u/Happy_Oak

Hi, I'm a rising sophomore at a t10 hoping to go directly to law school after undergrad (don't want to take break btwn schooling because I don't think I can mentally handle going back to school after a break) and am overwhelmed by how uncommon/competitive it is now to do it.

I've been talking to a lot of t10 law students and am just feeling incredibly lost because they seemed to have figured it out so simply but I'm not really understanding how. I know that GPA and LSAT are the most important, but now it seems to be that everyone is getting a high LSAT score and GPA. So I'm just a bit lost about what to do in this three years time. I know having strong extracurricular is important but what does that mean I'm not sure.

This summer I failed to get a like real internship so I'm taking a summer class and started studying for the lsat.

Looking for advice on my mindset on what to look for/prioritize these next three years or just advice on anything related to how I can maximize my application.

Thank you for your time!

title (maybe an answer from someone who has called them or that knows from years past?)

Also has anyone gotten off this wl without writing LOCI

https://preview.redd.it/dvnajq1t7h3h1.png?width=580&format=png&auto=webp&s=14b1b9ffa39a89c7ea5f755cac554d661d22fdd9

Ordered these based on the order I received the decisions. Here were the dates for any future applicants:

Cornell CAS - April 30, 2026 [was waitlisted for CoE in hs]

Duke - May 1st, 2026 [was waitlisted in hs]

Stanford - May 8th, 2026 [was deferred rea then rejected in hs] (also did this one super last-minute and it obv didn't work out- had an error in my supps and just terrible short answer responses, so please please honor yourself and all your hard work and do not start writing your supps hours before the application is due!!)

Brown - May 14th, 2026 [didn't apply in hs]

UPenn - May 14th, 2026 [didn't apply in hs] (committed!)

Northwestern - May 22, 2026 [didn't apply in hs]

Generic Stats + Info that might be helpful for future applicants:

HS GPA/College GPA: 4.92/4.0

Current Undergrad/Grade: T30/Rising Sophomore (traditional applicant)

Major: Public Health (Pub Pol for Cornell and Stanford)

Reason for transferring: Restrictive curriculum in current school, wanted access to a broader range of classes to directly answer the questions that community experiences were bringing up for me.

Essay style: Very straightforward (super out of my comfort zone to do this btw). Were absolutely nothing like the tiktok-esque essays I had in high school (which didn't get me in anywhere lol)

Teacher recs: Very very strong, I knew I wanted to transfer from the beginning so I chose my classes solely based on the teachers and then got close with three of them

Added context: I'm not first gen and I don't qualify for need based aid (for law school) so I'm scared that even if I do the below of GPA/LSAT and go with my state school instead of ivy, that it won't pay off

Why or why not?

Have heard the "just get good GPA and LSAT, doesn't matter your undergrad" many many times- but i just don't understand if everyone has close perfect GPA and high LSAT what is the differentiator, just story??

Ik it said 5k applicants but how many seats were there?

Missed the open house session. Does anyone know: if you took a course for your major that has prerequisites that you bypassed (didn't take the class bc got credit for it another way), do you get credit for that prerequisite class at penn or do you have to take that prereq as a class?

This is specifically for like math- if I took an econ class at my current school that required calc, but i didn't take calc I just got credit for it, do I still have to take calc at penn?

Title

TLDR: Is 300k in debt worth it for an Ivy League? I am middle class no need based aid, no parent resources

I know all the objective reasons why it wouldn't be, but can't help but feel that my threshold of success would largely increase based on the undergrad I go to because of the network and the people and the resources- and that this cost is something I can pay off and benefit from in the grand scheme of things.

I'm an older sibling and my parents didn't go to school here so I don't have any perspective. I know people that are older from ivy's that are successful but I don't know about their finances to understand.

If it's not worth it then it just seems so unfair. I literally worked so incredibly hard to get in, why does it cost so much and why can't I also be a kid who goes to a good school to provide for my own future and my family's future. Isnt "the best" education the path to socioeconomic mobility?

And no, my household income is very very slightly above the threshold for need based aid so I get no support so it's a raw 300k

Context: econ major, consulting, working towards corporate law

Further context: raw earning is 305k, obv taxes take some, don't have useable savings like is being suggested either, most of everything went to stocks and retirement funds, 50k in 529, so yes it would be full cost for me personally to go, and no it wouldn't be only me taking the loan, my parents would cosign and I would have to pay back

as someone whose really only heard about upenn wharton, what's amazing about upenn cas? about the resources/faculty/students? how could the econ major be more beneficial in cas (ik obv how it could be better at Wharton but looking for the other perspective)? are there any niche things only available to cas students? is there a difference in preference when looking at general job outcomes? again, i am unaware please don't roll your eyes, i know upenn is an ivy and its a really good school but again i only hear about wharton so i dont have awareness about cas

I know upenn is a super competitive environment. I'm considering it rn as a sophomore for pre law. I love ambitious environments but I don't know if this is way too much for me to handle per se.

How was the experience of other transfer students? Were you able to find your place? Also I am econ CAS double major HSOC, not econ Wharton, so would love to hear any perspective on if a divide exists at all in terms of resources.

One thing I'm really looking for is close relationships with teachers. I know you can create that anywhere but would love to understand the vibe of teachers here too.

Thanks so much!

thinking of adding a BA, pre law, currently just econ. ik this is very subjective, looking for any perspectives at all. im interested in lots of things

title

Im pre law just finished my freshman year at a T30, it's a public school. I got into a T10 private school to transfer but will probably have considerable amount of debt (haven't received aid offer yet but most likely). From my current school I would graduate with no debt as it is very cheap and my parents have already saved enough to cover it. However, it is a large school and I feel very lost on how to get into a top ivy law school (no proper advisor, teachers not good in my major so have to bust my ass even harder for good grades (i mean I've succeeded this year so maybe not the biggest deal), don't feel motivated by the people around me, see everyone from already good private schools going to good law schools but not many going from my school etc.).

I've been chasing prestige for so long for the network and for surrounding myself with a "grind culture" but now am scared if it's even worth.

Do i go to the private school, incur the debt, and just work to get a top law school scholarship? Or do I just stay with the shitty resources and figure it out? I'm just scared I won't be able to figure it out. But for pre law does the school really help much at all (like the network, etc.) or is this my own confidence/work ethic issue and i can achieve what I want from my current school?

It really pains me to potentially not go to the T10 because I've worked so hard for it. But as the first child to go to college in US i have no grasp of the real world and what's best for my future because i also don't see loans as a big deal because I assume that I'll just make bank in the future but I know that's an incredibly naive perspective.

Would appreciate any advice.

title

im just so scared which is so stupid because this is all ive wanted for so long and now that i got in somewhere im scared if ill find my people, if ill fit in, and if i even deserve it. i didn't do so many social things this year at my state school because i was grinding and didnt really align with the school crowd with a majority of groups that stick together and are with each other 24/7, and i tried to but i learned very quickly that i just couldn't afford to do that. i just labeled myself as independent, which is true to some extent but also not entirely. now at this next school i really just hope to be comfortable in this new env and be whole in the college im in ig instead of thinking constantly of the next step if that makes sense. and im pre professional so im just so scared that that wont be the case. do groups tend to stick only with themselves like it was at my public school? im a naturally social person but i cant help but feel oh all these people r better than me why would they want to be friends.

ik this post is so incredibly stupid and all over the place, and I am extremely grateful for the academic opportunity (duke), but im just scared that im getting another shot and i wont do it "right". how did other transfer students acclimate to the environment?

Js curious

I'm talking about the "Need to withdraw your application?" section under "Resources"

For those who received their decision, wait it early that day on Thursday or day before that you didn't see withdraw button? (bc I still see mine lol so was jw!)