The Secret Formula: How to Survive the Law School Admissions Process

When it comes to surviving the law school application cycle, many tend to search for a step by step guide. Whether it is perusing TikTok or scanning LawHub for answers, it seems as though there is no single, uniform take on how to go about applying to law schools. Someone telling you exactly how to do things, whether it is drafting your personal statement or piecing together your résumé, would certainly be the easy way out. However, the law school application process is not intended to be easy or simple. The reason there exists no ordinary guideline illustrating a step by step process to successfully write a personal statement, supplemental essays or a résumé is due to the fact that the law school admission process is searching for the things that make you unique. That is also why no singular person who has been through a law school application cycle will give you the same exact advice across the board. Law schools want to see what you can do on your own. They want to see how uniquely you can contribute to the application guidelines that are already provided. They want you to exhibit your ability to independently think and process the world around you.

Regardless of having been through the law school application cycle myself, I unfortunately do not have a rigid guide on how to go about it. My application experience was individualized to the schools I wanted to attend, the applicant I wanted to present myself as and the attorney I wanted to become. However, despite the individuality of my experience, the one thing I do have to offer is a central piece of advice that will determine the way you start, interact and complete your law school applications: Listen to the way you are talking to yourself. 

If you let it, applying to law schools will be one of the most critical experiences of your life thus far. However, it does not have to be. The way you talk to yourself throughout the process matters. From receiving my first LSAT score to submitting my first application, there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind telling me that I was not doing enough. I kept comparing myself with the statistics online and the reviews I discovered on Reddit (amateur mistake). Despite working hard and pursuing my dreams, the way I talked to myself throughout the application process was unproductive and ineffective. I failed to recognize that my negative thoughts and doubts were not pushing me to be a better applicant. Rather, they were hindering me from reaching my full potential. I was so caught up in the worry of what was going to come next. I was reluctant to realize that my true power throughout the application process was rooted in the ability to recognize the way I was talking to myself and reframe it in a more positive, productive mindset.

At the end of the day, there will never be a tell-all of how to survive the law school admissions process. There is no secret formula. However, remember that your mindset will determine how you approach and complete law school applications. Listen to the way you are talking to yourself. You have already completed the hardest step: showing up. Give yourself credit where credit is deserved. Give yourself grace. Give yourself the mindset to succeed.