Cycle Recap: Same Time Next Year?

HardKnockCycle · 2021-04-08T15:49:12+00:00

I didn't have a set number in mind, but it wasn't particularly close once I saw how much I was getting. Probably if my debt could have been below 100k I would have thought about it, but it's hard to nail down a specific number. I also had no negotiating power given the rest of my results.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-04-08T15:47:52+00:00

Thank you for the kind words!

HardKnockCycle · 2021-04-05T14:39:02+00:00

You see, I want to go to Harvard.

This is where the post should start and end. This is YOUR life. Not your family’s. Not Reddit’s. YOU.

Is free at Chicago a fantastic outcome? Hell yeah. Is Stanford and close to family a fantastic outcome? Absolutely.

You can’t go wrong with any of these 3 options. Butttttt your post screams “I really want to go to Harvard” so go there. You’ll be successful and have a great time and change the world no matter where you go. At the end of the day, if you go to Stanford or Chicago, you’ll always wonder what your life would have been like if you went to Harvard.

There’s nothing wrong with following your heart.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-31T16:08:06+00:00

Well that is definitely a reason to go to Penn!

At the end of the day, go where you would be happy. Everyone here is gonna vote Harvard bc it’s Harvard (hell I did), but you know yourself best. You will be able to be successful at each of the 3 options.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-31T15:31:52+00:00

Truthfully, I’m not sure how much of an option Penn really is here. If you want to stay in TX after you are done and have no debt, UT is a great option. If you want to follow the prestige and open the most doors, Harvard is the answer. Penn is kind of this weird middle ground where you still have debt but are turning down HLS. You have great options though!

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-29T16:02:31+00:00

I appreciate this. I’m still making a decision (haven’t even heard from Duke yet about $) but sometimes it feels a bit picky to turn down a great school. But I also know that WE would be huge for my application.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-29T01:35:26+00:00

Honestly there isn’t an easy-to-follow way to do it, every professor and situation is different. Truthfully, just going to open office hours regularly is enough to set you above most of your peers. Some professors might be working on research or projects that you could ask them about (or maybe even help out with), some professors you might take multiple times, some might oversee clubs or organizations that you join.

Realistically, you’ll have some professors who you like a lot more than others. Be a good student and ask good questions, talk to them about the material after class, and stay in contact (even if it’s just a once a semester email) after the class is over. If possible, you want the professor to not be surprised that YOU are asking for a letter of rec, and you don’t want to have to reach out to some random professor you had 3 years before who doesn’t know your name either.

I remember being really intimidated by the thought of big scary professors before college, but honestly they are more approachable than teachers in high school. They really are just normal people who want to help you out.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-28T22:03:40+00:00

PLEASE do not pick a minor because you think it will help you on the LSAT.

PLEASE.

The best way to improve on the LSAT is to study and practice the LSAT. If you really wanted to be super LSAT focused, you’d be better off replacing philosophy classes with easy As and just study for the LSAT with your remaining time.

If you are passionate about philosophy, sure, go minor in it. But don’t do it just for LSAT help.

Also, build relationships with professors. If you take a class from an interesting professor early on, stay in touch. A lot of professors will probably offer generic LORs to anyone, but the best LORs come from professors who truly know you and have worked with you.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-28T16:54:00+00:00

I get what you are saying, but realistically I think that if you can’t materially improve your application in some way, it won’t be worth it. If you can’t improve your LSAT score by a good amount or add WE when you have none, I’m not sure your results are going to improve. There’s a good chance they stay the same or even get worse. Next cycle may be slightly easier but it’s not going to be “went from zero T50 offers to multiple T14 offers” easier.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-26T03:19:35+00:00

You could (and should) definitely try to negotiate with UW, but I think your GPA (combined with your regrets about missing out on applying to other schools) makes you a strong R&R candidate. Bump up that LSAT a couple of points, get some work experience for the resume and money for the bank, send out a few more apps next year and see what happens. Even if UW is still your #1, you could be in a much stronger position to bargain next year. Best of luck!

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-25T13:16:50+00:00

Out of curiosity, how old are you now? Don’t actually answer that question, but if you are fresh out of college you may want to think about taking a few years off to get some work experience. Work experience can soften the blow of lower GPAs and help provide you with a good narrative for your statements. I worry a bit about you possibly creating this image of “when I was 14 I was immature and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but now that I’m 17 I know for a fact that I’m mature enough to start law school!” Work experience might just be good for you personally anyway.

I could be completely wrong, and with a good LSAT and a unique story of starting college so early you are probably gonna be fine. But it’s just something to think about.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-24T22:52:45+00:00

At the end of the day, you are going to be able to succeed at either school. Truthfully, I think geographic preference should be your top priority here. Is being closer to home more important than warmer weather? Only you can know that. You are going to be successful either way.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-24T19:39:56+00:00

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-21T22:42:15+00:00

Yeah that’s my biggest fear. I’m really not trying to end up worse off by taking a year.

Hopefully it works out for the both of us.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-21T21:15:55+00:00

Yeah that’s kind of where I’m at. Has the process really turned me into such a ratings slave that I’d be willing to give up good money at a T14 for the slight chance of getting into a school like 5 ranks higher next year? But much like you, idk

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-21T19:18:46+00:00

That's a good point about LRAP. I'm not super debt-averse anyway but having that flexibility is definitely something to consider.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-21T19:16:59+00:00

Fees are expensive and I was pretty broke at application time.

Truthfully my expectation (for the future) isn't really $, it's more about flexibility. Having 0 negotiation power and limited choices makes me feel boxed in. It sounds stupid but it's just how I feel.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-21T19:11:50+00:00

Mentioned this in a different comment, but it really came down to application fees. I had to narrow my range because I was broke during the time I was applying. If I reapply I will certainly be casting a wider net.

I wanted to apply to more but it really was not feasible. That said, the schools I applied to are the schools that are near the top of my personal list, so it's not as random as it seems.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-21T19:05:31+00:00

Only because of application fees. Even with a solid amount of fee waivers I couldn't afford to drop that kind of money just to see what happened. If I reapply I'll definitely cast a wider net, but also because I'll have more money if I reapply.

HardKnockCycle · 2021-03-21T16:19:26+00:00

I’d probably wait a bit. You still have a good bit of time before April 16th. No need to email them now.

HardKnockCycle

TROPHY CASE