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It's not 100% necessary to do for each school, but I do think that it is helpful most of the time. Generally, you should always write any optional essays that they list. If they give you a list of 5 topics and say you can write up to 2 essays from the list, write 2 essays from the list. I think it gives off the impression that you are particularly interested in their school. If you do bare minimum, it looks like you are less enthusiastic. Law school admissions are a lot about convincing each school that they are far and away your number one choice. So, anything that can help in that mission will be beneficial to you!

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I met with Dean Cornblatt from Georgetown, and he explained that they like to see an application that goes beyond the required material for submission. So that could mean writing an optional statement or a Why Georgetown, because they want to know that you've gone the extra mile to show that you're actually interested in them and not just submitting a generic application. You submitted an optional statement, so I won't stress about it.

I won't really encourage you to submit a Why X essay after the fact, because it might look like you didn't take your time with crafting your application, which you want to avoid. If your apps are complete and in review, just wait it out and if you get waitlisted, you could include it as a Letter of Continued Interest.

Yeah I think it's based on conversations with those school's admissions rep. that people suggest writing Why X's for them.

Bumping this thread with another question if anyone can help! I wanted to write a Why X essay for Columbia and NYU because I am below both their medians and they are dream schools. I originally thought it couldn't hurt to include a short one (350 words or so), but after reading over a super old thread on a different forum, I'm concerned that I may hurt my chances (and annoy admissions officers) by including unsolicited additional reading material...especially given that it's obvious someone with my stats would love to go to their school. Any advice?

I've heard many people say that they just leave it blank. Your assessment is right, though, that you never want to make a "safety" school feel as though they are a safety school. I personally chose to list 2 to 3 peer schools + 1 to 3 schools ranked below it. Not sure if that's a great strategy as I just started submitting applications a week ago and have no results yet.

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https://abovethelaw.com/2018/12/law-school-enrollment-is-up-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-a-decade/

Confused... I thought last year was a high-applicant, tough cycle?

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I'm thinking about taking some post bac classes at my undergraduate institution.. maybe a class or two to help raise my gpa. I had a 2.87 due to many circumstances that I've written an addendum about. If I could raise my gpa to at least a 3.0, that would greatly increase my chances in getting accepted along with my LSAT which I am hoping to retake in the summer.

Does anyone have any experience with this or have any advice for/against? Not sure if law schools would consider post-bac classes when looking at applications. My goal LSAT score is at least a 165 by the summer. I have been hitting mid 150's and received a 153 on Nov's exam.

I work a full-time job and have been out of school for about a year now and plan on re-visiting the core curriculum at the start of next year. I had previously used 7sage about a year ago but never fully went through the CC or drilled LG's so I'm excited to see my improvements once I complete and implement those into my study schedule.

Thank you!

Since you already received your first bachelor's degree, the post-bac program will unfortunately not count towards your LSAC GPA. Your 2.87 will be what schools focus on, but if you improve to a 165 by the summer then you could be looking at some good options since many law schools are splitter friendly.

This is correct. After you receive your undergraduate B.A., your GPA is locked in. Nothing you can do to change it. If you took high school courses at a local college or something, CAS will combine those grades into your undergrad GPA. But, that's something that had to occur before you graduated college.

Nothing is mailed. Everything is available as an online page and/or printable PDF.

If you're looking for a 5-10 point increase in just over a month, you're going to need the Ultimate course and to devote way more than 3-4 hours of studying a day. It takes a while to get over the 160 and 165 hump. Not to mention that many people don't do as well as their PT average on test day. The ultimate package is expensive, but it's 100% worth it. You can look at your weak areas and print practice materials that specifically target those question types. There's also video review of JY going over all the PT answers for LR, RC, and LG. I started with the starers package and wish I had gone Ultimate wayyy sooner. Good luck!

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For me, it definitely varies by school. I was admitted to one school within 2 weeks of submission. I am still waiting (2-3 months later) for most of my decisions to T1 schools. I'm a splitter so I am admittedly not usually a first round pick at most places. YMMV.

Did you mean T14 schools? And have they at least put you on a waitlist or marked your application as "under review" or is it just radio silence?

At this point, it may be helpful to wait until March. I don't know when exactly the January exam is happening, but people generally score below their PT average on the real exam (test day nerves etc.). If you're already PTing below where you want to score, I wouldn't expect anything miraculous on test day. Depending on how much time you have to study per day, March could work. What are your studying methods? Are you watching the CC videos and doing the practice sheets that accompany each lesson? Have you taken any practice tests?

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Hi everyone! NYU's "optional statement" (i.e. addendum opportunity) says to provide:

"any information ... to give you full credit for your accomplishments, to help the Committee reach an informed decision on your application."

Then they specify that, "Information that has been helpful in the past includes, but is not limited to, descriptions or documentation of disabilities, a history of standardized test results, unusual circumstances which may have affected academic performance, or personal/family history of educational or socioeconomic disadvantage. This list is not all-inclusive, but we offer it for you to think about as you consider whether such information might be relevant in your case, and to assure you that including it is quite appropriate."

Does this mean that including information like you scores on the SAT or ACT is helpful to include? Also, if you are writing an addendum about a now-resolved medical issue impacting your LSAT score, does this mean it would be helpful to provide medical documentation to add validity to your claim?

Hadn't seen these specifications on any other application as of yet and am not sure how to interpret it.

Thanks for any help!

I don't know the answer to the medical issue question, but I think I can address the SAT/ACT thing. Both Berkeley and NYU apps have the same language and what the Berkeley adcomm told me was that the addendum space can be used to explain anything that might raise questions about your candidacy. One of the examples he brought up was that if you scored low on the SAT/ACT and then received a very high undergraduate GPA, that may be proof that your standardized exam scores are not reflective of your potential to succeed in higher education. Thus, if you have low LSAT, it may also mean that it's not reflective of your ability to succeed in law school. Not entirely sure if Berkeley and NYU hold the same beliefs about those types of addenda but it makes sense to me. Hope that helps and you can always shoot a quick email to the admissions office about it.

That's a really great idea. I was hoping to submit those two apps tomorrow, but may wait to call or email them for clarification on Monday. When you spoke to the representative at Berkley, did they say that simply mentioning your SAT/ACT score was enough or do you need to include like the official document or a screenshot of the portal or something?

As someone who studied for about a year, I regret not starting off with the Ultimate package. It has so many features that you can use to target specific weaknesses, down to PT range and question type, that it is so much easier to make quick point gains. I was hesitant to upgrade as well because I didn't have $570 just laying around, but it really is worth it.

Willing to swap as well!

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Have you guys ever gotten EMAILED admissions decisions on the weekend?

Did you? I assumed they weren't in the office/didn't do anything related to admissions on the weekend.

I will say, as someone who sat for the exam three times + took the digital field exam, that you are more familiar with the process after a "real experience." That does not necessarily get rid of your nerves though. The pressure of the exam exists whether the newness of the setting has worn off or not. If you see a difficult question or bomb a section or feel that you're not doing well, the familiarity of your setting really really doesn't matter. It's you and the exam booklet and everyone/everything else sort of disappears in your mind (unless you have a noisy room). I know schools only take the highest exam, but I from what I heard at the LSAC forum, they do have a question mark of sorts for people who take the exam 4 and 5 times (unless you have significant jumps). If you don't think you can achieve somewhere near your goal score by January, I'd say don't take it. You can "practice" the real setting with the 7Sage app proctor and a library silent room.

We need more info. How many hours a day are you working/commuting? Are you driving or taking public transit? Are you able to do any studying at work? What's your energy level before and after work? Realistically, how many hours of sleep do you need a day (important to know in order to calculate a goal number of study hours per day)?

I'd use test sections from as early as the 20s and 30s. The test has evolved, but many of those sections are still relevant to doing well on modern tests. As in, they require many of the same big-picture skills needed to do well on modern LSATs. That being said, thinking back to the exams this year, I'd say the RC and LG sections from the earlier tests more relevant than the LR sections. I thought that the LGs from PT 28-32 (27 & 33, 34 too if you need more), in particular, had some tough games that flexed my LG muscles to a new level.

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Hi @ I might be wrong but I think for the CAS report to be complete and sent to the school, the letter of recommendation among everything else has to be finalized.

I believe this is right. But, do you have an LOR on file that will be sent with the application? As in, is this pending letter in addition to other already assigned letters? If so, and if you meet the minimum qualifications for the number of LORs required by the school (LSAC cart will tell you), then it should go through. When you assign another letter, they can just update your CAS like they would for an additional LSAT score (same idea though... if you have an LSAT score on file, then CAS goes through, no problem, and updates as a new score releases. If you have no score on file, then your CAS is in "limbo" until you have a valid score on file).

That is absolutely fine. My pre-law dean actually recommended getting LORs right after finishing a class with a professor and having it on file in our pre-law office for future use. I think it shows early planning/preparedness and that you've been serious about law school for a long time.

So maybe it's actually better to apply in Dec-Jan this cycle. I wonder if schools were more strict with early acceptances/denied more people who applied Sept-Nov. based on the early applicant numbers.

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Hi everyone,

Was looking for a bit of advice. Just got my November score back and unfortunately it wasn't what I was hoping for. I ended up with a 166 while straight up bombing the games. For comparison my last 3 practice tests had been 178 (definitely an outlier but a score nonetheless), 169, and 172 so I know I'm capable of better. After getting my score back I had basically written off this cycle which is discouraging since I'm already 30 and had delayed a previous cycle. I want to do public interest stuff and would like to go T-14 (preferably with money) or get a large scholarship from a T-20.

Anyways, as I said I'd basically written off this cycle but I just saw some of the experts over at Powerscore advising people to apply with a January score. They were saying it should be a slow cycle and it's not too late. I was wondering if anyone had thoughts? All things being equal I'd like to go this year but I don't want to put myself at a sizeable disadvantage. Is it worth trying to take the January LSAT and if I do well sending in apps quite late or is that just putting me at too big a disadvantage? And does anyone have recommendations on consultants or experts that I could try and do a super quick consultation with to get their perspective? Thanks so much!

Hey, where did you see this info from Powerscore?

Is there another accommodation that you think would work better for you? Perhaps voice-recognition software? If you can think of a reasonable accommodation that would help you out, LSAC will likely try to make it happen. Apparently, they are very lenient in accommodations right now because they got sued for not approving them fairly in the past.

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They're interested in the group(s) you identity with. They aren't asking you to check the boxes that you think will maximize your chance of being accepted.

The entire point of my post is that I identify with both. I just identify with one more than the other and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to put that I identify with just one or as two or more races.

You modified your original post which makes my first reply less relevant. Your OP came off as "which boxes should I mark to ensure I have the highest chance of being admitted."

In light of your modified post and reply, I would suggest you mark both boxes. You said you identity with both groups. Your DS or PS could clarify that you identify more with one group.

I modified my original post because I was trying to avoid an Affirmative-Action debate (of which I personally think it's fine, legal, and moral for minorities to be concerned with being "counted" as a minority). My issue/concern is what's discussed in this NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/us/10count.html?_r=1&hp

"And students of non-Hispanic mixed parentage who choose more than one race will be placed in a “two or more races” category, a catchall that detractors describe as inadequately detailed. A child of black and American Indian parents, for example, would be in the same category as, say, a child of white and Asian parents."

In my applications, I want to identify as both the races that I feel represent my identity, but not at the expense of highlighting and recognizing my blackness of which is by far one of the largest parts of my identity. But, I don't understand the admissions process enough to know if that's how it works. Sorry, it's hard to convey my dilemma via this post.

Anyway, thanks for the help!

The difference may be because an A+ counts as like a 4.3 or 4.33. If you google it there’s a list of how they convert each grade.

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They're interested in the group(s) you identity with. They aren't asking you to check the boxes that you think will maximize your chance of being accepted.

The entire point of my post is that I identify with both. I just identify with one more than the other and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to put that I identify with just one or as two or more races.

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I going to just give up now. I just keep getting the exact same score over and over.

June 159

September 158

November 159

I PT fully simulated with 165+ I don’t understand... I’m just so discouraged

I won’t be writing again as I have already applied, and I’m a Canadian student so applications already sent out and done

Hey, I know it's tough but you still have one more shot in January. I'm a Canadian applicant too and planning to rewrite in January. Did you do a breakdown of what your weaker sections are and then focus on those weaknesses? Getting 3-4 more questions right can bump you into the 160s.

I’m just so discouraged and I feel like I wasted all that time and effort and money to just get the same result. So frustrating because I know I PT at a higher level. And the errors I get in each section fluctuate. I usually -2 for LG but this time the mining game I got -5. Usually LR is -4 or -6. And RC scan be a mess but I think I did alright this time. Super shocking because I choked on the September exam and this time coming out of November I was thinking wow I did it, felt like a normal PT no surprises. And then I get my score and it destroys me.

I don’t think I’ll be rewriting in January, I think I just want to sit this cycle and see what happens. I’ll graduate with my undergraduate degree first and maybe when I’m done that I’ll retake and reapply next cycle

I felt the same way - I thought I did fine in this test and even figured out the mining game but LR really did me in. I scored 4 points below what I was PT'ing at.

Taking some time off from the LSAT and revisiting it later on may be a good idea. If this cycle doesn't work out, taking a year off is good for gaining experience and strengthening your application. I ended up taking 6 years between undergrad and law school lol.

I think that’s an option for me. I’m currently in my 4th year. I’m stuck between two options.

Take the January exam (4th LSAT take) and study hard until then to improve my score and still have a shot at improving my LSAT this cycle. BUT risk getting the same and having to do the LSAT a 5th time after I graduate for the 2020 intake cycle.

OR

Just give up on the 2019 cycle, see what happens, if I get in anywhere, and after I graduate study hard and get a good grade on the 4th retake for 2020 cycle.

What do you think?

I’m in the same boat and am going with the latter option. I don’t want to be on record taking the lsat 5 times. If I retake, it’s going to be for an exam where I have 3+ more months to study and guarantee a higher score. Jan/feb is too close. Hopefully this will end up being a good cycle and neither of us has to retake.

Have you tried putting the applications into your cart and getting through to the payment page? If you get there, then maybe they send everything on file and just update law schools when your CAS updates. But what I was saying is that I'm not sure if LSAC even lets you get through to the payment page without assigning LORs.