Apart from your LSAT and undergraduate GPA, the most important aspect of your law school application is the personal statement. It is the one part of your file that is solely you. In your own words, you express your voice, experiences, and story. Every day we help students put together exceptional applications with our law school admissions consulting packages. We dispense tidbits of wisdom that help students craft a top-notch and unforgettable essay. Stick around for a preview of some of the advice we give to our students. The Goal of Your Personal Statement In a space as short as a law … [Read more...]
2020 US News Law School Rankings Released!
The 2020 US News Law School Rankings are out! We’ll break down some of the big news from the new rankings in a moment. But first, here’s our standard disclaimer about rankings. Please keep in mind that these rankings are just numbers put through an arbitrary formula that was created by a magazine that makes millions of dollars off of them, so use them at your own risk! The list below is numbered according to the new rankings, and the order for 2020 is listed on the far left. There is a column showing the position change (if any) from the 2019 rankings. Lastly, the columns to the right … [Read more...]
What Should I Do While I Wait for My LSAT Scores to Be Released?
So you’re in the wake of taking your LSAT. No doubt the days following it’s completion has been an unrelenting stew of emotion. Relief to be through it, anxiety about how you performed, and sleepless nights waiting on the release of your LSAT scores.For many—and fingers crossed you’re among them—the LSAT is a memory. Prep books and course materials can be discarded as you see fit. For others and perhaps yourself, things didn’t go as well as hoped and it’s clear a retake is in your future. But what if you’re on the fence? What should you do if your retake is score-dependent and you have … [Read more...]
Waiting for Your LSAT Score? Here Are Some Things to Do
You're waiting for your LSAT score. You can't sleep, can't eat, and can only think about your score. Don't let all this drive you crazy! Besides, studies have shown that pulling out your hair makes you look frumpy. Don't do it! Instead, here's the smart thing to be doing with your time: put the final touches on your law school applications! Essentially, you should be able to click the "Submit" button the moment you receive your LSAT score. Steps to Take Before Your Score ReleasesIf you haven't already, put together a list of 15 or so law schools that you'd like to apply to. You should … [Read more...]
Submitting Your Law School Application if You’re Retaking the LSAT
We had an interesting question posed recently that we thought we would share. "When you submit an application to a law school (say, in November), but you are registered to take the test in January (or March), do law schools automatically see that and hold off on making a decision until they receive your score? Or do you have to "remind" them somewhere on the application form?" Heavy on the minds of many applicants is the need to submit applications early. After all, it’s something both law schools and many advisors endlessly repeat. When the time comes to submit applications, many students … [Read more...]
LSAT and Law School Admissions Q&A; A Webinar with PowerScore and Spivey Consulting!
We got together with our friends at Spivey Consulting and hosted a special, free webinar for students to receive expert LSAT and law school admissions pointers.Dave Killoran and Jon Denning from PowerScore, plus Mike Spivey, Karen Buttenbaum, and Derek Meeker from Spivey Consulting covered a variety of topics relating to the LSAT and law school application best practices, while also fielding the attendee's individual questions about their specific application goals and time frames. If you missed out, don't worry! We have a recording of the full webinar session available for you to watch … [Read more...]
Top 100 Law School LSAT Deadlines: Is the March LSAT Too Late?
The 2020 Edition is now live! When applying for law school, you have to decide which LSAT you're going to take. Some of you may be asking--is the March LSAT too late? We survey top law schools yearly to find out admissions deadlines and the latest LSAT they will accept. Each year we see changes, but we were a little surprised by this year's results.It seems that the trend is moving up to a January LSAT deadline for many of the top schools. You'll see in the chart below that the March LSAT is definitely a viable option for test takers. In fact, a quarter of the schools still allow for a … [Read more...]
PowerScore Featured on USNews.com! Answering Your Questions About Law School Admissions and GPA
Dave Killoran and Jon Denning from PowerScore were recently featured in an article by U.S. News detailing how a student's undergrad GPA factors into their law school admissions chances. You can read this incredibly informative article that also includes insight from some of our peers here. Below we have included the full interview transcript with Dave and Jon that goes even further in-depth on how law schools evaluate undergrad transcripts, how to compensate for a lower GPA, and more!U.S. News: Why is it that at top-20 law schools, the average GPA of incoming students is close to a … [Read more...]
Do Law Schools Average LSAT Scores or Use the High Score?
To prospective law school applicants, few questions are as confusing as whether law schools use the average of all your LSAT scores or just the high score. The confusion exists because law schools will see an average score if you take the LSAT more than once. The all-important US News rankings, on the other hand, use only the high score. To top it off, some schools specifically state they take the high score whereas others talk about an average score.So, what's the real story?The definitive answer is good news for all law school applicants. Every law school uses the high score when … [Read more...]
Your LSAT Scores Were Released… Now What?
A natural and somewhat obvious question arises once scores come out: what's next?The answer to that question largely depends on which of two, or possibly three, categories best describes your situation. Let's examine the scenarios below and discuss what might qualify you for each, and the appropriate actions to take moving forward (one of which inspired my picture choice for this post). 1. Retake The disappointing reality for a lot of people is that the LSAT they just took is not their last LSAT. That's okay. Take it again.The key at this point is that you use the months remaining to … [Read more...]
ABA On Track to Drop LSAT Requirement: What Happens Now?
This article was co-written with Mike Spivey of Spivey Consulting. What happened? On Friday, May 11th an ABA council approved a proposal that formally removes the requirement that the LSAT be used for admissions purposes at every ABA-approved law school. In its place is broader language that allows schools to skip using an admissions test entirely if they so choose. Is it final? No, but it’s very close. The next step is for the full ABA House of Delegates to review the changes in August. They can suggest further changes and send it back for revision, but at this point the issue has been … [Read more...]
Finals and the LSAT: When is the Ideal Time to Take the Test?
In May, many of you may find yourselves either in the midst of Finals Week or having just finished your finals. With the extra stress and time constraints that accompany such a time, you have probably seen your best laid plans for consistent LSAT preparation wane at the very least over the past couple of weeks or have even seen it become nonexistent.This is not an uncommon problem. Most (but certainly not all) LSAT takers are undergraduate students at the time they sit for their LSAT. And, most of these students are on a semester system in terms of scheduling. This places the June LSAT,, … [Read more...]
How Should Freshmen and Sophomores in College Prepare for the LSAT?
There's an adage, a truism in its self-evidence really, that it's never too early to start studying for the LSAT. So compelling and pervasive is this advice that high school seniors often ask how to start their law school journey. Most probably agree with me that it’s a bit premature to start seriously investing energy into hardcore LSAT prep. But, college freshman and sophomores are near enough to test day that it warrants some legitimate consideration.In light of this, here is a comprehensive set of recommendations for those in the early stages of their college careers. This should make … [Read more...]
The Surge Continues: Surprising Trends For 2018’s Law School Applicants
There has been much discussion regarding the state of flux we find ourselves in with respect to the number of LSAT administrations and law school applications. After five years of declining numbers (2010-2015) followed by two years of anemic growth (2015-2017), LSAT administrations are up significantly throughout the 2017-2018 cycle. Following another big test in February, total administered LSAT’s were up 18.1% over last year. That’s the largest year over year jump since 2001-2002.This numerical explosion is even more shocking considering the head winds blowing against these LSAT numbers. … [Read more...]