elliotwoods '24–'25

Genuinely shocked and so honored by the results I’ve received this cycle. Coming in, I could hope for but never imagine this outcome. The decision for me will ultimately come down to YLS vs. HLS, with the main factor being proximity to my SO at HLS versus my significant interest in clerking + prestige-advantaged PI/government positions down the line where YLS would likely help.

I definitely put in a lot of effort to reach this point, but I also think a lot of this comes down to luck and what specific profile admissions teams were looking to fill in their incoming classes.

That being said, these pieces of advice were really helpful when I was applying, so here’s my attempt at passing it on.

First, I’m so glad I took time off between college and applying. I think my work experience was far less than stellar and completely irrelevant to what I want to do, but working gave me a better sense of what I like and don’t like, what matters to me in my career, and who I am outside of school. I also think it gave me time to study for the LSAT and put together strong applications. Those combined to make me a much stronger applicant and, I think, will ultimately make me a much happier law student.

Second, taking time to seriously consider what I want to do and why. I think one of the blessings of this incredibly stressful process is that it gives you the opportunity to critically reflect on what your goals are and how you might get there. Tying together my past, present, and future into a coherent story became both easier as a result and more meaningful.

Third, try to balance the valuable information Reddit provides with the stress. I learned so much from r/lawschooladmissions and it was an invaluable resource (along with the Navigating Law School Admissions podcast) coming from a background where I know no practicing lawyers, plus it was nice to see others struggling so I didn’t feel as alone or lost in the process. But taking time away from it is just as important, and I wish I’d spent less time refreshing over the last year.

Finally, start writing early. I submitted some applications later than I would have liked, and while it worked out, I think the time pressure when I was particularly stuck on a prompt contributed to some of the low points in the cycle. I also wrote optional essays for every school that asked for them, except for the Why UVA because I interpreted the prompt to be more about specific (legacy or cultural) connections that I lacked, plus they had a different essay within their application that I thought would demonstrate enough interest. I love Charlottesville and would have seriously considered it at the right price, so that’s too bad.

All this being said, incredibly happy with how things turned out and happy to answer questions over on reddit @oniontheocracy.