I'm looking for a study buddy in Chicago who would be willing to meet in person maybe 1-2 evenings a week. I'm prepping for the September LSAT and would prefer to work with someone already scoring at least in the 160s but I'm pretty flexible. Send me a message if interested!
This time last year I was starting to write my personal and diversity statements for law school. I was frustrated and getting nowhere, so I bought different books and started doing online research to figure out what exactly to include in my essays and how to frame myself in a way that was appealing for admissions. After a few months of hard work, I had two quality statements completed.
I know that not everyone has the time or resources to personally review their application materials, or they do and just don't know where to start. There are a lot of gaps, and I'd like to help where I can. I was lucky enough to have a strong support network and access to resources that let me put together my essays. If any of you would like, I can review your essays and provide feedback. Send me a message and we can go from there :)
Take a few practice tests at least. Look at the score you get and then look at the scores for the schools you want to get into. Odds are, you're going to need more than one month of prep.
@michellebenicka830 Yeah I heard that -- I tried finding the specific test date for the country I'll be in and was unable to. I sent a message to the LSAC administrators about this and will hopefully hear back about it soon.
@stepharizona288 Thanks! I read that as well. I'll be in Eurasia so I'm not too worried about the India LSAT :P
I'm trying to be ready for the June LSAT but it's becoming very difficult. I had a lot on my plate the past couple of months which really shafted my LSAT studying and now I'm not sure I'll be scoring in the 170s (my current goal) by June. I'm currently at about a 162 (my score dropped from a 165 after taking so much time off of studying) and I would gladly settle for a 170 in June if I got it. I haven't even started to PT. I'm starting to feel discouraged and think that maybe postponing my test *again* might be beneficial for me and let me come at it slower. It's already a hard pill to swallow, and obviously I would love to get it done and over with in June.
However, I'll be overseas this fall and was looking up foreign test centers for the country I will be in. I was looking up more information about the exam to get an idea of what taking it overseas might be like and LSAC stated that the exam is undisclosed. Does that mean it's a different exam? This is totally new info for me. If anyone has any information at all about this that would be super great. Thank you!
When I decided to publish this post I did not anticipate all the support and encouragement I would receive from everyone. I want to thank you all for being so reassuring and pushing me in a direction you would want for yourself (or your kids!).
@tamnrnc248 Do you enjoy working at the NGO or coffee shop? Do they offer opportunities for growth?
Yes, at the NGO I do, but at the coffee shop I like my coworkers and not much else.
@tamnrnc248 Would you be able to align either jobs with your future law school goals?
Nope :( very little room for growth currently and even if there was, not exactly where I'd like to see myself 5-10 years from now.
@salmaghalyoun909 I'm really rooting for the latter. Hang around and let us know how it all unfolds!
Thank you! When I wrote this post I never imagined I would get this much support.
@jhaldy10325 Give 'em hell!
Will do ;)
@seanman414131 You wouldn't want to look back on this decision in 20 years and think to yourself..."What would it have been like if I took the scholarship and followed my dreams?".
This is true. I haven't traveled in a while due to financial constraints, which was part of the reason why I needed this Fulbright grant to do so. I have to keep a perspective on things, thank you.
@974 The Fulbright will pay far more dividends in the long run than saving up $20k or something like that.
$20K was actually what I had calculated my projected savings to be. I didn't grow up with a lot of money so to me, having a year of living expenses figured out for my target cities (DC/NYC) was a pretty good deal. But you're right, I need to start considering the value of actually *being* in Fulbright and move beyond just looking at the numbers.
@insidesurgery489 Unless you have a six figure Wall Street job lined up
A girl can dream!
@salmaghalyoun909 It's not clear from your post if you've already been accepted to a law school, because that would change the circumstances a bit.
Sorry, I should clarify. I'm not accepted into law school nor have I applied. I have all of my application materials completed (essays, letters of rec, resume updated/formatted, transcripts submitted, fee waivers processed, etc) and am only waiting on sitting for the June LSAT (fingers crossed it all goes well) before I go ahead and apply. I'll be submitting applications this fall.
@salmaghalyoun909 If you're aiming for HYS then the debt burden is yours alone, but you shouldn't have much trouble getting a good job to take care of that debt. If you're aiming anywhere lower, you should be able to "trade" a couple of ranking points for scholarship money (I'm not talking full ride at Arizona Summit vs sticker at Harvard, but rather significant money at Penn vs sticker at Harvard).
I'm don't think I'm HYS material! I wish! But I am aiming for top 14, preferably top 7. I was hoping I could get a high enough LSAT score to negotiate scholarships.
@salmaghalyoun909 Either way, congratulations, and hopefully you enjoy your year abroad!
Haha thank you. I was really unsure about it all until I read all the lovely comments. I'm feeling better, but definitely think I need to do more research so I can relax.
@jhaldy10325 Working a shitty job for a year is great life experience. Wait tables or something.
I currently work at an NGO on weekdays and as a barista in a coffee shop on weekends. Between all of that I do LSAT studying. Providing customer service in a food industry builds lots of character. Shitty jobs I can definitely do.
@alejoroarios925 There is a balance between going further down the ranks for more money though so be mindful of that!
Oh, definitely! I'm very committed to 'top14 or bust' (regardless of how critical people can be of that mindset -- it has its merits)!
@twssmith644 As a mom of daughters not far behind you in age, I would hope they would seize such an opportunity without regrets to expand their world and experiences that will have a far-reaching impact on their life and their future.
I really enjoyed reading your comment! I grew up with a single mom so being money conscious was pretty big in our home. Thank you for the lovely advice!
So, I have a question for everyone about what will benefit me more. I was recently accepted into the Fulbright Scholarship program and will get funding to work abroad for a year. The program is extremely competitive to be admitted into, and I'm thrilled at the chance of traveling and working for a full year before going to law school -- especially because I have career interests in international/transnational law.
However, I have no money of my own and my parents will not be paying for law school. I will not be making money during my year abroad, and I will be coming back just a month or so before law school starts and won't have much time to get a job or save any money at all. My undergraduate loans during my year abroad will have to be deferred.
Obviously finances are a major concern for me, and graduating a top law school with minimal debt but with solid job prospects is my ideal situation. But, turning down the Fulbright scholarship because of financial reasons is a hard pill to swallow, especially when considering all the months of work, time, sifting through painful feedback, and interviews I went through in order to get it. I would like to have a better idea of what others are doing, or what other people know in terms of financing law school so I can be pushed in the right direction or set up a game plan for myself, because at this point my joy at being selected for Fulbright is being met with my anxiety about paying for law school.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
@jhaldy10325 I’d sleep from about 5pm - 1am. Then, I’d wake up at 1 and study until 6 am, then go to work. I was still exhausted, but the brunt of the exhaustion hit during work where I could handle it a lot better since work didn’t require the same level of intense mental concentration. It was a bit wonky, but I got 8 hours of sleep a cycle as well as 5 hours of quality studying time.
This was going to be my exact suggestion. I'm working full time now, and with my schedule + the exhaustion I just tend to wake up a good 5 hours before my work day, get some coffee in, and do timed sections (or timed tests). Then, after work I sit in a local Starbucks and just review the sections + blind review.
@hwangboedu364 I think your goal is unrealistic tbh
I completely agree with this.
@salmaghalyoun909
said:
get a JD comped at a non ranked school or pay sticker at 25-35 ranked school ("brand").
if you even want to have a semi-successful firm, you still need a degree from a ranked school. people who graduate from top 50 schools and start their own practices still struggle with getting a clientele that trusts them and their training. So in the end, get a JD from a top 25-35 school, it helps you both with getting a job, and starting your own practice. unranked schools are almost always a death sentence.
@sheridickson10526 I'm not sure submitting a mediocre DS or any other writing would be a good option. They will certainly note & take into consider how well thought out and written everything you submit is.
I agree, if you don't plan on submitting a quality DS then it might not be a good idea to submit one. It won't break you, but it wont look good for you either.
Just make sure it isn't redundant and that you have several people (who know what theyre doing) look it over. Make sure it isnt a recap of your resume, or an add on of your personal statement, and that it doesnt rehash other things available in your application (unless you have a story to tell about it). If you do a bad job it wont really break you, but if you do a good job, it could really make you stand out. Think of a very specific personal experience, how you overcame it, what happened as a result, etc. One person wrote a diversity statement about a bad date that they had and it was actually a really good read. Dont just submit something because you feel like you have to, people in admissions can always tell if something was written last minute or if very little time was spent on it.
I would say yes. A diversity statement doesn't have to be about race/ethnicity, economic status, etc. It can be a story about what makes you different (some people write about how they lost weight, others have written stories about their anxieties, etc). You have another chance beyond your personal statement to tell the school more about yourself and how you stand out, which can really help you if you do a good job of it.
@salmaghalyoun909
said:
All I know is, by around 8 P.M., I'm tired. Not tired as in "bored." But, slightly exhausted - think tipsy...slightly buzzed, what have you.
Usually it depends on the 'type' of exhaustion I'm feeling. If I'm starting to zone out or get a little tired (after ~6 hours of studying), then I take a 30 min study break and try to find ways to wake myself up (calling a friend, taking a walk outside, food/coffee/water, even just staring out of a window really does a lot to help me, etc) and when I get back to studying I'm a lot more productive.
If I'm ever at a point where I have to reread something a few times just to know what I read, then its a done deal. The decision is essentially made for me and I go to bed. It's a hard decision to make, especially if you didn't get through all the things you planned on getting through. But in the end you just have to remind yourself that sleeping will benefit you way more than spending time trying to read something that you're able to understand less and less as time goes on.
You just have to learn your limits, and figure out ways to work around them without burning out but still giving your mind enough time to process everything you're learning. If you're rereading sentences, it might be a good idea to call it quits and go to bed. If you don't want that time to go to waste, then take notes and review them early in the morning after you wake up. It helps with retention.
I'm interested in hearing more as well! Did any of you prepare for law school (either by taking a course or reading some books or even outlining) before actually starting? Did it work for you?
another good way to check is to go to lawschoolnumbers.com, select the school, and then sort through the applicants and see how many people have heard back, when they submitted, etc. if you still are having trouble and want a direct answer, just call the school and check on the status of your application.
No, different colleges have different degree requirements. Mine required 196 credit hours to graduate, but a neighboring college asked for only 102. Credit hours are generally inconsequential. You have no control over them, and graduating early isn't frowned upon.
@974 I think it is a chance to show your work ethic and depending on your GPA it shows either that you got a high GPA despite working through UG or it provides a justification for a why your GPA might be lower than it may have been otherwise.
Thats true, and close to what I was thinking when I mentioned possibly including in reference to an addenda.
@salmaghalyoun909
said:
I would like to include at least some of these in the resume, but not all.
Only include them if you're trying to make a point of something in either your personal statement, or addenda. But otherwise, they will not help you and I would avoid including them. You should only include relevant work history (your legal aid job, for example) and only for those you've done after you've graduated high school. If you had a few years gap between high school + undergrad (some people go onto do rotary or some other programs/jobs etc) then that's okay because it contributes to your application profile as a 'non traditional' student, but otherwise avoid disclosing that information.
@christinaguillen8257
said:
I graduated in 2013 and I don't think that my professors/ mentors will remember me.
Email a few profs whose classes you received good grades in. Mention a few things that might make them remember you. Also, in the email mention that you would be open to meeting in person and providing any anecdotes that they might need for your letter. Say you'd love to help in any way that you can. That usually encourages nice professors who might be hesitant about doing this on their own, especially if their memory is limited.
If this does not work for you, then when you ask for your supervisor's letter of recommendation, make sure that they discuss at length your academic/intellectual capabilities, so that information that law schools are looking for is not necessarily compromised. Again, tell your supervisor you would be happy to work with them during this process.
@christinaguillen8257
said:
Also, my resume has major gaps bc I've only been at this "company" and the shitty odd jobs in college.
This shouldn't be something you stress about. A lot, if not most, applicants have gaps in their resume. Instead, maybe section off gaps in your resume and talk about how you were looking for jobs, but then also detail any activities you may have done during this off time. Maybe you volunteered? Maybe you used that time off to get published? Maybe you studied for the LSAT? etc. It's important to point out that this is not that big of a deal, and that unless schools ask for you to format it in such a way that gaps in your resume are obvious/need to be explained, then just leave it and don't draw unnecessary attention to it. Life happens, and schools understand that.
Also, don't worry if they're shitty odd jobs. Deans know that most pre-laws will deal with shitty odd jobs. I know one dean was discussing how you should instead put in your resume any leadership related job duties that you had. Did you learn anything in this job? What did you do exactly that you enjoyed there? Etc. That way, even if you were a telemarketer, at least you were 'telemarketer of the month' and that's something they like to see.
I think the quickest possible improvement you could make at this point is trying to get a higher score in LG and maybe even RC. I find, at least from personal experience, that the slowest improvement comes from LR. Don't forget to review all sections though, so that it stays fresh in your mind. Maybe also reviewing general basics would be good too -- I know when I started PT a few months later I realized I needed to review, so thats a general guideline I go by: always go back to the basics.
@nielsinha488 For example, your conceptual tool kit expands, you tend to handle stress better, and sometimes your real world experience comes into play in the actual curricular matter that you deal with.
I have been out of school for ~2 years now and completely agree with this. I always thought that going to law school immediately out of undergrad would be perfect because studying and academics would still be fresh in my mind, but I've found that working might actually be better just because it gives me such a good perspective when I am doing work. You get some valuable skills that may not have been very well developed during undergrad. You become more mature, and that maturity helps you in so many ways relating to your academic/professional career. I don't regret taking time off, though at the time it was unintentional (and painful to come to terms with as I was gunning for the quickest possible route to that JD), I'm actually really glad that I did.
@mes08820 I'm going to send you a message soon! I have a few questions for you!