Isabel DiSciullo Interview: Law School Admissions, LSAT Scores, Personal Statements and Waitlists

^{Last Updated: September 2026}

Applying to law school involves much more than achieving a particular LSAT score or undergraduate GPA. Admissions committees may evaluate an applicant's academic record, course selection, writing ability, recommendations, résumé, professional experience, leadership, community involvement, personal statement, and explanations of unusual circumstances.

That makes understanding how admissions professionals actually evaluate applications especially valuable.

In this interview, longtime law school admissions professional Isabel “Issa” DiSciullo discusses what admissions committees look for in applicants and offers practical guidance on LSAT scores, personal statements, application addenda, law school waitlists, scholarships, transfers, rankings, and choosing the right law school.

Applicants who want a broader overview of the process can also review LawCrossing's guide to how law schools determine whom to admit and Top Law Schools' extensive resources on law school personal statements and application strategy.

Editor's Note: This interview was originally conducted in 2010 while Isabel DiSciullo served in admissions leadership at Drexel University's law school. School-specific statistics, scholarship amounts, timelines, rankings, and policies discussed below reflected Drexel's practices at that time and should not be interpreted as current admissions policies. The interview has been reorganized and edited for clarity and evergreen relevance while preserving DiSciullo's core admissions advice.

About Isabel “Issa” DiSciullo

Isabel DiSciullo has spent much of her career working in law school admissions and enrollment management. After her work at Drexel, she held admissions leadership positions at other law schools and later joined William & Mary Law School as Associate Dean for J.D. Admissions and Financial Aid.

Her experience reviewing law school applicants makes her perspective particularly useful for prospective students who want to understand what happens beyond the GPA and LSAT numbers.

Key Law School Admissions Lessons from Isabel DiSciullo

Several themes from DiSciullo's interview remain especially useful for applicants:

Law school admissions can involve a holistic review of the entire application rather than a single numerical factor.
GPA and LSAT performance matter, but coursework, recommendations, a résumé, personal experiences, and the personal statement can provide important context.
An addendum should explain significant information that is not adequately addressed elsewhere in the application.
Leadership, community involvement, employment, advanced study, and meaningful life experiences can help admissions committees understand an applicant beyond academic statistics.
A personal statement should reveal something meaningful about the applicant instead of simply repeating the résumé.
Applicants on a waitlist should pay careful attention to the individual school's instructions before sending additional materials.
Rankings can provide one source of information, but they should not be the only factor used when deciding which law school to attend.
Applicants should put together an application that explains what distinguishes them from other candidates with similar credentials.

Law School Admissions and Holistic Application Review

TLS: How does a law school admissions committee evaluate an application? Is one component more important than everything else?

Isabel DiSciullo: At Drexel, we approached admissions holistically. We reviewed everything in an applicant's file rather than considering a single component in isolation.

Academic readiness was obviously important. We closely examined an applicant's LSAT performance, undergraduate GPA, and curriculum to determine whether the student appeared prepared for the academic demands of law school.

But academics were only part of the picture.

We also wanted students who would become active members of the law school community. That meant looking at an applicant's résumé, recommendations, personal statement, leadership experience, involvement in organizations, employment, community service, and other experiences.

An application can tell a much broader story than two numbers.

Applicants interested in how academic credentials fit into the overall evaluation process can also read LawCrossing's discussion of how law schools evaluate an applicant's undergraduate education.

What Makes a Strong Law School Applicant?

TLS: What qualities do admissions officers look for in a strong law school applicant?

Isabel DiSciullo: We looked for well-rounded applicants who had demonstrated that they could succeed academically but had also engaged with the world outside the classroom.

Some students showed leadership at their undergraduate institutions. Others volunteered in their communities, worked before attending law school, pursued graduate education, or developed significant professional or personal experiences.

There was no single background that defined an ideal applicant.

The larger question was whether the person appeared academically capable of succeeding in law school and likely to become an engaged member of the law school community.

That is why applicants should resist the temptation to build their application entirely around what they think an admissions committee wants to hear. A stronger application explains what the student has actually done, what matters to them, and what they may contribute.

When Should You Write a Law School Addendum?

TLS: When should a law school applicant write an addendum?

Isabel DiSciullo: An addendum can be useful when important information requires explanation and that information is not adequately addressed elsewhere in the application.

Examples might include an unusual decline in undergraduate grades or circumstances surrounding an unexpectedly low standardized test score.

The purpose is not to write another personal statement.

An effective addendum should be brief, direct, and factual. In many situations, one or two concise paragraphs are sufficient.

Applicants should explain the relevant circumstances without turning the addendum into an excuse or unnecessarily repeating information that already appears elsewhere in the application.

How Do Law Schools Evaluate Multiple LSAT Scores?

TLS: How did Drexel evaluate applicants who had taken the LSAT more than once?

Isabel DiSciullo: At the time of the original interview, Drexel could see an applicant's individual LSAT scores as well as related testing information, but the school used the applicant's higher score when considering admission.

Editor's Note: Standardized-test policies can vary by school and can change over time. Applicants with multiple LSAT scores should review the current admissions policies of every law school to which they plan to apply rather than assuming that all schools evaluate multiple scores in the same manner.

Regardless of the particular calculation used by a school, applicants should understand that an admissions committee may have access to their broader testing history. If a significant score difference requires explanation, the applicant can determine whether a concise addendum would provide useful context.

Which “Soft Factors” Can Strengthen a Law School Application?

TLS: Are there particular soft factors that admissions committees view favorably?

Isabel DiSciullo: We looked at the applicant as a whole rather than treating one particular extracurricular activity or organization as automatically more valuable than another.

Leadership and community involvement were important, as were meaningful life and professional experiences.

What mattered was that applicants were genuinely engaged in activities that meant something to them.

Admissions committees can often distinguish between applicants who have pursued interests because they are genuinely motivated by them and applicants who appear to be checking boxes for an application.

The strongest soft factors therefore tend to help explain who the applicant is, how they developed, and what they may contribute to a law school community.

Does Your Undergraduate Major Matter for Law School Admissions?

TLS: Do admissions committees consider the difficulty of an applicant's undergraduate major?

Isabel DiSciullo: We considered the entire academic profile, including the applicant's major and course selection.

The name of a major by itself does not necessarily tell an admissions committee everything it needs to know. The courses a student chooses can provide more context about whether they challenged themselves and developed skills that are important in legal education.

Courses requiring critical thinking, analytical reasoning, careful reading, research, and strong writing can all contribute to preparation for law school.

Applicants should therefore think about their undergraduate record as a complete academic history rather than focusing exclusively on the title of their major.

Law School Waitlists and Letters of Continued Interest

TLS: What should applicants do after being placed on a law school waitlist? Can a letter of continued interest help?

Isabel DiSciullo: At Drexel at the time, students placed on the waitlist remained viable candidates for admission if space became available. The waitlist was not ranked, and applications could be reviewed again if the school needed to admit additional students.

Students generally did not need to resubmit information the admissions committee already had. However, a student could provide an update or letter of interest if there had been a meaningful development.

The most important principle for applicants today is to follow the instructions of the particular law school.

Some schools welcome letters of continued interest and application updates. Others specifically tell waitlisted candidates not to send additional documents. Applicants should respect those instructions.

A useful update could include a significant new achievement, stronger academic performance, an employment change, an award, or another development that genuinely adds information to the original application.

For more guidance, see LawCrossing's explanation of what applicants should know after being placed on a law school admissions waitlist.

TLS forum members have also discussed the purpose, length, and content of a law school letter of continued interest, or LOCI.

Diversity, Experience, and the Complete Application

TLS: How can admissions committees build a class composed of students with different experiences and perspectives?

Isabel DiSciullo: A holistic admissions process allows a school to consider much more than standardized test results and undergraduate grades.

Recommendations, the résumé, the personal statement, academic experiences, leadership, professional experience, community engagement, and other aspects of a student's background can help admissions officers understand what the individual might contribute to the incoming class.

The larger lesson for applicants is that they should use each part of the application strategically.

If the résumé already establishes where you worked, the personal statement usually does not need to repeat your employment history line by line. Instead, use the limited space available in the application to provide admissions officers with information they would otherwise never know.

How Important Are Law School Rankings?

TLS: How much attention should applicants give law school rankings when deciding where to apply or enroll?

Isabel DiSciullo: Rankings can provide applicants with a starting point when they begin researching law schools, but they should not be the only consideration.

A ranking cannot necessarily capture everything about a law school's academic programs, faculty, student experience, community, professional opportunities, or preparation for legal practice.

Students should research schools in greater depth and determine which institutions fit their individual priorities.

That means looking beyond a numerical ranking and investigating factors such as:

Employment outcomes
Geographic placement
Tuition and total cost of attendance
Scholarships and scholarship conditions
Bar passage information
Academic concentrations
Clinics and experiential opportunities
Faculty
Career services
Alumni networks
Student culture
Location
The type of legal market where the applicant hopes to work

LawCrossing's guide to choosing the right law school based on cost, location, programs, career services, and other factors provides additional considerations for students comparing offers.

Another useful resource is the discussion of basic considerations when choosing a law school.

Law School Scholarships and Financial Aid

TLS: How should prospective law students think about scholarships and financial aid?

Isabel DiSciullo: At the time of the original interview, Drexel automatically considered applicants for certain merit scholarships and was working to provide scholarship assistance to qualified students.

The specific percentages and award amounts discussed in the original interview were tied to Drexel's policies during that admissions cycle and should not be interpreted as current scholarship information.

The broader principle, however, remains relevant: applicants should examine the financial side of law school as carefully as they examine admissions statistics.

A scholarship offer should be evaluated in the context of:

Total tuition
Mandatory fees
Living expenses
Scholarship renewal conditions
GPA or class-rank requirements
Expected borrowing
Interest costs
Employment outcomes
Expected salary in the applicant's intended market
Other competing scholarship offers

Applicants should also investigate institutional awards as well as outside scholarships and fellowships. LawCrossing's resource on law school scholarships and fellowships available to prospective and current students can provide a useful starting point.

How to Write a Strong Law School Personal Statement

TLS: Should an applicant tailor a personal statement to a particular law school?

Isabel DiSciullo: Because many law schools cannot personally interview every applicant, I have often viewed the personal statement as something resembling an interview on paper.

It should tell the admissions committee something meaningful that cannot easily be learned from the rest of the application.

An applicant does not necessarily need to write an entirely different personal statement for every law school.

If there is a particular academic program, clinic, opportunity, or characteristic of the school that directly relates to the applicant's goals, it can make sense to explain that connection.

However, applicants should be careful not to spend the entire essay telling the admissions committee about its own school.

The committee already knows its programs.

The essay should still primarily help the committee understand you.

Top Law Schools' guide to writing an effective law school personal statement explains how applicants can use the essay to distinguish themselves from candidates with similar academic credentials.

Applicants looking for help structuring the essay can also review TLS's guidance on using a personal narrative structure in a law school personal statement.

Law School Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid

TLS: What personal statement mistakes can damage an otherwise strong application?

Isabel DiSciullo: The personal statement is not just a source of biographical information. It also allows an admissions committee to evaluate an applicant's ability to communicate clearly in writing.

Spelling errors, poor grammar, careless editing, and confusing writing can therefore hurt the impression an applicant creates.

Another major mistake occurs when an applicant customizes an essay for one school and accidentally sends that version to another institution.

If you personalize a statement, carefully check the name of the school before submitting it.

Applicants should also avoid simply turning the résumé into paragraphs. The admissions committee already has the résumé.

The personal statement should provide something new—perhaps a meaningful experience, motivation, challenge, goal, turning point, or interest that gives the committee a deeper understanding of the applicant.

LawCrossing similarly discusses why applicants should treat law school essays and personal statements as an important part of the admissions application.

What Should You Write About in a Law School Personal Statement?

TLS: Are there topics applicants should avoid?

Isabel DiSciullo: Rather than searching for a supposedly perfect topic, applicants should think about what will help the admissions committee understand their passions, motivations, experiences, and future goals.

The essay can also help explain how legal education connects with those goals.

Applicants should use judgment when discussing potentially sensitive or polarizing subjects. The question is not necessarily whether a topic is forbidden, but whether the essay demonstrates maturity, thoughtful analysis, good judgment, and the ability to communicate effectively to an audience the applicant does not know.

A strong personal statement should leave the reader understanding something significant about the applicant that was not obvious from the rest of the file.

Transferring Between Law Schools

TLS: What should students know if they are considering transferring to another law school?

Isabel DiSciullo: Transfer admission can be competitive.

A student's performance at their current law school is especially important because it gives the receiving school direct evidence of how the student has performed in legal education.

At the time of the interview, Drexel also reviewed information from applicants' earlier academic and admissions records when evaluating transfer candidates.

Students considering a transfer should investigate each school's current requirements carefully because transfer policies differ significantly.

Important considerations can include:

First-year law school grades
Class rank
Required number of completed credits
Academic standing
Letters of recommendation
Personal statements
Reasons for transferring
Transfer-credit policies
Participation in journals or extracurricular activities
On-campus recruiting eligibility
Scholarship availability
Graduation requirements

A student should also consider whether the benefits of transferring justify giving up advantages they may have developed at their current institution, including scholarships, relationships with professors, class rank, journal positions, and established professional networks.

Final Advice for Law School Applicants

TLS: What final advice would you give prospective law students preparing their applications?

Isabel DiSciullo: Take the time to build the strongest application you can.

Admissions committees review applications from many academically capable students. Your application should help the reader understand what distinguishes you from other candidates.

Explain your actual passions and motivations rather than trying to guess what an admissions officer wants to hear.

Every component of the application should contribute to a coherent picture of who you are, what you have accomplished, what you have learned, and why pursuing legal education makes sense for you.

Applicants can further strengthen their preparation by reviewing LawCrossing's guide on how to gain acceptance to the law school of your choice.

Ultimately, the objective is not simply to gain admission somewhere. It is to find a law school where the educational opportunities, cost, professional outcomes, location, and community align with the future you want to build.

Frequently Asked Questions About Law School Admissions

Does the LSAT Matter More Than Undergraduate GPA?

Both LSAT performance and undergraduate academic achievement can play important roles in admissions, but applicants should not assume that every school weighs each factor identically. Admissions committees may also consider course selection, recommendations, writing, professional experience, extracurricular involvement, and other aspects of the application.

What Are “Soft Factors” in Law School Admissions?

Soft factors generally refer to qualifications and experiences beyond LSAT scores and GPA. They may include professional experience, leadership, community service, research, military service, advanced degrees, extracurricular involvement, significant accomplishments, and meaningful personal experiences.

When Should I Write a Law School Addendum?

An addendum may be appropriate when an admissions committee needs context for something unusual in your record, such as an academic decline, gap, disciplinary matter, or significant testing irregularity. It should generally be factual and concise.

Should I Write a Different Personal Statement for Every Law School?

Not necessarily. A strong core personal statement can often be used for multiple applications when permitted by each school's instructions. School-specific material can be incorporated when it genuinely connects the institution's opportunities with your goals.

Should My Personal Statement Repeat My Résumé?

Usually not. The résumé already summarizes your education, employment, activities, and accomplishments. The personal statement should add depth and reveal something the admissions committee would not otherwise learn.

What Should I Do After Being Placed on a Law School Waitlist?

Follow the school's instructions first. If additional materials are permitted, a concise letter of continued interest or meaningful update may help demonstrate continuing interest and provide new information.

Should Rankings Determine Which Law School I Attend?

Rankings can provide useful comparative information, but they are only one consideration. Cost, scholarships, employment outcomes, geographic placement, bar passage, academic programs, career services, student experience, and professional goals should also be examined.

Can Law Students Transfer After Their First Year?

Many law schools accept transfer applications, although requirements vary substantially. First-year law school grades and class standing are often particularly important because they provide evidence of the student's performance in an actual J.D. program.

Related Top Law Schools Resources

Related LawCrossing Resources

Relevant Top Law Schools Forum Discussions

Applicants can also explore the TLS forums for community discussions about admissions, applications, personal statements, waitlists, and choosing between schools: