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What are "softs" and how are they classified?

LSAT score and GPA are "hard" data. Softs refer to everything in your application that isn't "hard" data.

Softs are inherently unquantifiable. That's why they're called softs.

The tiers below are very rough guidelines for putting a number on something that really can't be quantified. Don't take the tiers too seriously when comparing yourself to other applicants on LSData. Holistically valuing softs is the admissions committee's job.

The soft tier system is copied from an old reddit post by /u/whistleridge.

@adcoms - is this information out of date? Email us at admissions@lsd.law and tell us how we can improve!

Soft tiers

Please do not consider under represented minority (URM) status when classifying your soft tier.

Tier 1 (extremely rare)

  • High decorations for valor (Congressional Medal of Honor, DSC/Navy Cross, Silver Star)
  • Rhodes Scholarship
  • Started multimillion-dollar company/innovative service that is household name
  • C-level executive in publicly traded/Fortune 500 company
  • Professional athlete/college athlete who was a lock for professional except for injury
  • Widely published author/heavily cited academic
  • Prior high expertise in field (surgeon who invented technique, etc.)

Tier 2 (rare)

  • Decorated military service (Purple Heart, Bronze Star)
  • Fulbright/other prestigious scholarship
  • NCAA athlete in standout position, e.g. household basketball name, led water polo team to 3 titles, etc.
  • Overcome extraordinary physical/mental handicap (ALS, blind & deaf, etc.)
  • High level (director, etc.) position in prior employment
  • Prior demonstrations of high expertise (patents, etc.)

Tier 3 (uncommon)

  • Commissioned military service
  • Prestigious undergraduate scholarships and/or research awards
  • NCAA athlete
  • Overcame extraordinary adversity (childhood poverty, physical/mental handicap, etc.)
  • Published academic
  • Peace Corps/Americorps/other public service
  • Prior employment in legal field or otherwise pertinent area (engineer for IP, etc.)
  • Disadvantaged status: LGBTQ+, first in family to attend college, single working parent, etc.

Tier 4 (common)

  • Any military service
  • Legal internships
  • Congressional internships
  • President/officer of clubs/frat/etc.
  • School newspaper/yearbook/etc.
  • Honors societies

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sick of these dumbass promotional WashU emails
J-Reuben-Clark-Law
14:15
I am sick of law schools sending out emails without the option to unsubscribe. It's straight up illegal and shows you the quality of education you will get there.
J-Reuben-Clark-Law
14:16
CAN-SPAM Act violation
literally
14:47
dude washu has sent me an email at least once per feek for 3 months
14:47
it has significantly impacted my opinion on their law school
14:48
week* frick
BluePacedCephalopod
14:49
yeah like i've gotten radio silence from them since october
BluePacedCephalopod
14:49
like if you don't want me that's fine but why not reject or WL people? too busy having Zoom seminars
BluePacedCephalopod
14:50
like it's actually so rude that they don't have the decency to R/WL before like April
15:03
Lmaoo the Zoom seminars
GW is requesting my fall transcripts (I had intended to apply during the fall semester when I requested them, but had three hurricanes-one with water rescues in my neighborhood-an emergency 2 1/2 week trip to Colorado to say goodbye to my mother-in-law, then I received my service dog, which required another eight days away from school for training), so I ended up applying this month. If I request new transcripts through LSAC, does each school I applied to receive them? I'm hoping to not have to write an addendum of why all of my narrative evaluations mention my busy schedule or that I had to miss classes and whatnot. (My school doesn't do letter grades.)
AnotherUsername1
16:31
Yes, they receive them automatically from LSAC
@AnotherUsername1: Thank you! :)
1a2b3c4d26z
17:00
hi
omelette
17:22
yooo 1a
omelette
17:22
its eggan
omelette
17:22
eff i missed him
Do y'all think Berkeley's gonna reject me or waitlist me. An A seems unlikely atp.
omelette
18:24
i feel the same way
'tis very sad
It sucks cause I feel like I fucked up my video statement but the rest of my app was strong and now the video statement isn't even a requirement
I think as long as you haven't been R or WL, you're still in the running! I don't think they'd leave anyone hanging if they already knew! <3
BatmanBeyond
19:12
Tried negotiating scholarships with the school but they basically called my bluff saying I have to share other letters by the deposit deadline to get any $. It feels good to bet on myself though
1a2b3c4d26z
19:37
EGGGGG
1a2b3c4d26z
19:38
MY MAN
1a2b3c4d26z
19:38
How's it goin
[M] hw03
20:46
how's everyone doing
did anyone have a penn date change? mine went into review early feb, then the date on the portal changed to a couple days ago.. but no email update wondering if anyone else is in the same boat
omelette
22:24
@1a2b3c4d26z: im ok just waiting on a few more schools
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