What are the best softs for getting into T14 schools? Forum

[daryldixon]

The janitor thing is probably a great PS topic and if you spin it right (overcoming adversity etc.) a great soft.

Lulz

I stand by this statement. If you can't turn your story about having to work as a janitor during undergrad into a overcoming adversity PS then you are too stupid to go to law school.

I mean fucking Ben Affleck and Matt Damon did it when they wrote Good Will Hunting and both of those guys are borderline retarded.

[TheSpanishMain]

How is having a part time summer job "adversity"? Just because it involves a mop and a broom as opposed to waiting tables or ringing a register or any of the other things college students do for beer money?

I was a janitor one summer in college. It was actually pretty alright. By that I mean, no one cared if we drank at lunch.

[Rainy]

I can say quite confidently that German Literature is the ideal major for getting into law school. All else equal, it gives you a 300% chance increase over someone majoring in something useless like political science.

[tiltedwindmill]

Sorry to slightly necro this and I assume the response will be "marginal or worthless" but, on the spectrum of softs where would translating and editing a French book (by a high respected French lawyer) on nuclear security governance, come in?

[Ramius]

That one thing probably isn't going to have any real impact on your cycle. If you didn't royally screw it up, maybe you can use that lawyer as a connection for future employment though. There's at least more potential value there over what an adcom will think about it.

[PalmBay]

Study abroad/learn a foreign language.
Intern/work for a law firm. Work experience is huge.
Positions of leadership.
Volunteering.

Basically anything that will make your candidacy look unique and stand out from the other applicants. These might include non-academic or academic accomplishments and achievements, really, there's nothing specific that T14 would look for as far as softs. Softs are basically bonuses that may or may not help you. We don't even have to speculate whether most of the admits at T14 are admitted for their numbers or not.

Softs are never bad to have, but make sure your #s are the top priority. If you're non-URM and have bare-bones for softs, then you might want to work on that.

[john1990]

Personally I would not write my personal statement on cleaning up crap.

The best softs (and PS topics) are ones which are difficult to achieve and distinguish you. They are notable honors and leadership roles. Even strong softs are of little help. The softs listed here sarcastically (Olympic medalist, landing on the moon) would probably help because the school would like to be able to say they had you. However they are 1 in a million.

I had leadership in prelaw role and other clubs and saw no difference. I think everyone has decent softs after college

[phillywc]

Personally I would not write my personal statement on cleaning up crap.

The best softs (and PS topics) are ones which are difficult to achieve and distinguish you. They are notable honors and leadership roles. Even strong softs are of little help. The softs listed here sarcastically (Olympic medalist, landing on the moon) would probably help because the school would like to be able to say they had you. However they are 1 in a million.

I had leadership in prelaw role and other clubs and saw no difference. I think everyone has decent softs after college

OTOH, you are too dumb to go to Cooley and got into more than one school! The softs were clearly the difference.

[john1990]

Personally I would not write my personal statement on cleaning up crap.

The best softs (and PS topics) are ones which are difficult to achieve and distinguish you. They are notable honors and leadership roles. Even strong softs are of little help. The softs listed here sarcastically (Olympic medalist, landing on the moon) would probably help because the school would like to be able to say they had you. However they are 1 in a million.

I had leadership in prelaw role and other clubs and saw no difference. I think everyone has decent softs after college

OTOH, you are too dumb to go to Cooley and got into more than one school! The softs were clearly the difference.

Yea i figure if i had just got a housekeeping job id be at harvard right now

[tiltedwindmill]

That one thing probably isn't going to have any real impact on your cycle. If you didn't royally screw it up, maybe you can use that lawyer as a connection for future employment though. There's at least more potential value there over what an adcom will think about it.

Thanks-
It is part of a larger interest in international security. I know this is a very very small field, however, it would be completed by other writing and work experience, etcetera. Furthermore , I have no pretensions that it will help me out perform my numbers, just wanted to gauge where this would on the range of interesting softs.