I'm filling out my application now and this is confusing me. For context, there's "Major" with a drop-down list, and right below is "Other Major," where you type the answer.

For "Major" I put "BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT - OTHER." My actual major is "Business Law," which is not in the drop-down list. Am I supposed to put "Business Law" for "Other Major?" Or is that for a 2nd major?

I just came across this bit from the Top Law Schools forum (http://www.top-law-schools.com/writing-effective-why-x-addendum.html):

"Second, if you're applying Early Decision, a Why X addendum is redundant. Applying ED tells them you are certain to go there if accepted, and with that already true, they probably do not care about your reason. In a sense, applying ED is the ultimate Why X essay, with an action that says more than a 500 word addendum ever could. If it's early enough, you're sure it's the school of your dreams, and your numbers aren't good enough to get scholarship money (early decision applicants rarely receive scholarships on admittance because they are bound to that specific school and don’t need extra incentives), you're better off applying ED than trying to write a Why X addendum."

I'm planning on submitting an application by November 10 for my early decision school, and was prepared to write a Why X essay. So I'm just wondering how true the above is. If it is true, I'd love to submit my app even earlier.

Sorry for the curt title, not enough room for politely asking for advice :P

Anyways

I emailed her a month ago, and she only responded now. Furthermore, she said she could only write one after January.

I already got two LORs from other professors so I don't exactly need it. That being said, I'd still like to have it just in case. How should I respond?

My essay is about how I overcame insecure instincts that tried to keep me from a volunteering experience. The experience ended up being worthwhile and made me a more confident person.

Here's an issue that an editor friend brought up. While I described the experience of insecurity in what I felt was enough detail (e.g., "I'm such an awkward person, I thought."), my friend said that it didn't constitute a compelling internal obstacle. She suggested that I add an explanation for why I was so insecure.

While I can certainly understand her reasoning, my issue is that my experience with insecurity was more like personality trait, like shyness. It's really difficult to explain. In any case, I think showing how I got over this internal personality issue is more important than why it existed in the first place.

So what do y'all think?

I decided I'm going to do early decision with Cornell. Round 1 began on September 1st and ends on November 1st, and Round 2 begins November 2nd and ends on January 8, 2018.

I'm not really sure, then, what would be better: applying late in Round 1 or applying early in Round 2.

On one hand, if I apply late in Round 1, then it would certainly be earlier than applying Round 2 if there is no distinction between rounds.

However, if the applications are categorized "by round," then it seems clear to me that it would be better to apply early in Round 2.

I hope my reasoning makes sense. Does anyone have any insight on this?

Cornell's website has this to say:

WHEN SHOULD I APPLY?

Applications are reviewed in order of completion by our Admissions Committee, but applicants are not always notified in that order. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

Background: 163 on LSAT first try, 166 second try, and a 3.78 LSAC GPA.

While I realize I'm not in absolutely the best position to get into either of those schools, their admission stats give me the impression that it's a coin flip (mylsn and other law school number sites admittedly paint a more pessimistic picture). My 166 is exactly the median for Berkeley, and my GPA is 0.01 below their median. For Cornell, I'm one point below their LSAT median and 0.05 above their GPA median.

So I decided I wanted to strengthen my chances by doing early decision. However, I'm not sure which early decision is more practical. I'm also not sure what kind of law I want to practice. Another factor to consider is that I don't really have any experience that is amazing on its face.

Also: Will the specialties and programs of even top 14 schools lock me into a certain career path? What other factors should I consider?

My plan is to blanket the T14 schools with no expectations of acceptance. As far as I can tell, my best shot is University of Austin Texas (or #14). According to the LSAC GPA/LSAT browser, applicants with my GPA and LSAT had between a 54% and 64% chance of getting accepted into Austin in 2016. The same people only had between 27% and 40% chance of getting into Cornell, which #13.

If I get accepted into any one of them, I'll go. If not, I'll take the LSAT again in June 2018 and hopefully beef up my resume along the way.

My personal issue is that I don't actually know the national reach of a lower T14 school; this is especially a concern for Austin. I don't know where I want to practice, and I haven't evaluated any job markets yet.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: In case it wasn't clear from my title, this is about personal statements.

In my personal statement right now, I'm trying to indicate that reading Supreme Court cases for an undergraduate law class grabbed me in a way that no other course material did. There is one particular case that jumped out at me, and I can write about it honestly without BSing. Reading this case was an especially important experience for me because it solidified law as a future for me when I was depressed and saw no direction in my life.

I see a few issues with this though:

It's pretty shallow. The impact from reading a case won't compare to the other candidates who undoubtedly have some experience in an actual law firm or other "legal position."

Georgetown advises, "... Stay away from legal concepts and jargon. You run the risk of misusing them, and even if you use them properly, legal language may make you appear pompous." I'm not sure if this applies to the arguments and reasoning found in the Court's opinion, but it feels better to play it safe. Also, is "commerce clause" a legal term?

It may indicate that I expect to deal with large, Constitutional issues in my legal career. And as that surreal short film about law school points out, "there are only three lawyers who deal with Constitutional issues. Each of them graduated in Harvard in the 1970s. Can you graduate from Harvard in the 1970s?" (Here's the film, by the way:

So what do y'all think? Is it a good or bad idea to write about a case that stuck out to me in an undergraduate class?

Disclaimer: I do have one personal experience that may be worth writing about. I had something of a nervous breakdown on campus, and it served a catalyst for beginning treatment of my depression. I'm "back to normal," now, but all the online advice I've read recommends against writing about depression. I believe I can write a compelling personal statement about my recovery from depression. But I think the risks are too high. For example, law school is going to be a challenging time in my life, and the admissions people won't know for sure I won't slip backwards. Ideally, I wouldn't write about depression.

That being said, I truly have nothing else going for me. Every personal statement sample I've seen from T14 schools is at least supplemented by noteworthy experiences, such as demanding work, internships, or hobbies. I don't have any of that. My most complicated job was working as a teacher's assistant for one semester about a subject I had no passion for, and my only extracurriculars are some very basic volunteering. I volunteered for a gubernatorial campaign and with Syrian refugees. But I was mostly posting signs for the campaign, and I was simply correcting the pronunciation of Syrian refugees who read aloud to me.

Perhaps one event that could inspire a personal statement was when I stayed over-time as a teacher's assistant to help a student who suffered a brain injury. But I can't imagine writing a long or even compelling statement based on that alone.

Thanks for reading. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I've studied for the LSAT before, but I've never PT'd with logic games that are only on one page. How do you deal with this?