Another law school application cycle is about to begin.
Will this cycle be as crazy competitive as last year? We don’t know yet. But we do know that you can at least control your part of it. You can get organized, perfect your documents and turn them in during the early part of the rolling admissions cycle.
We recommend you try to apply by Thanksgiving of the cycle you are participating. That means that the early fall months should be spent getting everything ready so your essays, scores, resume and supporting documents are ready to go.
Here is a suggested fall timeline for getting ready to apply:
–Take the September or October LSAT if you have not already taken it. Consider signing up for score preview, if it’s your first time taking the test. This allows you to see your first LSAT score and then decide if you want to report it.
-Sign up for Pre-law clubs at your school on club day. If you are not already a member of the pre-law society, mock trial team, or other law related club at your school, they have law related and admissions events which you may find very helpful. Plus, you can add the club to your resume.
-Have Your Resume Reviewed. Speaking of resumes, you will need one to submit with your law school applications. Have it reviewed in the early fall by your university career services office. They can also help with suggestions for legal internships, if you haven’t done one yet.
–Work on Your Personal Statement. This is a very important component of your application so leave time for multiple drafts. Run it by your prelaw advisor for feedback. You can also utilize the writing center at your school for assistance with preliminary drafts. Professors can also be a great source of feedback. This is also the time to work on the optional essays, such as the diversity statement, addendum, and school-specific essays.
-Ask for Recommendations. You will need at least two recommenders. Depending on the law school, they may accept up to four. Many applicants will ask two professors and one employer or internship supervisor. They may be swamped during the fall, so ask them now. Give them at least a month to complete it.
–Request Your Transcript. Have your official transcript sent to the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), with your most recent grades available. You may also be able to send an updated one with grades from the fall of your senior year.
–Finalize Your List of Schools. I would suggest including several target, safety and reach schools, as recent application cycles have been competitive and you want to have options. Check out the LSAC Official Guide to ABA Approved Law Schools chart, for data on application chances.
–Attend the Law School Forum. Check out the law school forums on the LSAC site. They are admissions events held in different cities on different dates. It’s a great opportunity to network with law school admissions officers from all over the country, and learn more about the application process.
Hopefully, if you follow these steps, you will be ready to apply in the early part of the rolling admissions process. While it’s not a common application, the applications are similar. Once you get started, they should be pretty straightforward. For more information on the steps to apply, check out this application guideline on the LSAC website.
Hillary Mantis consults with pre-law students, law students and lawyers. She is Assistant Dean for the Pre-Law Advising Program at Fordham University, and the author of career books. Admissions questions? You can reach Hillary at altcareer@aol.com.
