Softs? Forum
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- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:21 pm
Softs?
My GPA/LSAT numbers aren't so great - would any of my below softs help my application at all?
- Senior at small, private college in Northeast
- First generation college student
- Founded 2 organizations in Ugrad (gender equality org and club sport)
- President of Ugrad Program Board
- Small Business Owner
- Part-Time Retail Job
- Unpaid Internship With Well-Known Politician
- Volunteer Experience Abroad
- Student Consultant For Large Accounting Firm, Part of Academic Coursework
- Panhellenic Sorority, Academic Chair
- Strong LORs
- Strong Personal Statement
- Senior at small, private college in Northeast
- First generation college student
- Founded 2 organizations in Ugrad (gender equality org and club sport)
- President of Ugrad Program Board
- Small Business Owner
- Part-Time Retail Job
- Unpaid Internship With Well-Known Politician
- Volunteer Experience Abroad
- Student Consultant For Large Accounting Firm, Part of Academic Coursework
- Panhellenic Sorority, Academic Chair
- Strong LORs
- Strong Personal Statement
Last edited by kingley on Mon Dec 09, 2013 5:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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- Posts: 265
- Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:10 pm
Re: Rounding Out My Application
Lol at "small, private college in NE" being considered a positive. Nothing there will help substantially, TCR is to retake and improve LSAT because that will do much more than all of those softs combined. That or being URM.
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- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:21 pm
Re: Rounding Out My Application
Not trying to insinuate it as a positive, just trying to offer some background with that one
Considering retaking LSAT, probably best way to improve app.

- Cicero76
- Posts: 1284
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:41 pm
Re: Rounding Out My Application
I'm sorry about that. You should try retakingkingley wrote:My GPA/LSAT numbers aren't so great
No.kingley wrote: ...would any of my below softs help round out my application at all?
- midwest17
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:27 pm
Re: Rounding Out My Application
To clarify what (I think) Cicero is saying: those softs will "round out" your application in the sense that you won't underperform your numbers. But you also won't outperform them.Cicero76 wrote:I'm sorry about that. You should try retakingkingley wrote:My GPA/LSAT numbers aren't so great
No.kingley wrote: ...would any of my below softs help round out my application at all?
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- Cicero76
- Posts: 1284
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:41 pm
Re: Rounding Out My Application
Correct. They certainly prove you aren't the very boring and very rare exception that doesn't get into schools your numbers are qualified for, but they aren't going to vault you ahead.midwest17 wrote:To clarify what (I think) Cicero is saying: those softs will "round out" your application in the sense that you won't underperform your numbers. But you also won't outperform them.Cicero76 wrote:I'm sorry about that. You should try retakingkingley wrote:My GPA/LSAT numbers aren't so great
No.kingley wrote: ...would any of my below softs help round out my application at all?
- lawschool22
- Posts: 3875
- Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 5:47 pm
Re: Softs?
Just my humble opinion:
But really: http://mylsn.info/kingley wrote:My GPA/LSAT numbers aren't so great - would any of my below softs help my application at all?
- Senior at small, private college in Northeast
- First generation college student Probably only relevant for certain scholarships - NYU has one I think
- Founded 2 organizations in Ugrad (gender equality org and club sport) Very minor impact - could be the difference between a denial and the wait-list, but will not get you accepted if the numbers aren't there
- President of Ugrad Program Board
- Small Business Owner Was/is it successful? What kind of business? This would probably impress Northwestern, and could marginally help sub-par numbers there, but not if you're below both medians
- Part-Time Retail Job Very minor impact IF you did it during school and spin it well - could be the difference between a denial and the wait-list, but will not get you accepted if the numbers aren't there
- Unpaid Internship With Well-Known Politician
- Volunteer Experience Abroad
- Student Consultant For Large Accounting Firm, Part of Academic Coursework
- Panhellenic Sorority, Academic Chair
- Strong LORs Very minor impact at certain schools - could be the difference between a denial and the wait-list, but will not get you accepted if the numbers aren't there
- Strong Personal Statement How do you know it's strong?
- Tyr
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:15 pm
Re: Softs?
You guys don't think that he is a small-business owner would help much? That seems to be the sort of thing that would stand out if he can talk about it. Also, campus organizations won't do much of anything, but what if he started an off-campus org (like a 501c3)?
- lawschool22
- Posts: 3875
- Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 5:47 pm
Re: Softs?
See post above - completely depends on the small business (and success thereof) and the school. An off campus-org maybe, but again, it all depends on the success. Anyone can start something, but did you follow through? Did it work? What was the extent of it? etc.Tyr wrote:You guys don't think that he is a small-business owner would help much? That seems to be the sort of thing that would stand out if he can talk about it. Also, campus organizations won't do much of anything, but what if he started an off-campus org (like a 501c3)?
- Tyr
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:15 pm
Re: Softs?
That makes sense. Thanks!lawschool22 wrote:See post above - completely depends on the small business (and success thereof) and the school. An off campus-org maybe, but again, it all depends on the success. Anyone can start something, but did you follow through? Did it work? What was the extent of it? etc.Tyr wrote:You guys don't think that he is a small-business owner would help much? That seems to be the sort of thing that would stand out if he can talk about it. Also, campus organizations won't do much of anything, but what if he started an off-campus org (like a 501c3)?
- RCO2012
- Posts: 705
- Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:38 pm
Re: Softs?
Agreed small business start ups will only pique the interest of an adcomm. Probably not give substantial boost unless there is success or adversity overcome that is evident in the application. This soft is nothing like say…being published or something similar that would give an automatic boost just by being on the application (even then it depends where the piece was published).lawschool22 wrote:See post above - completely depends on the small business (and success thereof) and the school. An off campus-org maybe, but again, it all depends on the success. Anyone can start something, but did you follow through? Did it work? What was the extent of it? etc.Tyr wrote:You guys don't think that he is a small-business owner would help much? That seems to be the sort of thing that would stand out if he can talk about it. Also, campus organizations won't do much of anything, but what if he started an off-campus org (like a 501c3)?
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- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:21 pm
Re: Softs?
The business is still running and successful - I design products for the home that are sold online and in retail stores. Not sure if this helps but just to answer that question!
Both orgs were on campus - still running.
Both orgs were on campus - still running.
- The Dark Kite
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 2:19 pm
Re: Softs?
I attend a top university, Ivy-league uni for business while also working in a top financial market and I also run my own company.
That gets me a good edge when it comes to breaking ties.
A LOT of people will have your number combos and if you have strong softs, you'll climb your way to the top and if a spot opens up in your bracket, you'll be prime real estate for it. However, in no way should you think that your softs will overcome your numbers and boost you forward unless you've done some SUBSTANTIAL things. And my softs and your softs do NOT count as "substantial" to that extent.
That gets me a good edge when it comes to breaking ties.
A LOT of people will have your number combos and if you have strong softs, you'll climb your way to the top and if a spot opens up in your bracket, you'll be prime real estate for it. However, in no way should you think that your softs will overcome your numbers and boost you forward unless you've done some SUBSTANTIAL things. And my softs and your softs do NOT count as "substantial" to that extent.
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