Hey @sammurray1592565! Ahh, that sounds like a really tough decision. I ended up deciding on Michigan. A lot of people have asked me since what tipped the scales, and I honestly don't know. Mostly my gut feeling probably, that Michigan was a better fit for me professionally as well as personally. It didn't come down solely to the $, but that certainly is a bonus. I don't know anything about Berkeley-- I didn't apply-- but if you want to discuss your decision please feel free to PM me!

Thank you to EVERYONE @leahbeuk911 @tylerdschreur10199 @19398 @redentore3337783 @marine4life6798246 @pcainti665 @roystanator440 @pcainti665 @sammurray1592565 who has written for their honest opinions!! (And @roystanator440 the answer is yes, but as a grad student as well, time will be limited).

I, too, have heard the negative reputation about Columbia. I have to say, it's pretty confusing and hard to parse out though, because most students at Columbia that I have spoken to say something along the lines of "I don't know why we have that reputation, everyone shares outlines, people are friendly, etc., professors are super accessible." I think, without a doubt, it's less of a community that Michigan, but that's also partly to do with the location being in NYC and not a small college town.

Part of me really wanted/still wants to be in NYC- but I am not convinced it is worth $120k more in debt. There is so much talk (here and everywhere) about prestige vs. money, and I wonder if that is real with Columbia v Michigan as well (i.e is there a prestige difference).

Just things that made an impact on me, events that I vividly remember. Moments that meant a lot. That sort of thing

I did my Top 10 Life Experiences and I think it really helped my app bc it showed a lot of different sides of me that the app did not show!

Amazing!

Hey @tenmalone199 ... It's hard to put an exact number on it, because I was working at the same time. But per day, probably 2-4. And two tests a week or so for a while. I would probably say it came out to 20 or so hours a week.

I'd be happy to take a look, if you want to DM me!

Same as @jhaldy10325. I started in June 2016 at 156, and scored a 174 in Sept 2017. I started seeing 170s in practice tests in April 2017, though. So, about 10 months. The 170+'s during practice weren't consistent though until the summer of 2017. Also was working pretty much full time.

Hi @davidbusis895 - how do we access the recording? The link didn't work for me

Wow, thanks to everyone for all the kind words. That is what makes 7Sage so great!!

@cgracia12433 -- I am so sorry for the confusion, but I actually did not increase that much in 2 months. It was over a year or more. My baseline score was 156 in June 2016, and I didn't score the 174 until September 2017.

I am happy to share any advice if you're still interested knowing that :)

@leahbeuk911 Thank you for clarifying, that totally makes sense, I was just pointing out how it could be interpreted. No worries

I'm really happy for you for getting into schools that you would rather go to, but I wonder if there's a way to be a bit more sensitive to people for whom BC might be a dream school and not a safety school? If you weren't ever planning to go anyway, it shouldn't really matter that you were rejected. The process is a crapshoot. But for others, this news might be devastating.

It is super casual and relaxed! I would be prepared to answer questions about why you want to go to law school, what you are looking for in a law school, what challenges you anticipate and possibly future career plans (if you know or have an idea!). Mine was a conversation and informal. Be yourself and be confident about wanting to go to law school and you will kill it. I heard back a week later.

Sami! I don't know you, but from seeing your posts on the forum and reading this one, I know you are a super conscientious worker and you can get to your 170+ score. It is so common to under-perform on the first take. I could have written your post verbatim after the June test--I was devastated by my score, which, like yours, was an objectively good score, just not one that I was happy with knowing what I was capable of. I doubled down, took Sept, and over-performed. I improved 18 points from my diagnostic. I honestly think that if I can do it, anyone can do it. I'm not naturally inclined to logic at all. Feel free to DM me if you need a pep talk or some advice!! That goes for anyone! 7Sage gave me so much and I'd be more than happy to give back. Best of luck to you and everyone else re-taking, you'll get it, just be patient and keep your confidence up and your head held high

This is SUCH a good idea because your passion came through so much in just this post that I know it will come through in your PS! And that is what it is all about--the admissions officers reading it, getting a sense of who you are and trying to figure out if you'd be an asset in their cohort. Doooooooooo ittttttttttttt.

Hey thanks you guys. I wanted to ask here first, to see if anyone had any opinions but I think that talking to an admissions officer is my next step.

Super interested in the answers to this one cause I have the same GPA, score goal and school ideals!

My gut says that schools will probably not tell you not to apply, and will give a generic answer about how they look at applications holistically. Also, personally, I don't think you have anything to lose by applying with those stats. I would ask something more broad, like what qualities do you look for in an ideal applicant, what makes your school unique, what opportunities do you have for X interest. If you want to ask about GPA, maybe you can frame it in a way similar to "Is there a GPA below which one should not apply?" My guess is they would still say no.

@19398 said:

@8262 I received that e-mail as well! Are you going to attend? I just want to see what they have to say!

I'm attending! See you there?

Thanks for asking this question!! I'm actually super conflicted, because I really want to go to school in NYC, and would love NYU, but that's probably a reach for me. I'm not sure how much to focus on location vs. program vs. a compromise of the two. For ex, if a school in a location I don't want to live in has the best program for my interests, do I compromise on location or program? That's what I'm struggling with right now.

So true and so helpful to take a step back to remember why we are all spending hours, days, months, in some cases years studying for this exam. My motivation comes from working in a field where I read about/write about the experience of juveniles in the justice system daily and wanting to be a part of changing the way the system works. I study because I know I need a chance at getting a scholarship if I'm going to make this dream work and not be buried under debt that I can't repay.

Thanks all, that's what I thought, but thanks for confirming!!