It’s time for the 8th installment of our popular Student Question Mailbag series, this time devoted entirely to admissions. You can find Part 1 of this Admissions discussion here. Join Jon and Dave as they tackle a long list of key questions, like how to best write resumes and personal statements, what constitutes a realistic reach school and how to improve your chances, and many more! … [Read more...]
Law School Predictors: Can You Trust Them?
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ana the Analyst. As we gear up for the 2021-2022 law school admissions cycle, there has been a new wave of posts asking, “what are my admission chances?” A number of websites and methods exist to bring aspiring applications tiny margins of hope. However, like all things on the internet, these websites need to be taken with a grain of salt. Two Student-Based Admission Chances SitesThere are two … [Read more...]
The Diversity Rankings That Almost Were
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ana the Analyst. As you may have heard, USNews originally intended to release new “diversity rankings” with the 2022 Law School Rankings. The diversity rankings were to be stand-alone rankings that analyzed a school’s demographic break-out and rated schools on how diverse they were. However, due to several controversies (discussed on The PowerScore LSAT PodCast), these rankings were delayed until a … [Read more...]
Top 50 Schools for BigLaw & Federal Clerkships
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ana the Analyst. Law school employment reports are out! We’ll be digging into some of the more fun details in a series of posts, but I wanted to start with everyone’s favorite topic: Big Law & Federal Clerkship amounts. What Are ABA Employment Reports? Each year since 2010, the American Bar Association has asked law schools to publish employment reports. These reports provide detailed … [Read more...]
Historic Law School Waitlist Movement and the Current Cycle
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ana the Analyst. As deposit deadlines approach and LOCIs begin to be drafted, many an applicant has but one thing on their minds: how much waitlist movement should we be expecting, really?The short answer: we don’t know.The long answer: this is a historic year of many changes, including: the onslaught of a global pandemic; an increase in seats taken by deferring students; a massive increase … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 82: The 2022 US News Law School Rankings
The 2022 US News law school rankings have been released, setting the “official” standard by which schools will be compared to one another for the next twelve months. In this episode, Jon and Dave offer their take on this year’s rankings, including the controversial metrics and weighting involved, the most prominent winners and losers as schools rise and fall, and—above all—exactly what these rankings mean to you as an applicant! … [Read more...]
Why Did the 2022 US News Law Rankings Change?
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ana the Analyst. It is ranking season! One of the biggest questions that always comes up during this fretful period of US News change is, “Well, why did so-and-so rise? What terrible horrors befell Princeton Law that caused their drop of one whole place in the ranking?” This spreadsheet attempts to answer those questions for you with a category-by-category break-out of publicly available changes. … [Read more...]
Law School Application Submission, Acceptance, and Attendance Numbers
Although applications are up 20% so far in 2021, it never hurts to look at law school acceptance rates from previous years. Once you know how many applications are submitted, how many students are accepted, and the percentage of accepted students that ultimately choose to attend, you’ll get a better understanding of the competitiveness for each school.We pulled this data from the ABA Required Disclosures site, which we encourage you to visit … [Read more...]
Which Law Schools Offer the Most Grants & Scholarships?
The majority of law school students receive some type of financial aid. Why pay full price if you don’t have to? By reviewing each school’s scholarship structure, you will gain a better understanding of your grant and scholarship chances and the financial range of how much money you should expect. The data below may also help you when comparing any offers you receive.Note that need-based aid is not included in this chart.For more stats … [Read more...]
What GPA Do You Need for Law School?
Although your LSAT score weighs more in the eyes of law school admissions committees, your GPA plays a large role as well as it is generally considered to be a good indicator of your ability to succeed in law school.The following chart uses data provided by the 2020 ABA 509 report. For the most updated information, and for more statistics that you might find relevant, visit the ABA Required Disclosures site. You can also read this article to … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 81: Why Is This Law School Admissions Cycle So Competitive?
The competitiveness of the 2021 law school admissions cycle is well-established, but a closer look at the numbers—both of applicants and LSAT scores—shows just how unprecedented this year truly is. Join Dave and Jon as they examine the current situation and explain everything from the astonishing high-score bubble the Flex has created to exactly what you should expect as a result! … [Read more...]
Admissions Mental Health: One Student’s Story
In the first part of this blog, PowerScore CEO and LSAT Bibles author Dave Killoran discussed the stresses of applying to law school. The following story is from a student applying to Top 14 law schools this cycle.I write to you on a Wednesday afternoon. In the law school admissions world, Wednesday is typically the day when a few selected applicants are lifted from their depths of despair into the utopia that is being an admitted student. … [Read more...]
Which Law Schools Offer Part Time Programs?
Part-time programs can be a great option for students who need to continue working full time while attending law school. If you’re trying to decide if this is the right move for you, check out this blog post here that lists the pros and cons of attending a part-time law program. Looking for the right fit? The following law schools offer part time programs:American University (Washington) Brooklyn Law School California Western School … [Read more...]
The Trap of “Why X” Essays
Many law schools allow you to submit an extra, optional essay that addresses why you would like to attend that school. For example, Duke Law School allows applicants to include the following: “You may submit an essay providing additional information about why you have chosen to apply to law school in general and Duke in particular. We are interested in the factors that have prompted your interest in a legal career and the ways in which you think … [Read more...]