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Take the LSAT
If you've committed to going to law school, you have to take an exam before any such school will admit you. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is not exactly a cakewalk; it makes you read long, boring passages and solve ridiculous word problems that you thought you'd never see after the seventh grade. But the good news is that every law-school applicant has to take the LSAT, so law schools have a general way to measure how well you'll do in law school. The testmakers, however, don't test you on law; instead, they give you brainteasers aimed at assessing your logic skills and how well you think in different situations.
Here are some points about the LSAT to keep in mind:
It's a 3-hour test consisting of four sections: two Logical Reasoning sections (Arguments), one Analytical Reasoning section (Games) and one Reading Comprehension section.
You'll also get one experimental section that will be either Arguments, Games or Reading Comp. You won't get scored on that section, but you also won't know which is the real one and which is experimental. So push the "This may be the experimental section" thought out of your mind during the test.
At the very end of the test, you will also have a writing section. You will be presented with a controversial situation and asked to write an argument to support one side. The good news is that this section is not scored, so don't stress over it. However, the writing section will accompany your scores to every school to which you apply, so you can't write "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" 1,000 times either.
There are about 101 questions on the LSAT. You receive 1 point for each correct answer, and there is no penalty for guessing.
Your score will be transformed onto a scale of 120 to 180. The average score is 150, and anything over a 170 is very good. Like most standardized tests, the LSAT is scaled onto a bell curve.
Generally, you should take the LSAT by at least October of the year before which you plan on entering law school, though in some cases, you could squeeze in a December or February test. The smartest idea is to take it in June, so you'll have plenty of time to get your score and consider which schools to apply to.
You can hold onto your scores for 5 years, if you'd like to mull over this law-school decision for a bit longer. After 5 years, your score disappears.
It is not recommended that you take the LSAT more than once. Of course, if you think you can improve your score dramatically, you should go for it. But if your score goes down, it'll make you look even worse. So be absolutely positive that you'll improve.
Check out the LSAT schedule for registration deadlines and info. (See Resources.)
Because the law-school admissions process is so numbers-driven, many students enroll in preparation courses before taking the LSAT. Both Princeton Review and Kaplan - the two most popular test-prep organizations - offer a variety of classes to get you ready for the big test.
Through the LSAT Board, you can buy a book of the 10 latest LSATs and take them as practice tests. Practice every single one of these. The LSAT is one of the most predictable standardized tests out there, so you should practice every chance you get.
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Pick the Best Schools for You
While the country's oldest law school may sit on the top of many "ideal schools lists," the Crimson isn't for everyone. Try The Princeton Review's search engine to start checking out different law schools; then compare them side-by-side at U.S. News & World Report. (See Resources.)
Your GPA and your LSAT score do not guarantee or cancel definite admissions, but they can provide good starting points for selecting a list of schools. The best thing to do is what you probably did when looking at undergraduate schools: pick some "safeties," some reaches and some good fits. Insert your numbers into these fields to determine your probable chance of admission to any school on your list.
Also browse the range of GPAs and LSAT scores for previous admits, as shown in the U.S. News and World Report's annual ranking of top law schools. This list, which is generally considered the decisive list in school rankings, includes such factors as GPAs, LSAT scores, reputation, student/faculty ratio, job-placement rate and bar-passage rate.
Keep in mind, though, that these rankings should not make or break any of your decisions. In fact, law-school deans across the country have signed a complaint letter arguing that the big list does not take into consideration the following factors:
Breadth and support of alumni network
Breadth of curriculum
Clinical programs
Collaborative research opportunities with faculty
Commitment to innovative technology
Cost
Externship options
Faculty accessibility
Intensity of writing instruction
Interdisciplinary programs
International programming
Law library strengths and services
Loan repayment assistance for low-income lawyers
Location
Part-time enrollment option
Public-interest programs
Quality of teaching
Racial and gender diversity within the faculty and student body
Religious affiliation
Size of first-year classes
Skills instruction
Specialized areas of faculty expertise
Also, as much as this process is about law schools choosing you, it's also about you selecting the best program to suit your needs and interests. Something to keep in mind as you research is that certain schools with lower rankings may have great strengths in particular programs. Cardozo Law School, for example, is considered a "Tier Two" school, but it is ranked sixth in Intellectual Property law programs. Temple University in Pennsylvania is not considered to be an absolute top-tier school, but it has one of the top programs for trial lawyers. And as much focus as is put on Yale Law School, if you are good enough to get in, you should also realize that Yale is best suited to those who are interested in going into public service (like politics, government work or becoming a judge), as opposed to joining a huge and powerful law firm.
Finally, perks such as dual-degree programs, externships and study-abroad options are not available at every law school. Know what you want, and research well.
Again, rankings don't matter, but you'll find a particularly high number of brilliant people at the following schools. Subsequently, they're tougher to gain admittance to:
Yale
Stanford
Harvard
New York University
Columbia
University of Chicago
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
University of California--Berkeley
University of Virginia
Cornell
Duke
Northwestern
University of Pennsylvania
Georgetown
University of Texas-Austin
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Fill Out the Applications
In addition to the general application fee you'll have to pay to each school, you're also going to need to shell out some cash to register with the Law School Data Assembly Service. The LSDAS will (for a fee) send official score reports (that is, your LSAT score) to any law school you'd like, as well as process transcripts and recommendations for you. You can access your account anytime, as everything is online. And as LSDAS attempts to even out schools' grading systems, your GPA may grow a little bit. The bad news is, you don't have a choice: You must pay and join the LSDAS.
Just remember that the LSDAS people take time to process all of your paperwork. This is a recurring theme, so get everything done early. You should join before you even take the LSAT.
Make sure your applications are neat. Make sure they're typed. And most of all, make sure they're complete. Many schools allow you to download applications from their websites for easy access. And LSDAS will sell you a CD-ROM (or give you access to a web account) containing almost every law school's application. With these services, you can type your information directly into the application, so your printouts are formatted and neat, just as the schools like them. You'll still have to pay the application fee to schools, but the extra cost of the CD is well worth its price. You won't have to write letters to every school asking for applications, and if something happens to your application, you can always print out another copy.
The tricky thing about law-school admissions is that most use rolling admissions. This means they decide whether to accept you or reject you right when they get your application. Thus, if you send in your application early, there are more potential spaces open and you're more likely to get accepted. Think about all the qualified people who wait until the last minute - perhaps they are all brilliant, but there simply aren't enough spaces left for everyone.
Rolling admissions can prove a blessing (to the early birds) or a curse (to the slackers). Get your applications signed, sealed and delivered as soon as possible. If you want to get into the best school you can, do your best to finish your applications and send them in by the end of October. This means you have to write your essays and ask for recommendations during September.
Every law school will require you to submit transcripts from any undergraduate and graduate coursework you did before law school. Registrars' offices are swamped during application time, so make sure to get in your requests early. Also make sure your checkbook is prepared to handle any processing or mailing fees your school charges, or investigate fee-waiver programs far in advance. And don't forget to include transcripts from summer programs at other schools, study-abroad programs and transfer institutions. Don't guess at what paperwork is needed - just send it all in.
Clear up any "Incompletes" before you send your transcript, and account for any glaring blemishes (a semester's worth of D's, for example) in your personal statement.
Most schools also ask you to submit some letters (usually two or three) from people who know you well enough to verify your sanity. When possible, opt for university administration members, important politicians or other "famous types." But if you don't have impressive connections, take heart: Most admissions officers are not reading for the signature at the bottom, but rather to check on three things, according to some notes from University of Chicago Law Assistant Dean Richard Badger:
1. How well does the recommender know the applicant?
2. Does the recommender feel the applicant will become successful in law school and in the legal profession?
3. How psyched is the recommender to praise the applicant?
Usually, you'll need at least one recommendation from a professor, sometimes one who teaches in your major. Don't head straight to the profs who gave you A's; some won't even remember you from their huge lecture classes. Instead, go for the profs or lecturers with whom you've had the best working relationship. (And if no one's name springs to mind, start networking!) Provide recommenders with your transcript, resume and any important coursework, just so they know how good you are. Also be sure that they know that you really want to go to law school; that way, they won't hold back.
A dean's letter is usually required. The dean at your college probably doesn't know you, but that's OK: His or her secretary will probably write this recommendation, if you need it. All it promises is that you never lied, cheated or stole anything. As with your other recommendations, ask the deans (or their secretaries) for the letter well in advance of deadlines. Deans are notorious for taking months to provide these letters. Remember that you can send your transcript and your recommendations directly to LSDAS, and they'll send them along with your score report to the schools you're applying to. That saves you on things to remember.
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Nail the Essays
Admissions folks are also curious about the non-numerical parts of your life. Your essays mark an important departure from the data-driven forms of your application, making them the place where you show your true colors. Here are some surefire tips for writing the best essays to sell yourself:
The personal statement is basically the school's way of saying, "Using 12-point font and 1-inch spacing, tell us a story about yourself in less that 2 pages." There are no guidelines and no real content requirements; you just have to tell the school about you and why they should accept you.
A good way to begin tackling this little gem is to think of some concrete examples that illustrate the point you'd like to make. Want to paint yourself as a civic-minded individual? Write about your experiences tutoring and fundraising for charity campaigns. The same admissions officers who read your personal statement will also see your transcripts and your resume (if you include one; and you should). So you don't need to reiterate everything you've done; rather, explain some of the really good stuff.
You may also, if necessary, use the personal statement as a way to explain a semester of particularly poor academic performance, or an LSAT score that inadequately represents you as a candidate.
If you've done anything particularly interesting (like worked in an African village for a year or grew up in foster care), play it up in your essay. Those intriguing personal stories really jump out.
No matter what, never start out with "I want to go to law school because ... " It's the most boring way to start an essay. Some poor reasons to cite for going to law school include "Because I loved 'Boston Legal'", "Because so many injustices exist in the world that I feel morally compelled to solve them" and "I want to make millions." These are all trite, boring and say nothing about you as a person. No matter what you write about, make sure it speaks about you as an individual.
Whatever you write about, avoid typos or stupid mistakes, Give the statement to a couple of friends to read over to make sure it makes sense.
Some schools ask you to complete other essays with your application. Show these writing samples the same love and affection you showered on your personal statement - but most importantly, stick to the question you're asked. If you are asked, for example, to describe a mistake you made and what you learned from it, do not babble on and on about the lesson you learned when you heard your roommate's boyfriend's brother cry about the exam he slept through. Just write honestly, clearly and (somewhat) creatively, and you'll do just fine. You may even feel compelled to complete some schools' optional essays; there's no harm in showing initiative.
If you participate in 65 extracurricular activities, work 4.9 jobs or are otherwise involved in a million things at once, you may wish to include this information via an expanded resume. Unlike the resume you'd use when you're trying to get a job, the expanded resume is more like a CV, meaning it can be longer than a page. It should be a forum for fleshing out explanations of projects and activities in more depth than what a bullet point and three words can indicate. Don't repeat any information found on your transcript, and don't rehash details from your personal statement. Instead, use the space to explain any important research you're conducting, specific duties you perform at a job or internship, or even any extremely notable interests. This is a particularly good idea for people who are not going straight from undergraduate school into law school; you may have won awards earlier in your life, or had some publications, or had some interesting jobs that you wouldn't put on a standard resume. All of these things give you personality and make you stand out in the admission committee's mind, so throw them in.
