Law schools consider a number of factors in accepting students. No single qualification alone guarantees acceptance. Your LSAT score and prior academic performance are the two most important factors considered. A number of criteria will actually be considered:
Personal Statement
Besides your GPA and LSAT score, your personal statement is the most important part of the application process. It is your opportunity to distinguish yourself from every other applicant. You may either discuss factors that otherwise would not come out in the application process or elaborate on specific aspects of your application. Consider this to be an interview on paper. Describe who you are and what you have done that makes you uniquely qualified to study and practice law.
- Write about yourself. What you have done and how you have done it tend to be more important than what you think. For example, describe how you have overcome tremendous obstacles or how you have excelled in student government rather than your theories on life or the American political system. Overused topics such as "Why I Wanted to be a Criminal Lawyer Since the Age of Two" or "How I Will Seek Social Justice for the Poor" generally are ineffective unless you can convincingly demonstrate your claims.
- Be specific. Simply listing your achievements and experiences does not add anything to your application. Use examples and explain your contribution when appropriate. Make sure that the admissions committee understands the significance of what you have chosen to discuss. This is no time to be overly modest. Highlight your strengths, maintaining a positive, confident tone without being arrogant. You should comment on any irregular grade trends or circumstances that affected your academic performance or test score; however, while explaining or accounting for a low GPA or LSAT score is acceptable, limit this to a few paragraphs or less. Do not waste your entire statement apologizing for your weaknesses.
- Avoid grammatical and spelling errors on all parts of the application. Law schools also are evaluating your writing ability. How you say it is just as important as what you say.
- Be brief, comprehensive, organized, and factual. Write clearly and concisely. Tell your story or make your point in as few words as possible; verbosity is not valued. A maximum of two double-spaced typewritten pages generally is a good guideline to follow.
- Read and follow the instructions carefully, noting any specified topics or word limits.
Like the other factors in the admissions process, even a wonderful essay will not compensate for poor grades, low LSAT scores, or a weak application. A memorable essay, however, may tip the scales in favor of a borderline candidate.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters provide another means for law schools to get to know you. Like the personal statement, good letters of recommendation will distinguish you from other applicants.
- Because letters of recommendation are almost always very positive, admissions committees look for specific examples of your academic abilities as well as characteristics such as discipline, persistence, and responsibility. General praise is not particularly beneficial.
- You may want to discuss your specific goals for the letter with those you are asking to write for you. Provide a resume, your personal statement, or any other information that can assist the recommender in writing a more specific and personal letter.
- Providing a stamped, self-addressed envelope to those writing your letters is a nice gesture and can speed the process. Make sure your writers complete any recommendation forms provided by the law schools or the Law School Admissions Council.
- The quality of the recommendation and the nature of the relationship between you and the recommender are far more important than the status of the recommender. Seek letters from people who know you well and who can thoroughly discuss your academic talents and aptitude for the study of law. Letters from prominent individuals (judges, well-known alumni) who are unfamiliar with you and your abilities are unimpressive.
- Generally, at least one letter should come from a former instructor. This faculty member should know you and your academic potential well and be willing to compare you favorably to other students, especially other law school candidates.
- Recommendations from employers certainly can enhance your file, but these letters also must refer to your specific strengths to be valuable.
Some law schools do not require or consider letters. Some schools only use them to distinguish among candidates with similar grades and LSAT scores, while others afford letters a great deal of weight in the admissions process. Regardless, you should carefully select those who will be writing your letters of recommendation.
General Considerations | Personal Statement | Letters of Recommenation
