CSUN's Yanez Accepted to Harvard Law School

On the day of her campus tour at Columbia University, CSUN's Sophie Yanez had it set in her mind that she would be attending one of two law schools after her graduation.

Choosing between a pair of prestigious schools in Columbia and the University of Virginia, Yanez didn't think it would be possible that a third school – her dream school – would come calling at the 11th hour.

But on that tour of Columbia, they did call. Yanez received a phone call from her interviewer at Harvard Law School. During that phone call, she learned that she was accepted to the university.

"I cried my eyes out because it was a complete and total shock, and it threw a good wrench in my original plans," said Yanez. "It was by no means somewhere I thought I would be getting into when I applied."

Yanez, who spent the past four seasons on the Matadors' women's soccer team, graduated with a degree in business law and a minor in political science this past spring.

She also wrapped up her final season with the Matadors last fall, culminating a whirlwind four seasons on the team. While she was able to play in 30 total games with the Matadors since 2018, Yanez and the CSUN Women's Soccer team was forced to miss an entire year of competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, in that time away from the field, Yanez focused all her energy on her academics and furthering her career prospects, which included preparing for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Her dedication put herself in a position to start law school this fall after four years at CSUN.

"I think having a break from sports was the only reason I was able to properly study for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test)," said Yanez. "I know most people take time off after graduation to study for it and prepare their application because it's an extensive process. I took advantage of that time off and that's why I'm on the timeline that I'm on."

Early on in her undergraduate studies, Yanez wasn't 100 percent set on what career path she would pursue. She ultimately decided to major in business because of her interests in writing and critical thinking. Once she took law courses within the business major, she was hooked and continued to pursue a possible career in law.

During her break from competition, Yanez would take the LSAT before eventually landing a summer internship with the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2021.

"I got really lucky with my internship," said Yanez. "I shadowed a superior court judge – he had a criminal court – it was a lucky opportunity especially since the courts just opened up and allowed visitors."

The internship allowed Yanez to speak to district attorneys and clerks and gave her a greater understanding of civil and criminal law as well as what to expect within the profession.

"I got a deeper dive into what the process is like within our judicial system, what the role of the judge is, and the day-to-day process of being an attorney in the public sector," she added. "It validated that this was what I wanted to do."

Yanez would apply to several law schools, but in her mind, she didn't feel she had enough on her resume to be accepted to Harvard. On the academic side, Yanez's credentials were impressive. A 4.0 student, Yanez earned a host of academic awards including CSUN's Varsity N honor and the Big West All-Academic Team this past season. However, the odds of being accepted to Harvard weren't particularly favorable.

According to the Harvard Law School website, of the nearly 10,000 applicants last year, only seven percent of those students were accepted. With those odds in play, Yanez didn't expect a call from the school.

"For Harvard, you never assume you would get in, and I didn't at all in the slightest especially because of the lack of real-world work experience I had," she said. "I think that the athletics background helped me so much in making me stand out as a candidate."

After getting the call from her interviewer at Harvard, Yanez traveled to Cambridge and took a tour of the school's campus. From there, it was an easy decision.

"It means a lot and it's an honor," said Yanez about her Harvard acceptance. "The people that I have met that are attending or have attended are remarkable. I couldn't turn down such a phenomenal school in terms of legal history specifically. It would have been heartbreaking to turn down that opportunity."

While the pandemic took away a year of competition on the soccer field, Yanez still looks back on her time at CSUN fondly with a wealth of positive memories both on the academic and the athletic side.

"I feel a little bit robbed because of COVID, but it was a really unique situation that we all had to go through collectively and together," she said. I feel I got a unique academic experience in my department. I'm extremely close with a lot of professors and they've constantly tried to set me up for the most success after college.

"That is something that I look back with such gratitude and such fondness," she added. "I do think that's a pillar of CSUN's specific emphasis on teaching."

Despite missing out on a soccer season in 2020-21, Yanez finished out a four-year stint on the soccer team last fall with her best season on the pitch. She played in a career-high 19 matches in the midfield and would score the first goal of her CSUN career.

For Yanez, her experiences with the team over the past four years have helped her immensely and will continue to guide her in the future as she enters the next phase of her education.

"I do think I will carry the experiences into my future endeavors," said Yanez. "With all the lessons I learned, I was able to grow through sports in of itself and I was able to balance sports with the rest of my life.

"I think it's challenging being a student-athlete but really rewarding," she added. "I'm overall grateful for that experience and grateful for all of my friends."

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CSUN's Yanez Accepted to Harvard Law School

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