I am having trouble deciding where to discuss my chronic illness - in my Personal Statement or in my Diversity Statement. I was diagnosed epilepsy when I was a child, but things have gotten much more severe in the last ~5 years. My struggles in recent years have really shaped me, and I feel that they do a pretty good job of showing who I am as a person in a positive light. Overall, I think this is the most meaningful topic that I have to discuss in my admissions essays. Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on which essay I should use this topic for? Or if I could potentially use the topic for both?

If I don't write about my illness in my Diversity Statement, I honestly have zero idea what I would write about. I do not have a very diverse background otherwise. If I don't write about it in my Personal Statement, I think I could come up with something else to write about, but I don't think it would be nearly as compelling. Since the Personal Statement is more significant in the application, I am not sure that I should sacrifice a stronger essay in order to have a topic that seems applicable to the Diversity Statement. At the same time I am still questioning whether it is a good idea to have a neurological disability be at the center of my application - I have been told by many that it is not uncommon for people (even those on a law school admissions panel) to associate an illness like mine with being mentally handicapped which could me a serious negative on my application.

I am just about ready to apply but when going to upload my resume a few law schools (only on LSAC, not on their websites) said to include some version of this information on the resume:

-List your extracurricular activities since entering undergraduate school, the hours per week devoted to such activities, and the dates of the activities.

-List your positions of employment since high school (either full- or part-time), the number of hours per week devoted to each position, and the dates of employment.

I'm a non-traditional student who graduated in 2010 and has been working as a full-time high school teacher. I do not remember all of my hours and odd jobs and extracurriculars. Also, adding these details would push my resume past 2 pages. Has anyone had a similar experience who applied? What did you do? Any advice?

A little over a week ago I submitted my law school applications. It was quite a relief. However, shortly after a very significant life event occurred that I'd like to speak about on my application. Is it possible to reach out to admissions offices and submit a supplementary essay? Would asking to do this look bad? I honestly have no clue who to talk to about this so any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

Does anyone else ever feel like the RC is sometimes total wild card? Sometimes it's a breeze and I get -2, but sometimes the passages just don't click for me and I end up getting -8.

Has anyone else experienced this? What are your tips for narrowing down this wide variation of error rate?

Thank you and happy Monday :)

Is there an explanation video for this question?

Admin note: edited title

For those of you who have submitted the Columbia App, anybody can't log in to the portal? Mine was saying there was a technical issue since I got the original email. Thanks

When I began formulating my personal essays/statement, I tried to focus on providing an interesting narrative that I thought helped to explain how different specific events have lead me to a way of approaching the idea of the law. I've tried to maintain a narrative form, rather than going all-out abstract essay.

However, I was recently reviewing some personal statements online, and I noticed that a number of people made note of their academic achievements. For instance, UofT, arguably Canada's #1 law school, provides this online document for prospective applicants: https://www.law.utoronto.ca/documents/JD/UofT_Law_Personal_Statements_Examples.pdf

What have other people's experience been with this? Is it best to "slip" these in? Gotta say, when I've tried to work them in so far, I kinda feel like a prig.

Saw the other thread about writing a GPA Addendum and I was wondering if my situation would apply/it would be worth it. I have a cumulative GPA of a 2.91(Yeah I know) due to a couple of instances that occurred throughout my collegiate career. The first 3 semesters of college my GPA was a 3.2/3.6/3.98 until the spring semester my sophomore year. The night before the first day of classes I was involved in a DUI Hit-and-Run in which I hit my head on the window and suffered severe trauma to my brain. I was on academic accommodation's for pretty much the entire semester and ended up getting around a 2.1. Following that semester I transferred to ASU and got around a 3.0-3.2 the rest of the time that I was in school. The reason I was wondering if I should write an addendum is because I had a strong GPA up until my accident and noticeably had to work harder in school and to pay for my bills because of the trauma and financial obligations that arouse due to the accident. If I wrote an addendum I would probably approach it from the point of view that the accident made it to where I needed to work harder in and out of school due to the cost both mentally and financially. Wonder what you all think, any feedback/input is appreciated! I took the LSAT last year and got a 150, had a little bit of bubbling error due to me rushing. Taking it again in November and should hopefully bring my score closer to the 160s

EDIT: I was the one hit by the drunk driver. Wasn't sure if that was clear.

Hello! I'm revising my PS currently and am wondering about using non-English words in the essay, as well as more technical words vs "common" words. For example, using "Pipipi snail" instead of "black nerite." Even then, should I just say "sea snail?" Or another example, using "a'a" or "basalt" vs "lava rock." I assume everyone knows what basalt is, but then again, maybe not! I know they're smart people, but I'm not sure how much knowledge I should assume the readers should have. It's part of my upbringing and general knowledge to use these words, and I feel it's more authentically myself to use the words I've used, but I'm paranoid they won't know what I'm talking about so should I use simpler words for the admission's officers clarity? Thanks for any help!

Never thought I'd still be struggling with LG but here I am with one month left and I still average -5 on LG. I know the one month left posts are common and probably repetitive but I feel like i'm so close yet so far away. My average is only 5 points below my target score and I know going -1 or -0 on LG would be enough to get me comfortably into the high 160s. Am I wasting my time redoing games and trying to foolproof them? I've foolproofed before and saw some improvement but whenever I'm doing the timed test I typically bomb 1 game. As soon as I realize I missed something or and having difficulty with a game my brain just shuts off and I panic. This doesn't happen with any other section. Speed is also still a problem. If I do easy games in under 5 mins I tend to miss a questions due to overconfidence.

My Stats: 3.82 162. Top tier research University.

Work experience in fed government internship, and in public interest law organization for an internship. Experience at a software startup too and currently working as a paralegal in SF Big Law firm.

Study abroad experiences in Asia.

Languages include Mandarin.

I’m also a non-AA URM.

So: should I maximize my chance at NYU by EDying? My goal is for NYC Big Law and eventually government work. I really like the school’s vibe; I had a great experience touring the school. If I get a Root-Tilden, it’s a done deal. But my lsat is low!

I am applying to Cal, Harvard, Columbia, and UChicago

Any shot at those?

My PS and DS and LORs are strong.

Hi! I am an international student who studied in a liberal arts college in the states and had a cumulative gpa of 3.41.

Although my cumulative gpa is low, a closer look would reveal a significant and consistent upward trend in my grades. Specifically, it went like 2.98, 3.23, 3.88, and 3.75 for my four years (my major gpa was 3.7 in political science), and the courses I took increased in difficulties as I progressed (especially the last two years,where I took high level political science and economic classes). I had been educated in a drastically different country and English was my second language when I got into college, and adjusting to that new environment was definitely a challenge.

I was wondering how strong a case I can make, given these facts, and how much would it matter for T14 law schools when they look at my gpa.

Thanks in advance!

TC

So, I was reviewing my application form. I was pressing buttons to see how to use one of my LSAC CAS Report waivers and I used ended up submitting the app which I didn't think was possible since I did not have a LSAT score. So, does this negatively effect me? Do I need to resubmit the app in December when I get my November score back?

I created this thread so that those taking the test in Asia, Australia and New Zealand can discuss the test! (Sorry, I should have made this before the test in Europe, Middle East, and Africa :sweat:)

Test Dates:

Score Release: Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Rules:

✅ Asking questions like “Was the LG with "flowers" experimental?” is okay.

❌ Don't mention specifics like "the 3rd LG was sequencing."

Please mention the region you took the test in (“I took it in Asia”).

Hi Im korean and I took October test in korea.

It was a terrible day for me. I didn't do very well on virtually all sections and expecting lower score than my previous test in July.

So heres what happened.

When the time for section 5 was about to be finished I found that one of my answers in section 2 of the scranton was not fully erased. So I erased the mark fully and in the process of doing so I erased part of my answers and blackened them .

The proctor saw it and told me it was a violation as I "worked" on different section and gave me a gold slip saying 'I marked on one question in section 2.'

In doing so I did not turn back the pages to section 2 or anything of that sort but just erased the incomplete marks and blackened the answer that was recorded so as to avoid the technical difficulties because of the machine's misreading my answer.

From my search I found out yellow slip is a deal breaker and considered as a serious offense. But i feel like erasing the incomplete marks as a 'violation' that wil be on my record permanently seems rather disproportionately harsh

The proctor did not deny he didnt see that I turned back to different section but merely saw me marking on different section. The whole incident destroyed my day and the prospect that this would go in my permanent recors is disheartening. I want to make my case to LSAC though it would be very difficult to overturn the case in my favor.

Anybody had similar experience? I really beed some help on how to deal with this entire mess.

Is it a bad idea to use tests prior to 34 for practice? Clearly, the LSAT has evolved quite a bit. However, I venture to guess that there is still a lot to be gained from earlier tests, even outside of LG.

Hey ya'll --

About 4 years ago I participated in a peaceful, organized protest that involved a sit-in. I was arrested for something like "blocking passage" (I think in DC it might be called "Crowding, obstructing, or incommoding"). Basically, I was taken to a processing center with the other protestors, paid a nominal fee (something like $75-$100) and went on my merry way. All of this was planned--and I had gone to a session on peaceful civil disobedience beforehand / knew that the arrest would take place.

That said, I'm looking for advice discussing this on the character and fitness portions of applications. Are any of ya'll going to have to disclose something similar? And does anyone have any insight into how admissions committees view these types of things?

Also, is anyone going to be listing traffic incidents on their apps? (Ex., a ticket for a red light).

Many things to anyone that can respond --

Kyle

Does someone know where to find September 2018 LSAT ?

For those who received accommodations for additional time, how are you studying for it? With work, it's nearly impossible to fit an entire full length exam in. So I'm basically doing a section a day and reviewing it. However, I fear I'm not taking into account how draining the duration of the exam may be. How can I better prepare for this? Any advice is welcomed, thanks!

Hey 7-Sagers! I'm applying to law schools and am hoping to land somewhere in the T-14. I have a 3.87 LSAC GPA and 163 LSAT score as a Hispanic URM (the LSAT has been a tough journey for me lol). I also feel like I have a strong PS/DS and resume. Although I'm below some of the T-14's medians, do I still have a shot at the T-14s? Should I wait until next cycle and try to bump that LSAT up? Thanks for any advice!

I'm considering applying next year but my teachers are already on their way sending the letters of recommendation to LSAC. So... would law schools dislike letters written the year before?

Hi! I'm trying to break a 170 for the November exam, but am currently stuck in the mid-160s. The November test will be my last chance at applying this cycle. I am currently a college senior and definitely planning on taking a year to work, whether I apply this cycle or next. What are the benefits of applying to law school this cycle and deferring for one year versus taking the LSAT at a later date (maybe January or later) and applying next cycle?

All,

Quick question about the test proctor available through the 7Sage app.

I have “real time” set to 33 mins but the app’s analog clock runs until from 0-35 mins. Is the clock sped up to make it “really” 33 mins or am I just taking a 35 min section?

Hi. I'm an international and I took the October test in Asia today.

Score cancellation was never an option, until this afternoon after I stepped out of the testing room feeling absolutely defeated.

I took my first LSAT in June after 3 months of study and got 161. From then on I drilled through most of the PTs except for the very recent ones (PT 80 onward), scoring in the range of 162-169. I felt better prepared and so decided to retake this month.

The exam was a lot more challenging than I expected, definitely so compared to the recent PTs I've been practicing with. I didn't make any Scantron mistakes, finished every section in time and bubbled in all the answers. But of course, having finished every section in time doesn't mean that I nailed each of them. I am pretty convinced that I bombed an LR section, for which I circled around 7 questions and had to take a wild guess on 2-3 of them. LG has always been my strong suit, but today I got stuck with a grouping question and had to guess 3 questions. As for RC, I don't feel so confident either - don't think I ruined it but I definitely could've done better.

My target score is 166+. It was my plan to apply this cycle, but I can wait a year and apply next cycle if I must.

I'm considering cancelling my score because I heard that law schools tend to view multiple scores negatively. I would wait for the results if it was my first go at LSAT, but seeing that this is my 2nd test I can't afford to take chances. Trying to gauge all the possibilities before I make a big decision.

So, here are some questions I wanted to ask:

Please excuse the poor writing. I would appreciate honest opinions.

Thanks.

As of now I am only on section Logical Reasoning section ( Flaw-Descriptive Weakening Questions). Three sections away from just starting the logical games section and my test date is on Nov 17. I studied using the LSAT Trainer for 3 months before but bought the full 7sage study package about 3 months ago and I feel like I should just end studying logical reasoning and start logical games because I’m running out of time and haven’t had much time to do practice test. Any advice because at this rate maybe if I study like crazy I’ll finish the program with maybe one practice test done before me test date. The problem was I lost motivation for about 2 weeks and never thought about how that would throw off my study schedule.