The Ultimate Guide To Law School Application
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-Prove Interest- Glaring Mistake #5: Failing to Prove Interest in the Schools to which You Apply
When I applied to law school, I got into UChicago and Harvard. However, I also got rejected by multiple schools that were ranked outside the top 5.
How does that happen? How did schools so much "worse" than UChicago reject me while Harvard and UChicago let me in? ANSWER: Because they didn't think there was even 1% chance that I'd attend. |
Law schools are selfish. They care about their numbers and rankings, and they care about them a lot.
Arguably the most damning law school number is a bad ratio of admitted to attendees!
Why is Yale Law School Yale Law School? Because they reject practically everyone who applies. They're very selective. Selectivity (= number of applicants to number accepted ratio) is one of the most important law school metrics, and the one that everyone seems to focus on. But there's another incredibly important ratio that no one seems to pay attention to:
Arguably the most damning law school number is a bad ratio of admitted to attendees!
Why is Yale Law School Yale Law School? Because they reject practically everyone who applies. They're very selective. Selectivity (= number of applicants to number accepted ratio) is one of the most important law school metrics, and the one that everyone seems to focus on. But there's another incredibly important ratio that no one seems to pay attention to:
Total Number Admitted by School : Students Admitted-yet-NOT-Attending!
If this number is too large, law school rankings will drop. Additionally, it'll cause massive administrative headaches for the law school.
Think about it - if a school lets in 1,000 people, and only 1 of them decides to attend, what does it say about the school? That it stinks, that's what. Yale is Yale not only because they let in very few people, but also because almost everyone they let in attends. Schools avidly try to avoid letting people in who they don't think will attend. Therefore....
Think about it - if a school lets in 1,000 people, and only 1 of them decides to attend, what does it say about the school? That it stinks, that's what. Yale is Yale not only because they let in very few people, but also because almost everyone they let in attends. Schools avidly try to avoid letting people in who they don't think will attend. Therefore....
It is your job to make sure that every school you apply to thinks you'll go, if you're accepted |
Even if you're a really strong applicant, no school will let you in, if they think it's obvious that you won't be coming.
In my case, I was the founder of a global non-profit who aced the LSAT coming from one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. I knew nothing about the "low tier" schools I applied to, didn't make mention of them anywhere in my applications, and never went for visits. Guess how likely they thought I was going to attend? And guess what happened?
Again, let me repeat: if you don't sell your desire to go to a school, they'll reject you.
A lot of people are "me, me, me" on their applications, and in many ways, that's a good thing - if you're not selling yourself, you're not going to get in. However, that's not enough. You also have to be "you, you, you" when it comes to the law school applications.
Think about it: if "lower-tier" law schools are rejecting qualified applicants, imagine what top-tier law schools will do if they "smell a rat."
Doing this is simpler than you might think. All you really need to do:
In my case, I was the founder of a global non-profit who aced the LSAT coming from one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. I knew nothing about the "low tier" schools I applied to, didn't make mention of them anywhere in my applications, and never went for visits. Guess how likely they thought I was going to attend? And guess what happened?
Again, let me repeat: if you don't sell your desire to go to a school, they'll reject you.
A lot of people are "me, me, me" on their applications, and in many ways, that's a good thing - if you're not selling yourself, you're not going to get in. However, that's not enough. You also have to be "you, you, you" when it comes to the law school applications.
Think about it: if "lower-tier" law schools are rejecting qualified applicants, imagine what top-tier law schools will do if they "smell a rat."
Doing this is simpler than you might think. All you really need to do:
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A) Research the school. Learn about it. Figure out a bunch of specific reasons why you want to go to THAT school (and no, “you’re ranked well in US News and World Report” does NOT count as one of these reasons). If you don’t have a list of specific reasons why you want to go to a school, why are you applying in the first place? Please remember my earlier advice: spending three years somewhere just because of rankings can be harmful.
B) Visit the school, if possible. Unfortunately, most law schools don't offer interviews - Northwestern does; UChicago interviews by invitation only. If interviewing is not an option, then do the next best thing - go visit the school. There's a LOT you can gain and learn during a school visit. Conversing with current students, for example, is a great way to learn about. Moreover, who knows, you may be able to pull off a stealth interview with a member of the faculty or administration. C) Write the supplemental essays. Use them to hint that the law school is the right fit for you. Are you a start-up fanatic? Does the law school you’re applying to have a great law and entrepreneurship program? Perhaps, in your “why XYZ law school” supplemental essay, you could talk about leveraging that school’s start-up law program to reach out to local small-businesses and help them navigate through their legal issues. Are you interested in Intellectual Property? Does the school you’re applying to have a strong IP program? Then perhaps in your supplemental essay you want to write about a notable professor you wish to study with? D) Write the optional essays. Don't let the name deceive you. These so-called optional essays are NOT all that "optional." Sure, it's a bad idea to waste space and time by writing more, if you don't have anything more to say or add to your application. But unfortunately, most law school schools have a slight Napoleonic Complex when it comes to the optional essay. If you don't submit a decent one (despite your awesome grades and test scores), they'll assume you're not interested, and reject you. |
You get the idea.
If you use your supplemental or optional essays well, and if you’re able to pass along your enthusiasm, you stand a much better chance of getting in.
Also, this ties back into something we discussed earlier:
If you use your supplemental or optional essays well, and if you’re able to pass along your enthusiasm, you stand a much better chance of getting in.
Also, this ties back into something we discussed earlier:
The ultimate “red flag” for most law schools: You aren’t a good fit.
Remember Glaring Mistake #3 (not picking the right schools for you)? Well, if you apply somewhere that’s clearly not a match, you’ll be in the rejection pile in a heartbeat.
If you pick the right schools (schools that match your interests) and if you convince them that you’ll go if accepted, you’re starting to do things right.
If you pick the right schools (schools that match your interests) and if you convince them that you’ll go if accepted, you’re starting to do things right.
However, even if you follow the above four tips, there are still some big mistakes that you can make. One of them has to do directly with the idea of “lack of research and interest.” Here it is:
Failing to find advocates and forgetting that law school is a crapshoot