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Hi all,

I just graduated in May with a 3.9+ and got a 173 LSAT in June. I realize I have a good shot at H, but is there anything I can do from now to application time to improve my chances at S/Y? I'm working a 30 hour/week office job so I have plenty of time to volunteer and do other things. FWIW, I'm from Cali and I'd really like to stay on the west coast.

Thanks!

Other than taking several years off to do something impressive, no.

I think you have a good shot at S. Y is a mystery

Keep in touch with your recommenders and make sure they love you and know you well.

First and foremost, congratulations on the numbers. You will go somewhere great and you should take a moment to be proud of yourself. The application process will be hard work (but also a great intellectual exercise). In the meantime, you are in a great place and should congratulate yourself.

Now, onto the question. Doing something impressive (in the sense we are discussing here) would not take years. I took a few months off and traveled to a rather outlandish country and became involved in the female education movement. Yes, Yale does seem to like these off off-kilter and colorful experiences. However, you should only undertake such things if they are something you would like to do anyways. I think that Yale is less concerned with the experience than your passion behind the experience. This is what will echo throughout your application.

So, if I had to give a bit of advice, it would simply be to think of your passion and pursue it to the extreme between now and your applications. Whether this is collaborating to start a new library in a small village or lobbying for LGBT rights--find something you love and go for it.

Can't believe I'm the first person to say "retake." (or rather, study and retake in Sept/Oct)


Make sure your essays are good. I spent a solid amount of time on them, although it's hard to distinguish from memory because I was doing all my MBA essays at the same time. I think that self-reflective process definitely spilled over into the personal statement and the Yale 250, however, and I imagine those two things made a difference (given that I got into both as a KJD).

Think a lot about what you've done that makes you a unique person likely to enhance the experience of the other 179 students (or 200 whatever at Yale) you'll be going to school with for three years. These two schools focus a TON on building a truly holistic class.

yeah if you were PTing higher you could retake for Y