Consider your goals and interests when applying to law school. Your target schools should accept you with grades and LSAT scores aligning with their medians, and offer programs related to your career goals (such as International Human Rights Law).
Investigate your options through law school admissions fairs, forums and related events. Arrange for letters of reference from both academic and professional sources.
1. Academics
Law schools typically require applicants to hold at least a bachelor’s degree and an acceptable LSAT score in order to be admitted; beyond academics, admission decisions often depend on each applicant’s background and will often vary accordingly.
As an illustration, having studied an untraditional major like art history or microbiology with a strong GPA can make an individual more competitive than someone who pursued pre-law courses during undergrad. Personal factors are also evaluated via essays, letters of recommendation, and unique experiences on applications.
Take the time and care needed to prepare and review your application carefully before submitting it. Ensure your transcripts are correct, and follow each school’s specific directions; these details could make the difference in securing admission.
2. Community
Law schools evaluate more than academic performance and test scores when selecting applicants, they also take into account your community involvement and extracurricular activities such as volunteering, sports participation or research projects. Participating in such endeavors demonstrates your teamwork skills while honing communication abilities.
Law schools value applicants who demonstrate both a deep passion for law and commitment to helping others through experience such as working at non-profits or volunteering for pro bono legal clinics – something which will demonstrate your dedication among other applicants and make you stand out among them.
Preparing carefully for the application process is one way to demonstrate your dedication to law school. Achieve high LSAT and GPA scores is important, but just as vital is creating an impressive personal statement, receiving letters of recommendation, and finding ways to showcase genuine interest in your prospective school.
3. Location
Selecting where you will attend law school can have a dramatic impact on your college experience. Make sure your location will suit you and help foster personal and academic growth, while considering cost. When making this decision, take into account what budget is available and be realistic when setting expectations about tuition costs and payments for law school education.
Law schools in the US confer Juris Doctor (JD) degrees – required to become attorneys – which you will need in order to find employment. When choosing a law school, it is important to consider reputation, employment outcomes and curriculum before making your choice. You should also select one with a strong alumni network as faculty at such schools should have knowledge and dedication towards helping their students achieve success.
4. Costs
Applying to law school can be expensive in today’s economic climate. Tuition fees alone don’t cover everything involved with applying; admissions procedures fees and other ancillary costs also add up quickly, having a negative effect on your application process.
After paying the LSAC application fee and credential assembly service fee to each law school, as well as its individual application fees ranging from $75-85, you will also have to pay each law school’s application fees directly.
Strategies available to reduce application costs include requesting a fee waiver and applying early. You should review the criteria for acquiring such waivers on LSAC website as well as speaking to schools regarding their fees and policies; some may offer fee waivers to applicants attending their information sessions or events.
5. Graduation Rate
Attending law school requires both time and financial commitment from applicants, so applicants should carefully consider each school’s graduation rate when making application decisions. A higher graduation rate indicates that most students typically complete their programs within an acceptable amount of time.
At law schools, work loads can be intense. Students typically spend 40+ hours reading and studying each week. Law students take special writing and academic support courses early on to prepare them for case method learning of law.
Law school is a graduate-level program, so applicants should possess strong undergraduate GPAs and LSAT scores. Schools may also consider extracurricular activities, work experience and unique courses of study when making admission decisions.
