So, you think you want to be a lawyer?
Ok, so it sounds pretty high-falootin’ to mention it at your family’s Thanksgiving meal, and it gives your parents something to brag about (“My Krissie, she’s going to be an attorney!”). But deciding you want to go to law school is one thing, and getting there is another.
If you’re already in your Junior year of college, I would suggest thinking seriously about your applications now . Anal girl that I am, I had already decided who would write my references and the schools to which I’d apply by the summer before my Senior year. Looking back, I’m glad I made up my mind so early – it’s a really intensive process, and it will consume all of your free time for at least a few weeks.
By no means was I the model law school applicant. I will freely admit that I stressed myself way too much, was too hard on myself (“Why bother applying? They won’t want me.”), and just allowed myself to get overwhelmed by the process. It will probably be slightly painful, but it’s worth it to just suck it up, cry into your pillow, and know that you’ll be rewarded for your efforts.
So here’s my step-by-step guide on how to apply to law school:
The Summer Before You Submit Your Application
First and foremost, register to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). You can request materials from www.lsac.org, or even through your school’s career office. The earlier you register, the better your chances of getting into your first-choice testing facility. Be forewarned that you will have to pay a pretty penny when you register – not only is there a test registration fee, but you’ll want to pay up-front for separate law school reports (the organization will send out your test results to each place you’ve applied, but it’ll cost ya). They charge you a smaller fee if you pay up front, rather than asking them in October to forward on your scores. With that in mind …
Start figuring out where you want to apply
At first, it may sound overwhelming to apply to 10 schools. But I did it, and it was ultimately beneficial. I selected 2 “easy” schools, 4 “medium” schools, and 4 “reach” schools, based on statistics on grades and LSAT scores. Law school admissions are really a game – some high-ranked schools may select you, while lower-ranked schools will turn their backs on you (hey, it happened to me!) As a fellow epinioner (Smiles33) quotes, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” Don’t be so darn self-conscious, and scatter your application wherever your heart desires; keep in mind, though, that you should apply to at least one “safety” school, where you’re almost guaranteed admission.
Once you’ve narrowed down the list of schools to which you will apply, check out their websites and contact their admissions offices for more information. Although I’m not one to follow it, check out the US News & World Report website for law school rankings (both overall and in various subject matters). Find out all you can about these schools, and request an application in advance (they won’t be shipped out until Sept., but it’s best to be early).
After registering for the LSAT, think seriously about taking a prep course. It certainly gave me a leg up (check out my Kaplan review), and it can only help you. It is certainly an added expense, but it’s worth it if you want to get into a top school.
Now, try to enjoy the rest of the summer, and forget the fact that you’ll have a busy Fall ahead of you!!
The Month of September
Now the fun really begins . If you’re taking the LSAT in October, you’ll likely spend the month learning the ins-and-outs of logic games and analytical reasoning. If you’re taking the LSAT in December, go ahead and start reviewing LSAT information, just to make yourself familiar with the types of questions and time restrictions. It never hurts to start preparing early.
If you haven’t received all of your application packets in the mail, make sure to contact the admission offices AGAIN… this is the busy season, and you want to get your paper application as soon as possible. IN ADDITION to ordering paper copies, I suggest you purchase the LSACD , a cd-rom disk that has every law school application on it, in printable format. It will set you back about $40, and you can find it on the www.lsac.org website.
This month, you’ll also want to arrange to have your transcripts sent to the LSAC (you’ll find out more about this when you register for the LSAT). They analyze your transcript and send it on to your potential law schools at the same time they send out your LSAT scores. You don’t want any delays, so make sure your transcript is in by the end of September.
You’ll also want to secure your recommendations. Following my timetable, you’ll want all your applications complete by Thanksgiving, so this will give them ample time to write a thoughtful recommendation. Keep in mind that they may already have had several request from other grad-school hopefuls! Although most law schools would prefer 2 faculty recommendations, they will also consider recommendations from an employer who knows you rather well. I took great care in requesting recommendations – I assembled my resume and a paragraph of intent to give to the recommender, just so they’d have a bit of extra info about me.
If you’re really ambitious, you can do even more in September, but I’d suggest leaving it at that, and using the rest of the month to finish preparing yourself for the LSAT. Once that nasty bit is over, you can focus on your applications.
The month of October
Take your LSAT. Cry (either for joy or for sorrow, depending on your scores). Don’t get too down on yourself, and plow forward.
The week after you take your LSAT, get cracking. I spent the month of October writing a resume and my personal statement. Most schools just require a generic personal statement (i.e. “Tell us something important about you.”). As you probably know, it’s very hard to write when you know it’s something that could potentially determine whether you go to law school or not, so take your time. Write, ask friends to review, edit, polish, ask friends to review, crumple it up and throw it away, take it out of the garbage, work on it some more, ask friends to review, and get so sick of seeing it that you put the finishing touches on at 4 am and never think about it again. Whatever your method (mine isn’t the best), have it 100% complete by the end of October. Same with your resume.
The End of October
Without seeming too pushy, make sure your recommendations are nearing completion. Print out multiple copies of your resume and personal statement. Get your LSAT scores, and don’t let them dissuade you from applying.
The Month of November
This is when you really need to complete your applications. Using the LSACD, start filling them out, one by one. They generally don’t take more than one evening to do, each. Go to an office supply store and pick up a nice thick ream of paper, and print them out. Make sure all the info is correct, sign your name, fill out a check, attach your personal statement and resume, and then (get this!) use the envelopes and lables provided in the hard-copy application packets . (Yes, this is when those paper copies come in handy). In my opinion, your application will look more complete if you use their special envelopes and labels. Just do it.
Ideally, by mid-November, you should be done. Since most schools practice a rolling admissions policy, you are statistically better off sending your applications in early, as they make admissions decisions as soon as the applications roll in. Send out the applications for your first-choice schools first – it may just give you a better shot.
When it comes time to mail your applications (I would mail them one-by-one, if I were you), go to the post office and send them registered/confirmed mail. That way, you get a return receipt when the law school signs for the envelope. It’s just an added feeling of security after pouring your heart and soul into the application.
Go home for Thanksgiving. Start to relax. The hardest part is over now – enjoy it.
December, and beyond!
As I said, you should ideally be done with your applications by the end of November. If not, finish them up in the month of December. Get these puppies DONE, no matter how hard it is to do.
In December, you should get notification that your files are complete/incomplete. Follow-up if necessary.
Prepare yourself for incoming decision letters. I had already heard back from 2 schools by the end of December, though the majority of my letters came in February and March.
It’s so hard to sit around waiting, knowing you could hear back any day. But you just have to be patient. In the meantime, there is nothing you can really do. Unless you’re a superstar law applicant, you will likely get a rejection letter or two… or 5. Unfortunately, you may get these rejection letters prior to getting your acceptance letters. It’s hard to deal with, but be strong – your day will come.
Looking back, it seems like an awfully arduous process. It really was. But I was serious about it, and committed to turning out the best applications possible. Ultimately, I was successful. While I didn’t get into some of the top programs in the country, I’m very satisfied with my “pickins.” And I did get wait-listed at schools where I thought I had absolutely NO CHANCE of getting in, which just goes to show that a little extra effort, and a lot of wishin’ and prayin’, just may pay off.
Best of luck to you in the application process. I’ve heard it’s nothing compared to law school and the bar exam. But in the meantime, I’m going to be proud of my perseverance and celebrate my acceptance.