Tips for Writing Law School Applications
Building your law school application takes time and effort. It can be a stressful but rewarding process once you finish and receive your acceptance. According to The Balance Careers, a survey conducted by Kaplan Test Prep revealed that the quality of the law school applicant pool is increasing, making law school admissions more competitive even though the number of applicants has declined over time (1). Keep reading as I tell you some tips for writing law school applications based on advice from current and past law students.
First, it is important to start the application process early (1). Mark your calendar with important dates, such as when certain applications are due, so you can easily plan out how long you have to work on the application. I would personally suggest working out a schedule for when you plan to get everything done and submitted. Also, start asking for letters of recommendation months before, as you may have to wait longer than you expected to receive them, and you do not want your writer to rush them (1). Preparing and writing all your documents ahead of time will help with any last-minute issues that may arise or any stress you may feel as the due date approaches. Some tips that former law student Ashley D. Rozes had was, “show the admissions committee the impact you have made on your community, the chances you have taken, your successes, and your failures (1). Show them that if given the opportunity to attend their school, you will continue a tradition of excellence and service” (1).
Secondly, one of the biggest tips most law students had was to be yourself, especially when writing your personal statement (1). According to alumni Hailey Manfredi from New England Law, law schools generally approach applications very holistically, and they spend time reading each one (1). She states, “your LSAT score is a number, and your résumé does not convey your personality. The personal statement is where you get to convince admissions that you’re supposed to be here” (1). If you use your personal experience and true feelings in your application, it will be easier for you to write and be more genuine, leading to a great application. You are more likely to feel more confident in a personal statement that conveys your true self, and law admission officers can see that through reading your application.
Third, it is important to ask questions (1). Many of you applying to law school may feel lost and confused as the application process is very different and requires more effort than undergrad. There are many parts and requirements to a law school application that need to be taken into consideration. Most likely, the law school you are choosing to write an application for has many resources such as an admissions office or current students and alumni that can help guide you in the right direction and would be happy to answer any questions you may have (1). Getting clarification is important in writing the best possible application and prevents you from forgetting any vital information that may make or break your application.
Finally, proofreading is a minimal tip but makes a big impact on your applications (1). Law schools not only judge you on what you write, but they also look for how you write or your professionalism. Having a clear, well-written paper with no grammatical errors is going to stand out over any other. It is important to sound professional not only in what you write but in how you write. Having a friend read over it or reading it aloud can help catch any errors you might have missed.
Overall, law school applications can seem intimidating at first glance, but once you’ve mastered and considered these tips, your application will be and look a lot better, and you will feel more confident!
Endnotes
New England Law. “Helpful Law School Application Tips from Accepted Students” New England Law Boston, https://www.nesl.edu/blog/detail/law-school-application-advice-from-real-world-students.
Author
Anjali Kupchand
Research Associate
Comments