Hi all! I am 28 and graduated from college in 2020. Last year I tried studying for the LSAT and got a 149, took it again a few months later and got a 150. Starting around 19 (freshman year of college) I began to experience intense fatigue and other strange symptoms. I assumed it was just stress. I did horribly my first semester of college and then was able to sort of manage better. I graduated with a 3.58 GPA. Fast forward to now. For the last almost decade these symptoms never went away but I also was not really taken seriously when I brought them up to my doctors. Finally, a few months ago I had a sleep study done. I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy. This explained so much about the past decade. Falling asleep in class, while studying, while working, etc. Now that I have been on medication my average PT is around 160 and I can actually stay awake while studying. I am hoping to score higher though since I am taking the November exam. Is this something I should write an Addendum for? It isn't an "excuse" but it explains so much of why the past decade has been such a struggle.

Hi! I am taking Ethan's advice on the Cornell profile page and choosing the Cornell prompts that best fit my personal statement and statement of perspective, but I had a few questions.

1. I think my statement of perspective fits the Ezra Cornell "any person...any study" prompt. But, do I have to touch on the quote at all in my essay? Do I have to reference it explicitly?

2. Is it okay to use the fourth blank-cheque prompt for my personal statement ("anything else you would like the committee to know about you.."), but then put it first in the PDF I submit to Cornell? Will it look low-effort if I'm not addressing a prompt specifically? None of the other prompts really fit my personal statement.

Thank you so much for your help!

I've started attending some law school information sessions, and one thing that is exceedingly unclear is requirements around study abroad transcripts. I studied abroad one semester during undergrad, and per LSAC, as long as that experience is included on my undergrad transcript, I do not need to submit my transcript from study abroad (even though my grades are not shown). It seems like some schools may still require me to submit an official study abroad transcript, like BC, GW, and others. I am not really sure where to start if I need to submit it via LSAC, or just to schools directly. Further, will it recalculate my LSAC GPA, even if the grades are on the European standard?

Would love for an admissions consultant to answer this. If anyone has past experience or insight also, please let us all know! I am sure I am not alone in my confusion.

***Trigger warning: SA***

Hi everyone!!!

Unfortunately... I do need to write an addendum explaining my GPA in undergrad. I don’t want to go too deep into my mental health issues because I know there’s still stigma, even though schools can’t discriminate.

My personal statement is going focus on my experience with Title IX after experiencing sexual assualt at university, followed by my legal compliance internship within an education/school Title IX department. I want to highlight how I faced my trauma head-on and used it as inspiration to pursue law school. Obviously, my traumatic experience and the failures of my university’s Title IX office almost destroyed me, and it significantly impacted my grades for a long period of my college career.

I was sexually assaulted in the “red zone” (the period from the beginning of the fall semester—typically the first year—until Thanksgiving break), so I was struggling from the start. By my senior year, I worked with psychiatrists, counselors, advisors, and others to better myself, ultimately earning my highest GPA in all four years while taking seven classes, being an RA and working 20 hours a week.

So, the question is: Is a personal statement about my sexual assault (SAd), internship, and pursuit of law school, combined with an addendum on mental health and overcoming a traumatic event, okay?

Thanks, y’all!

Today I got to speak to an admissions officer from one of the most competitive schools in the country. BYU LAW (Currently ranked 24th). I will say I was rather surprised by a few things that they said to me.

"We don't care that much about your LSAT / GPA we just want to know you are ready for the rigors of the program and will add value." I don't want to be misleading, it's not that they don't care at all LSAT and GPA. Those are the primary ways that you show you are ready for the rigors of the program, same with any school, but if you have an LSAC GPA of 2.5 and Masters with a 3.5 with a solid LSAT you have a real chance of getting in. BTW Their median GPA is 3.95 and their LSAT is 170 but they explicitly told me they admit people in the 3.0 range and below LSAT every year. People who have other things to make them think, yeah, this guy figured it out post Bachelors and they can handle this program no doubt.

"If your GPA is old, your LSAT is really what matters." Again going back to the idea of can you really handle the program? An LSAT of 170 that's fresh vs GPA that's 10 years old? Which is more likely to speak to your current capacity?

"US news and world report reduced GPA and LSAT and focus more on Outcomes." Which again comes back to their comment, can this person handle the program? Will they be hire able post graduation? will they pass the bar? So for some of you older students who maybe don't have an amazing GPA or LSAT but have shown you have a functional career and life with meaningful skills, that's tremendously valuable.

Strong LOR really do matter.

Extra Cirriculars (Espeically Military) matter a lot.

Your Essay on why be a lawyer needs to be just super genuine. They want to know something about you, who you are, not some formulaic template you found online. They want to know about your values, your goals, your experiences, WHO ARE YOU AND WHY DO YOU MATTER.

Write and addendum for your GPA if you need one, explain what went wrong, take ownership, and demonstrate how you have corrected the problem.

Transfers are rare, mostly because not that many people apply for it. They always save seats for it and almost never use them all. IF you do want to transfer you need to be in the top 3rd of your class wherever you are, assuming you are coming from a lesser school. Again this mostly comes back to the idea of can you handle the program? Will you add value?

-Edits are only minor grammar and spelling

since I want to apply this cycle, would taking the LSAT again in November set me behind? I am not pleased with my August score, and want to take some good time getting my score up for applications.

I am a reapplicant this cycle, after an unfavorable outcome last cycle due to a very low LSAT score (140's), and am wondering about my personal statement. I am applying again to the same schools I got denied/ WL from, and do not know whether or not I should change my personal statement, or just revamp what I already have.

The personal statement that I submitted last year dealt with a very specific part of my undergraduate experience, and now that I have graduated and am taking a gap year, I do not know if I have to change it, or if it still could apply post graduate. I want to maximize my chances of getting into the schools I want, but I also do not want to have to go completely back to the drawing board. Any advice or help?

Thanks everyone!

Hi! I was told to apply by Halloween to get your app in on time, but I think I can do comparatively better on the LSAT in Nov vs October.

Is November still considered an early time to apply? Wondering if it’s worth it to rush the LSAT process a bit for an earlier application.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some honest insight from people familiar with law school admissions, especially anyone who has experience with applicants whose LSAC GPA is significantly lower than their undergraduate GPA.

My situation is a little weird:

LSAC GPA: ~2.8 Undergraduate GPA: 4.00 (BA Honours) Current LSAT practice scores: around 150 Goal: I’m hoping to continue increasing my LSAT score before applying.

I also completed an advanced diploma at a college before my bachelor’s degree, and some of those grades are contributing significantly to my LSAC GPA.

The first year of my college program was during COVID, and I was also dealing with significant immigration issues and some health/personal circumstances at the time. My academic performance during that period was much weaker than it was later on. It was just a super bad year.

I eventually completed my BA Honours with a 4.00 GPA, so there is a pretty significant upward academic trend. I also completed the degree pretty quickly and performed consistently well in my upper-level coursework.

I’m trying to be realistic about my chances rather than just hear “apply and see.” With a 2.8 LSAC GPA, 4.0 undergraduate GPA, and an LSAT currently around 150, how would admissions committees likely view my application?

A few questions I’d especially appreciate insight on:

- How much does the 4.0 undergraduate GPA/upward trend help when the LSAC GPA is 2.8?

- Would the circumstances surrounding my earlier grades be worth addressing in an addendum, particularly COVID and immigration issues?

- If I can raise my LSAT into the 155–160+ range, does that substantially change my options?

- Are there particular types of schools where someone with this GPA/LSAT profile might still have a realistic shot? If anyone has had a similar low LSAC GPA but strong later undergraduate performance, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.

I’m planning to apply broadly and am willing to be realistic about school selection. I’d just like to understand whether the 2.8 LSAC GPA is going to be an automatic barrier despite the 4.0 BA GPA.

Thanks in advance for any honest advice!

Hi! I am looking to learn more about which schools I should target this application cycle. I have been going to admissions AMA live sessions on 7Sage which are helpful, but I am looking for more specific advice about my personal application strategy.

Does anyone recommend an affordable admissions counseling service? I am open to Youtube video tutorials, group sessions, and more considering my budget seems below average for private counseling.

Any advice is great! Thank you all!

I applied very late in the cycle for 2026 admission and did not get into schools. Do I completely scrap my admissions essay and start over? I am re-taking the LSAT in October.

I’m taking the September LSAT but I’m not feeling too confident so I’m thinking of taking it in October or November as well. Would submitting in November affect my chances to get into a school?

I took random classes based on my interests after I got my BA at various extension schools from UCs, community colleges and at UCLA as part of their summer program where the community members can take courses. Do I need to include these in my CAS report given that I received no credit for them towards an actual degree program? Thanks!

Hi everyone, would love to get some perspective on my letters of recommendation! I currently have 3 letters in LSAC and am contemplating getting one from my current employer, but don't know what distribution would be best (2 academic & 1 professional or 1 academic, 1 professional, 1 current employer).

Currently, I have 1 from a close professor (will definitely use this one), 1 from a more distant professor (4.0 in class and was a capstone advisor but didn't know me super well), and 1 AMAZING letter of recommendation from the city manager of the city that I did civic volunteering at (i served on a city council committee and worked very closely with him).

For context, I am 3 years out of college and had a lower GPA than the average of the schools I am applying to (3.67). I plan to definitely use the close professor and the professional volunteering letter. I'm conflicted on if I should include a letter from my current employer or the letter from my more "distant" professor that may be more generic.

My question is: How much would T50-70 schools value current employer letter vs a second academic letter? Since my GPA was lower, would they want to see more from my academic side or would it be better to get context to my current role (does have some overlap with real estate law).

I worked at an establishment since 2024, and I will begin serving as shop steward for my coworkers.

I'm wondering if there are any law schools that would be iffy about union involvement.

If the advice is to include it on my resume, is there a recommended formatting?

For example, what I'm considering is:

[Company] ([City], [STATE]) <------------------> ([Start date] - Present)

[Main Position] (Elected shop steward from [start date] - present)

• [Task related to main position 1]

• [Task related to main position 2]

Thank you to anyone who can share any experience with listing a union representative position!

for the 7sage 5 school application package and for applicants blanketing the T14 (with stats above medians for all), what 5 schools do people typically pick for the package? is it based on reusability or most unique prompts? considering the package and would appreciate any insight!

on the UChicago page, the 7Sage note from Ethan says:

You can submit your Harvard perspective statement as one of the optional statements, though traditional diversity/inclusion language may go less far at Chicago than other top schools. Make sure that you come across as excited to engage with other viewpoints (particularly those outside traditional moderate progressive ideologies.)

You should write a Why Chicago that outlines your own personal/intellectual brand and connects it to what the school offers.

but the Chicago prompts say: The Admissions Committee typically finds one page or less is a sufficient length for most addenda.

so is it 1 page for the perspective statement and one page for why chicago, or one page across both?

Hi all, I am working on some short answer essays for Law School applications and I have a formatting question.

If I am answering 2+ short answer prompts, and they are to be on the same document, is it okay to just label it "Essay Prompt #4, etc." or should I put the actual prompt after this: "Essay Prompt #4; why do you love purple pikmin so much?"

At the end should I put the word count or leave it alone? (Word Count: 265...)

Any input would be appreciated!

For me, one of my main motivators for a legal career is intertwined with several personal religious beliefs. I do plan on applying to several schools with religious affiliations, but also to a few state/public schools as well. I know that part of being ABA accredited is not discriminating in admissions based on religion but would it hurt my application in any way to include this reasoning in my personal statement?

I can see how it would strengthen the application for a school with a religious affiliation, but not sure if it goes vice versa. I know I also probably shouldn't leave out some of my main reasons for wanting to pursue law, but I could potentially reframe it to be more universal for public universities if I needed.

I signed up for the Personal Statement workshop with 7Sage about two weeks ago and they had a list of prompts, to which I completed and had 8 pages worth of answers. I'm curious as to how I'm supposed to combine all the prompts into a condensed two-page statement, or if there are certain questions from that prompt sheet that I need to address and some that I can skip. I understand that the prompt asked about several different experiences, so I have one in particular that I'd like to focus on, but the questions about why law, what gaps there are in the legal world that I'd want to fix, etc (most of the law-related questions) I am not sure which one I can choose or skip.

Any help would be appreciated!

In preparing for law school applications; apart from the below, is there any other pieces of information/paperwork to prepare?

• LSAC Score and Writing Exam

• Referral Letters

• Personal Statement

• Resume

• School Transcript

From what i understand, for international applicants that have less than 60 US credit hours, LSAC does not report the GPA impact on the median. First of all is this correct? How do admission comitees evaluate the normally would be splitters (higher LSAT lower GPA), since the GPA factor becomes a bit ambiguous. How is the general evaluation of such applicants?

Hey all,

As I finish up my essays for this cycle, my current focus is on the 'why x' essay, probably one of the most important supplementals. I'm wondering what y'all believe makes for a good why x. I know it's a bad idea to just regurgitate the website, and I was planning on doing a 'here are my values/goals, here's resources/clinics/etc you have that match those, here's what I'll do with them."

Thoughts?

When writing your personal statements, is it adviced to include or avoid contractions?

For context, I'm having trouble fitting all of my content into the character limits, and using the contractions would help the statement fit in the limits but also 'read' smoother/easier for the reader.

Any clarity or suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

Is it too late to take the November LSAT and apply this cycle? Will it significantly affect scholarships?