The Application Process

The following are common questions students ask as they are preparing to apply to law school. Remember that the best way to get your questions answered is always to make an appointment with the pre-law advisor.

1.  How do I know I’m writing a strong personal statement?

Your personal statement will be read by admissions personnel as a means of assessing your abilities to think logically and to convey your thoughts in clear and direct prose. It also is the primary means by which admissions personnel learn who you are other than as a holder of a certain GPA and LSAT score. You are encouraged to write a statement that indicates to your reader who you are as defined by your values, attitudes, sentiments, or beliefs and that does so in the form of a clearly constructed and persuasive argument.

2.  My LSAT score is low but my GPA is high. Do I have a chance of getting into law school?

A person with a low LSAT score can still gain admission to law school if he or she has a decent GPA.

3.  My academic performance was poor during my freshman and sophomore years, but has since improved.  I have a great LSAT score.  Should I address my academic record in my application?

No; nobody wants excuses. A high LSAT score is probably the most important consideration in gaining admission to law school. A person with a very high score and a very low GPA is likely to have more choices than an applicant with both a good (but not great) LSAT score and a good GPA.

4.  Whom should I ask for letters of recommendation?

Letters of recommendation should come from people who know you well. Prominent alumni of schools to which you seek admission are of the greatest value.

5.  Law school is expensive and I’ll be taking out lots of loans. What if I graduate and can’t obtain a job?

The answer is obvious—you will be in a great deal of financial trouble. Taking out large loans to go to very good and very expensive law schools involves much less risk than taking out small loans to attend a less well regarded law school. The latter increases the likelihood that you will be paying off your loans by selling shoes in a retail mall. Anyone who is accepted only by lower-tier law schools and who must borrow money to attend school may well want either to work before going to school or to reconsider one’s career options.