Many law schools invite applicants to submit supplemental essays when applying to law school. Surprisingly, the topics you are likely to be asked about do not vary tremendously, and generally boil down to the following. AddendaDiscuss weaknesses or significant trends in your undergraduate record. This is known as an "addendum" and should be submitted if necessary (whether the school asks for it or not). Address issues related to the "character and fitness" section of the application, such as an academic or disciplinary probation. An addendum should also be included if you have … [Read more...]
Can I Take the LSAT Instead of the GMAT to Apply to Business School?
Using a GRE score for application to MBA programs (in place of a GMAT score) has become standard practice in recent years as ETS (the makers of the GRE) has aggressively marketed the GRE as a substitute for the GMAT. That's great for GRE takers, but is there a way to use an LSAT score to get into business school, and thus skip taking the GMAT entirely? It turns out that there is--but, there is also a condition in place on using that LSAT score, so let's talk a bit more about the process. LSAT vs GMAT Because the LSAT and GMAT are very different exams, and typically used for very different … [Read more...]
Top 100 Law School Application Deadlines and Latest Acceptable LSAT: 2021 Edition
The LSAT you take—or retake—can have a great impact on your admission chances. Some of you may be asking, “Is the January LSAT too late? Are the February or March LSATs too late?” We survey top law schools yearly with those exact questions to find out admissions deadlines and the latest LSAT each school will accept.Many of the top law schools are still requiring a January LSAT deadline. But, as you’ll see in the chart below, the February and March LSATs are definitely viable options for test-takers. A quarter of the schools still allow for a June or July test result, however, they admit … [Read more...]
Law School Transfer Statistics and What it Means for You
If you're nervous about your admissions chances, you might be considering your options for transferring. Something like: “If I don’t get accepted into my dream law school, can I just do well during my 1L and then transfer up?” In 2019, a total of 2,396 students transferred between law schools, so it isn’t uncommon. But as you can see in the chart below, most of the T14 schools admit very few, if any, transfer students. Georgetown is an outlier, so you might want to add that school to your target list if you’re considering a switch! Transferring is certainly an option if you perform extremely … [Read more...]
No Such Thing as a Free Lunch: The Fine Print on Full Scholarship Offers
If you're here, you're probably wondering what exactly we're talking about. If you score a full scholarship, congratulations are in order! But we want to make sure you read the fine print, too. Let's talk about what it takes to keep your merit-based scholarship offer for the duration of your legal education. If you want to pre-read about this topic, we suggest these articles: Scholarship vs. Prestige: When to Take the Money and Run? A Law Degree is Worth Over $1 Million. Can You Get it for Free?Pre-Requisites If you apply early for admissions and have the competitive … [Read more...]
A Law Degree is Worth Over $1 Million. Can You Get it for Free?
Breaking Down the Numbers According to Law School Transparency, as of 2018, the average law school graduate carries $115,000 in student loan debt. To break that down, public law school graduates carry about $92,000 in debt and private law school graduates carry $130,000 in debt. This would all be fine, of course, if you were virtually guaranteed a six-figure salary after graduation. You are not. According to the ABA, nine months after graduating, only 57% of law students had full-time jobs that required passing the bar. For those lucky enough to have a job, the median salary was $60,500. Yes, … [Read more...]
10 Bad Reasons to Go to Law School
There are a lot of great reasons to go to law school, but there are just as many bad ones. Below we list some of the top ten bad reasons for going to law school. If you find yourself saying, "But that's my reason!" you may need to take time to re-evaluate if law school is the best path for you. Parental Influence Although having the support of your family is certainly important, following a parental wish in this case is misguided. Dealing with something as life-determining, costly and involved as attending law school is certainly an undertaking and having your family backing you is not … [Read more...]
Quick Tips: Crafting a Top-Notch Personal Statement
Apart from your LSAT and undergraduate GPA, the personal statement is certainly the most important aspect of your law school application. It's the one part of your file that is solely you. It's your voice, your experiences, your story, told in your words. Every day, as we help students put together exceptional applications as part of our law school admissions consulting programs. Here are some tidbits of personal statement wisdom that we hope will help you create a top-notch, unforgettable, impactful essay.What to DoWhen you write your personal statement, one of your guiding … [Read more...]
How Do Law Schools View Multiple LSAT Scores?
One of the questions a lot of test-takers ask regards taking the LSAT more than once. "How will the law school I want to go to react to more than on LSAT score? Will it hurt my chances?" Having more than once score show up on your Score Report is a source of stress for many applicants. So, let's shed some light on the subject. First, Some Backstory In the past, when applicants had more than one score, schools used to average all of the scores when making admissions decisions. This also effected the report of admitted applicant scores that goes to the American Bar Association. Since the LSAT … [Read more...]
Using Rankings to Decide Where to Apply to Law School
Rankings are everywhere. Whether it's law school, business school, college, or even high school, chances are there’s someone out there who’s come up with a ranking system. Their sheer ubiquity means that rankings are the one aspect nearly every applicant consults when making application decisions. These numbers certainly have their use, particularly at the start of the selection process when you need solid indicators to help you narrow down your choices. However, it's useful to know a few things regarding rankings and their usage. Rank Does Not Equal Quality Although the schools in the “top” … [Read more...]
Are Law Schools Extending Their Application Deadlines?
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed the Law School application landscape. Students are taking the LSAT-Flex at home, school tours are virtual, fall classes may be online, everything is going digital. In an effort to help students navigate these weird times, some law schools are extending their application deadlines. Although some top law school application deadlines had passed pre-pandemic, many have implemented extensions or are making exceptions on a case-by-case basis. If your application has been negatively affected by the crisis (March LSAT-takers, for example), contact the … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 53: To Debt or Not to Debt? That is the Law School Question
Dave and Jon turn their focus away from the ongoing LSAT-Flex saga to tackle another pressing consideration looming over many applicants these days: how to navigate multiple acceptances and choose the school that’s right for you! In particular, they explore several applicants’ unique circumstances, from school rankings and prestige to estimated debt to ultimate career goals, and offer detailed advice on what they believe is the best decision for each person. … [Read more...]
Should I Take the LSAT Before Deciding Where to Apply to Law School?
When applying to law school, timing is everything. You need to know which LSATs you should take and when to submit your applications. Getting your letters of recommendation on time is completely dependent on when you ask for them. Same with getting your transcripts. As you can see, timing is a big factor in the admissions process! Below is an ideal timeline for getting into law school. Before & During the Admissions Process Before we get into the timeline, there are a couple of things that need to be in the works and happening while you're going through this process. Let's go over … [Read more...]
4 Things to Do Before Starting Your Law School Applications
Most would-be law school applicants focus on what they'll have to do once they start the law school application process. But what they don't realize is that there is plenty they need to do before they even start the engine on the law-school-mobile.Here are four things that any law school applicant absolutely should do before they embark on their professional school journey: Determine Your "Why" Why do you want to go to law school? What about law are you passionate about? Do you know where you want your career to go after you graduate? It's not enough to apply just because your parents … [Read more...]