GoodNewsForPeopleWhoLoveBadNews '21–'22

I got into Georgetown and was offered full tuition at a few schools with a terrible GPA and decent LSAT. I also had to disclose a misdemeanor, academic warning, and two gaps in my undergraduate degree to almost every school I applied to. My essays and addenda were polished, and I got positive feedback on them from several sources, including admissions officials and professors. So, you can overcome a bad GPA and C&F issues if you have a solid LSAT, some positive resume items, and well-written essays to counterbalance the negatives in your application. Being in the National Guard and being a non-traditional student really helped me. Other than that, I didn’t have many impressive accomplishments to put on display… I mean, I was a car salesman before I decided to go to law school, a good car salesman, but still, not the most prestigious work experience compared to other non-traditional students.

I used the LSAT Demon and Thinking LSAT podcast throughout my law school admissions journey. I started listening to their podcast about six months before I started studying for the LSAT, and I can’t overstate how enlightening it was. The podcast is free and is worth its weight in gold. Listen to 50+ episodes, and you’ll get a good feel for the process and all the “pearls” of wisdom that will save you $$$. I paid to use the Demon for LSAT prep and went from a 156 diagnostic to 171 in about three months of hard study.

Service to School (S2S) is an excellent resource for veterans.

I applied with a 2.97 GPA and 171 LSAT. I also had a ten-year bachelor’s degree filled with W’s and F’s, so I had to write an addendum for academic performance and an official warning I received as a young undergrad. I also had to disclose a character and fitness issue involving a DUI charge. My academic record was a hot mess, and along with my personal issues, I had to explain why I struggled in my early twenties and then show how I had grown up and became a successful person/student in my early 30s.

I applied to 25 schools, got a full ride to UGA on my last application, and used that to negotiate a full ride to the University of Florida. I was only able to do this because the Thinking LSAT podcast turned me onto the possibility of getting an LSAC fee waiver, which was gold. My total cost of applying was about $750.

I used the 7Sage law school predictor and LSAT Demon scholarship estimator to choose the schools I applied to. I wish I would have relied more heavily on Law School Data instead. Had I gone through last year’s admissions graphs, I would probably have applied to fewer/different schools in my hunt for a full ride.

I chose to use the Thinking LSAT podcast method for my personal statement, and you can hear my first draft on episode 300.

I spent several hours going through law firm websites in the market I want to work in and emailed several attorneys who were alumni of the schools I applied to. They were responsive and generous with their time and provided valuable advice. Cold emailing people was worth my time and helped me start networking before law school.

I also emailed the career centers at a few schools I was interested in and went through a personal statement workshop and coaching session for free. In the end, I had to sift through all the advice and come up with a personal statement I felt good about.

You can negotiate scholarships, especially when you have a competing offer from “peer” schools. I was initially given a 41% scholarship to UF but ended up with full tuition. I think this is unusual but possible.

Law school admissions on Reddit will provide you with some good advice every once in a while, but a lot of it is BS, and I think you should limit your time there. I spent WAY too much time on Reddit and eventually discovered how toxic it could be.

The LSAT is a very learnable test. Don’t apply until you have gotten the best score you can get, which is probably higher than what people tell you is possible. Negotiate, network, and sift through advice. Apply broadly, and invest in Grammarly. Be Wise, oh what can I say more.