Earlier this year I mentioned that I had plans to go back to school. Now, I’m back with some exciting news! I can finally share that I’ll be officially starting at Columbia Law School this fall! I’m beyond excited for this next step. After going through a year long admissions process, I’m sharing some lessons and advice for anyone interested in applying to law school.
- Don’t procrastinate. There is no room for it. If you’re not serious about getting things early, if not on time, it will cost you. Law school admissions are rolling and so the time you submit your application can be the difference between an acceptance with scholarships and offer on the waitlist. Submit as early in the cycle as possible, while also making sure not to compromise the strength of your application by doing so.
- Only apply to schools you could envision yourself going to. For college admissions, you may have cast a rather wide net. You probably split your application list into the traditional “reach, target, safety” buckers. For law school, while you can do the same, you have to be confident that you’d be happy attending 100% of the schools you apply to. Otherwise you are wasting your time and money. Law school is way too expensive for you to go somewhere that will not make you happy or drive you towards your career goals. That means you may be applying to significantly less law schools compared to colleges. Obviously you can and should have a top choice, but the thought of any and every acceptance should excite you.
- Aim as high as possible on your LSAT and for your GPA. If not for personal satisfaction and feelings of relief, for scholarship opportunities. A whole new world opens up when you reach certain numbers of your GPA and LSAT.
- Sell yourself and do it well. As much as I hate to say it, this process is all about making schools want you. So you have to clarify what’s in it for them if they accept you. Top law schools want to be able to claim tomorrow’s leaders and game changers whether it’s ultimately in law, politics, business, tech, or the sciences. You have to make crystal clear the potential you have to be that leader and game changer. You have to do it well enough to make them believe you. That doesn’t mean your application should scream desperation. You should, however, keep that end goal in mind. Going to law school is what you want, but you have to keep in mind what the schools are looking for too.
- Stop comparing yourself. This one is huge. The law school admissions process is a numbers game to a very large extent. However, if it were a complete numbers game, schools wouldn’t have admissions committees nor would they ask for essays and recommendations. They’d simply churn out admissions decisions based on some numerical algorithm on a first come first serve basis. There is a reason they look at your application file so extensively. While it may be helpful to know how others with similar stats have done in the past. Stats are just stats. I am almost 100% sure there has not been another applicant with the same EXACT credentials as you. Think of all the factors on an application that are unique to you: undergrad institution, major, thesis topic, volunteer experience leadership positions, internship and work experience, study abroad experience, race/ethnicity, awards and so much more. Although they hold a significant amount of weight, there is so much more to the process than your LSAT and GPA. For that reason, it is very hard and often counterproductive to compare yourself to previous applicants.
- Find ways to cope with anxiety. No matter how cool, calm and collected you’re used to being, law school admissions has a way of throwing that out the window. Rolling admissions means you could hear back from schools in 4 weeks or 4 months. It’s a waiting game and you have to try your best to keep your mind off of the process.
- Know your “why” and make sure it is valid. I’ve said it already but I will say it again: law school is too expensive for you to not be sure about why you are going. I’m sorry buddy but going because you think it looks good or your parents want you to is not enough. To be honest, going because you’ve always wanted to, is also not clear enough either. What is it that you want to do in this world and why do you think that a law degree will help you do that? Be critical with yourself about whether you’d be able to reach the same career goals without a law degree. If your “why” isn’t clear to you, it definitely won’t be clear in your application and that will work against you.
Final Thoughts
It’s been a roller coaster of a year with law school admissions. While it was probably one of the most stressful years of my life, it was certainly rewarding as well. I hope you found this list of law school admissions advice helpful. If you’re going through the process or considering it, feel free to reach out to me. I would be happy to help in any way that I can and provide even more law school admissions advice that did’t make it on this list!
“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Isaiah 1:17
