The 7Sage Admissions Podcast - Next Stop: Law School

Convinced you don't have a unique enough story for your personal statement? You're asking the wrong question. Senior writing consultant Don Corrigan joins Jake to talk through how to approach the personal statement and statement of perspective, why authenticity beats uniqueness, and how the iterative writing process actually works when you're staring at a blank page.

You hit submit on your deposit. Now what? For the first time in months, maybe years, there's no clear next task in front of you. Jake walks through exactly what to do in the weeks and months between depositing and orientation, from locking down housing and budgeting your loans to networking with alumni before you ever set foot on campus. Whether you're still waiting on a few decisions or fully committed, this is the checklist you didn't know you needed.

With deposit deadlines closing in, Jake walks through everything you need to know about the final stretch of the admissions cycle. Do schools actually negotiate scholarships right now, when applications are at a 15 to 20 year high? The answer is more complicated than the Reddit threads might suggest. Jake breaks down how to find out if your school negotiates, what to say when you reach out, and what makes a compelling case for more money. He also covers the biggest change to law school financing in years: the end of grad plus loans and what that means for how you budget your legal education. Plus, a look at the data on LSAT test takers and what it signals for next year's applicant pool, and why if you're planning to apply next cycle, earlier is better than ever.

Choosing a law school is one of the hardest parts of the admissions process, not because you do not have options, but because you finally do. In this episode, Jake Baska breaks down what it actually means to deposit, how that differs from enrolling, when it makes sense to ask for a deposit deadline extension, and how to think through waitlists, pending decisions, scholarship timing, and even the possibility of retesting or reapplying. Jake also walks through the bigger-picture questions that should shape your final choice: rank, cost, scholarship money, job outcomes, geography, student culture, and whether a school genuinely feels like the right fit for your next three years and beyond. If you are staring at multiple offers, waiting on one last decision, or wondering whether it is okay to double deposit, this episode gives you a practical framework for making the call with confidence.

In this episode, Jake dives into some 7Sage user questions to discuss law school admissions strategies, including LSAT and GPA considerations, recommendation letters, and international applicant insights.

Admitted student visit days can shape your entire law school experience. In this episode, Jake Baska sits down with Tracy Simmons and Kamil Brown to break down what these programs are really about and how to make the most of them. They discuss the purpose behind admitted student visit days, what prospective students should pay attention to, and how to evaluate cultural fit within a law school community. From engaging with faculty and current students to observing classroom dynamics and campus culture, this conversation offers practical advice on navigating the admissions process with clarity and confidence. You’ll also hear concrete tips on preparation, follow-up, networking with admissions officers and alumni, and why finding joy in the law school admissions journey matters more than you might think. If you’re deciding where to enroll, this episode will help you move beyond rankings and into real experience.

Being placed on a law school waitlist can feel confusing and frustrating, especially when you do not know what to do next. In this episode, Jake Baska breaks down what a law school waitlist actually means, how schools use waitlists, and what steps you should and should not take if you are on one. He walks through when to send a letter of continued interest, how to provide meaningful updates, and how to avoid common mistakes that can hurt your chances. You will also learn how to manage expectations, how to make decisions while waiting, and how to stay proactive without being pushy. Whether you are on one waitlist or several, this episode will help you move forward with a clear plan.

With the release of the 2025 ABA 509 reports, Jake Baska provides an important walkthrough of law school admissions' most important report. He'll break down everything that's contained within the reports, and provide expert insight on how to analyze what the reports mean for you as a potential applicant.

Clayton, a current law school applicant, chats with law school admissions expert and mastermind Jacob Baska to learn the answers to pressing admissions questions. They delve into: the importance of adding an “interests” section to your resume, focusing on applying to schools in locations you’d like to live in, whether it matters if you apply in January or March for regular admissions, and how to create a comprehensive and easy-to-parse application.

Applicants are up 22 percent from last year, and LSAT test-takers are up 19 percent. That’s leaving a lot of applicants wondering what this cycle really looks like. This episode of the 7Sage Admissions Podcast features our Fall 2026 Application Vibe Check Deans Roundtable, with a panel of law school admissions deans discussing the realities of the current cycle. They address key questions applicants are asking right now, including whether January 1 is too late to apply, whether admissions teams are being more cautious this year, common application pet peeves, and what they consistently like to see in strong applications. If you’re applying this cycle and trying to make sense of rising application volume, this episode will help you understand what matters most.

Are these admissions tips common knowledge…or shocking revelation? Jake is an old hand when it comes to dispensing pearls of law school admission wisdom. But Clayton is a relative newbie and was surprised to hear Jake’s answers to often-asked admissions questions. In this episode, Clayton gets a chance to ask “say what?” about Jake’s admissions best practices. They touch on vague statement prompts, whether optional really means optional , what’s so baffling about resumes, and much more.

Our panel of law school admissions deans convene for their November panel to answer that most eternal of questions—is “optional” really optional and how required is “required”? Touching on Why School X documents, character and fitness explanations, background statements, and more, our panelists will walk you through the ins-and-outs of these documents and will remind you that the most essential truth of a competitive application is “be sure to follow a school’s instructions.” All that—and more!—in this month’s discussion. If you’d like help with any aspect of your law school applications, check out all of our services here .

Reyes Aguilar and Jake Baska dive into one of the great ghost stories of the law school admissions process—yield protection. What is it? Is it real—like “real” real? What’s the difference between yield protection and admissions officers just being selective? And most importantly, how can you avoid this trap? If you’d like help with any aspect of your law school applications, check out all of our services here .

Tajira McCoy and her crew of law school admissions deans return for their most recent monthly discussion. This time, they dive into all things related to the written aspects of an application. In your personal statement, do you have to write about why you want to be a lawyer? Should you tailor your personal statement for every school? When the instructions say “two pages max,” what happens if you go just a bit long? How do you stand out on your statements (or is it even advisable to try and “stand out”)? All that—and more!—in this month’s discussion. If you’d like help with any aspect of your law school applications, check out all of our services here .

The leaves are turning, decorative gourds are everywhere, and the law school admissions cycle is in full swing. We break it all down, from the statistics regarding enrolling 1L classes (up), to LSAT numbers (up!), to a look ahead at what this likely means for application numbers (UP!). Also see if you can spot the error regarding the year in which Cecil Fielder hit over 50 home runs for the Detroit Tigers! If you’d like help with any aspect of your law school applications, check out all of our services here .

Tajira McCoy and her panel of admissions deans have reassembled to discuss all the topics that are at the front of law school applicants’ minds as a new admissions year opens: How do applicants stand out in the evaluation process (and should they even be trying to stand out )? How have schools tried to enroll broadly diverse classes in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions decision? What should you do if you’re a splitter, or a KJD, or an older applicant, or a younger applicant, or ... actually, should you even be labeling yourself at all? All that - and more! - in this month’s discussion. If you’d like help with any aspect of your law school applications, check out all of our services here .

Have you ever wondered how admissions officers review applications? What they pick up on, what they notice, and - maybe - what irks them? Then be sure to tune into this week’s episode as we present a recording of a mock admissions committee review. Two prospective law applicants submitted their resumes and personal statements to 7Sage. Three of our admissions consultants then walked through their thought processes when reviewing the documents - the good, the bad, and the “this confused me.” If you’d like help with any aspect of your law school applications, check out all of our services here .

As the 2025-2026 admissions cycle gets under, Tajira McCoy and her panelists wrap up all the news and updates about the last cycle (for example: “Why does a school still have an active waitlist at this time of year?!”) before turning their eyes ahead to the coming year. What do the panelists think will happen with the national applicant pool? How best to handle the balance between “apply when you are ready” and “it’s rolling admission”? With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, how are admissions and financial aid offices responding to new realities regarding federal student loans? All that - and more! - in this month’s discussion. If you’d like help with any aspect of your law school applications, check out all of our services here .

It’s late-August and that can only mean one thing for aspiring lawyers - the application cycle is about to begin! In this episode, we break down what happened in the last cycle, what the conditions are like going into this one, and how you can best take advantage of how things are shaping up. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose! And if you'd like help with anything related to your own applications, check out our services at 7Sage Admissions .

Although not among the headlines during Congressional debates, the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July has massive financial ramifications for this year's crop of law school applicants. Joining us to break down the ins-and-outs of the bill and provide a broader historical perspective to matters is fellow 7Sage admissions consultant, Reyes Aguilar. And don’t forget that for help with all things related to LSAT prep and law school admissions, you can check us out at 7Sage.com .