically contact employers about the applicant?

Hi everyone!

I took a year off in undergrad as a medical leave of absence, during that time I was hospitalized and diagnosed with Bipolar 2 disorder. I was thinking about writing my personal statement about how learning to manage and cope with my bipolar disorder has made me a more compassionate and critical person. I know that the year gap in my undergrad degree requires an addendum/character and fitness essay, but if I write my personal statement about this part of my life, do I need to also write an addendum? Am I better off writing my personal statement on something else and leaving this story to just be told in my addendum/character and fitness essay?

Thank you!

Wondering this because I'm not sure where you would even appropriately put it. I had read it was possible to add it as the addendum (particularly if one of the optional essays is already written), but I'm inclined to believe this would not be well received. Any advice?

I've been getting a lot of law school emails that say they have found me through CAS and encourage me to apply due to my credentials (also include a app fee waiver). Should I take these emails seriously or are they kind of generic? I got an email from Cornell saying I should apply but my LSAT/GPA are below their median lol. Anyone have some insight?

I have a 169 from the August flex and i’m registered to take the November test. I’m confused if I should take it again. I’m applying to T 14 schools with a low GPA(3.33 in Economics). I’m not sure if I should submit my applications early to have a higher chance or wait until I take the November test and apply then.

I still have to brain storm but trying to pick a topic for my personal statement has been something I’ve been putting off for a long time because I feel like I don’t have anything unique !!

I don’t have any clubs or extracurriculars I was heavily involved in, I’m just normal. I can’t put my finger on any life changing experiences I’ve had. The only reason/excuse I have for that is throughout college I worked full time to pay my bills as I’ve always been independent like that. I didn’t have time to be involved like that because I worked a lottttt (bartending really late nights). I barely slept to do assignments and whatnot.That’s one of the only things I can think of when it comes to being a little bit different because most of my peers had roommates or lived at home or had someone paying their rent but still it’s not like I’m an anomaly in that respect.

Maybe I just need to think of my past and qualities in a different light but right now I’m having a block. Has anyone been in this situation when it comes to a personal statement? Were you able to figure something out? Any advice? Anyone in the same boat who maybe wants to chat to help each other come up with some kind of game plan? I don’t really know anyone irl who knows about law school stuff to give me some pointers or mentoring, this is the only community I have for that soooo if anyone has something to add or something you would like to talk out yourself if you’re dealing w a similar issue comment below or my inbox is open :) I don’t really have much going for me lately with COVID and the fact that I’m done studying for the lsat now so I’ll answer lol

Knowing my own privileges, I don't want to try to pad my application with essays that falsely interpret minor difficulties and set backs as "adversity." If I feel that my personal statement touches on what makes me stand out (international background, language fluency, etc.) should I bother writing a diversity statement or any other optional essay?

Good afternoon everyone, I would appreciate any and all advice. I am deciding on writing an LSAT Addendum to highlight my history of poor test taking (on the SAT) compared to how I performed in college. For reference, I took the SAT three times, scoring a 1500/1600 out of 2400 and I had a 4.0 in college.

Does this justify an LSAT addendum if I scored a mid 150 ?

Im taking the LSAT in October and November and based on my pt scores I’m most likely going to be a reverse splitter. My gpa was a 3.83 and my most recent pt scores were between 159-161. I really want to get into Boston college and would be willing to spend the $3,500 for admissions consulting if it would help. Has anyone else used it and gotten into their top schools while being under the LSAT median??

Hi, hope everyone is doing well! I could use some advice on whether to apply this cycle or work for a year then apply.

Here's the situation:

Academics:

I graduated last year from an Ivy League, with Summa Cum Laude honors. I was part of a Dual BA program so at the same time, I earned a degree from a top-ranked university in Europe. All in all, earning 2 degrees in 4 years, my cGPA is 3.9.

LSAT: 171 on the August LSAT-Flex.

Extra-Curriculars: I won't get into details but they are mostly volunteer/social work. I also co-authored a policy memo for UNICEF with one of my professors and worked as a reporter for a a non-profit while enrolled full time as a student.

Although I interned at a law office and did mock trial in high school, none of my college extra-curriculars were especially law-focused. So, after graduation, I got a job as a litigation paralegal at a solid firm in NYC.

However, I contracted a serious mosquito-borne virus while overseas that summer and had to give up the job. It took me almost half a year to recover mentally and physically, at which point I decided to just make it a gap year and become a yoga certified teacher, study meditation, and pursue other personal projects. When COVID hit, my dad unexpectedly lost his job and now my parents have to move cross-country. My mom is physically limited and they both need help doing research and reading documents (we are immigrants and my english is better than theirs), so I have stayed on to help them sell our house, find a new one, etc.

So although, in my mind, I have been busy since graduation, I don't know how to communicate any of this to a law school admissions committee. Right now there is just a year+ gap in my resume that may look sus. That's why I'm wondering if I should work in the law field for a year and apply next cycle with post-grad work experience to speak of? Or is there some kind of addendum I would be advised to write and just explain everything that happened since graduation? Has anyone been in/know of a similar case to mine?

Pardon the long read. Thank you for reading this far. I really appreciate your feedback.

Yale's application asks "Did you take an LSAT or GRE preparation course or work with a tutor?"

Does 7sage count as a preparation course? I'm assuming yes, but wanted to double check.