Reapplicant with LSAT Score Below 160 Accepted to Northwestern Law, Loyola Chicago and Waitlisted at NYU, Columbia and University of Chicago
Our client LaTisha had anything but an easy upbringing. She was born with an addiction to crack cocaine because her birth mother abused drugs and alcohol. LaTisha was adopted at an early age, and her parents were retired and lived on a fixed, modest income. Despite attending a high school with a low college readiness score, she went on to graduate from Northwestern University and has now been accepted to Northwestern Law!
After graduating from Northwestern, LaTisha worked in fintech/regulatory compliance for 6 years. Her work in compliance spurred an interest in consumer protection and she began looking into law school. LaTisha set her sights on returning to her alma mater for law school and took the LSAT 3 times. Having always struggled with standardized tests, LaTisha still scored below a 160 despite her best efforts.
She began looking into ways to bolster her application and came across The Art of Applying®. LaTisha shared, “I knew I needed a little bit more help in terms of crafting my story and getting my voice out there…in a way that I just couldn’t be turned down…I knew that on the raw number [alone] it wasn’t going to happen.”
LaTisha enrolled in the Application Accelerator® in January of 2018, with not much time to spare before the upcoming enrollment period. In her first application cycle working with us, LaTisha was denied from Northwestern Law but accepted to DePaul University, Loyola University with a $45,000 scholarship, Chicago-Kent College of Law with a full scholarship, and waitlisted at University of Chicago, New York University, University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Law School. LaTisha knew she had worked as hard as she could, but felt that she could do better with more time, so she signed on to work with us for a second application cycle.
Ultimately, LaTisha’s intuition was correct. When she reapplied, LaTisha was initially waitlisted at Northwestern but she was officially accepted on June 30th. In response to the news, LaTisha said, “Northwestern is going to open so many doors for me…The opportunities are what’s going to change my life the most. My options now are so much more than they were a month ago.”
When reflecting on the 2.5 years LaTisha has spent working with our team, she had this to say, “This program has honestly changed my life and I highly, highly, highly [recommend] it…just go for it.”
We couldn’t agree more, LaTisha. Congratulations!
Start Date: January 2018 | End Date: June 2020
Applicant Information
- GPA: 3.67
- LSAT: 158
- Work experience: 6 years in fin-tech/regulatory compliance
- Undergraduate: Northwestern University
- Major: Sociology/International Studies
Acceptances
- Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
- Loyola University School of Law
- DePaul University – College of Law
- Chicago-Kent College of Law
- University of Chicago Law School – waitlisted
- New York University School of Law – waitlisted
- Columbia Law School – waitlisted
- University of Pennsylvania – waitlisted
Scholarships
- Chicago-Kent College of Law – Full Scholarship
- Loyola University School of Law – $60,000 scholarship
Notable Quotes
On the value LaTisha found in working with her consultant:
“[My consultant] really took the time to help me craft my story in a way that I felt so proud of the end result and comfortable knowing that I gave the very best shot…She really helped me craft that in a way that was meaningful, we really sat down and talked about what I actually was trying to say, what I wanted to convey [to the] admissions committee…and why I want to go to law school. Sometimes I look at what I originally wrote and then the end result and it’s night and day.”
How LaTisha found inspiration and community from other applicants:
“We have people from all over the world trying to go to their dream schools. Interacting with them energizes you because you’re all joined in this collective [activity] of trying to get into these schools. You’re all struggling with trying to reach those target scores. You’re struggling with trying to get your essays together…In the members area I was able to ask questions and people would answer. It wasn’t like you’re only working with your consultant. You could also work with each other and [share] that sense of encouragement…That’s also what kind of helped keep me sane throughout the process. I knew I wasn’t alone. It’s been wonderful because you also feel inspired by hearing everyone else’s story. Hearing why they are interested in doing what they want to do energizes you and provides inspiration.”
LaTisha’s advice to other applicants with a low test score:
“It’s important to know that you’re more than a number. They also care about what you’ve done and what you’re trying to do and what your story is. The biggest thing that I got out of this program was finding a way to [tell] that story… I was afraid that I had no chance… I literally can’t get above 160…If you are passionate and hungry and know in your heart of hearts that you deserve to be there and that number is not going to hold you back… [The Application Accelerator®] program is the program for you because it will help you craft your application in a way where you’re [an] irresistible candidate.”
On deciding to invest in working with The Art of Applying®:
“If it means I’ve gotten into my dream school, and [gotten] scholarship money, it balances out. I think the rewards are so much greater than the upfront cost of participating!”
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