This should be pretty quick to answer: is the optional essay the same thing as a diversity essay? I realize there's probably not a blanket answer for all schools, but both Boston College and Boston University have optional statements that they describe as:

"You may upload an optional statement, regarding any economic, cultural, social, or other factors that you wish for us to consider when reviewing your application." (BC)

"In addition to your personal statement, you may wish to provide another essay. This essay is your opportunity to discuss any aspect of your background or life experience that you believe will enhance your ability to contribute to the diverse BU classroom experience and community. BU Law values and recognizes the importance of diversity. BU Law continues its long-standing tradition of providing opportunities for persons of all backgrounds and providing the excellent training to which a diverse classroom is indispensable." (BU)

My personal statement is going to cover the following:

foster care -> drop out in 9th grade - > community college - > work with youth -> graduate college -> social work career -> masters of social work -> law school

Should I also discuss these factors in a diversity statement or will the personal statement be enough???

Im guessing there aren't too many 9th grade drop outs applying to law school.

Suggestions appreciated.

I got my score today. my score and GPA are well past the 75th percentile for the school im looking at. I will also have a masters degree at the time of application. Im wondering if there is any way to find out how much financial aide these schools are willing to give in relation to score/gpa

My June score was higher than my November by 4 points will this affect me? Or do they look at the highest score? The school is not T14 (I can’t leave my city so just applying locally).

On most of the applications there is a page where they request you to enter each time you have taken the LSAT and your score. I canceled one of my tests but unfortunately your are only allowed to enter numeric values for your score so you can't indicate a cancel. I was unsure whether to leave my score blank, put 000, or something different. I called LSAC and they said you'd need to contact each school individually which I can do but I'm applying to a number of schools and this feels like a pretty minor issue (especially since they get the official score report), so just wanted to see if anyone had a solution that worked for them.

Hello! I was wondering if somebody can give me an answer on whether I need to request a transcript. I graduated from Colby College in 2018.

I studied abroad in Kunming, China as part of the Middlebury College in China program for one semester in the fall of 2016. Here's a link to it: https://www.middlebury.edu/schools-abroad/schools/china. I took four courses there and received 16 credits that transferred over (the grades did not factor into my GPA at Colby, but they appear on my Colby final transcript). The grades that I got in these four courses appear on my Colby transcript. Do I need to request a transcript from Middlebury for this semester I studied in China?

I read the information that LSAC has online (https://www.lsac.org/applying-law-school/jd-application-process/cas/requesting#sponsorship), but it was a bit confusing for me. I personally do not think it's that clear, hence why I am asking this question.

If somebody can provide any insights, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Hey 7sagers,

just a quick question about transcripts: I just submitted my request to send transcript to LSAC, and I saw that on the website LSAC says it takes up to two weeks to process. But I am still waiting on my grades this semester, which won't be released until January... Can I request another transcript and update the one I just sent in January? What if I already sent some apps to schools by then? Do you guys know if I can tell schools to update my transcript?

Thanks!

I have a super low GPA 3.1 and aiming for 170+ on LSAT.

My background: I am trained abroad. Have a bachelor in Law. Took LL.M in the US from one of the TOP 14 schools, gained eligibility and passed the bar last year.

Because this isn't enough to secure me an opportunity in the US, I decided to pursue JD.

I started LSAT prep 2.5months ago and aiming to apply in Fall 2020.

How high of a chance do I have w/ 170+ and 3.1 undergrad GPA to get into TOP 14?

Any suggestion? I am currnelty getting 155-157 on my LSAT.

Hi All,

I'll be finalizing my personal statement and diversity statement within the next few days and would love to have more people take a look and provide some constructive feedback. Would be happy to provide feedback on your materials as well.

I'm mainly looking for feedback on clarity, conciseness and overall impression, but if you have other suggestions on any other aspect of the essays, I'd be open to hearing them out.

Please send me a PM if interested. Thanks!!

I have two degrees and cannot find my GPA for my first degree but would like to post my GPA for my current degree because it is higher than my LSAC cumulative GPA (evil calculator). Would it be alright to post the GPA for one and not the other, or will it look like I forgot? #help

I realized that a few schools don't give you the option to attach an optional addendum. I'm going to call these schools' admissions offices tomorrow, but I was wondering if any of you guys ran into this same issue? If so, how did you go about it?

#help When going through the syllabus it has the option at the top to jump to your current lesson. For some reason it has my current lesson flagged as material that's about 50 lessons ahead of where I actually am. I mean, I could just not use this feature - but if there's a way to fix it I'd like to know how.

I received my first acceptance today, and I just want to thank everyone at 7Sage who helped me on this journey! Not a T-14 or anything crazy like many of you, but a school in the top 30 nonetheless! The dean called to tell me they'd be offering me a full scholarship - I can't wait to get more offers from other schools, but IMA BE A LAWYER, Y'ALL! Thank you JY and everyone in the 7Sage community! Sorry for all the exclamation points, but I am so pumped!!!

Hey guys,

I was wondering whether it's appropriate to list an incoming position on a law school resume.

The reason I want to include it is because the position is with a great organization and I'll be doing work that directly relates to the type of law I plan on practicing. Because I talked about wanting to practice that type of law elsewhere on my applications, this position would tie everything together nicely.

However, since I won't start working there until a few weeks after I submit my applications, does anyone have any advice on how to list it on my resume, or any potential downsides to doing so?

As a side note, I don't want to push back sending my apps any longer, so I've already ruled out waiting until I start the position to put it on my resume.

I have recently started studying seriously for the LSAT. I am looking to attend law school in the US. Afterwards, I would like practice in the US.

Are there any limitations on an international student's ability to get hired out of law school and work in the US? After my undergraduate studies, I came across this issue in applying for entry-level positions - nobody wanted to sponsor me for an entry-level position. Are there any other considerations I have to make aside from visa sponsorship?

My apologies if this is vague... I know very little about how a Canadian might practice in the US!

Hi! Once my November LSAT score is released, I'm planning to re-apply to multiple schools after only being waitlisted or rejected by them last cycle.

I'm currently revising a new PS that mostly dwells on some life experiences/changes the past 12 months. Most advice I've read says that I should submit a new PS, which makes sense. However, advice on how to tie the two together, if at all, is hard to find!

Obviously, they still have my old PS personal statement on file, but how much should I reference the topics/ideas from my old PS within my new PS?

To put it more generally, should I assume that they'll consider my new PS in tandem with my old PS, or only refer to it if they have any questions?

Does anyone know how to go about sending a school an additional LOR after being wait listed, if the school only accepts 2 LOR's via LSAC and you sent two with your original application?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I never knew this day would be coming, but time really does fly. I started my LSAT journey back in Jan 2017 and it's been hell of a ride. I started with a 130 (no joke) and I've been able to improve my score drastically and I don't think it's sugar coating it when I say it's because of the help I got from the 7sage community.

Yesterday, I had my Penn Law (or Penn Carey Law) interview and after I was done, I couldn't help but think back to how I got to that point in my life. It's always been a dream for me to go to Penn Law (due to my strong interest in business law) and just the idea of doing an interview was surreal to me. What I really want to say to you all is never give up and pursue your goal. I know this has been said many many times, but keep enduring while you're studying for the LSAT or writing your personal statement and you'll eventually get there. I've had many many many sleepless nights not just studying for the LSAT, but also putting together a strong application with the personal statement, LORs, why X essays, resume, etc. But seriously it was all worth it in the end. And if I could go back in time, I'd do the same thing.

I hope I have more interviews coming my way, but in the meantime, let me know if you guys want any advice regarding LSAT, admissions process, etc. Would be more than happy to answer questions. Thank you again 7sage community!

Does anyone have advice on the Columbia law fun facts section? Can anyone provide feedback below?

I was held back a year in Kindergarten because I struggled learning how to count but as an adult I ended up becoming a CPA Accountant.

While Vietnamese is one of my native languages, I feel more comfortable speaking Spanish than Vietnamese when speaking in professional and academic settings.

I don't watch tv often but when I do its either Keeping up with Kardashians or documentaries like PBS Frontline.

Should I put my LSAC calculated GPA on my resume or my undergraduate institution's calculation if it differs?

Any tips on negotiating scholarships? Can you do it earlier then is recommended on this site?

I’ve received many 100% scholarships from lower ranked (50 and under schools) and just heard back from a top 20 school and received $30,000 total. This is my top school choice. I was below their lsat median and above 75% GPA. I haven’t applied to many other higher ranked schools, only 3 others which I am waiting to hear from.

What would be a reasonable starting point for negotiations?

Hello Everyone, I would need some helps from everyone:

I am a non-traditional applicant, 29 years old, 7 years of professional working experience in banking and consulting. I finished y undergrad in 2012 and had a GPA of 2.16 (Transcript) and 2.1 (LSAC GPA). I have been in a part-time MBA program since 2017 and will have it completed in June 2020 (Same University). My LSAT is 160, and had 4 good academic recommendations, my MBA and Undergrad school is a T20 school. However, when I looked at the law school predictor results, I only stood at approxi. 5-15% chance for many of the top 100 schools. I am lost, and not sure if I should proceed with my applications, and if there is a chance for me to get into one of the Top 100s?

Any advice? Thank you

I'm having trouble deciding whether or not to even consider writing a diversity statement. I'm wondering if growing up with a special needs sibling and/or single parent would be a diversifying element, or if I should just skip it altogether .

Hey everyone,

So, I was ready to go for the Nov. LSAT and went the day of but ended up leaving after section 3 and cancelling my score. Up until then, I was planning on applying this cycle as soon as I got my score. However, now I'm facing a dilemma.

I'm planning on taking the Jan LSAT so that I dont lose any of my prep so far, but I'm unsure if it's wise to apply this cycle since it would be rather late. I didn't want to take another gap year, even though I'm sure I could extend my current internship or find something else to do during that time so that I don't have a gap in my resume, etc.

I have a strong GPA and I'm a URM - so my question is if you guys have any advice on applying late this cycle or just waiting for next cycle?

As an aside, I do already have me LORs submitted, so I was wondering if I would need new ones if I decide to apply next cycle instead of this one.

Any advice/ thoughts/ comments are welcome. Thanks in advance!!

How do folks know which schools to provide an optional addendum stating why X? I was reading that it is important for a few, and that on the other hand.. a few schools dislike receiving them. Yet most schools don't indicate which camp they fall into.

This seems unnecessarily non-obvious :) is there a consolidated list of schools that prefer the addendum?