Warning

Info

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@adcoms - is this information out of date?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

General

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jb2028
21:25
Many such cases
jb2028
21:26
They just don't seem to make it out of biglaw when their lifestyle collides with the practical realities of government salaries
21:35
Jb when are you visiting HLS
jb2028
21:37
3/29 ASD. You?
21:43
April 12
21:43
Lmk how you like it!
jb2028
21:46
Will do!
I’m going April 12 too
im going 4/19 since it was cheaper for me lol
Lol got an an 11pm Duke A (automated email I have to assume?)
Guys I did not expect my cycle to go like this
wow incredible cycle!
congrats!
InshAllah
23:08
@DeafeningYouthfulLemon: wow congrats! God is good!
Thank you
19 of 23 schools have now given me an admissions decision. Soon it will be 23 of 23, and all will be over, save only for my efforts to get off waitlists.
can i ask yall something?
i got a 153 lsat
and a 3.7 gpa
is there any chance i can get into any school thats under t100
cuz i applied to st johns and im hoping to get i get in
[] ararara
1:26
@BumpyLikeableDolphin: hey 👋 sorry I’m late 😤 hopefully you still see! I’m sure you’ll get in somewhere but you have to be careful law school is expensive!
[] ararara
1:27
Scoring higher on the lsat is the clear move imo
[] ararara
1:27
If you can ofc
honestly
i went from 139 -> 153
all my plsats still say im at the high 140s
so idk if the real thing was really a fluke
[] ararara
2:41
@BumpyLikeableDolphin: how have you been studying and for long? Get your fee waivers approved by LSAC then 7 sage costs one dollar a month and lsat demons goes 3 months free! Make sure to get those fee waivers because then you’ll also be able to apply super broadly!
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