We've just published a guide to LL.M. degrees in our admissions course. Check it out if you're curious: https://classic.7sage.com/admissions/lesson/all-about-ll-m-degrees/

When people say they are a non-traditional applicant, what do they mean? Is it just being older than 30?

Hi! This is probably nothing, but do emails from schools that say "We are impressed by your accomplishments and believe you would be an excellent addition to our community," leading into a free application waiver mean you have a better chance of getting in than normal? I know the schools get the information from CAS, but not sure what exactly they're doing with it, and how meaningful these emails are.

For splitters applying to T-14 schools, (borderline GPA, good LSAT score) do certificates look good on applications? My school doesnt offer a major/minor in Pre-law so instead I enrolled in a pre law certificate and will complete it my last semester of college (spring 2020) Does enrollment in the certificate look good? Can It help push splitters to acceptance?

Is the best that a law school offers is full tuition scholarships or can one get housing as well? Does anybody know? This is just in general but also if you have information about any specific schools.

Hey everyone! It’s getting to be deposit time for the class of 2022. Check in here and let us know where you’re headed!

Still doesn’t feel real but, I’m headed to Northwestern! 😱💜

Hi everyone! I feel like I've been around 7sage forever at this point, and want to say thank you so much to everyone here. From help with LSAT studying to listening to my rants in the admissions process, the 7sage fam has made an incredibly long and difficult process so much more bearable and enjoyable. :) It's totally terrifying to say I'm actually done with everything, but here we are.

As many of you know, this was my 2nd application cycle. I applied late last year and got shut out a lot of places. Despite getting a couple of tempting offers, I decided to push back a year. I am 100% happy with my results and confident that it was indeed the best choice for me. I attempted to increase my LSAT score between cycles but that backfired, haha. Scored 4 points lower on my 1 re-take. Despite that, I had a much better cycle and am so excited to say that I am headed to Northwestern this fall!! I still feel like at any second they are going to realize they made a clerical error and I was never supposed to be accepted haha. When I began studying, I never would have thought I'd be accepted at any T14, let alone 2 of them, let alone get a scholarship large enough to make it financially possible. I owe so so so much to 7sage, JY, the admins, and everyone on the board here. Thanks to 7sage, I brought my LSAT up 13 points and am headed to an incredible school. Unbelievable.

For anyone else considering delaying, my biggest advice is that you should only do it if you have a specific reason that you think you underperformed, and it is something you can correct for the next time. Maybe that's a low LSAT, or you applied late, or something else. If you can't narrow it down to a specific reason or you actually performed on par with your numbers, I don't think rolling the dice is always the best plan. It worked out for me, but I'm sure it doesn't for everyone. I got in to 3 schools that WL'd me the first time, but WUSTL gave me less scholarship. Many increased their medians this year, so at a lot of schools where I had a median LSAT the year before, I was 1 point under this time. I think my 2nd cycle played out about like you would expect for my numbers, but it's significantly better than last year.

Here's some data on my cycles...

Stats: 168 / 3.85, non-traditional, 12+ years of work experience

2017-2018

Michigan: WL

Berkeley: Rejected

Northwestern: WL

Cornell: WL

UCLA: In w/$90k --> $105k

USC: WL

WUSTL: In w/full tuition

UCI: WL

UIUC: In w/full tuition

U Washington: In w/$36k

Seattle U: In w/$105k

2018-2019

Michigan: WL

Berkeley: Rejected

Northwestern: In w/$120k

Cornell: In w/$84k --> $135k

UCLA: In w/$93k

USC: WL

WUSTL: In w/$105k --> $150k

UCI: In w/$120k

U Washington: In (didn't apply for $$)

Lewis & Clark: In w/$120k

U Oregon: In w/$114k

Seattle U: In w/$120k

I was talking to an LSAT tutor on instagram and they told me that there is no meaningful difference between having an LSAT between the 25th and 50th percentile and having an LSAT that is at or below the 25th. In their opinion, the only thing that matters is that you have an LSAT that is at or above median.

To me, that doesn't seem to make sense mathematically. But, also, I am bad at math, so very little makes sense to me mathematically.

Lets say there's a law school with this LSAT breakdown.

25th percentile: 160

50th percentile: 165

75th percentile: 167

In the view of the tutor, there is no difference between a 164 and a 160 because both are below median -- but is that really the case?

Hi everyone,

We've posted a new lesson, courtesy of @"selene.steelman":

Tips for Visiting Law Schools

Hello All!

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, I think my cycle is finally over!

A JD/MBA is my goal, and I’ve been admitted to both NYU Law and Stern School of Business, so that’s where I’ll be headed this fall.

I’m so grateful because I live in SoHo and my apartment is about a 5 minute walk to the law school. It will also be nice to not have to move and be close to my network of friends. It’s made my anxiety much more manageable to say the least.

Here were my other options/results:

-Harvard (waitlisted)

-Stanford (waitlisted; applied late*)

-Columbia (no merit aid)

-NYU $$

-Penn (no aid yet; applied late*)

-Cornell $$$

Thoughts:

If you’re applying in the future, get your apps in early.

-I crafted my personal statement to create a cohesive narrative that tied in aspects of my background, résumé and work experience, as well as how they related to my future goals. I think this is an important piece of advice that is sometimes overlooked. Make your application tell a cohesive narrative about yourself. This is really the time to talk yourself and your accomplishments up. This is your time to shine!

-LORs: Get them early and have your PS and résumé ready to give to your professors. This way they can write a letter that’s better tailored to your application.

-7Sage LSAT and the community on here is amazing. Literally couldn’t have done any of this without J.Y. and the rest of the lifelong friends I’ve made on here. Truly.

-Utilize the free admissions webinars and articles on the site. The advice was literally invaluable for my application.

-If you’re studying for the LSAT currently, just trust the process. You are in good hands with 7Sage.

For reasons of anonymity, I don’t want to post my stats. If you PM me, though, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Best of luck to everyone & hope to see some of you this fall!

In thinking about what I plan to write my personal statement on I am a bit torn... I am an extremely high functioning adult (40), with Bipolar 1(1 is the most sever type), which does classify as a mental disability. Do you think this is to iffy of a topic? I have never done anything but fight to rise above this label. There is no tragedy in my discussion of my road. It would be a positive narrative, not a "why me?" or a "I've suffered so much.". I've always approached my disability with a "bring it on" attitude. The odd thing my husband and I have discovered is that the nature higher education (speed, long hours, stress, and such) is oddly enough a great outlet and quite therapeutic... Anyway, I think it is good narrative I am just not sure if my PS is the good place to tell it. Any time put into giving me advise will be greatly appreciated.

Hi all!

It's been about a year and a half since I began my journey of studying for the LSAT and applying to law school, and (in no small part due to help from 7Sage) I now have the best, but hardest decision to make.

I have about two weeks to decide whether to accept a T10 school's top scholarship, which would allow me to leave law school debt-free, or to accept my admission to Yale (at full cost). Basically, Yale would cost about $225,000 more than the other T10 school (and more once interest on loans is considered). The T10 scholarship covers full tuition/fees and includes a sizable yearly stipend. Both are great options, and if the cost differential weren't so great I'd probably go to Yale, but, well... That's a huge amount of money to pay considering the alternative that's available to me.

After law school I'm hoping to clerk, work for a large firm for a while, and probably eventually move to the public sector. Those goals are quite attainable (obviously) from both schools, though Yale holds a special place in the minds of many employers (and attorneys).

So I'm hoping ya'll can share your thoughts on a question and vote in the attached poll. The question for the comments is, how much more would you be willing to pay to attend Y/H/S vs. another T10 law school?

Many thanks to those who respond! I'm really fretting about this decision.

In one of the current applications I am working on, they want me to list the other schools I have applied to or intending to apply to. What is the best way to reply to this without hurting my chances? I do plan to apply to a few other schools regionally and they are not as high in ranking as the one I am currently filling out the application for... Thanks in advance.

I was just wondering if Law Schools looked down on or dont make a big deal about community college grades in comparison to those i attained at my four year university. My CC GPA was higher than my University GPA and it ends up balancing it out. Anyone have any thoughts about this? Thanks!

New lesson courtesy of @"selene.steelman":

https://classic.7sage.com/admissions/lesson/what-questions-should-you-ask-a-law-school-admissions-officer/

I need some advice on where I should put my deposit money. My goal is to work in immigration law, and I've got no strong feeling one way or another about where I want practice, but I do not want to feel limited. I've received a full ride from Indiana (they've extended their deadline for me), Illinois, and Wisconsin. I've been offered $30,000 a year from Minnesota. I know that Minnesota has a lot of options for those interested in immigration, however the price tag scares me. I'll be paying for law school all on my own, I'm out of state, and I've already got to worry about $30,000 in undergraduate loans. Is Minnesota worth the extra debt, or should I take the full ride at a different school?

Hi all,

I received a full-tuition scholarship from a 100+ ranked school that I have little intention of attending. However, I would like to continue leveraging this scholarship as I negotiate with other schools. I understand that May 15th is the "First Deposit Overlap Report" and I know that schools will see which offers I am still holding on to. Do you think it's necessary for me to put the 1st deposit ($300) on a school that I don't really want to attend in order to continue utilizing it as a tool for scholarship negotiation?

I don't want to tell schools that I am "considering a full-tuition scholarship from X school" and request a scholarship offer "more in line with X school", only to have them be able to call my bluff on May 15th...

Let me know what you all think!

Thank you,

LAWYERED

Help! Seat deposits are due in 4 days and I am at a lost. I have narrowed it down to two schools, but am having trouble deciding where to go. I could use some input or advice.

School 1:

Full Ride, but in a not-so-fun location. Have a two year option available, but it isn't guaranteed. It has a good program for what I want to do, and is regionally close to where I want to practice. It starts in August which would give me more time to save up before matriculation, but assuming I am able to complete the two year track, I would be finishing up school and studying for the July bar at the same time.

School 2:

Great scholarship, but with inflation would put me 20-30K in the hole. It is in a much better location fun wise, with plenty to offer recreationally. It is not regionally close to where I would like to practice. Has a two year program that is guaranteed. It starts in May which would put me in debt that much faster. However, I would finish in May and have those free months to focus exclusively on the July bar and maybe do an internship.

Both schools are just about equal in ranking, bar passage rates, and employment. Given my two year track, I don't know if having fun options is as big a deal if I am studying 24/7.

Where should I go!? Any and all input is appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Hey gang!

My LOCI is clocking in at about 550 words. It's one page, with 8 inch margins, single spaced (spaces between paragraphs). Is this too long? I'm trying to be as specific as possible and name what I would do as a student: specific orgs, clubs, clinics, what I uniquely offer the school, etc. I also visited the school (tour, sat with adcomm, and saw a class) so I reflect on that a bit. What do you think? Are there rules in this? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

First, a PSA: several major independent scholarships have fast-approaching deadlines:

Due April 14, 2019

Due April 15, 2019

Due May 1, 2019

Due May 15, 2019

Due May 28, 2019

You can find a longer list of independent scholarships and a lot of information about financial aid in our updated lesson on scholarships:

https://classic.7sage.com/admissions/lesson/law-school-financial-aid/

🔔New

💪Improved

I’m wondering if anyone has some input on the law schools below.

Is Brooklyn Law School or St. John’s University School of Law stronger in the following areas:

-New York job placement?

-Big-law in New York?

-Reputation in New York? Overall?

-Alumni network in NY? in general?

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Hi there, I received my first rejection letter. It's from my top choice school. Predictable, given my LSAT score was way below the school's lowest median percentile score. However, the letter, after saying no, says: "Should you consider attending [the school] in the future, I would encourage you to explore the opportunities available as a transfer student." This struck me as unusual in a rejection letter. Is it? Is it normal for the school to suggest they'd be interested in seeing you re-apply as a transfer? And, if anyone has the patience to reply: I've been leery of the whole idea of transferring, thinking that missing out on 1st year relationships at the school you transfer into might negatively affect all your eventual outcomes? I'd appreciate any insights and wisdom anyone might be willing to share. Thank you.

Is it the time of year to be asking this, or what?

So here's what happened: I visited a school I am applying to this past week---went on a tour, observed a class, and spoke with the Dean of Admissions. I consider this school a safety. I applied in mid-January and went complete Feb 15 when the January LSAT came out. I have been under review since February at this school. When I spoke to the Dean, she said to me, "Aren't we still waiting on something for your application?" I hope my jaw did not drop when she said this, because internally I was freaking the freak out. I said I didn't think so, and she told me that they would respond to my app this week or next week. It made me start worrying, though, that other schools are sitting on my apps, not reading them while they dish out all their scholarship money, and I'll be left in the dust, because they think they're waiting on something too. It's totally possible that that adcomm said that with no context, and was just saying it.

Would it be weird, or hurtful to my app in any way, to contact the other schools and ask them if my app is ok? If they need something? My status checkers all say, "Complete and Under Review" or something of that sort. When I asked this question on Reddit they said that the school would ask if my app needed something. Also, a lot of people who are February applicants are saying they haven't heard back yet. What do you think?

Hey Guys, so I was recently Wait Listed at my top choice Law School. I submitted my wait list form two days after receiving the email along with a Letter of Continued Interest addressed to my assigned Admissions Counselor. I took a visit to the school in 2017 and loved it, which I also mentioned in my LOCI. I am currently contemplating taking another visit to the school and trying to meet with my Admissions Counselor or someone from the Admissions Committee. I don't want to be annoying after I've already taken a visit in 2017 and sent in a LOCI. Thoughts? Suggestions?