The Ultimate Guide To Law School Application
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-When to Start- Glaring Mistake #1: Applying Too Late
Start as soon as possible! Most students give themselves way too little time. This is a terrible mistake.
Putting together a grand slam application takes a whole lot of planning and strategizing. It can't be done on a whim. The moment you decide you want to go to law school, I don't care if you're "just" a freshman, you can start planning and putting your application together. There are at least three distinct reasons you need to start early. |
1. LSAT is Hard
The single most common reason why people apply late to law school is because they don't have a LSAT score (or better yet, they don't have the "RIGHT" LSAT score). If you want to apply to law school, you need to submit a score.
The LSAT is unlike any exam you've taken in the past. It doesn't matter that you're a straight A student or that you can ace college exams after cramming for just a few hours. The LSAT is cram proof. I've witnessed countless ambitious, very smart, and well-intentioned students cram intensely for a month only to crash and burn on the actual test. Taking the LSAT is like running a marathon. When students tell me they'll do no other prep besides maybe flip through a few prep books, it's like hearing someone say this about running a marathon:
The LSAT is unlike any exam you've taken in the past. It doesn't matter that you're a straight A student or that you can ace college exams after cramming for just a few hours. The LSAT is cram proof. I've witnessed countless ambitious, very smart, and well-intentioned students cram intensely for a month only to crash and burn on the actual test. Taking the LSAT is like running a marathon. When students tell me they'll do no other prep besides maybe flip through a few prep books, it's like hearing someone say this about running a marathon:
The more time, the better. Heck, if you're a bad standardized test taker (and you know it), then you can benefit by starting years before you plan to take the test. But give yourself at the very least three months (ideally six months) to prep for the LSAT. Prepping for the LSAT is akin to training for the marathon. It takes a lot of daily effort and time. So start early!
2. Law School Admit on a "First Come, First Serve" Basis
Most law schools adhere to a rolling admissions process, in which applications are evaluated as they are submitted. Schools typically begin accepting applications around October 1 (some schools as early as September 1, while other schools as late as December 1) and will continue accepting them for several months (usually until February 15 or March 1). If your application is complete, then from the time your application is received it will take approximately a month or two (or three) until the schools get back to you with a decision.
It is in your best interest to apply early!
By applying late your chances of receiving scholarships decreases. Scholarships aside, when you apply late you're less likely to get admitted! The sooner you apply, the more seats there are available for the schools give out. The later you apply, the less seats there are left.
The best applications are usually the result of a certain amount of soul-searching. Your personal statement (the grand essay to be submitted to law schools) will have to say something significant and meaningful about you (and your soul). You can't simply write about "Why I want to go to law school." If you haven't tried yet, then you may not know exactly how long it takes to craft the perfect essay.
Just to give you an idea - I witnessed one of my star pupil go through 22 drafts - that's approximately two-months of writing and re-writing and re-writing. She got into every single school she applied to. The moral of the story here: give yourself plenty of time to plan and prep for law school.
It is in your best interest to apply early!
By applying late your chances of receiving scholarships decreases. Scholarships aside, when you apply late you're less likely to get admitted! The sooner you apply, the more seats there are available for the schools give out. The later you apply, the less seats there are left.
The best applications are usually the result of a certain amount of soul-searching. Your personal statement (the grand essay to be submitted to law schools) will have to say something significant and meaningful about you (and your soul). You can't simply write about "Why I want to go to law school." If you haven't tried yet, then you may not know exactly how long it takes to craft the perfect essay.
Just to give you an idea - I witnessed one of my star pupil go through 22 drafts - that's approximately two-months of writing and re-writing and re-writing. She got into every single school she applied to. The moral of the story here: give yourself plenty of time to plan and prep for law school.
3. Somebody (or Something) Will (most likely) Mess Up
By starting early you can prepare for, catch, and fix all the potential mishaps that (are bound to) occur.
The law school application process requires some middle-men to act on your behalf. Think of these middle-men, like your professors, employers, colleagues, dean from your alma mater(s), and the registrar office, as "teammates", whose job is to help you get admitted, and think of yourself as the "team captain." Your teammates might mess up and "forget" to send in your letter of recommendation, fail to mail-in your transcript(s), or lose your request for certificate of good-standing. By applying early, you have the ability to better manage your teammates. You won't be left scrambling last minute to fix their mess-ups.
Thus, once again, it's in your best interest to apply early!
The law school application process requires some middle-men to act on your behalf. Think of these middle-men, like your professors, employers, colleagues, dean from your alma mater(s), and the registrar office, as "teammates", whose job is to help you get admitted, and think of yourself as the "team captain." Your teammates might mess up and "forget" to send in your letter of recommendation, fail to mail-in your transcript(s), or lose your request for certificate of good-standing. By applying early, you have the ability to better manage your teammates. You won't be left scrambling last minute to fix their mess-ups.
Thus, once again, it's in your best interest to apply early!