I graduated undergrad in 2006 and have been working at a big law firm since then. I have a good letter of rec. from one of the partners. I spent one year studying abroad in college (immersion - Italy), was in student government for one year and did volunteer work/worked pt in undergrad.

So ... I'm thinking this is typical, or could any of this help me out? My numbers are 170/3.74 and I'm applying to top 14/some local schools. I'm hoping to get some $$ (still have $15k debt from undergrad.) Any feedback would be great! Thanks everyone.

Nope. Unless you had brain cancer and cured it yourself, you do not qualify as having "strong softs."

A: Founding your own city

And by that he means being a husband. lord knows the time and money that requires

Just ask my wife!

Leaping tall buildings in a single bound.

Haha ok thanks guys. I am humbled.

Your numbers are strong. You don't really need softs.

Actually, I think the question should actually be answered. Whenever people talk about "epic softs" they're derided and told to just have "strong numbers." When the question is asked, what are strong softs, the answer is "strong numbers." I don't disagree with the fact that having a high LSAT and high GPA aren't the best things you can have in an application - but when you're talking about softs your not talking about the numbers.

I guess this is to be expected, because even if your in law school, how in the world are you supposed to know what the adcoms look at and discern to be "strong softs"? This is just an echo chamber for people who have to make drastic assumptions about things and then, for some reason, believe they know what's going on.

I know the irony already of me being an 0L saying this, but can anyone here actually tell me why anyone here can legitimately discern which softs are "strong" and which ones are "weak"?

Common sense suggests that strong softs are

1) difficult
2) prestigious
3) rare

If 50% or even 25% of applicants have your soft, it is clearly not a strong soft. That is common sense--if the soft is being used as a tie breaker, you can't have two candidates with it. If it was not difficult, why would the adcom be impressed with it? and if it is prestigious, they can take note of your soft in their viewbook, thus making it valuable. Past that, people on TLS often repeat what Adcoms say in interviews or on their websites (i.e. that TFA or Peacecorps is valuable).

Holy...




couldn't be described any better!

Ooooh that is sooooo exactly what I was thinking when I read that. Yikes! I feel so insignificant.

Someone tried to explain to me what strong "softs" and weak "softs" were. I forgot what they said because it seemed really stupid and unfounded. I'm still confused as to what they are or can be. This thread hasn't really made a set definition either. My search continues...

Being black or hispanic.

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The strength of softs are on a spectrum. It's not a binary variable--strong or weak. However, how do a bunch of 0Ls know that it's primarily about numbers? We understand how to read a graph: http://duke.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/ ... Cycle=0910.

What division?

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People. This is not difficult.

Weak softs = did nothing in college except go to class. No work, no internships, no clubs, stared at microwave during all school vacations.

Strong softs = founded successful company, founded not-for-profit, ceo of major corporation, founded program to vaccinate kids in africa, saved 1000+ lives, published a few NYT bestsellers, Rhodes scholarship.

In between softs won't hurt you or help you meaningfully in the process.
Everybody applying has done at least one of the following:
a. student government
b. clubs
c. honor societies
d. fraternity/sorority
e. varsity sports

These are things that law schools expect that you have done. They will not "put you over the top" at the T14. They want to know about them because they want to know who is behind the numbers that they are going to admit because the numbers fit. They aren't going to make up for two numbers below the median or 25th.

Not necessarily. Serving as captain of a Division I championship team or as student body president would count as a strong soft.

If one were applying for a coaching job. But can you really picture an adcommie reading that on an app, picking the app up and going down the hall to tell the dean, "we NEED this guy/girl?"

spectrum. the linked guy's is stronger haha.

No, but it's all about being better than the person who was only student govt treasurer or the person who only played intramural sports.

I think varsity sports are pretty underrated on TLS... it's a pretty rare soft especially among top law school applicants, imo. And it's like having a full time job and then some.