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[Webinar] Live Lightning Consultation—Mon @ 9 pm EST
David Busis
Member Moderator
7Sagers,
This Monday, at 9 pm EST, I’ll do a second round of live lightning consultations.
What’s a lightning consultation? Basically, I’ll try to be as helpful as I can in five minutes. We might brainstorm personal statement topics, strategize about addenda, or discuss LORs.
If you want a free five-minute consultation about your law school application, I’ll need you to post a few things in the comments section:
- Your three-sentence biography.
- Your biggest worry about your application.
- Two ideas for your personal statement.
- Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
I’ll get through as many people as I can in one hour, working in a mostly random order. Please don’t post to this thread if you can’t show up for the consultation. If you do show up, test your microphone beforehand. Make sure you have a strong connection to the internet, and that you can speak and be heard on GoToMeeting. If your microphone isn’t working, I’ll have to skip you.
To join, just follow this link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/196286165
- Dial +1 (571) 317-3112
- Use the access code 196-286-165.
- Use the audio PIN shown after joining the meeting.
We’ll use Citrix GoToMeeting. The meeting ID is 196-286-165.
Comments
2) GPA and My LSAT score.
3) the first idea: my professional chess career from the point that my father thought me chess when I was 5 until when he forbidden me to play chess at age of 11 because of my poor results; to the point that I practiced on my own and become champion of my province youth tournament at age of 15.
3.5) The second would be how all those around me could not afford a lawyer and got shortchanged which gives me a very personal reason to become a lawyer.
4) I attend but you just stopped before my turn
My name is Alex and I am a Mechanical Engineer, I work for a patent search firm, and I once decided that I wasn't going to go into patent law. When people ask where I'm from, I just say "the Eastern US" given that my family never lived in the same place for more than five years when I was growing up. I lived in Thailand for two years as a missionary for my church and I've played clarinet with a wind band in concerts throughout northern Europe and Asia.
Your biggest worry about your application. LSAT of course, but also showing that I am a unique and diverse applicant. I'm a white male from a middle class family and feel humble and unworthy when I read the inspiring stories that many fellow 7Sagers have shared about their lives. My dream school is Stanford.
Two ideas for your personal statement.
First idea (five seconds that changed my life): I struggled a lot with the decision to propose to and marry my girlfriend and waded for months through feelings of self doubt and uncertainty about an unknown future and if she was "the one". Consequently, I kept putting the decision off until my girlfriend called (we dated long distance for most of our relationship) and said that she felt like it was time to move on because she didn't know where we were headed. Instantly, I knew that I needed to make a decision that night or lose her for good. After pondering and praying late into the night until I had no words left, the thought came to me "If you want her, go get her" and I felt empowered to decide my own fate. At 1AM, I drove three and a half hours to show up on her doorstep in the morning and ask her to marry me. We happily celebrated our one year anniversary in May.
Second idea: Realizing that I am more passionate about helping others to learn and meet their goals than designing new products during the course of a working a job in a field that I didn't initially want to be in.
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
I attended and asked a question about how many paragraphs the personal statement should have (answer: let the story guide). However, I did not have a lightning consultation. I will be there for this session!
I attended last session and noticed many ppl could not join the session bc of the mic issue...do you have any idea for those ppl who cannot use mic but still want to join the session? You asked ppl to read what they wrote, but I thought it was kind of time-consuming too...I think they can just summarize in a few sentences instead of reading the whole things they wrote. In doing so more ppl would be able to get advice from you. What do you think?
By the way thank you for doing this! It's really helpful.
Biggest worry about your application: Definitely my cGPA and my LSAT score. I had to take a lot of difficult pure science courses throughout my BPHE degree that really brought my GPA down.
Two ideas for your personal statement: I definitely want to draw on my experiences doing development work in different parts of the world, and speak to how I want to use my legal education to harness positive global change for the future.
Did you attend last time? Did he get to you? Nope!
Thanks so much for doing this!
My name is Anna, I have an undergraduate degree in Biomedical engineering from an international institution, mechanical and electrical engineering master's degree from US universities and I am an ESL student. I worked as a technical advisor (patent agent) after graduating with my 2nd MS degree in a boutique IP law firm for about 2 years and stopped working due to medical issue since 2015. I have 2 children (2 years old and 2 months old) and my husband is an officer, I am now taking care of them while studying for the LSAT.
2. Your biggest worry about your application.
I don't have an undergraduate GPA since I obtained my undergraduate degree from out side of US. LSAC rated my UGPA as Above Average. As English is not my first language, I am mostly worried about my writing especially Personal Statement.
3. Two ideas for your personal statement.
a) Maybe talk about my journey of coming to the US alone to study 5000 miles away from home. The struggle both culturally and academically, the loneliness, and the burden of surviving financially. Academically, I need to adjust myself to the new school, new environment, and new ways of studying and doing researches. As a Teaching assistant, I need to hold lab sessions 3 times a week, which basically is a public speech one hour each time. For a non-native speaker, it was a nightmare in the beginning but in the end I received excellent teaching award from school. I even worked as an adjunct instructor at a private university for a semester. I also have research duties which was interesting and hard but I managed to publish a few papers on peer reviewed journals. I was also doing multiple internships to earn extra money and gain more experiences while taking the maximum credits I could each semester to save the tuition. However the most difficult part is the loneliness, coming from an Asian culture, it is difficult to be alone without families and friends around. I enjoy being tired and fill my schedule full with loads of work because I feel lonely and even cries sometime when I am by myself. I overcome these in the end.
b) Perhaps, I should talk about more recent experience about being a military spouse, support my husband emotionally, adjust myself to the military life and survive severe medical complications myself without anyone around to help. My strong technical background in biomedical, mechanical, and electrical engineering will make me a good fit for IP law and I have experiences working with patents already. But I feel like talking about how much I love patent law is really plain and not interesting. Maybe I should combine the 2 topics together?
4.Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
No and no.
Thanks!
2. The biggest thing that I am worried about with my application is my LSAT Score. I am working really hard to study the best that I can so that I can do well on the September LSAT, but I am worried that I will not get the score that I want and the schools that I am applying for will not accept me.
3. I honestly don't have any ideas at this point. I think that depending on the prompt of the schools that I am applying for, will give me some ideas on where I should go to make my personal statement stand out.
4. No I did not attend last time, this is my first time being apart of this discussion board. I hope that you will get to me in the timeframe that you have!
2) Letters of Recommendation, I don't have two academic and the one I do have is going to be average.
3) One idea: My dad loves sports, I remember as a kid I would sneak out of my room and watch him watch sports at midnight/passed midnight every night when he got home. As I kid I never understood why he worked so much (went to work at 9/10am and coming home at midnight, 6-7 days a week) and as I grew up I started realizing why he worked so much, what kind of financial situation we really were in(not good), but still worked day in and day out and how that taught me no matter what may happen, or what cards you are dealt with, hard work and determination with the right goals in mind will lead to success. I used this work ethic throughout my life. I was going to include examples of when those lessons helped, when I was struggling to continue doing anything with my life and not giving up and realizing that my dad didn't work his a** off for me to fail. (Kind of everywhere with this).
Second idea: In undergrad I was drinking everyday, when I woke up, going to class, during midterms/finals, and dinner. I was still "functioning", I was passing my classes (barely), still hanging out with my friends, going to work, by all accounts normal. I started smoking as well and went from one cig to a pack a day in less than a month and that continued. Super cliche movie moment but I was literally looking in the mirror, had a beer in my hand, and was about to hope in the shower and that was when it just all clicked and made me realize wtf am I doing with my life and quit cold turkey. Went sober for a year, moved to NYC and started drinking again but stopped after a month, this time was easier was still difficult.
^i am considering combining them but that seems to much for how short the PS is meant to be.
4) yes and no but I also didn't submit so yeah
2. Your biggest worry about your application. My LSAT score.
3. Two ideas for your personal statement. Opening Statement: When I was in high school, my history teacher had us do a skit on the Salem witch trials. I offered to play the role of one of the prosecutors. I began improvising my role as a prosecutor and found that I had a skill at quickly brainstorming and analyzing the subjects, leading me to asking the right questions, saying the right things, and convicting those witches! My teacher was impressed and my love for law began.
3.5 I hadn't thought about another.
4. Did you attend last time? Did I get to you? No, I did not attend last time.
I was born and raised here by immigrant parents and I have always had trouble balancing both cultures - though I love both cultures. Though my parents work 60-70 hour weeks, We've had some serious financial issues for about half of my life now and it has significantly influenced who I am today, introducing me to a difficult and independent lifestyle early.
2.Your biggest worry about your application.
I'm happy with my recent LSAT score but I bombed my previous take due to health reasons. I'll be submitting an addendum but I have to really shine in everything else to persuade them to overlook that disaster.
3.Two ideas for your personal statement.
A) Our financial issues introduced me to my interest in the law and the arts. Because of our financial issues and since my parents are immigrants, I started communicating with attorneys early on, since they wouldn't take my dad's broken English seriously. I explained a lot of legal terminology to my parents & helped them with lots of specific paperwork I don't want to talk about here. This sparked my interest in the law, leading me to take classes and intern at a pro bono place (where I could relate, because my parents couldn't afford attorneys to defend us). On the other hand, I also got a little depressed b/c of our financial problems and to cope, started turning to the arts - drawing, painting, etc. I now sell these drawings online and I'm mentally healthier again.
4.Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
Didn't attend last time but I'm happy I can this time! Thank you for this opportunity!
2. Being a super-splitter. I'm worried about when I am going to take the test. I'm scheduled to take the LSAT in December due to my work schedule getting too busy (had to push back the September date because I wouldn't perform to the peak of my ability). The December date worries me because; my GPA is very low (sub 3.0), and this means that any love I could get as a super splitter (ideally above a 170 LSAT) will be non-existent since I will be applying so late in the cycle. I don't want to sit out an entire cycle because I feel like my life will go on hold for that year in a non-enjoyable way.
3. My main idea I have for my personal statement is about the personal issues which impacted my GPA, mentioned in number 2. These issues were resolved during my senior year and my grades rose significantly, but I am still under a 3.0. I would talk about how these strengthened me as a person and about the character traits persevering through this hardship required.
The other idea, although it would probably be much more abstract, is how I am not satisfied in my current engineering role since I do not have the ability to help others. I always dreamed of being an engineer so that I could positively impact society with my work and ideas in technology, but I feel so insignificant in a large scale engineering company that I wish to have a more hands on impact which I believe I can accomplish with a law career.
4. No I wasn't.
I am half-Brazilian and grew up in New York, New Zealand, and Georgia (state, not country). I graduated undergrad in 2012, and spent some time traveling, working for my state Dem party, and now work in undergraduate admission at my alma mater. I have been interested in law school since undergrad, but wanted to take some time to make sure it was the right decision.
2) Your biggest worry about your application.
I haven't taken the LSAT yet (signed up for September), so I'm not sure about that component. Otherwise, I'm worried about writing a personal statement that stands out.
3)Two ideas for your personal statement.
1-Why I've finally decided to attend law school. I've always had a passion for policy and social justice. Although I had to quit working in politics (for financial reasons), I've managed to carry some of those interests into my current position. My favorite day of the year is when we lobby at the state capitol. Also, my work with recruiting underrepresented populations (including DREAMers) has given me an interest in immigration law. After fully and deliberately weighing the decision, I am ready to whole-heartedly pursue a law degree.
2-Biographical. My upbringing in a multi-cultural family and spending time internationally. For much of my childhood I was a foreigner, regardless of where we were living at the time. How this non-identity identity has shaped me. (May be better for a diversity statement?).
4)Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
I attended, but didn't submit information for a consultation.
2) At this point, my diversity statement and whether I even have a topic for one.
3) What I did/have done in my current job, how it has helped others (specifically my clients), and how those I've helped have in many ways helped me, even to the point where I much of who I am today is because of the very clients and their respective caretakers whom I've served.
This is a topic I've been mulling over for my diversity statement more so than for a personal statement, though I'm really on the fence about using this topic at all: Despite both my parents' having triumphantly overcome poor life circumstances, I had never viewed myself as anyone even remotely above average. Given their respective pasts, both of my parents instilled a sort of inevitability for my road to being a first-gen college graduate, but I didn't find there was any support for seeing myself as someone who could distinguish himself and truly achieve during and after college. While my father started a small business on his own and has since grown it into a firmly successful one, I knew I certainly was not my father. Both of my parents have probably achieved more than I ever will, and I don't think their personal triumphs bespeak anything of excellence that could be attributable to me. So, while I was truly blessed with a solid upbringing for which I will always be thankful, I had nothing but my parents' successes and my standard childhood to craft a perception of myself for myself. It was not before my senior year of college that I began to have the nerve to strive beyond what was "preset" for someone completely standard, and I will never look back in my earnest ambition to achieve the most I can, whatever that may be, for myself and for others.
4) I did attend the last webinar but did not submit any material for you to review.
I am 32 years old, married, and have two children. I graduated three years ago with a BS in Business Management and I have been working as a project manager for a telecommunications company. In a combined total of ten years of work experience, seven of which are in Residential Financing.
Your biggest worry about your application.
I am concerned about my LSAT score, I obviously want it to be a good reflection on my application, but I also want my application as a whole to be appealing and somehow set me apart from the other applicants. I also am uncertain if I should include an addendum to my application explaining the dip in my GPA when my father passed away (3.7 to a 3.5).
Two ideas for your personal statement.
1) Following high school, I served a Christian mission for my church, and when I returned my father offered me a position in his office as a residential loan officer. With no prior knowledge, I studied all aspects of residential lending and how to excel in a 100% commission position. I worked alongside my father for seven years and not only did I learn a great deal about the finance industry, but I grew and learned more about myself. When the economy crashed in 2008, I was forced to reconsider my career choice, which led me to earning my degree. My personal statement will be a write up of how this was a defining time in my life and how this shaped me into who I am today.
2) Halfway through my freshman year of college, I received a phone call from my parents with the news that my father was diagnosed with leukemia. I needed to decide if I should drop out of school and return home and focus my time and energy on my dad, but my dad refused that option. He didn’t want to be the reason why I didn’t finish school. For 18 months he fought the cancer and I continued my schooling while visiting home frequently. My personal statement will be a write up of this time and how my father impacted my life as a father, a friend, and a mentor.
Did you attend last time? Did he get to you?
I did not attend last time.
2. UG GPA (3.3) and LORs (no professors). LORs coming from the General Counsel of one of my past employers, the second one somewhat undecided.
3. First idea: Law school had always been a part of the plan, but I wasn’t read to make that commitment and wanted to explore other professional options. I developed a passion for financial services from my work experience. During that time, I became exposed to issues related to privacy protection, especially in the context of consumer financial services. At that point I realized how integral the law is to the industry, and how complex it is. (different markets, EU vs. US vs. Asia, etc.). I realized I want to pursue a legal education, and that I am the mature and thoughtful person I wasn’t when I was just starting out of UG.
Second idea: How my life has shaped my identity, and how my identity attracts me to the practice of law. I realize it’s very general, but I think it is deeply personal and unique. I would also want to add some of the themes from my first idea into this one, but they wouldn’t be as fleshed out.
4. I did not attend last time.
2) The fact that I have been out of school for almost 5 years, which makes me feel a bit like trying to swim with Phelps after not hitting the gym since I was in my 20s. And clearly LSAT score as well, the reason I'm here.
3) 1st Idea: Working directly with refugees, their stories and my inability to provide meaningful help. As someone who isn't a lawyer, I had zero authority to provide counsel or advocate for them. That feeling of helplessness motivated me to go to law school.
2nd Idea: Related to 1st. My friendship with an undocumented Honduran immigrant who was deported and how my family has tried to help the family he left behind. The fact that I am unable to directly appeal on his behalf for his ability to apply for asylum, motivates me to go to law school.
4) I did not attend last time
And thanks to David for your time
2. Biggest worry about application: LORs -didn't really get to know any of my professors that well since I was always taking classes in different departments. I have a couple options but I'm unsure how to get the best LOR that I can
3. Ideas for personal statement:
1. One of the graduation requirements at my college is a swim test. But when I was young, I had almost drowned, which left me with a negative view about swimming and large bodies of water. Just terrified of it. Regardless, I was forced to learn a couple years ago. Passed the swim test -didn't grow to love it or anything but learned that its not as terrifying as I made it to be. I like to plan, to know and to control and learning to swim needed me to let some of that go and just trust that I can float without doing much.
2. Maybe about a research project abroad that had me interviewing people in a foreign language and listening to their personal stories, sometimes for hours. And how they would always start with caution and then eventually open up with these intense emotional stories -often even advising me as though they've known me for longer than that interview. I was thinking I could contrast that sense of deep connection with the sense of separation that sometimes I feel amongst my family/friends as I develop the anecdote about their interviews..maybe.
4. Nope!
I am Engineering student attending the University of Waterloo in Canada. I wish to pursue corporate or patent law. Since Waterloo has the largest co-op program in the world, I have worked at 6 companies during my time at University, including a patent law firm, financial companies, a manufacturing company, and an insurance company.
Biggest worry about my application:
Whether the difficulty of my program will hurt me or benefit me when it comes to evaluating my GPA. In Canada, there is a percentage system and my average is around 85%, but I'm not sure how that translates to US Law Schools and whether the difficulty of my program will be considered when determining my GPA.
Two ideas for personal statement:
1. Engineering at the University of Waterloo has allowed me to develop my problem solving mind and analytical skills to an advanced level. However, I believe communication of ideas is the key to actually implementing ideas. I want to pursue law in order to arm me with the skills to convey and put together arguments with knowledge and problem solving mind Engineering has given me.
2. I am an introvert person who at times is criticized for being too quiet at times. Every single one of my 6 employers during my time at University has said that they know I'm very intelligent but that I am quiet at times and don't communicate enough. I think pursuing Law will help me become more of an extrovert and not afraid to speak out my ideas.
Biography:
I graduated three years ago with an Economics degree from a state school in CT and am looking to apply to a few schools in New England with the hope of getting into business law, investment, or patent law. During school I held many different jobs as well as club leadership positions and had an internship with an engineering company. Post graduation I spent a year teaching English in South Korea, a few months traveling in South East Asia, and now am back home working as a personal assistant for a construction business as well as umpiring sports at the high school and collegiate level.
Biggest worry:
Fine tuning my essays for the schools I'm applying to and LSAT score (good enough to get in, not assured funding).
Personal statements:
1. I wanted to talk about how my dad would bring me to work with him when I was a child because they couldn't afford daycare. He and my grandpa work hard at their business together every day and I was lucky to grow up seeing first hand all the dedication my father put in to building a better life for our family. My time spent watching their small family business grow inspired in me a passion for business and building something from nothing. Their hard work and dedication made me see that growth is made through small steps each day and perseverance, as well as approaching every endeavor with a cool head and confidence. I would then illustrate how this foundation of hard work and perseverance helped me through endeavors in my own life (chairing committees in my university student government, moving abroad to teach English in Asia, moving up the ranks to referee at a collegiate level) and why these experiences have propelled me towards a career in business law. Maybe choose one to focus on.
2. Overcoming challenge in my freshmen year of university because my financial aid was cut in half one month before school started and I was unable to afford housing on my own. My mother moved out of our house the summer before and into a one bedroom apartment where she was not allowed to have another tenant according to her contract (she could no longer afford the rental we lived in together without child support and we were both under the impression I would be living at school anyway when she signed her contract). My father also shared a one bedroom with his girlfriend so living with them was not an option. I spent my first semester jumping around between random family members' couches and friends' dorm room floors (at this time my grades also suffered so I can utilize this as a chance to explain that one semester of poor performance). When I realized I couldn't necessarily rely on my parents or anyone to take care of me anymore I decided to take on three jobs and build up my savings to be able to afford a low budget apartment near school for the next year. Consequently my grades improved and I started engaging in activities on campus that would lead to me choosing to attend law school. Could use this as an opportunity to talk about each job and the skills I improved through each.
Did you attend:
no, I did not attend last time.
Born in Egypt, and immigrated to Canada when I was 3 years of age. Worked in sales for 10 years while and after doing undergrad. I did a Sociology major, and am 30 years old.
Your biggest worry about your application.
For it to be generic, and not highlight who I really am. I failed high school miserably (had to redo grade 12), but was able to get a 3.5 GPA in my last two years of college. Getting "A"s was one of the most challenging things I had to do in my life; it was mainly because I had self doubt and a somewhat traumatic experience with school because of my failures and bullying.
Two ideas for your personal statement.
1.) How I overcame past academic failure by getting a 3.5 GPA in my last 2 years of college (Biggest struggle of my life).
2.) Overcoming my fear of public speaking by taking many public speaking courses, and preforming a stand up comedy routine as a final project for one course, in front of an audience.
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
No, this is my first time with this.
My name is Addison, I am the oldest of two children, first in my immediate family to attend university and I did in 2009 because I felt I had to, and I'd been accepted into a highly selective program out of high school. I couldn't gain traction during university, starting in 2013 I switched from a concurrent English Lit HBA/BEd program into a joint English Lit and Philosophy HBA, where I rediscovered my love and deep appreciation for law. I graduated June 2015 after being diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type in 2014 after seeking note taking help after shoulder surgery (during my meeting I broke down into tears, unable to understand why I didn't seem to care about any of my classes, couldn't focus on readings, and couldn't bring myself to work on anything ahead of time).
Your biggest worry about your application.
My GPA, a 2.9, doesn't accurately reflect my potential to succeed. I turned around 23 years of terrible academic habits and that doesn't happen overnight, so I didn't peak academically while completing my HBA. 12 months after graduating I scored 169 on the June 2016 LSAT.
I'm worried about how to properly address that time in my life, it's hard to describe the invisible barrier that was my disability while also pointing out the positive things that came from that time as well.
Two ideas for your personal statement.
1) The first time I can remember telling anyone I wanted to be a lawyer, it was my grade 8 teacher. The same man who I screamed at for 5 mins once over a 1mm wobble in a rectangle I'd drawn on a test, for which I was deducted one mark, dropping my grade below an 80. He aptly illuminated the fact I was depending on the use of a ruler to make my case, while I had clearly not used one on the test. Years later, after switching to philosophy, while I was discussing interpreting Marx's views regarding inheriting material conditions with a guest lecturer, I said, "so, we can accept these conditions as they are, doing nothing to change them, work to change them through whatever channels are made possible by our society, emigrate from the society, thereby validating the inherited condition's power, or kill yourself" to which she simply said "yes."
These stories, for me, reinforce how important, and meaningful, a career practicing law is. According to my psycho-educational assessment, I have a brain that loves rules, and the verbal reasoning to make a great litigator, my LSAT experience proves I have the work ethic.
2) Studying philosophy changed my life, and gave me a renewed interest in practicing law. Pairing my love for philosophy and its natural intersection with a legal career, I truly believe I was meant for this. My great grandfather was a lawyer, who graduated from Canada's oldest law school, Osgoode Hall, in 1918. I think of all the people who need help but do not have to capacity to represent themselves, they deserve the best representation, and I will deliver that with the training I receive during law school.
A recent example that solidified this belief for me was helping my father receive a disability tax credit for a knee injury he sustained at work years ago. He had already talked to his doctor about the forms, and his doctor had dismissed him, stating he did not qualify for various reasons. I spent less than an hour reviewing the form, the relevant definitions provided by the Canadian Government's website, and drafting a two page document for my father to bring with him and read verbatim to his doctor. After his next visit, his doctor approved his application for the credit. These kinds of things are exactly why I believe I should be a lawyer.
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
I did not attend last time.
2) My personal statement is in fact my biggest worry about my application
3) I am having a hard time coming up with ideas for my personal statement but so far was thinking of using my experience of moving overseas to care for my father and taking advantage of that situation to head back to school and pursue my life long objetive of becoming an attorney.
4) I did attend the last webinar but unfortunately you did not get to me, hoping for this time around, could most certainly use the guidance.
1. Your three-sentence biography. I’m Jamal; I’m a thirty-one year-old African-American male who came back to the States last year after working and living in South Korea for over 8 years upon completing a Fulbright grant. I am currently working as a pawn broker, jewlery, and personal trainer. I’ve always been passionate about setting BIG goals and reaching them; graduating from one of my dream schools is the next BIG goal I’m working to reach.
2. Your biggest worry about your application. 1A) Letter of Recommendation (LOR)-the professor who wrote my LOR for the Fulbright is deceased 1B) Personal Statement-not being able to tell a cohesive story 1A +1B = TIME
3. Two ideas for your personal statement.
1) The first time I every spoke of going to law school was at my uncle and aunt’s house, sitting at their kitchen table, less than a mile away from my dad’s house. This is significant because for 15+ years I silenced that goal because my relationship with my father, who has done well for himself in the field of law, had deteriorated to the point I didn’t want anything to do with anything he was a part including the law. As my time in S. Korea unfolded, and as I gained new experiences, relearned old life lessons, and shared stories with different people in Korea and in the other countries I was fortunate to travel to my heart was softened towards my dad, my humanity was increased for others, and my curiosity for the law was reinvigorated.
2) I believe in the promise of America, even though at times its promise has been fleeting to many groups of minorities/majorities throughout its young history. It’s my goal to use the law (and the spirit of the law) to find commonalities that bring more Americans together and real things done, not just dreams, i.e. Hyperloop. I will work to implement best practices-not just words or stats, which are found outside of the Continental US into productive and effective strategies for the American ethos.
4. Did you attend last time? Did I get to you? Yes. No, I didn’t submit anything.
I am in the midst of a year off, studying for the LSAT while helping to manage my family's real estate business. I wrestled division 1 for four years and graduated with a history major, CS minor, and 3.49 GPA. I have business management experience in restaurants, nightclubs, construction, and bookkeeping.
Your biggest worry about your application.
What theme or parts of myself should I highlight in my LOR and personal statement. (should I have addenda/diversity statement?)
Two ideas for your personal statement.
1. The reason I want to be a lawyer (happened in college). My senior year I took cross registered courses through Harvard Law during the fall and spring semesters (with Professor Gordon-Reed and Professor Unger respectively). In my statement I'd explain how their lectures and readings sparked my interest to pursue the legal profession. Might refer to a rewarding paper I wrote on the patent system. It's thesis was that as result of the modern tech boom, presently patents cannot cover the new questions of intellectual property that go to court. The solution I offered adopted pre-packaged bundles of rights that could be shared, my argument used copyright law and the creative commons as a successful example of such a system.
2. A few months ago I performed an audit and discovered a fabricated company. Then using Lexus Nexus I found the employee who used that company to embezzle funds. My essay would recount this experience, which took place just a few weeks after graduation, and how I handled the criminal activity without undermining my organization in the months that followed .
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
Did not attend last time.
1. I graduated from an average public state university in California 7 years ago. I worked my way up from being a paid door knocker for a political candidate to campaign manager. For the last four years I have worked in the political department of a large labor union of healthcare workers in California.
2) Standing out in a sea full of amazing applicants.
3) Personal Statement A - Talking about a recent union contact campaign that I was involved in. I'm thinking of first starting off by talking about how I felt responsible for a union leader being fired. She was a proponent of a ballot initiative that I filed and ran which would limit hospital executives at her hospital from earning over $250k. She was fired out of retaliation.
This made me question myself and if I was truly helping people or doing harm. In the end, I ran a political campaign for this initiative that resulted in the CEO being fired, we were able to settle on a great contract, we dropped the initiative, and I recruited several hospital candidates who are running this fall and are committed to working with us to reform the hospital's leadership.
Personal Statement B - Talking about how college was at first tough for me. My parents lost their home due to my dad's alcoholism and I was nearly kicked out of college for poor grades.
I was inspired by a professor during sophomore year and saw school as my way to figure out how this world works and how to fix it. My grades improved dramatically and I learned that I can't control my dad's actions, but I can control my own.
I couch surfed and lived off ramen soup after college (it sucked and I was poor). I worked really hard and progressed as a paid door knocker to campaign manager and got several folks elected and re-elected to state and federal offices'. I now work a labor union in California and have done amazing things. I recently led on a statewide ballot initiative that qualified for the November 2016 ballot and would raise the state minimum wage to $15. The day we qualified the governor called our union and we brokered a legislative deal. The governor signed this bill into law and it will raise the minimum wage to $15 by 22 and it will be matched to inflation thereafter.
Three-sentence biography
Hi, this is Nancy. I'm a 27-year-old female from China and moved to the US 8 years ago for college. I've been working as a management consultant in the finance industry since graduating from a liberal arts college. I have been tinkering with pursuing either a JD or an MBA, and ultimately felt that JD is better aligned with my personality traits and long-term interests of going into public policy.
Biggest worry about your application
College GPA (below 25 percentile for target schools)
Two ideas for personal statement
1) Track record / long-time interest in the intersection of policy, business, and law.
As a student: I researched the impact of economic policies on small businesses; interned at a policy institute in the Caribbean; provided pro bono consulting for social entrepreneurs.
As a consultant: have experience in digesting new regulations, assessing their business impact, and implementing solutions for compliance.
2) What having a bad boss / work experience taught me about professionalism, resilience, and management style.
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
I did attend, but was not selected.
Dial +1 (571) 317-3112
Use the access code 196-286-165.
Use the audio PIN shown after joining the meeting.
I don't think there's an audio pin for this session. I just double checked the settings and don't see one. If there is one, it will tell you what it is when you call in and enter the access code.
2. Poor undergrad GPA (graduated in 2002)
3. A) Had spent years skating by as a mediocre paramedic when a fellow firefighter died on the floor of my firehouse. I had to make a single decision between a path which would protect my livelihood and ego but reduced the firefighter's chance of survival and a second path which would slightly increase the firefighter's chances but more likely end in a career-crushing failure.
4. No.
2) My biggest worries would be the LSAT score, not having enough recommendations from teachers, and my personal essay.
3) I only have one idea for personal statement and that would be just to talk about how ive always wanted to be a lawyer, since I was young.
4) Never attended before.
My biggest worry is my GPA. I started in the wrong major and decided to keep it as a minor, it killed my GPA to a sad 3.2. This will be my second time taking the LSAT, hopefully I can get my 162 to something way closer to 170 and make up for my grades.
I was thinking to do my personal statement on how almost everyone in my family practices law in Mexico and that's what I assumed I would do but the terrible situation in my state town forced me out of the country and how I am kind of glad because I had the chance to attend an amazing boarding school, a great college and now I am getting ready to study law in the US. It also helped because I am gay and my family is too conservative to accept it so being "forced out" ended up giving me a way out.
First time attending, and I really appreciate this opportunity.
Your biggest concern about your application: There is much room for improvement in LSAT.
Two ideas for your personal statement: Perhaps cultural and life experiences.
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you? I listened in over the phone. Didn't get to talk to you but look forward to it this time!
Thanks,
Joy Ling
Aerospace and Ocean engineer from Virginia Tech looking to get into patent law. Son of an immigrant parents. I currently work for the NAVY (civilian) on submarine concepts designs. Its a simillar appoach the the auto indsutry has with concept vehichles, applied to submarines. Plan to do LS part time while continuing to work.
Your biggest worry about your application.
GPA. I was diagnosed dsylexic late in life and as a result have a GPA that I am trying to balance with a good LSAT score (168 in JUNE and retaking in SEPT)
Two ideas for your personal statement.
Trying to manage my father's tax practice while he was hospitalized and considering taking it over/switching careers when the prospect of him not making was a reality. AND/OR going thru school as an undiagnosed dyslexic student and the problems associated with that.
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
NO
2) I'm the definition of vanilla ice cream. From New England, as middle class as you could be. I want to avoid coming across as flat/preachy. I think I need to apply as early as possible to get in with my numbers.
3A) I was 19 years old when the Boston Marathon bombing happened, I was a sophomore in college and working at a small law firm downtown. My firm worked with a few different marathon victims, and one day I went to drop off some documents at a hospital and was met by one of the survivors. I expected to just hand some paperwork to a family member or lawyer, instead I met a survivor. It was a really powerful experience and has played a part in my passion to become an attorney. (Obviously more to this story)
3B) I really like public speaking and after graduating college started dabbling in standup comedy just for fun. I think this could be worked into an interesting topic, especially if I told the story behind my first time doing standup, conquering fears etc. I feel like this could be an unconventional/good "get to know me" PS if done right
4) Nope!
I come from a developing country. I am a photographer for almost 10 years, the eldest of 5 sisters and a fisherman's daughter. I am currently running my own graphic design firm.
Your biggest worry about your application.
LSAT and a mature student (34 years old)
Two ideas for your personal statement.
My experience growing up in a fishing community when I sold fish in the market every dawn until college. I think it was a good discipline and made me appreciate where I came from. Just like studying law where it will take a lot of hard work, determination and never giving up on my dreams to succeed.
I'm not entirely sure about this but probably illustrate how raising a toddler and studying law could be similar.. (For example, I have patience, etc)
Did you attend last time? Did I get to you?
I was not able to attend last time.