I’ve been there too…
When I was applying to law school, I had big dreams: an Ivy League law school.
But my chances of getting there were slim with an average but not exceptional GPA, a good, but not Ivy League undergrad, and a below median LSAT score.
I wondered how I stood any chance of standing out.
After spending hours on google, reading every law school admissions article or blog post I could get my hands on, I felt even more lost than when I started.
So I turned back to the one thing I did know:
ME.
And I used my story (a good, but nothing extraordinary story) to show the best possible version of me to my dream law schools.
The Result
My story - or rather, HOW I shared it - got me into nearly every top 10 law school I applied to with significant scholarship offers, handwritten notes from Deans commenting on how much my personal statement moved them, personal calls asking what it would take for me to attend their school, and the ability to choose which law school I wanted to go to.
Ultimately, it led me to the University of Pennsylvania Law School after receiving the competitive Toll Public Interest Scholarship.
Which became the springboard to a successful career in law clerking for a chief federal judge and working for one of the world’s top law firms.
All thanks to my “story.”
But here’s the thing…I wasn’t “supposed” to have gotten into all those top law schools.
Look to any law school admissions article or forum and all everyone is talking about is your LSAT score or GPA.
Yes, those matter. But I can say with full confidence that those matter less than you think.
HOW DO I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE?
Because every admissions cycle my clients get into their dream schools, even when they don’t have the perfect stats.
Why some applicants get into schools in spite of their GPA and LSAT, while other highly qualified applicants get
flat-out rejected
Just take a quick scroll through Reddit forums and you’ll see tons of qualified applicants experiencing heartbreak.
Like this Reddit applicant with amazing stats, a 3.8, and LSAT score over 175 and still not getting into any of the top schools.
Yet…many of the applicants I work with, without competitive GPAs or LSAT scores have gotten into these top and other dream law schools, even in these ridiculously competitive cycles.
So then what’s the difference?
Their story…and how they present it to law schools.
Let me be clear, I’m not saying your GPA or LSAT don’t matter. Of course they do…law schools care about their rankings.
But what I am saying is that your GPA and LSAT score will never alone be what gets you admitted. And when you have that extra something (your story) you can push out the competition, even if they have much better LSAT or GPA.
The Good News
Everyone has this unique story. Yes, even you!
And it really is that story that will get you into law school.
But here’s the problem…
Most of us are terrible at examining ourselves objectively and knowing what experiences or traits (our “story”) make us unique. Which makes writing something like a personal statement for law school feel…well, DAUNTING.
And more than that, it’s not just about sharing your story with admissions officers and expecting acceptance offers to start rolling in. It’s sharing a very curated version of your story…a version that speaks to directly what law schools want to see.
There will always be a million different angles and directions you could take with your story. But choosing the right direction is one of the most important decisions you can make:
After all, it can mean the difference between getting accepted and rejected.
I’m not being overly dramatic either.
This is what happened with one of my clients, Raneem, who came to me after getting flat-out rejected from every school she applied to. But after we reworked her application so that it spoke to exactly what law schools were looking for, she got multiple acceptances from the same schools that had previously rejected her…with no change in her stats (which were both below the schools’ medians).
THAT'S WHY I DO WHAT I DO.
Because with the right support and the right strategies (not the ones from random Reddit users), your law school dreams can come true - even if you don’t have a 4.0, the perfect LSAT score, or the most out-of-this-world story.
With me as your guide you’ll…
Imagine how far you could go with endless support and a curated strategy for your law school application…
that’s what you get when you work with me.
I’m much more than a consultant. In fact, I consider myself your law school COACH because I’m with you every step of the way, from the nitty-gritty details to the high-level strategy calls.
My coaching is 100% individualized to you because to stand out from the crowd, you can’t follow cookie-cutter advice (which means I won’t give it).
Together, we’ll put together a cohesive application that tells the story of you in a way that speaks directly to what admissions officers are looking for. To do that, I have to get to know you. Which means you’ll never be a random name in a spreadsheet.
And this is no bare minimum type of service. You’ll get substantive feedback, constructive edits, and thoughtful advice tailored entirely to you and your goals.
While the specifics will change depending on your background and goals, here’s an overview of what you’ll get when we work together:
1. Compelling Personal Statement
The heart of your law school application, and often the deciding factor in what gets you admitted.
From recent college grads with little experience to those changing careers decades after; to those who have a clear vision of what kind of law they want to practice, to those who have no idea; to the fraternity bro with little else on his resume, to the applicant who seemed to join every club under the planet–I’ve worked with it all.
And the coolest part of seeing all these stories…I’m 100% confident there’s not an applicant out there who doesn’t have a unique story to share and to stand out.
My job is to help you get that story out. With my signature brainstorming process, I’m going to ask you to dig deep because that is where the gold lies. But don’t worry, I’ll guide you in that process, asking pointed questions to draw more out of you, so that you don’t even realize it until you’ve hit the jackpot!
The brainstorming lets me see the entire universe of you and from there, helps guide the right narrative for your personal statement. Using the material from your brainstorm, I’ll give you a detailed outline of the direction I think your personal statement should go:
No wondering what is the best topic, or how to weave disparate experiences together…I’ve got you covered.
Law schools are looking not only for who you are, or what you’ve done but also for how you think. My unique and proven personal statement framework will ensure your essay shows that you are someone who can think analytically and write persuasively–the very skills of a lawyer, and what law schools want to see.
"I don’t want to know what my personal statement would’ve looked like without the brainstorming process."
ABBY S.
(attending Columbia law despite having a below-median LSAT score)
2. Unlimited Editing for ALL your materials
If you’re expecting someone to just check for grammar, spelling, or typos, you can use Word, or a friend, or a freelancer on Fiverr. What you’re getting from me is substantive expertise about the content and style that law schools are looking for. Which means I am incredibly hands-on, with substantive feedback…for as many drafts as it takes to get it perfect. This applies to ALL your law school materials–resume, personal statement, diversity statement, supplemental essays–and even materials tangentially related–like your email to the admissions office or email to your recommenders helping guide their recommendation letter. Everything will have my expertise and hands-on edits.
3. Strategy Decisions
The best applications (those where applicants get into schools beyond their stats) have a cohesive narrative running through. Meaning everything in your application needs to be consistent with the narrative you’re presenting.
This is where strategy comes into play–with decisions over essay topic ideas for every essay, whether and how to write addenda, who to ask for letters of recommendation and how to guide them in writing the most impressive letter, what law schools to apply to, and anything end everything else that comes up.
4. Peace of Mind
The law school admissions process can feel intimidating and daunting. I’m here to ease your anxiety and make sure you know exactly what to do and when. We’ll use the project management platform, Basecamp, to keep us on task and moving forward…because with rolling admissions, the sooner you can get in, the better!
In between calls, you’ll always be supported, with audio and text messaging in Voxer, we will collaborate daily.
5. We Don’t Stop After Submit
(AKA: You’ll also have me to support you for interviews, scholarship negotiations, waitlist strategies, 1L prep, and more!)
After you submit your applications, you’ll have interviews to prepare for, scholarships to negotiate, waitlists to consider, and schools to select. I’ll be with you for all of it.
You’ll have access to my exclusive interview prep guide with a bank of real questions asked, and I’ll conduct a mock interview and give you constructive feedback...so that you go into the interview confident and ready.
When it’s time to figure out your schools, I’ll help guide you with strategies on negotiating scholarships…that have resulted in clients getting many thousands of dollars more in scholarship money), and navigating the long waitlists… with clients actually getting off the waitlists and into their dream schools.
When it comes time to decide on what school to attend (because with the application you submitted, you’ll have choices!), I’ll give you my perspective as a former member of a hiring team for one of the top firms in the world…because law school is just the beginning, not the end.
And finally, right before you start law school, I’ll give you a 1L prep session so you can walk into your first day of class ready to be at the top of your class…and kickstart your dream career.
Hear More In-Depth From Some of My Past Clients
“I can't even begin to imagine what this process would have been like without Mara…"
Immediately we got to work. She was incredibly responsive and helpful and thorough with her comments. Ultimately I came out with an application that was a very polished version of myself. I felt like I was able to stay true to myself the entire time and that my essay was genuine and an accurate reflection of my story. She even did her own research on my background to help with my essays and honestly went above and beyond. She was always available with ALL the answers I could possibly need, if not more. I had a really quick turnaround - completing my application in about a month - and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if she hadn’t been so responsive and helpful. This process would have been a nightmare without Mara and in fact, it was quite pleasant and smooth, so I definitely owe it all to her.
-CHRISTINA S.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GOULD
“There will always be someone during the application process who will tell you that your LSAT score is too low or your dreams are too big, but Mara encourages those dreams and then helps you achieve them…"
Applying to law school can be confusing and it is often hard to know who to trust to help properly guide you through the application process. There are large organizations that promise the world and highly expensive boutique companies that try their best to make you believe they’ll make the difference. Having gone through it myself, I know that what you need is one highly qualified person to provide a focused, customized, and successful experience. Mara is that person. She is brilliant, sharp, thoughtful, and knows exactly what to do in order to get you into the law school of your dreams. Simply put: Mara is the real deal. If you are lucky enough to work with her, you will be incredibly proud of the way in which you are able to present yourself to the law schools on your list.
Mara is extremely professional and extraordinarily knowledgeable about the law school application process. Applying late in the cycle, I knew I would have to work quickly to get my application materials ready in time. Mara understood this and shared that urgency with me. She was able to get drafts back to me in record time and even worked through the weekends to ensure that I made all of my deadlines. However, the heightened pace never meant sacrificing quality. She was so detailed about my background and made sure that she understood every part of my academic and professional history in order to convey the most relevant and compelling information to the admissions committees in a way that would resonate with them.
Mara understands law, the language of the personal statement, and even when it meant more work for her, she always encouraged me to write every optional essay available in order to craft the best application possible. Her guidance is impeccable, she is always accessible, and she is excellent at helping to focus the direction of an essay all while ensuring one’s words, work, and personal voice shine through. She is also definitive when it counts. Questions about the personal statement, diversity statements, optional essays, scholarships, and school selection were all answered in thoughtful ways that truly helped shape my understanding of the process and what to look for when choosing a program. From the very first moment to the last, she customized the experience to fit my goals and always made it clear how much she cared about my journey during this process (and even beyond)!
Additionally, and perhaps most impressively, her optimism is special. There will always be someone during the application process who will tell you that your LSAT score is too low or your dreams are too big, but Mara encourages those dreams and then helps you achieve them. While she remained realistic in telling me how competitive this year was going to be, she always approached every draft and conversation with support and positivity. I truly appreciated that during this process. With her help, I have already been accepted to a Tier 1 law school during a year in which they received more applications than any other year in the law school’s history and received multiple scholarship offers (including a full scholarship)- and I’m just at the beginning of hearing back from the schools to which I applied! Ultimately, I can’t say enough about the value that Mara adds and how fortunate I feel to have found her to navigate this process with me. She is exceptional and will make your law school application that much stronger- guaranteed.
-REBECCA G.
GEORGETOWN LAW WITH SIGNIFICANT MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
“If you want to craft an application that you won’t regret, knowing that you’ve put the best you out there, I highly recommend working with Mara… "
I initially contacted Mara to help simply proofread my essays and give advice on the small things like LSAT scores and employment gap addendum. Little did I know that I would be going through countless drafts and dive deep into introspection that ultimately resulted in an application that truly represented who I was. As much as there was to be done, I never felt overwhelmed or too stressed. Mara was always there, planning and tackling every task with me. Getting instant feedback (within a day or two!) really helped my anxiety as well. Reaching out was the best decision I made for my law school application journey. If you want to craft an application that you won’t regret, knowing that you’ve put the best you out there, I highly recommend working with Mara.
-ELIZABETH O.
BERKELEY LAW WITH A BELOW-MEDIAN LSAT SCORE
“I’m not through my application process yet, but I’m already in at three top ten law schools…"
Working with Mara has been such an incredible experience and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She has been so supportive throughout this extremely difficult admissions cycle and has been nothing but helpful in terms of walking me off the ledge when I was thinking I would not get into a school this year. She helped me really find value in my story and have the confidence to tell it as I saw fit. That’s so invaluable to have an advocate like her in your corner when you’re going through this really difficult process. I’m not through my application process yet, but I’m already in at three top ten law schools. I hope that anyone who would be lucky enough to work with Mara going forward.
-TIEMAE R.
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW, DOCTOROFF BUSINESS LEADER FELLOWSHIP
“If you’re like me and have big lofty goals but aren’t sure where to begin, Mara will get you where you’re looking to go…"
When I was struggling to come up with something to write for my personal statement, I turned to Mara for help. I knew what I wanted to say, but had no idea where to begin with such an important document. Mara worked with me to really emphasize my ‘why’ throughout my application. It was so easy to work with her - she knew which questions to ask and immediately made me feel at ease.
Much of my anxiety about writing my essays and applying to schools melted away as soon as I developed a plan with Mara, and she continued to work with me every step of the way. If you’re like me and have big lofty goals, but aren’t sure where to begin, Mara will get you where you’re looking to go.
-ALLEN K.
GEORGE WASHINGTON LAW
“I was told by three different admissions members, from three different programs, that my personal statement was by far the best they had read this cycle…"
I sincerely could not have asked for a better law admissions consultant! You helped translate my passion for healthcare reform and my interest in law into a captivating narrative that not only highlighted who I am as a student but who I am as an individual.
I can't tell you how much I appreciated you always making yourself available to me whether it was to help me with a part of my application or to hop on a call to listen and give me advice. This whole process was very much uncharted territory for me and working with you gave me the confidence to recognize myself as a competitive, unique applicant.
Your high level of organization and attention to detail ensured that I never felt lost or stressed out during this incredibly daunting process. I always had a clear idea of what was ahead and what work I needed to do. In addition, your insane turn around time allowed me to alter my applications and get them submitted in the timeframe I aimed for despite working full time during this entire process.
Finally, your positive attitude and encouraging demeanor helped me get through this process more than you know. I often doubted myself and my ability to be successful in the law school admissions process and during those times of doubt you always met me exactly where I was and knew what to say to keep me going!
-LINDSEY L.
BELMONT WITH SIGNIFICANT SCHOLARSHIP