There is no magic solution when it comes to applying to law school. Instead, it is crucial that applicants research schools using various resources – law school websites, LSAC guides, pre-law advisors, student forums and books are among these resources that may prove helpful in making an informed decision about where and when they apply.
Create genuine relationships with professors and supervisors who can write you letter of recommendations that reflect you accurately, while starting work on your personal statements/application essays and giving them careful revision.
Start Early
An applicant often makes the mistake of starting their law school application process too late, leaving themselves no time or confidence for completion of applications. By starting early and getting your applications out there early on, your experience and confidence in completing them will both increase significantly.
Beginning your law school journey is easier when you create an account with LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). For a fee, this service will assemble your LSAT score, transcripts and letters of recommendation into an official report that can be sent out directly to all the schools you apply to.
Law schools typically accept applications on a rolling basis, which means they review applications as they come in. By applying early in an admissions cycle, applicants have less competition completed and more slots open up in 1L classes.
Build a Strong Support Network
Forming supportive networks is key to alleviating stress while applying to law school, whether this includes building relationships with professors, professional organizations and fellow students – these relationships will serve as advocates during both the application process and afterwards.
Networking events, reaching out to alumni through your law school’s database and connecting with professionals on LinkedIn are all great ways of expanding your circle. While networking may be intimidating at first, remember that most people are always happy to assist!
Additionally, the Plus program strives to build a community of scholars through discussions and group study sessions. This sense of support helps demystify law school admissions for non-traditional applicants while simultaneously emphasizing unique characteristics such as business experience, military service or significant volunteer efforts in their applications.
Retake the LSAT
Retaking the LSAT may make sense in certain instances. If you put in your best effort in studying for your first attempt – like late nights and hiring top tutors – and know you could improve by a substantial number of points, retaking is likely worthwhile. Other considerations might be test anxiety issues, an unexpected event occurring during an exam session that affected your score negatively, or changes in study strategies that required more preparation time than expected.
But, retaking only to increase your score by five or more points may not make much of an impactful statement about you or the law school you intend on attending; these schools only consider your highest LSAT score; thus losing out on scholarships as a result.
Ask for Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation provide law schools with additional, qualitative insight into your abilities and character that is not captured by GPA and LSAT scores alone. Start by identifying professors or supervisors who could write strong letters on your behalf, cultivating those relationships further by initiating casual conversations about law school as an interest signal to get them behind you!
Academic recommendations are ideal, ideally from professors who taught you in your major or seminar class; but other faculty members, mentors or others can also serve as references. If a low undergraduate GPA prevents this option from materializing, consider seeking professional recommendations from someone who can speak about your ability to think complexly or thrive under pressure situations.
Submit Your Application
In general, it’s wise to submit applications as early as possible. Doing this allows you to feel confident that you have dedicated ample time and energy into drafting and revising personal statements/application essays, updating resumes, and collecting recommendations for the applications submitted with confidence.
But applying too early may also be risky: schools typically set “priority deadlines” for applicants who submit applications after this date and could view yours as less competitive if submitted after it.
As always, it’s crucial to evaluate your individual circumstances and plan accordingly. Aiming for ample time for studying for and taking the LSAT again (if needed) before submitting applications is also key; hiring professional services such as tutors or instructors could prove valuable assistance in this endeavor.
