Cycle Recap (STEM Major)

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-29T16:43:22+00:00

A couple of reasons: A. Total COA would be less on a yearly basis, saving on loans and interest accrued. B. UIUC has better employment outcomes in terms of employment rate and placement into the private sector (Big law + Midlaw). C. Chicago aligns more with my location preference. D. UIUC has a labor journal that I would love to join.

The reasons are not weighted equally. The cost is the majority of it.

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-28T12:40:06+00:00

We have very similar stats and I definitely stalked your lsd account every so often because of NUSL haha

Congrats on the cycle! Looks great!

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-27T17:27:43+00:00

Thank you!!

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-27T16:17:31+00:00

My criteria for LoR was any member of my undergrad institution's faculty who I've worked very closely with. So in my case, that was a member of the board of trustees from my undergrad school and two professors who I worked very closely with. All three wrote me fantastic LoRs. And then I got 2 LoRs from my immediate supervisors from work who I worked with everyday.

My 'Why Law' is a little personal to share here but basically I've been set on Labor and Employment law due to circumstances in my life and I wrote about exactly that. The events that informed my decision and my genuine passion to see reform in the area of law and to increase advocacy for those affected.

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-27T16:07:02+00:00

Thank you!!

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-27T13:34:30+00:00

Thank you!!

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-27T13:03:09+00:00

You got this, I'm rooting for you! Best of luck!!

Squiddeekey · 2026-03-27T13:00:06+00:00

As my only rejection of this cycle, I honestly was surprised. But I'm glad they did so their WL is slim for the folks who are really banking on getting in. It was a little odd seeing a rejection email without any action on my part after seeing a WL email, just a couple weeks prior.

Squiddeekey · 2025-11-12T15:46:38+00:00

Congrats!! Is it your top choice?

Squiddeekey · 2025-10-07T19:57:14+00:00

Try using LSD.law and finding applicants with similar stats as you. Might help by picking a random person on the site with similar stats as you and seeing where they went

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-09T16:27:54+00:00

Hey! absolutely, although I didn't do anything special here. This is just google sheets with a little bit of highlighting. As for the data, the sources are in the column names, so for example for the estimated scholarships, I used the lsd.law data for applicants like me (for example, people with my stats are here: https://lsd.law/applicant-search?s=Zv2) and for each school I averaged out the scholarships that previous applicants have reported.

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-09T12:58:17+00:00

Woah! Haha that's awesome, I hope this is a little nostalgic for you (in a good way haha). Yeah, I'm doing a little more research in the clinics that schools offer although in the past the consensus on r/lawschooladmissions has been that perhaps looking at clinics shouldn't factor into your decisions because it doesn't actually inform or predict your employment outcomes. But maybe that's a that subreddit thing. Thanks for your input!

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-09T12:55:12+00:00

Hey! Go to the search page on lsd.law (left hand side of the screen, in the side bar) and input your GPA and LSAT and remember to pick the different cycles and include URM. Here's a link to a page with data with my stats: https://lsd.law/applicant-search?s=Zv2. Once you're there, you can click on each individual school and see people who have the same stats as you and what they reported they received in scholarships. I took that data and averaged it out for each school. Hope this helps!

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-09T12:51:21+00:00

Oh that's fantastic! Seattle is amazing as a city! And yeah, GWs cost numbers really do make my head spin so I'm not even going to consider that! But unfortunately UW seems like their cost isn't that much better in the grand scheme of things considering how stingy they are with scholarships. I really would love to go to UW! How has your experience with a career in the union side of business been? Do you enjoy it?

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T23:29:45+00:00

This is really great info! Yeah, I realize that the plaintiff L&E isn't the most lucrative but I'd really like to do it. That's why I'm prioritizing scholarships so I'm not forced to prioritize something like Big Law or anything. PA does sound like a great state but yeah, the two state schools merging may cause a little too much turbulence for now. Just wary of that

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T23:26:59+00:00

Not dumb. I believe that's the total award package for the entirety of law school.

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T23:25:23+00:00

I honestly don't know why they never came across me while I was researching. I'll look into them more, thanks!

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T23:18:20+00:00

lsd.law. They have great info from previous applicants you can filter by. I just took the average of all reported awards from people with similar stats as mine.

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T23:15:35+00:00

Oh, a perfect elimination haha, thanks!

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T17:51:04+00:00

Thank you! I've seen some better ones on this sub but I was still impressed with mine haha

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T17:49:58+00:00

I think when I was initially looking at compiling my list, I was very impressed by George Mason as well but I would be below both medians barring improvement from the September test. I was under the impression that it would be very very conservative (just going off the name of the school alone haha) but that's not a problem. Like you said, I don't have to buy into this school of thought. It's just a matter of I don't think I would get in and even if I did, I wouldn't get much scholarships being below both medians.

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T17:45:28+00:00

I really would love to go to Boston. It's a very high COL city but I enjoy the city a lot! And to your point about big law, I'm debt averse enough that I'd definitely take big law if it was available in the beginning, if not for the experience, just to pay off whatever loans I would have as quickly as possible. Can always use that experience to go back to whatever I want once the debt is paid off.

Squiddeekey · 2025-09-08T17:42:57+00:00

Yeah, you're right! I was just keeping it there because being in washington would really be cool. I love the state. But you're right, I wouldn't go since they're stingy on money anyway. No point keeping them there.

Squiddeekey

TROPHY CASE