What does it take to get into Yale Law School when your numbers aren't at the top of the school's medians?

In this episode, Autumn and Morgan talk with Rachel, a future Yale Law student whose path to law school included a math degree from CU Boulder, work in gun violence prevention, an internship at the White House, and two years working for Gabby Giffords.

Rachel applied to nine law schools and was admitted to Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Georgetown, and CU Boulder. Her LSAT was a 170 and her GPA was a 3.91, both below the medians at Yale, Harvard, and Stanford.So what made her application stand out?

The conversation gets into one of the most important themes in the law-school admissions process: authenticity. Rather than trying to become the applicant a particular law school wants, Rachel learned how to show up as her whole self. That consistency created the "gossamer thread" woven throughout her entire application.

Book your free strategy call: https://www.gradmissions.org/contact

Interview season is here, and med school interviews can feel like the most intimidating step after months of applications and secondaries.

In this episode of the GradMissions Office Hours Podcast, the team breaks down what applicants can actually expect from medical school interviews, from traditional panels and MMIs to group interviews and asynchronous virtual interviews. They talk through how to prepare for different formats, what interviewers are evaluating, and why your ability to listen, communicate, and work with others matters just as much as having the “right” answers.

Book your free strategy call: https://www.gradmissions.org/contact

Not every admissions mistake is a dealbreaker, but some can follow you all the way to a rejection. In this episode of Grad Missions Office Hours, the team breaks down the biggest red flags they see in medical and law school admissions and, more importantly, how to avoid them.

From applying too late and explaining a low GPA the wrong way to character and fitness disclosures, professionalism, and social media mistakes, they share real admissions committee perspectives on what makes an applicant memorable, for the right (or wrong) reasons.

What are your red, yellow, and green flag questions for your own admissions process? Drop them in the comments!

Book your free strategy call: https://www.gradmissions.org/contact

Medical school secondaries can make or break an application. In this episode, the GradMissions welcomes new team member Ryan Chapman, a professional sports writer and editor, to discuss why storytelling, not just strong credentials, is what helps applicants stand out.

Whether you're applying in the next cycle or planning ahead, this conversation offers practical strategies to help you write authentic, memorable essays that showcase who you are.

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The first LSAC Forum of the cycle has wrapped, which means another law school admissions season is officially underway.

In this episode, Autumn shares what it's like on the other side of the table after returning from the Washington, D.C. forum. From planning your route through a crowded ballroom to knowing which questions keep a conversation going, this is the advice that comes from years spent meeting applicants face-to-face.

There isn't one perfect way to work a forum. Some conversations will be memorable. Some schools won't be the right fit. The goal isn't to impress every admissions representative in the room. It's to leave knowing more than you did when you walked in.

Check out dates for upcoming forums: https://www.lsac.org/lawschoolforums

Book your free strategy call: https://www.gradmissions.org/contact

Think your GPA, test score, or timeline has already taken you out of the running for med school or law school? Think again.

In this episode of Grad Missions Office Hours, we're talking directly to applicants who don't fit the "perfect applicant" mold. Whether you're a splitter with mismatched GPA and LSAT/MCAT scores, a non-traditional student returning to school after years in the workforce, or someone worried about a less-than-perfect academic record, this conversation is for you.

Book your free strategy call: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gradmissions.org/contact

The students who hear about the next shadowing opportunity, the internship that never gets posted, or the attorney looking for a new assistant usually have one thing in common: someone thought of their name.

That rarely happens by accident.

In this episode, the GradMissions team talks about what networking actually looks like for future lawyers and physicians. Not crowded events or collecting business cards. More often, it's office hours with a professor. Coffee with a student a few years ahead of you. An email asking for 15 minutes. A handwritten thank-you after someone writes your letter of recommendation.

Networking isn't finished after one meeting. It grows through small moments that are easy to skip: a thank-you note, an update after an acceptance, remembering someone's work anniversary, volunteering without expecting anything back.

Book your free strategy call: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gradmissions.org/contact

Do you have to know you want to be a doctor from the time you're five years old?

In this episode of GradMissions Office Hours, we welcome the newest member of the GradMissions team, Kaitlin Lampson, who shares her unconventional path to medical school, from playing Division I softball at Harvard, to taking three intentional gap years, to beginning her medical education at Yale.

Kaitlin opens up about discovering medicine later than many of her peers, navigating the uncertainty of choosing such a demanding career, and why she decided to pursue medicine one day at a time instead of forcing a rigid timeline. The conversation explores the power of authentic motivation, meaningful gap years, community involvement, perfectionism, and what studying for the MCAT taught her about resilience, adaptability, and becoming the kind of physician she hopes to be.

Whether you're questioning if medicine is the right path, planning a gap year, or preparing for the MCAT, this episode is a refreshing reminder that there is no single "correct" journey to medical school. The strongest applications are built on genuine purpose, not checking boxes.

Book your free strategy call: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gradmissions.org/contact