If you're thinking about applying to law school, you should also be thinking about your applications. If apps are on your mind, you may also be researching schools and quickly overwhelming yourself with the multitude of websites and publications out there that give out (sometimes not-so-reliable) information. To that end, here's a list of some of the best, "must-have" resources for applicants. We regularly help students with their applications! … [Read more...]
The Value of Work Experience to a Law School
Work Experience on your Application LSAT score and GPA generally constitute the most important factors in law school admissions decisions. Historically, post-college work experience has not been emphasized, and students often go directly from college into law school. Over the past few years, however, many top law schools have increased their focus on work experience when making admissions decisions.Dean Martha Minow brought this type of … [Read more...]
Is the LSAT a Perfect Predictor of Law School Success?
The LSAT is intended to measure the skills you will need to do well in the study of law. But how good of a test is it? How important are “LSAT skills” once you get to law school? Can it predict how well you'll do in Law School? Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension is important, which is why it seems to show up on so many different standardized tests. Without question, people who want to go to law school should be able to read and … [Read more...]
How Does the Law School Application Process Work?
Unlike applying to college, which is a pretty straightforward process (at least in retrospect), applying to law school can feel a little labyrinthine. Transcripts, Law School Reports, letters of recommendation, the Credential Assembly service, addenda...after a while, it can all start getting jumbled up.Right around this time of year, I start getting so many "I'm confused. Help!" emails that I find myself there was a quick and easy guide to … [Read more...]
Hoping to Apply to Law School Early? What Actually Is Early?
Many people know that law schools use a rolling admissions process, which means that schools consider applicants in batches as the applications arrive. Thus, when an application comes in at the beginning of the application period (in the fall of each year), there are the fewest number of competing applications completed and the greatest number of available spaces in the class.As time goes on, more applications come in. Towards the end, there … [Read more...]
Still Waiting to Hear from Your Dream School? You’re Not Alone
Still waiting to hear back from your dream school? You are not alone. This year, “rolling admissions” can just as well be called “crawling” admissions. We can only speculate as to the reasons why schools are taking longer than usual. One plausible explanation has to do with the relatively unpredictable size (and qualifications) of the applicant pool. We all know that applications have been dropping since 2010, but there is a strong indication … [Read more...]
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted at Your Top Choice and Accepted at Another
For most, the whirlwind of the law school application process is over. The waiting is over and decisions are in your inboxes. You open those emails, answer those phone calls, and rip open the envelopes. Are you in? Are you out? Or are you waitlisted? If you applied to more than one law school, chances are you'll have a myriad of answers to sort through. If you're reading this, chances are you're in a most beneficial position: you've been accepted … [Read more...]
Do I Have to Wait Until After I Take the LSAT to Get My Letters of Recommendation?
There's a big misconception students have about the law school admissions process. Many believe that in order to do anything application/admissions-related, you have to take the LSAT first.Now, don't get us wrong. Taking the LSAT before you do anything else is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it's a great starting point. Your LSAT score determines so much when it comes to your application:Where you'll have the best chance of … [Read more...]
What Does My Law School Application Result Mean?
During law school application decision time, letters, emails, and phone calls are sent out of admissions offices around the nation, letting applicants know of their fate. Of course, everyone knows what the big fat envelope and "Congratulations!" email means. They require no explanation. Although the most desirable application result is certainly that of an admission, that is not always what you may see.It is important to be familiar with … [Read more...]
Were You Waitlisted? Here’s What You Should Do
Most students would almost rather see a rejection letter than a waitlist letter. While the rejection letter may hurt more, at least you have closure. With a waitlist letter you have, well. Not closure and a whole lot of waiting. So, what do you do if you get a waitlist letter from a law school? First, let's begin by understanding what being waitlisted means. The Meaning of Being Waitlisted The vast majority of waitlisted applicants have good … [Read more...]
Why is the Law School Personal Statement So Important?
It's that time of the year. Everyone is scrambling to get their applications done and submitted before the deadline. And, of course, since the part of the application students struggle with the most is the personal statement, they've left it to the very end. Now is when we start getting stressed-out phone calls and emails: What should I write about? Does the statement really matter if I have great numbers? How long does the statement have to … [Read more...]
How to Craft a Killer Law School Application
It's application season! And we're getting a lot of questions about choosing schools, letters of recommendation, optional essays, and more. With that in mind, now is a perfect time to share our popular law school application guide "Creating A Killer Law School Application." This guide is a collaborative effort with some of the top law school admissions consultants in the country. These include: Admissions Dean, Law School Expert, Anna Ivey … [Read more...]
Scholarship vs. Prestige: When to Take the Money and Run
Update! We have two podcasts around this article: Episode 5 and Episode 53 of the PowerScore LSAT PodCast. I wrote a blog titled, A Law Degree Is Worth over $1 Million. Can You Get It for Free? Predictably, we received several questions from former students who have the opportunity to attend law school on a full-ride scholarship. If you think their decision is a no-brainer, think again. Oftentimes, the choice is between attending a higher-ranked … [Read more...]
Should I Write the Optional Essay?
I recently got an email from a student. This student was applying to law school, and wanted to know if writing the optional essay listed on the application was necessary, and if leaving it out would be detrimental. This isn't the first time I've gotten this question, so I want to share my thoughts on it.Is writing the optional essay on your law school application something you must do?The question is one that I know students lose plenty of … [Read more...]