Hi! I am debating if I should retake the LSAT or if I should apply early. I received a 171 on the LSAT, which was what I was averaging on PTs. If I retake the exam, I would take the November LSAT. I am hoping to get into a T14 law school. I am worried that if I retake the LSAT and my score stays the same, then I will be applying later, which could hurt my application. Should I retake the LSAT and wait to apply till November/December or should I early apply in September with my current score?

Want to be the fly on the wall of an admissions room and hear how AOs really judge applications?

Join us as a committee of three top AOs (with combined years of experience at Stanford, Berkeley, Northwestern, and Notre Dame) review applications submitted by 7Sage subscribers.

Thursday, September 4th at noon ET! RSVP here: https://7sage.com/classes/evt_030rya8YhRXxg3CwiADQVi

And if you'd like us to consider reviewing your application, you can submit it here:

https://coda.io/form/7Sage-Reviews_d0rAuqNSFhx

We're particularly interested in reviewing fuller applications (with at least a PS and resume.) We're also happy to review previously used apps from potential reapplicants.

Hi! I received a 161 on my first LSAT. I am trying to figure out if I should cancel my score. I have the whole year to study (applying to the 2026 cycle), and aim to get in the 170s. In the eyes of a T-14 school, is a 161 worse or better than a cancellation on my record?

Thanks for guidance!

Should I cancel my August score?

Scored 165 in April, 170 in June, and then 167 in August. Aiming for a 173+ and will take the exam again in October. Noting that my August score dropped, would it be better to cancel?

Hi all,

I took the LSAT four times within a span of six months. I scored 171, 170, 171, then 174 this past August. It may look like I was just hammering away, but I did this because throughout all of these takes (excluding the first) I was consistently doing better than a 171 on PTs. I came to the conclusion that the issue was mostly with my mental game, whose importance I had underestimated until the fourth take. I also went super super specific into my errors before the fourth take. I ended up increasing to a 174, which was what I was averaging by then, and I'm super happy with the result.

That said, I'm wondering if my situation warrants an addendum. I know four times is on the higher side in terms of # of takes. Will law school admissions people want to see an explanation for why I took it four times in such a short span of time? I'd really appreciate any insight you could offer.

Please join me, Sam Kwak, current 7Sage admissions consultant and former Northwestern and Stanford admissions officer, to discuss what an LSAT score actually means to the people who actually review law school applications.

Thursday, August 28th, 12 pm - 1 pm ET

https://7sage.com/classes/evt_030rh561Fo9Ft3KECNsfhc

I took my lsat this past August and scored a 156. I have a 4.0 gpa.

I did not put as much time into it as I probably should have due to some extremely stressful life events this summer. Is this even a good score? Obviously I would be taking it again but I am debating deferring admissions for another year due to this score/life events. Im not necessarily trying to get a 180 or anything, but I think my goal would be maybe around 165-170. Thoughts? Is this do-able within the next few months? Thanks.

so likeeee help. I'm signed up for the sept lsat but I am just now revisiting my studying. I took a class from may-july and don't feel like i really improved. I got really discouraged and i'm just now getting back into studying. i'm nervous that i'm not going to do well on the lsat. i work a full time job and i'm not sure if taking it next week is smart... but i also don't want to wait too long that it will affect my likelihood of getting into a school. i have a high gpa but i really am struggling with this lsat stuff. i work a full-time job so i don't have much time for studying. any advice here????

I'm not sure if I should apply this year with my LSAT score, my stats are that I have a 155 LSAT and 3.59 GPA, which I know isn't the worst but I also know that it significantly limits my options for law schools. My top picks are University of Oregon and Lewis and Clark, or Loyola in CA, but I'm not sure if I should apply this year or study and apply next year with a 160+ score. I do want to go to law school as soon as possible though, but I'm not sure if my stats are good enough.

Join me Friday at 12ET for a free admissions live class on what your personal statement needs to accomplish. I'll also be live-reacting to personal statements users have submitted to teach you the tips and tricks that make admissions officers fall in love.

https://7sage.com/classes/evt_030nKFWws0znpY4UQNOws0

Hello fellow 7sagers! I took the LSAT last year and received a low score but decided to apply anyways. I was waitlisted and then denied. I will be reapplying in the fall, with a new LSAT score. Regarding personal statement I am wondering if I should re use the personal statement or change it. Moreover, should I mention that I was denied last year and the work I put in this year to get a higher LSAT score? Thank you!

Come spend an hour with me, the coordinator of 7Sage's law admissions programs, as I review applications that under (and over!) performed and discuss the best application strategies for 2025.

The class is this Friday, August 8th at 12PM ET.

https://7sage.com/classes/evt_030dPCgD39lFMwBXzxwJ5A

If you'd like a past application or statement draft for me to review live, you can submit it here: https://coda.io/form/7Sage-Reviews_d0rAuqNSFhx

Hi!

I am preparing for law school applications. I have successfully had three people agree to write letters of recommendation for me. However, I am unsure of a couple of things:

If anyone can give any guidance for this, I would appreciate it. Thank you!

Taking the August LSAT in 9 days, and the September one. Do I need to complete an Arg. Writing sample before both, or only once?

Subscribe to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Dual degree programs seem especially enticing to many law school candidates. Because - surely - if one postgraduate degree would lead to fame and riches then - obviously - two postgraduate degrees would lead to even more. But the reality is bit more complex!

When does it make sense to pursue a dual JD/MBA program and when would it be best to just do one or the other?

How does the admissions and financial aid processes work?

Is it harder to be admitted to a dual degree program or does it make you a more competitive applicant?

Diving into all of that with us is Gina Cecchetti, a 7Sage admissions consultant and a real life MBA admissions officer.

Greetings 7Sagers!

This Thursday, July 24 at 8pm ET, join 7Sage admissions consultants Taj McCoy and Dr. Sam Riley for another panel discussion with law school admissions deans from across the country. For this conversation, hear from representatives of Catholic University, Howard University, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola Los Angeles, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a special guest from USC Gould School of Law, as they weigh in on the state of admissions and address concerns for international students applying to law schools. The audience will be able to submit questions on this topic throughout the session via the Q&A widget.

Register here: https://7sage.zoom.us/meeting/register/cGJdVd47ScqAOXe5Nouwhw.

*Note: The session will be recorded and will be posted to our podcast after it's edited for sound quality.

Subscribe to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

With the first big law fair of the season about to happen—the Washington, D.C. LSAC Forum—we know there are jitters out there. What questions should you ask?

What question should you totally NOT ask?

It it ok to wear comfortable shoes?

We cover all this and more with Maggie Slater, the Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management at the West Virginia College of Law.

You can find out more about LSAC’s law forums here.

Hi, I have been with this platform for over two years in the last three months you changed the platform have been charging my credit card and I have not been able to login. There’s no forum for help.

I need to be contacted

Subscribe to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Audible

With one admissions cycle closing and another about to open, Tajira McCoy and her panel of law school deans field a series of questions many applicants consider at this point of the admissions cycle:

When does it make sense to reapply in the coming admissions cycle (and do I really need to change my personal statement)?

What if I decide to attend the best school that admitted me and then try to transfer next year?

What are the considerations for transfer admission, especially given new trends in legal recruitment?

And, heck, have you ever wondered why you’re doing this Our deans’ give advice to their past selves about the doors and opportunities a legal education will open for them.

All that - and more - is covered in the latest roundtable.

Subscribe to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Audible

It’s the beginning of a new law school admissions (and podcast!) season and we know what that means for many prospective applicants - working hard to prep for the LSAT while also having your personal statement, resume, and other application documents in the back of your mind. We speak with Nicole Agranonik - 7Sage LSAT class leader and a real life law school applicant - about how to balance those competing tasks, both from a professional standpoint and from her personal experience.

Subscribe to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Audible

With the 2024-2025 admissions cycle coming to an end, we take a few moments to recap the year. There were the highs (LSAT test taking numbers, applications submitted), the lows (delayed response times from admissions offices), and all the friends we made along the way. We also look ahead to the coming cycle and some of the broader national trends that may affect future law applicants.

I have maxed out all my attempts and scored 140, 141, 145, and two canceled. What do I do now?, Is law school out of the question for me?

Hi 7SAGE folks! I wanted to share a bit about my experience working with the consulting team (not sure if this is the right place).

As a first generation law student, I could not recommend the admissions support enough, truly. I was extremely fortunate to be paired with Will Carpenter (writer) and Selene Steelman (admissions expert). I worked with Will step by step to devise my personal statement and additional essays. This process took months, beginning in late August. Selene served as a good check person throughout the process and offered a perspective from inside admissions. She made sure the final material was vetted and ready to submit. On top of that, another 7SAGE editor reviews all the key documents -- resume, personal statement, and statement of perspective.

By all measures, I've "outperformed" my stats, and I know (for a fact) that my essays were crucial to my cycle turning out as it did. I've received acceptances to almost the entirety of the T-14 (including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, UPENN, and UMICH), even being offered highly competitive full tuition scholars at some of these schools. When visiting these programs and connecting with admissions and scholarship committee members, I repeatedly heard praises about both the content and form of my essays. Even hearing that they were among the most unique, compelling, and cohesive essays they've seen.

I say all this because it would not have been possible without the 7SAGE team. I almost succumbed to the pressures of rushing to submit my essays to feel like I had my application in "early". That would have been a grave mistake. My 7SAGE team guided me to slow down and give my story the time, patience, and care it deserved. They reminded me that it was okay to take the time I needed.

Will went through NUMEROUS of my drafts, sometimes even weekly, and left insightful comments that pushed me to tell my story more poignantly and vulnerably. Will worked meticulously, not just on the big picture but on the line by line things (grammar, syntax, diction). Whenever I was stuck and even when I reached some lows in the process, he cheered me on and created space to talk about the stress and doubt that come along with this grueling process. A lot of times this looked like dedicated time to simply talk my ideas out with me, reminding me that my story matters. I felt like Will was truly invested not only in my admissions results but also in me: my passions, my convictions, and my lived experiences.

I am happy not only with my outcomes but with the process itself. I feel like I ended my application knowing, even more certainly, that law school was for me and that the path I was pursuing was the right one.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, or if I can be of help in any way! The 7SAGE community was such a rewarding one, from LSAT studying to interview prep, and I would love to give back!

Just wanted to thank 7Sage for providing this service, especially the discount for those of us with less resources.

I started studying for the LSAT with 7Sage in June of last year with a diagnostic of 159, and I took the January LSAT after eight months of studying. I got a 171, and I recently was accepted into my first pick school!

Again, thank you for providing this service, as it has helped me immensely. Good luck to all future test takers!

I swear recommenders ghosting you is a necessary part of the application process.

Anyway, back in early March, I reached out to three professors (I graduated 2023) to see if they'd be willing to write for me, and all of them said yes. 2/3 have completed the letters, but one of them still hasn't, despite me asking for it to be completed by the end of April. When they said they would do it, they asked for extra materials like a rough personal statement, which I provided. No response, which is fine. Since then, I have emailed them a reminder with a resent LSAC link (another recommender wanted a reminder, so I sent them to any remaining recommenders), and no response. At this point, I'm not sure what to do. This recommender enthusiastically said they would write for me and very clearly remembered me, but I've gotten zilch. I know the end of their semester was a lot, which is why when I emailed them and said end of April, I included this acknowledgement and that if they had another target date in mind to please let me know.

What are some recommended steps? I'm not sure how active this person is on their email during the summer. Should I tweak my resume and send it as a "hey, here is an updated document to better help you" or something like that?

I plan on sending my apps in September/right when I get my August LSAT back, so waiting for their fall semester to start seems less than ideal. Should I just reach out to a former employer instead? (I'm SE now and work under an NDA, so I can't ask someone in my current position).

It seems like ghosting recommenders are part of the process, and I would love some advice for how to move forward. I've never really needed to ask for a letter of rec before, so someone ghosting me is all new, and I'm a first gen so I don't have anyone I can really ask.

Anyway, in early March, I reached out to three profs (graduated 2 years ago) to see if they'd be willing to write for me. They all enthusiastically said yes, and 2/3 have written their letters (yay!). But another has completely ghosted me. I had asked for it to be completed by the end of April and if that was a problem for them to please let me know what their target date could be, and that hasn't happened. When they agreed, they asked for a resume and a rough personal statement, so I sent them that and got no response. No sweat. As it neared my given deadline, I sent them a reminder, again including that if they need a different date to let me know because I completely understand how busy the time can be. Again, absolutely no response. I am taking the August LSAT and planning on submitting my apps when I get that score back, so I would be wary on waiting for their fall semester to start up since that would be when I am already submitting them and would be an ASAP request, which likely wouldn't help me.

I'm nervous about sending another reminder because I don't want to make them upset. Should I tweak my resume (I could add more work history since I have a bit of experience), then send it with the idea of "I updated some of my materials and think they may help you as you write"? Or, should I just throw in the towel and ask a former employer instead? My worry with the former employer is that they may use ChatGPT for it, and I'm not sure if admissions would frown upon me for that. Again, first gen, so I just have no clue. Thank you for any help! :)