When I took the LSAT for the first time, I was 31 years old, 8 years out of college, married, with a 2-year-old son, working full-time at a large non-profit institution, had a mortgage, and was the primary breadwinner in the household. I was, in other words, a “non-traditional” applicant.Does this sound like you?I was nervous about the process. Would any law school be interested in an “old guy” like me? Who would I ask for letters of recommendation, when I couldn’t expect my old professors to remember me very well? My GPA was…let’s say “unimpressive,” but by this time I was more mature … [Read more...]
Do Non-Traditional Law School Applicants Have an Admissions Advantage?
Anyone who has been following my posts on the PowerScore blog knows that I’m pretty interested in using data to get insights into not only what factors might affect law school admissions decisions, but also to what degree those factors have an impact, as well as the differences in the ways different facets of an application package do (or do not!) affect admissions decisions at different law schools.So far, I have explored whether the timing of the application makes a difference, the benefits (or lack thereof) of binding early decision options, which schools are relatively more welcoming … [Read more...]
Do Underrepresented Minority (URM) Applicants Have a Law School Admissions Advantage?
Law school admissions decisions are often thought to be formulaic and assume LSAT and GPA are the only important elements. We cannot deny that those numbers play a huge (and important) part in most admissions decisions. But, they aren’t the only factors that matter. We’ve previously discussed other key ingredients in the admissions decision factors, such as timing and applying through early decision (ED). There are other factors that make a difference, and some of them are quantifiable factors with user-reported data. These include an applicant’s gender, traditional or non-traditional status, … [Read more...]
I Majored in Theater/Visual Arts/Film/etc. Can I still Get into Law School?
Every year, I work with a number of 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 be fine. This is what you need to do.Your main strategy will be to focus your application on things that you may not have a lot of (depending on … [Read more...]
Over 30 and Applying to Law School?
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Ann Levine. Ann is the former Director of Admissions for two ABA-approved law schools and the author of the bestselling law school admission guide The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert. Since starting Law School Expert in 2004, Ann has personally helped over 2,000 law school applicants, providing supportive and candid law school admission coaching.Some of my favorite clients to work with are those who are applying to law school in their 30s, 40s, and – yes, even 50s. The reasons I enjoy working with these individuals are the … [Read more...]