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 in 2018. 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 … [Read more...]
How to Write the Best Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)
A LOCI is a Letter of Continued Interest. Usually, you send this to inform a school of your interest in attending despite being waitlisted or put on hold. It also offers an opportunity to update the school on new developments in your application. Are you putting together your LOCI? Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know. Why Send a LOCI? If you are waitlisted or held, a school typically wants to make sure you still want to attend … [Read more...]
Which Law Schools Are Splitter-Friendly? Which Ones Aren’t?
When you discuss law school applications, the question of which schools are "splitter-friendly" comes up pretty often, and it's not really an easy question to answer. Are we looking for schools to which a high percentage of splitters are admitted relative to non-splitter applicants? Schools that seem to value an applicant’s LSAT score much more than his/her GPA? How about schools that are willing to go really low on the GPA scale to nab those … [Read more...]
How Do You Defer Law School?
The end result of applying to law school is--obviously, some might say--attending once you've been admitted. However, for some applicants, for a variety of reasons, this isn't possible. They may have every intention of attending, but things come up. It could be anything: A once-in-a-lifetime internship in a foreign country, the opportunity to take on a unique one- or two-year assignment, an unforeseen family or personal emergency. In that case, … [Read more...]
Are There “Reverse-Splitter Friendly” Law Schools?
We cover which law schools are "splitter-friendly" in this blog post. The analysis of the data in that post also gives us some insight into which school might also be "reverse-splitter friendly." For the uninitiated, check out What Are Splitters, Reverse Splitters, and Super Splitters. It breaks down the differences to help you determine which one you are if any.There are a couple things worth mentioning before we dive into that analysis, … [Read more...]
Law School Applications: Every Word Counts
The other night I co-hosted a free PowerScore online seminar on the basics of the law school admissions process. This seminar, known as Admissions 101, covers each step of applying to law school, and it discusses how to approach the application process and what the law schools are seeking from you as an applicant. During this seminar I spend a lot of time answering questions about two things in particular: letters of recommendation (LOR) and the … [Read more...]
Research Paper vs. Personal Statement: What’s the Difference?
This blog comes from admissions expert and founder of Pen and Chisel LLC, Eileen Conner. After years of working to improve your academic writing, you’re totally prepared to tackle the task of writing a convincing law school personal statement. Or are you?Actually, the personal statement is substantially different from the typical research paper taught in college. As such, it can present surprising challenges to even the most accomplished … [Read more...]
How to Get Killer Law School Letters of Recommendation
When the admissions season starts heating up, our Forum sees an influx of questions about letters of recommendation (LOR.) There's a lot of confusion over who to choose and what they should write. Since a poor recommendation can really hurt your admissions chances, you can't afford to make a mistake here! So, let's talk about how to get the best possible recommendations. Who to Pick The first decision you have is, who should you choose to write … [Read more...]
Personal Statement Do’s and Don’ts
This blog comes from special guest, Dan Brooks, the founder of The Admissions Sherpa. The personal statement allows you to show the admissions committee something they might not garner from the rest of your application. Some call it an interview or an elevator pitch. Here are three dos and three don’ts to remember. The Do Be personalIt’s called a PERSONAL statement for a reason. The admissions committee wants to know about you. If you … [Read more...]
Deciding to Apply to Law School at the Last Minute? Not a Great Idea
Looking at the title of this blog post, you're probably saying to yourself: well, duh. Of course it's a bad idea! A decision as big as spending many tens of thousands of dollars and three years of your life on a law school education shouldn't be something that is made on the spur of the moment! It should be given careful thought and consideration. However, every year around this time, many students say a variation of the same thing.Here's the … [Read more...]
Applying to Law School: To Early Decision or Not to Early Decision
Being a law school applicant is a tougher job than most people probably think. The first and most obvious obstacle to overcome is the LSAT, which is a real (though very slayable) beast. Once armed with an LSAT score, however, a whole new set of stressors emerge with the law school application process. Part of this process necessarily involves winnowing down the daunting list of potential schools you’d like to attend. There are 200+ schools that … [Read more...]
Should You Help Your Recommenders Write Your LORs?
A few months ago, I got a question on our LSAT Forum that tackled a concept that I find comes up rather often in my conversations with students in our admissions consulting programs, namely: "Can I help my recommenders write my letters?" I talked about this in our Letters of Recommendation webinar, but I wanted to expand on my answer for the blog. Open vs Closed Status Letters can be open (meaning you helped in some capacity with it, whether by … [Read more...]
I Majored in Theater/Arts/Film/etc. Can I Still Get into Law School?
Every year, we work with several students who, right off the bat, are bashing themselves."I didn't major in PoliSci. I majored in Theater. We've got to do some damage control." "I was dumb. I didn't think about the fact that I wanted to go to law school and majored in Photography in college." "Will the fact that I majored in Film affect my application negatively? It will, won't it?"Here's the deal: Relax. Everything is going to … [Read more...]
5 Mistakes to Avoid in a Cover Letter
This blog comes from special guest, Judy Gruen, admissions consultant at Accepted. Accepted has been helping law school applicants gain acceptance to top schools since 1994. Whether you need help brainstorming for your personal statement, writing a strong resume, or prepping for your law school interview, their menu of application packages or à la carte law school admissions services will have just what you’re looking for. Their consultants are … [Read more...]