Law school is an intensive, intellectually challenging degree program that requires significant time commitment. Although getting accepted can be competitive, gaining admission can still be possible with sufficient recommendation letters and an impressive personal statement.
There are a lot of factors involved in applying to law school, such as your GPA, LSAT score, extracurricular activities and extracurriculars. In this article we’ll focus on creating a strong narrative throughout your entire application to increase your chances of getting in.
1. Your GPA
Your GPA should be one of your main priorities if you want to get into law school, but don’t get discouraged if it is not perfect; admissions committees consider all aspects of an application; an upward trend in your grades, strong LSAT scores, outstanding letters of recommendation, and meaningful post-graduation experiences could still give you a solid chance at law school acceptance.
Affording an admissions committee an explanation for your low GPA will make them more sympathetic towards academic struggles. For instance, providing context such as time-consuming jobs or family crises like illness of a loved one might help disprove assumptions of poor work ethic or make them reconsider judging you unfairly.
If you have an excellent professor or teaching assistant who knows you well and can attest to your character, they could vouch for you in an addendum. However, this strategy requires taking an increased risk in terms of both student loan money and time spent taking summer classes or retaking courses to boost your GPA.
2. Your LSAT
The LSAT is an essential element of law school applications. It determines which schools you can attend and the amount of merit-based financial aid awarded.
To achieve competitive scores on the LSAT, studying hard is necessary – but don’t let that deter you! Many TLS users report making significant improvements on the exam.
An effective starting point when exploring law schools is researching their admissions statistics and using 7Sage’s LSAT Predictor to estimate your chances of admission with various scores.
Once you’ve decided on an LSAT target score, it’s time to begin studying! Your aim should be to increase each of the last five Performance Test scores by at least two points; be patient as this test takes time to develop your ability to answer questions correctly and develop skill.
3. Your Statement of Purpose
Your law school personal statement provides an opportunity for you to connect with admission committee members on a more personal level while displaying writing abilities that are essential for succeeding in law school and beyond.
Law school admission essays differ significantly from graduate school essays by asking you to demonstrate why that particular program is the ideal match for you; rather than this question being focused solely on you as an individual, law schools aim more at understanding how your worldview and philosophy align with theirs and that your approach to becoming a lawyer aligns with theirs.
Personal statements should be honest and authentic, yet creative! For instance, if there are no major life challenges to discuss or an obvious chronological timeline to present them using montage structure may help bring multiple aspects of life and career together into one piece with an overarching theme or central conflict as focal point for discussion.
4. Your Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation (LORs) play an essential role in law school admissions. LORs allow readers to connect more closely with applicants and can provide insight into their character, personality, motivation, and potential that cannot be captured solely from grades and test scores alone.
LORs are essential for all types of students, yet can prove especially difficult to acquire for those returning after some time away. To improve your LORs and increase the chance of receiving LORs from professors and supervisors in your first year of undergrad studies.
Consider that less is more when it comes to selecting recommenders; one mediocre letter could easily overshadow better ones. Select recommenders carefully and include professors, supervisors, and mentors who will write compelling letters on your behalf.