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, … [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, … [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 … [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, … [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 … [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 … [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 … [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 … [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 … [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 … [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 … [Read more...]
Why is My LSAC GPA Different from My Transcript GPA?
One of the steps to getting your law school applications ready is sending LSAC your college transcript(s) for processing. They take your transcripts, convert your grades to a 4.0 scale, and calculate an overall GPA for you. This is your “LSAC GPA”. To the surprise of some students, their LSAC GPA is different from their transcript GPA. Not necessarily in a good way, either. But, why is that the case? Let's Talk BasicsYou have to submit … [Read more...]
Does Submitting an Early Law School Application Improve Your Chances at Getting In?
Applying Early HypeThere's a lot of buzz about applying early. Everywhere you look online blasts the same mantra: "Apply as early as you can, apply today! Apply yesterday! If you don't all hope is lost." To be honest, having your applications ready to go on day one is not a bad idea. But, that's for reasons wholly unrelated to whether or not it improves your admissions chances.First of all, getting things done sooner rather than later … [Read more...]
Top 100 Law School Application Deadlines: 2020 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.This year, it seems that the trend is moving toward a January LSAT deadline for many of the top schools. But, as you'll see in … [Read more...]